Planning a trip to Calgary
303km (188 miles) S of Edmonton, 788km (490 miles) W of Regina, 512km (318 miles) NW of Great Falls
Calgary has come a long way in a relatively short period of time: From its beginnings as Fort Calgary, an outpost of the Northwest Mounted Police, in 1876, the city has evolved in just over 130 years to a bustling, dynamic urban center of more than a million souls and a center of international commerce.
The 1988 Winter Olympic Games helped put Calgary on the international map, and its legacy has been one of enduring tourism. Visitors now associate Calgary with the mountains, even if they are still another hour's drive west.
But despite some Calgarians' protestations to the contrary, this is an oil town, first and foremost. More than 90% of the country's oil, gas, and energy business is right here, as are more than half of the coal companies. Calgary's fortunes have ever followed the price of oil, and the city is well acquainted with the boom-and-bust cycle.
Boom or bust, business rules here. People in this city are entrepreneurs and risk takers, and when the good times are rolling, they roll right along with them, flaunting their wealth and doing their best to live large. Posh restaurants and cafes are routinely jammed, and high-end retail shopping is practically a contact sport here as flush Calgarians seem hurried to spend their money as quickly as they can.
With the influx of money has come a flood of cultural facilities and awareness, too. The city is more cosmopolitan than at any time in its history, and the common phrase that seems to be gaining momentum here tells the tale: During the first oil boom, Calgary grew; in the second one, it grew up. This leaves Calgary, ever-ambitious, looking to join the top shelf of North American urban centers -- if, as many Calgarians believe, it's not there already.
Visitor Information -- The downtown Visitor Service Centre (tel. 800/661-1678 or 403/263-8510; www.tourismcalgary.com), at the base of the Calgary Tower (101 9th Ave. SW) and at the airport near the luggage carousels, provides free literature, maps, and information. The friendly white-hatted volunteer greeters at the Calgary Airport can also point you in the right direction.
Getting Around
Calgary Transit System (tel. 403/276-1000; www.calgarytransit.com) operates buses and a light-rail system called the C-Train. You can transfer from the light rail to buses on the same ticket. The ride costs C$2.75 for adults and C$1.75 for children; the C-Train (a light rail train that runs above ground) is free (buses are not) in the downtown stretch between 10th Street and City Hall. Tickets are good for travel in only one direction.
Car-rental firms include Avis, 211 6th Ave. SW (tel. 403/269-6166); Budget, 140 6th Ave. SE (tel. 403/226-0000); and Hertz, 227 6th Ave. SW (tel. 403/221-1681). Each of these has a bureau at the airport.
To summon a taxi, call Checker Cabs (tel. 403/299-9999), Red Top Cabs (tel. 403/974-4444), or Yellow Cabs (tel. 403/974-1111).
City Layout
Central Calgary lies between the Bow River in the north and the Elbow River to the south. The two rivers meet at the eastern end of the city, forming St. George's Island, which houses a park and the zoo. South of the island stands Fort Calgary, birthplace of the city. The Bow River makes a bend north of downtown, and in this bend nestles Prince's Island Park and Eau Claire Market. The Canadian Pacific Railway tracks run between 9th and 10th avenues, and Central Park and Stampede Park, scene of Calgary's greatest annual festival, stretch south of the tracks. Northwest, across the Bow River, is the University of Calgary's lovely campus. The airport is northeast of the city.
Calgary is divided into four segments: northeast (NE), southeast (SE), northwest (NW), and southwest (SW), with avenues running east-west and streets north-south. The north and south numbers begin at Centre Avenue, the east and west numbers at Centre Street -- a recipe for confusion if ever there was one.
Neighborhoods in Brief
Despite its comprehensive cycling path system, Calgary is a driver's city, with hundreds of acres of sprawling suburbs and freeways. Still, there are a handful of areas in and around the downtown area that draw shoppers, diners, and revelers. If not downtown itself, a couple of satellite neighborhoods near the core contain much of the action.
Downtown
Downtown, which sprung up out of virtually nowhere in the 1970s oil boom, has often been criticized as an empty canyon of office towers, and for the most part, it's been a fair assessment. After 6pm on a weekday in years past, you could practically watch the tumbleweeds rolling down the street. That's changed a little in the past five to ten years, as the Eau Claire Market, in downtown's south side near the Bow River, has brought in shoppers and, more importantly, some densely clustered residents in a series of condominium towers.
The reclamation in years past of Stephen Avenue Mall (8th Avenue, between Centre St. and 7th St. SW) as a bonafide shopping and eating pedestrian stroll (it had been, in years past, a relatively derelict stretch) also gives downtown some much needed vitality. Between the Eaton Centre, Banker's Hall, and the TD Centre, a good cluster of high-end retail can be found here.
