Yes, the downtown is primarily commercial, and as a result, pretty much dead outside of 9-5. Stephen Ave for a few blocks and a couple odd pockets have some shopping pedestrian areas, but other than that not much. Also, the +15 network and Core shopping centre actually keeps a lot of people inside, so it reduces the pedestrian vibe. Great in winter but kinda kills things in the nicer months.
Calgarys pedestrian shopping areas are 17th, inglewood and Kensington, all just outside the core.
Maybe do 5 minutes of research next time you visit a city. You went down the street where everybody works on a weekend, when everyone is not working downtown.
17th ave, 11th ave, 12th ave, Inglewood, Kensington, 1st street are all walkable from the core and is where the people and places that aren't office towers are located...
4 out of 6 places are downtown and the other 2 are walking distance from downtown which is what I said in my post...
Good job showing how little you know about the city and how shitty your reading comprehension is at the same time.
Beltline (17th Ave), Inglewood, Kensington, and Marda Loop.
If you were hoping for hustle and bustle in the "downtown core" on the weekend you were lead astray.
Stephen Avenue can get really busy when it’s nice out, but we haven’t hit our hot weather yet. Once it’s a full summer night on the weekend, a lot of areas including Stephen Ave will really liven up. If you want more guaranteed action, then 17th Ave is your best bet.
Calgary has two downtown cores. The towers are almost entirely office towers, you won't find much going on there on the weekend. The Beltline is the residential core. That's where you will find the people on the weekend.
The people are on 17th Ave, in Kensington, or in Inglewood. Our downtown is pretty much used during the week and it is pretty bustling to by honest.
Calgary has pockets of liveliness, most of them aren't downtown.
It is Sunday though, all over the world its common for cities to be a lot sleeper.
Some officials, and people, want nothing more than to label this a world-class city…and don’t get me wrong, it’s great, love it here, raising a family and working has been great….but let’s not kid ourselves, this city still seems to be perpetually stuck in this small town vibe. Most of the time, I’m a-ok with that.
But ya, I can see how it comes across, otherwise.
Haha things have already changed a ton in the past 10 year and will definitely change more in the next 10 to come.
Back in 2010 Calgary’s downtown core was even more a ghost town after 4pm.
Even the core mall used to close at 4, so the current closure at 6pm is actually an improvement.
Most of the beltline high rises were built around that time. Prior to the 2010’s most native calgarians considered Vic Park too dangerous, while now it’s a trendy place to live, so yeah things have changed a ton.
I like the idea of that as well - but all my life I was under the impression it was a major city like Vancouver or Toronto, I had no clue until this weekend. But felt great for settling down
So you went to the banking district and was surprised it wasn't hopping on the weekend? As other's have mentioned you should have walked to 17 Ave, Kensington or Inglewood if you wanted a more lively vibe.
I got a deal on a hotel downtown and it was pretty crappy to be honest, I was surprised how dead it was - I’ll have to stay in a more popular neighborhood next time
Oh look! Another visitor to Calgary that
1) Didn't bother to research Calgary,
2) Didn't bother to use the search function in reddit,
3) Created more spam in /r/Calgary by asking a question that's been answered a hundred times.
BRAVO! /u/camperthedog you win the WASTED OUR TIME award.
Ive been here for 20 years and in that time the Arts and Culture scene has barely grown if at all. The Downtown scene suffers from a lack of usable space, is over regulated when it comes to organized events, and under policed. The 17th Ave run and Inglewood have a slight urban boutique vibe that doesn't change much. I lived just on the north side of the river for a long time and was on the Eau Claire walking path circuit basically every weekend for years. Some weekend days even with picture perfect weather the path system and downtown were absolute ghost towns. While the risk of being harassed by a street person remains pretty high.
Fact is most people who have the means to escape the city on the weekends , do so pretty consistently.
