Downtown Calgary, Photo by John Brosz

 

 

The community of New Brighton in Southeast Calgary

 

 

Sunalta in Southwest Calgary

Calgary Neighbourhoods

The City of Calgary is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. Streets run north south and avenues run east west, with Centre Avenue separating the north from south and Centre Street separating the east from west. Streets and avenues are numbered starting at Centre and Centre, with those closest to the core having the smallest numbers. Although most streets and avenues are number, many streets and avenues have special names. 17th Ave SE is also named International Avenue given the fact that many shops and residents there have come from countries around the world. There is also Stephen Avenue, which is considered the retail core of downtown Calgary. Names are given to commemorate or celebrate something great that has to do with the street or avenue.

At the core of Calgary is the City Centre or Downtown area, which contains the Downtown West End, the Downtown Commercial Core, and the Downtown East Village. The Commercial Core is subdivided into several individual districts, including the Stephens Avenue retail core, the Entertainment District, and Calgary's Government district. Chinatown, Eau Claire and the Beltline neighbourhoods are also considered part of the Calgary City Centre area. The Beltline is the densest urban neighbourhood within Calgary and is currently the site of many projects with the focus on revitalizing the neighbourhood. It includes the communities of West Connaught, Connaught Centre, Victoria Park, and East Victoria Park. It also contains well known Calgary areas such as Midtown, the Design District, 4th Street, Uptown, the Warehouse District, and the Rivers District.

Moving away from Calgary's City Centre you come to the inner city communities, including Sunnyside, Crescent Heights, Inglewood, Briar Hill, Renfrew, Bridgeland, Mount Royal, Mission, Montgomery, Ramsay, and Radisson Heights. These areas have a high percentage of multi-family housing. These areas include some of Calgary’s most upscale and expensive real estate. This area is of older historic properties from when Calgary was first beginning to grow. Here you can find a marriage of the old and new styles of architecture.

Traveling a little further from the inner city you can find the more established neighbourhoods of Calgary, including Mount Pleasant and Rosedale to the north; Killarny, Bankview and Altadore to the south; Glendale, Parkdale and Bowness to the west; and Forest Lawn to the east. These neighbourhoods offer an interesting mix of housing options. There are single family homes for people who are looking for a place to raise their children, as well as starter homes for people who are just looking for a smaller place. The types of house here range from single family homes, duplexes, townhouses, condominiums and walk up apartments. It’s is not hard to find a wonderful place in this area of the city.

As we get closer to the outer neighbourhoods of Calgary we find suburban communities and subdivisions where single-family detached homes make up the largest percentage of the available real estate. These communities include Coventry Hills, McKenzie Towne, Somerset, Country Hills, Hamptons, Taradale, and Royal Oak.

Nose Hill Park in Northwest Calgary, Photo by John Johnston

 

 

Prince's Island Park in Downtown Calgary

Calgary Parks & River Valley

The City of Calgary is home to over 5,000 urban parks, including river valley parks bordering sections of both the Elbow River and the Bow River. A network of over 70 kilometres of pathways connect Calgary's neighbourhoods and green spaces, and is recognized as one of the most extensive multi-use trail systems in North America. People use these parks and pathways year round for outdoor activities such as picnics, cycling, running, hiking, tobogganing and cross-country skiing. In summer, you can find many Calgarians making use of the Bow or Elbow rivers by rafting and canoeing up and down the rivers.

Fish Creek Provincial Park can be found winding its way through the southern parts of Calgary. As one of the largest urban parks in North America, it spans 19 kilometres from east to west and is three times the size of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Here, you have access to on-site camping facilities, stables, and a lake for swimming.

Northwest Calgary is where you find Nose Hill Park, one of the largest natural environment parks in Canada and the second largest parkland area in Calgary. Nose Hill Park is known to be visited my many Calgarians that are looking for a place to escape to a more natural environment. There is a good chance that you can find wildlife when you visit this park. Covering 11 square kilometres, this green space has been preserved as a unique grassland ecosystem native to southern Alberta, and is home to almost 200 wildlife species in addition to its endangered plant systems. Being surrounded by 12 residential communities means this park is accustom to many people visiting all year long and a popular spot for hiking and biking during the summer season.

Another popular destination in Calgary is the immensely popular Calgary Zoo. It is the second largest zoo in Canada. Located just east of Calgary's Downtown on St. George's Island and is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike. It was the most visited zoo in Canada in 2013. It can be accessed via road way or Calgary transit so it makes the Calgary zoo a good place for a day trip. There are so many unique animals and the Zoo itself features 8 unique areas, 120 different species, and has over 1,000 animals.

Prince's Island in downtown Calgary provides a place for downtown residents to have a picnic. It has playground areas for families, and it hosts more festivals and events than any other park in Calgary. The Calgary Music Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Canada Day and Heritage Day are just a few of the annual events that draw enthusiastic crowds to Prince's Island Park.

Shops in Inglewood, Photo by Brian Chow

 

 

Calgary Stampede, Photo by Mike Ridewood

Calgary Culture

The cultural landscape of Calgary is continually evolving and growing. With more cultural events and projects finding their place in Calgary, Calgary is expected to become a city where our old western heritage meets with new age modernism.

One of our many older traditions of Calgary is The Calgary Stampede. It is a world-renowned annual festival featuring the rodeo and many exhibitions that is held every year in July. The ten-day event — billed as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" — is attended by over 1 million visitors every year and includes a parade, agricultural shows and competitions, several stage shows, concerts, and First Nations exhibits. The Calgary Stampede is the largest rodeo in the world, one of Canada's largest festivals, and a popular annual tourist attraction. Since it began in 1912, the Calgary Stampede has become a celebration of rodeo sports and the western way of life.

Many of the neighbourhoods of Calgary's central districts are growing. Inner city areas such as 17th Avenue, Inglewood, and Marda Loop are places where culture and the arts are finding renewed interest. 17th Avenue running from 14th Street SW to the Calgary Stampede Grounds, known as "Uptown 17th" or nicknamed the "Red Mile" has become one of Calgary's hippest urban hotspots. Featuring mixed-use commercial and residential space, Uptown 17th is home to a rich variety of shops, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs. 17th Avenue is at the heart of the yearly Calgary Stampede festival.

For people looking for a bit of culture the district of Inglewood east of Downtown Calgary has become one of the most eclectic and vibrant cultural focuses in the city. It is the place to find local bands and a cultural hub for the local and international music scene. There are many places to find and see local artist performance in a variety of venues such as the new Black Centre, the Ironwood Stage, and Grill. Inglewood also boasts some of the most interesting shops in Calgary, featuring over 100 unique boutiques, shops and eateries. Inglewood is also home some of the biggest festivals in Calgary, such as the one-day Sunfest Festival, the Calgary International Fringe Festival, the Mid-Winter Blues Film Festival, and the International Festival of Animated Objects.

Calgary is also home to a wide variety of theatre and performance companies. People looking for a classical entertainment can find it at The Alberta Ballet and The Calgary Opera. If you are looking for a modern show, Theatre Calgary and One Yellow Rabbit are the places for you. For the people who enjoy music in all its forms, The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is where you want to be. Calgary is also known as the birthplace of the improv games known as Theatresports.

Calgary is filled with beautiful places, faces and culture. As it grows the people here grow with it. Come see why Calgary is one of the best places to live.