The east end, anchored by the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts and Olympic Plaza, gives it a much-needed shot in the arm after dark, too. But the more things change, the more they stay the same: In 2008, Penny Lane, a small cluster of historic buildings just west of Stephen Avenue that contained a nice complement of shops, eateries, and popular bars, was cratered to make way for a new skyscraping office tower.
Still, with population booming and some of those new towers actually being condominiums, downtown Calgary is pushing slowly toward colonization outside of business hours. Stay tuned and see.
17th Avenue SW
Undoubtedly Calgary's most vibrant, urban-feeling zone, the axis of 17th Avenue and 4th Street SW is ground zero for Calgary's social scene. 17th tends toward the younger crowd more than 4th Street (also known as the Mission -- see below) and fairly overflows with lounges, bars, and restaurants.
A good complement of boutique-y shopping is to be found here as well, especially in the streetside storefronts of tony Mount Royal Village, on 16th Avenue and 8th Street SW (here, the block between 17th and 16th avenues is a stretch of park; the shops face onto it, visible from 17th).
This was also the site of the semi-notorious Red Mile, where thousands of fans of the city's National Hockey League team, the Calgary Flames, gathered every night during the Flames' improbable run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004. The Flames have tasted nothing like that success since, but fans still gather on game nights in fair numbers.
The Mission/Cliff Bungalow
Going south of 4th Street SW from 17th Avenue SW is the Mission, a quaint cluster of low-rise buildings and shops and restaurants housed in old homes or historic 3-story brick buildings (this being Calgary, there are a couple of strip malls for good measure as well).
An urbane little stroll stretching south to the Elbow River at 26th Avenue, the Mission is a grown-up version of 17th: great and interesting restaurants, boho cafes, and relatively serene places for a drink. Decor and fashion, while not overloaded here, are nonetheless features of this strip, which quickly falls away to quiet residential zones on either side of 4th. In warm weather, there's no better place in town to sit streetside on a patio, sip your latte or pinot grigio, and watch the world go by.
Inglewood
Inglewood is sort of Calgary's version of Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront: could have been a contender, but never really seemed to get up off that mat. After decades of awaiting a wave of gentrification to wash through its historic streets and deliver it back to the center of city life, Inglewood -- the oldest part of the city, where Calgary began -- is still waiting, even as condo towers sprout all over downtown and real estate skyrockets to untold heights.
As it stands, Inglewood remains an endearingly shabby strip of historic buildings, some of them occupied with eclectic design stores, galleries, and artist studios, and some of them not occupied at all. But it's a great location for exploring downtown. Minutes away, across the river and over a bridge to the east, Inglewood remains a city unto itself -- a village just outside the urban swirl.
Kensington/Sunnyside
Just north of downtown across the Bow River sits the village of Kensington, probably the city's most earthy, bohemian quarter. There's little presence here of the city's wildly moneyed set; low-key restos and pubs are the order of the day here, along with vintage clothing, the city's venerable repertory cinema, The Plaza, and a great second-hand record store, Hot Wax.
Kensington is perhaps the most eminently walkable area in the city. Clustered around the axis of 10th Street NW and Kensington Avenue, you can find all you need within a few blocks and a short stroll -- whether it's a fair-trade organic Americano, a Guatemalan cotton pullover, or a copy of Coltrane's Blue Train on vinyl.
However, Kensington is not untouched by development -- the imposing complex at the corner of 10th and Memorial Drive, by the river, has a Red Robin chain restaurant, and pricey fashion and design can be found along Kensington Avenue -- but it remains a comfy pocket of earthiness amid the sparkle of a high-gloss metropolis.
Fast Facts
American Express -- The office at 421 7th Ave. SW (tel. 403/261-5982) is open Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm.
Area Code -- Calgary and Southern Alberta are in the 403 area code. From anywhere in Canada and the U.S., simply add "1" to the number you're dialing, a 10-digit number. When dialing locally in-city, you must use 10-digit dialing; add "403" before every seven-digit number.
Doctors -- If you need non-emergency medical attention, check the phone book for the closest branch of Medicentre, a group of walk-in clinics open daily 7am to midnight. Also see their website, www.medicentres.com, for a list of locations.
Drugstores -- Check the phone book for Shoppers Drug Mart, which has more than a dozen stores in Calgary, most open till midnight. The branch at the Chinook Centre, 6455 Macleod Trail S. (tel. 403/253-2424), is open 24 hours.
Emergency -- For medical, fire, or crime emergencies, dial tel. 911.
Hospitals -- If you need immediate attention, the following hospitals have emergency departments: Foothills Hospital (1403 29th St. NW; tel. 403/670-1110), Alberta Children's Hospital (1820 Richmond Rd. SW; tel. 403/229-7211), and Rockyview General Hospital (3500 26th Ave. SW; tel. 403/541-3000).
Newspapers -- Calgary's two dailies, the Calgary Herald (www.calgaryherald.com) and the Calgary Sun (www.calgarysun.com), are both morning papers. FFWD (www.ffwdweekly.com) is a youth-oriented newsweekly and a good place to look for information on the local music and arts scene.