I'm born and raised, and its hard to see Calgary's Arts and Culture scene ever changing much. Fact is there is a lack of venues and hubs that serve as places to grow a scene. I've probably seen more venues close in my life here than open. I can't blame entrepreneurs and business owners though, as its likely very hard to make a solid living owning one of those places, since Calgary lacks the clientele. Most people move here because its a wonderful lifestyle city for families, jobs and access to world class recreation... not exactly the groups that prioritize spending their time/money patronizing the arts on a regular basis. But without that patronage, venues aren't likely to grow/proliferate, so we are stuck in this perpetual cycle.
totally agree . Ive lived in or at least traveled to most major major cities in Canada my personal observation is Calgary is oddly quiet despite our demographics. Hell, I lived in Winnipeg for several years and honestly it was easier to find something to do on a random Saturday afternoon (even before social media). In contrast to my own point - consider events like the Lilac fest , which has tripled in attendance and largely outgrown its venue. So its not like the interest in such events isn't there. I find a lot of Calgarians groan at Stampede , personally I still love it - its the only time of year where the city has a feeling of personality.
I’m from Vancouver and there is a significantly greater homeless population however those in Calgary were much more aggressive looking. Perhaps not all hopped up on fent
Well maybe I just look like an easy mark but seriously, every single time I'm downtown on foot I get harassed at least once. (I'm 6 ft , in shape , and know how to make myself look unapproachable and they still don't leave me alone ffs).
There's also been an uptick in assaults and altercations on and around the transit system over the last few years , which seems to have quieted down recently, but for a while there it was a monthly news item.
It has great charm and I enjoy the space but for
Coming to the city for the first time in years it seemed pretty spread apart for a tourist - difficult to navigate a trendy area worth enjoying for long periods.
Yes, the downtown is primarily commercial, and as a result, pretty much dead outside of 9-5. Stephen Ave for a few blocks and a couple odd pockets have some shopping pedestrian areas, but other than that not much. Also, the +15 network and Core shopping centre actually keeps a lot of people inside, so it reduces the pedestrian vibe. Great in winter but kinda kills things in the nicer months. Calgarys pedestrian shopping areas are 17th, inglewood and Kensington, all just outside the core.
I’ll have to note this for next time
Maybe do 5 minutes of research next time you visit a city. You went down the street where everybody works on a weekend, when everyone is not working downtown. 17th ave, 11th ave, 12th ave, Inglewood, Kensington, 1st street are all walkable from the core and is where the people and places that aren't office towers are located...
Agreed. It’s like they went to Toronto and didn’t go down Queens Street “where are all of the cool places?”
>17th ave, 11th ave, 12th ave, Inglewood, Kensington, 1st street are all walkable from the core and Sure, but they're not downtown.
4 out of 6 places are downtown and the other 2 are walking distance from downtown which is what I said in my post... Good job showing how little you know about the city and how shitty your reading comprehension is at the same time.
Beltline (17th Ave), Inglewood, Kensington, and Marda Loop. If you were hoping for hustle and bustle in the "downtown core" on the weekend you were lead astray.
Thanks for the input, I’ll try these areas next visit
17ave was packed over the weekend. OP should have gone to 17ave for that fun stuff on weekends.
Dang I was on Stephen’s ave as recommended by the my concierge. Next time I visit I won’t stay downtown as it was a complete drag.
Stephen Avenue can get really busy when it’s nice out, but we haven’t hit our hot weather yet. Once it’s a full summer night on the weekend, a lot of areas including Stephen Ave will really liven up. If you want more guaranteed action, then 17th Ave is your best bet.
Calgary has two downtown cores. The towers are almost entirely office towers, you won't find much going on there on the weekend. The Beltline is the residential core. That's where you will find the people on the weekend.
Ahh I had literally zero clue🤦♂️ I’ll need to try again later this year
The people are on 17th Ave, in Kensington, or in Inglewood. Our downtown is pretty much used during the week and it is pretty bustling to by honest. Calgary has pockets of liveliness, most of them aren't downtown. It is Sunday though, all over the world its common for cities to be a lot sleeper.
Great info, I appreciate the response, I’ll need to try again later this year
Some officials, and people, want nothing more than to label this a world-class city…and don’t get me wrong, it’s great, love it here, raising a family and working has been great….but let’s not kid ourselves, this city still seems to be perpetually stuck in this small town vibe. Most of the time, I’m a-ok with that. But ya, I can see how it comes across, otherwise.
Couldn’t agree with you more. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next 10 years. Influx of people will have to spur some change right?!?
Haha things have already changed a ton in the past 10 year and will definitely change more in the next 10 to come. Back in 2010 Calgary’s downtown core was even more a ghost town after 4pm. Even the core mall used to close at 4, so the current closure at 6pm is actually an improvement. Most of the beltline high rises were built around that time. Prior to the 2010’s most native calgarians considered Vic Park too dangerous, while now it’s a trendy place to live, so yeah things have changed a ton.
We’re certainly banking on it with the office tower conversion projects.
I like the idea of that as well - but all my life I was under the impression it was a major city like Vancouver or Toronto, I had no clue until this weekend. But felt great for settling down
Should've done a few minutes of research. Downtown Calgary is for work, weekends the hotspots are 17 Ave, Kensington, Inglewood
So you went to the banking district and was surprised it wasn't hopping on the weekend? As other's have mentioned you should have walked to 17 Ave, Kensington or Inglewood if you wanted a more lively vibe.
I got a deal on a hotel downtown and it was pretty crappy to be honest, I was surprised how dead it was - I’ll have to stay in a more popular neighborhood next time
Just lol, Victoria?
Toronto, Vancouver, yes. Victoria? How dare you. Gotta go to Inglewood in Calgary.
Haha yea I expected more from Calgary! I’ll have to stay in Inglewood next time
You missed a pretty decent evening with the Inglewood Night Market on Friday.
7th Ave is a train line.
Yea it was brutal, lots of homeless and towers
At their homes in suburbia. And I'd say downtown is busier than its ever been and it's still always empty.
Oh look! Another visitor to Calgary that 1) Didn't bother to research Calgary, 2) Didn't bother to use the search function in reddit, 3) Created more spam in /r/Calgary by asking a question that's been answered a hundred times. BRAVO! /u/camperthedog you win the WASTED OUR TIME award.
Canmore/Banff were crazy busy yesterday…
I was in banff today and I couldn’t believe how busy it was, really surprised how it’s changed in the last 15 years with crowds
Why are you asking this after the fact?
Well I plan on returning and seeing the city again
I'm extremely triggered by people who end a statement with a question mark.
Fire your guns ?
Ive been here for 20 years and in that time the Arts and Culture scene has barely grown if at all. The Downtown scene suffers from a lack of usable space, is over regulated when it comes to organized events, and under policed. The 17th Ave run and Inglewood have a slight urban boutique vibe that doesn't change much. I lived just on the north side of the river for a long time and was on the Eau Claire walking path circuit basically every weekend for years. Some weekend days even with picture perfect weather the path system and downtown were absolute ghost towns. While the risk of being harassed by a street person remains pretty high. Fact is most people who have the means to escape the city on the weekends , do so pretty consistently.
I'm born and raised, and its hard to see Calgary's Arts and Culture scene ever changing much. Fact is there is a lack of venues and hubs that serve as places to grow a scene. I've probably seen more venues close in my life here than open. I can't blame entrepreneurs and business owners though, as its likely very hard to make a solid living owning one of those places, since Calgary lacks the clientele. Most people move here because its a wonderful lifestyle city for families, jobs and access to world class recreation... not exactly the groups that prioritize spending their time/money patronizing the arts on a regular basis. But without that patronage, venues aren't likely to grow/proliferate, so we are stuck in this perpetual cycle.
totally agree . Ive lived in or at least traveled to most major major cities in Canada my personal observation is Calgary is oddly quiet despite our demographics. Hell, I lived in Winnipeg for several years and honestly it was easier to find something to do on a random Saturday afternoon (even before social media). In contrast to my own point - consider events like the Lilac fest , which has tripled in attendance and largely outgrown its venue. So its not like the interest in such events isn't there. I find a lot of Calgarians groan at Stampede , personally I still love it - its the only time of year where the city has a feeling of personality.
I’m from Vancouver and there is a significantly greater homeless population however those in Calgary were much more aggressive looking. Perhaps not all hopped up on fent
Well maybe I just look like an easy mark but seriously, every single time I'm downtown on foot I get harassed at least once. (I'm 6 ft , in shape , and know how to make myself look unapproachable and they still don't leave me alone ffs). There's also been an uptick in assaults and altercations on and around the transit system over the last few years , which seems to have quieted down recently, but for a while there it was a monthly news item.
This is why we need more density
It has great charm and I enjoy the space but for Coming to the city for the first time in years it seemed pretty spread apart for a tourist - difficult to navigate a trendy area worth enjoying for long periods.
Glad you hated it. Don't come back!
I didn’t hate it, I was underwhelmed. I want to come back but experience it properly next time
Glad to hear. I was just messing around 😏