Police -- The 24-hour number is tel. 403/266-1234. Dial tel. 911 in emergencies.
Post Office -- The main post office is at 207 9th Ave. (tel. 403/974-2078). Call tel. 403/292-5434 to find other branches.
Time -- Calgary is on Mountain Standard Time, the same as Edmonton and Denver, and it observes daylight saving time.
Getting There
By Plane
Calgary International Airport (tel. 877/254-7427; www.calgaryairport.com) lies 16km (10 miles) northeast of the city. You can go through U.S. Customs right here if you're flying to or coming from the U. S. via Calgary. The airport is served by Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), and the homegrown WestJet (tel. 800/937-8538; www.westjet.com), a Calgary-based carrier with dozens of destinations across North America. Being a hub of international commerce, Calgary is also served by several commuter lines.
Cab fare to downtown hotels comes to around C$25. Several downtown hotels provide shuttle service from the airport; the only devoted airport shuttle is the new Allied Downtown Shuttle Service (tel. 403/299-9555; www.airportshuttlecalgary.ca; one-way C$15 adults, C$10 children), which now runs only pre-arranged shuttle service.
By Train
The nearest VIA Rail station is in Edmonton. You can, however, take a scenic train ride to/from Vancouver/Calgary on the Rocky Mountaineer, operated by Rocky Mountaineer Vacations (tel. 800/665-7245 or 604/606-7245; www.rockymountaineer.com). The lowest-priced tickets begin at C$609 for 2 days of daylight travel, which includes four meals and overnight accommodation in Kamloops; many other packages are available.
By Bus
Greyhound buses (tel. 800/661-8747 or 403/260-0877; www.greyhound.ca) link Calgary with most other points in Canada, including Banff and Edmonton, as well as towns in the United States. The depot is at 877 Greyhound Way SW, west of downtown near the corner of 9th Avenue SW and 16th Street SW.
By Car
From the U.S. border, Route 89 in Montana becomes Highway 2 at the Carway border crossing and runs to Calgary. It continues north to Edmonton (via Red Deer). From either Vancouver in the west or Regina in the east, take the Trans-Canada Highway.
When to Go
The Calgary Stampede
The tagline is "the greatest outdoor show on Earth"; most Calgarians would agree, though most would apply the label to more than just the rodeo it ostensibly refers to. Since 1912, the Stampede has become more than a rodeo; it's a civic party. The first week in July, banks, restaurants, bars, offices, the airport, and shops pile hay bales around their front doors and erect clapboard door frames over the modern glass and steel, and button-down office workers don their boots, hats, and jeans for a hootin' hollerin' good time. For Calgarians, Stampede is not a spectator sport: By lunchtime, most offices sit vacant as the majority of the working crowd have gone in for some serious "Stampeding" -- local code for going to (and staying too long in) -- the city's numerous (and packed) bars.
A curious counterpoint to all the nocturnal social activity is the Stampede tradition of a "Stampede breakfast." Served daily -- and early, and free! -- every day of the Stampede at parking lots, shopping malls, and corporate offices all over town, it usually consists of flapjacks, sausages, orange drink (not to be confused with juice), and coffee. There may be some kind of hangover remedy embedded in this combination -- heaven knows most of the indulgers could use it -- but one thing's certain: If you pay for a single breakfast during Stampede, you're just not paying attention. See www.flapjackfinder.com for complete listings and reviews of the nearly 100 breakfasts offered.
The main event, of course, is the rodeo, the largest and most prestigious of its kind in North America, in which cowboys from all over the world compete in such events as bull-riding, steer-roping, and chuck-wagon races for prize money totaling more than C$1 million.
Parts of Stampede Park, just off Macleod Trail (near 25th Ave. SW), become amusement areas, whirling, spinning, and rotating with rides. Other areas are just for the kids, who romp through Kids' World and the Petting Zoo. Still other sections host livestock shows, a food fair, handicraft exhibitions, an art show, lectures, a bazaar, a casino, lotteries, and entertainment on several stages.
Reserving accommodations well ahead is essential -- as many months ahead of your arrival as you can possibly foresee. Some downtown watering holes even take reservations for space at the bar; that should give you an idea of how busy Calgary gets.
The same advice applies to reserving tickets for Stampede events. Park admission is C$14 adults, and tickets to the top rodeo events begin at C$25 but go up from there, depending on the event, the seats, and whether the event takes place in the afternoon or evening. A number of centennial projects are also in the works for the 100th anniversary year in 2012 (visit their website closer to the date for details), which are sure to bring Calgary major global attention and make tickets extra hard to come by. For mail-order bookings, contact the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede (P.O. Box 1060, Station M, Calgary, AB T2P 2K8; tel. 800/661-1767; fax 403/223-9736; www.calgarystampede.com).
