Downtown Calgary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts.
Generally speaking, downtown Calgary is bordered by 14th Street W. on the west, 3rd Avenue S. and Eau Claire on the north, the Elbow River on the east and the CPR mainline tracks on the south. Within downtown are three city neighbourhoods. They are, the Downtown West End, the Downtown Commercial Core, and the Downtown East Village. The neighbourhoods of Eau Claire to the immediate north, Chinatown to the northeast and the Beltline to the south are usually considered to be part of downtown, but strictly speaking they are not.
The population of Calgary's downtown is still low relative to certain other cities, despite major rejuvenation initiatives and the development of major condominium and apartment projects. The combined population of the three downtown neighbourhoods was 12,470 in 2006. However, this figure does not include the 1,700 that live in Eau Claire, the 1,400 in Chinatown, and the nearly 17,000 that live in the Beltline. The Downtown West End and the Downtown East Village are generally considered to be the downtown's residential neighbourhoods.
Calgary Transit's C-Train light rail system runs down 7th Avenue S. through the middle of downtown, and the ride is free on this section.
Calgary's dense business area comprises the bulk of the downtown community. It is a core of modern, glassy skyscrapers, with perhaps less character and streetlife than many of the other downtown and inner city districts. Some of the tallest buildings in western Canada and indeed, a few of the tallest in the country are in Calgary. Many of the buildings are connected via an 18 km (10 mile) long network of elevated walkways and bridges. The system, known as the "+15" is the largest of its kind in the world.
The area surrounding the Stephen Avenue Walk is Downtown Calgary's primary retail area. Stephen Avenue (8th Avenue SW) is a pedestrian mall lined with historic buildings containing stores, restaurants, cinemas, and drinking establishments. Immediately adjacent to the outdoor portion of Stephen Avenue is an indoor complex of three shopping malls. The malls, TD Square, Eaton Centre, and Scotia Centre are bordered at either end by Calgary's flagship department stores, the historic Hudson's Bay Company store and Sears' urban department store. Luxury department store Holt Renfrew is one of the Eaton Centre's largest tenants and houses boutiques for exclusive international retailers. The street is also home to a number of galleries, restaurants, pubs, off-beat cinemas, and nightclubs. Other major attractions in the commercial core include the Devonian Gardens in TD Square, the Calgary Tower, the Art Gallery of Calgary, The Glenbow Museum, Olympic Plaza, The EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Telus Convention Centre.
The commercial core is also divided into a number of districts. They include the Entertainment District/Stephen Avenue, The Olympic Plaza and Cultural District, and the Government District.
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| Downtown | Downtown West End • Downtown Commercial Core • Downtown East Village • Stephen Avenue • Entertainment District • Government District • Chinatown • Eau Claire |
| Northwest | Arbour Lake • Banff Trail • Beddington Heights • Bowness • Brentwood • Cambrian Heights • Capitol Hill • Charleswood • Charleswood Heights • Citadel • Collingwood • Country Hills • Crestmont • Crescent Heights • Crowfoot • Dalhousie • Edgemont • Evanston • Foothills Estates • Greenbriar • Greenwood • Hamptons • Hawkwood • Hidden Valley • Highwood • Hillhurst • Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill • Huntington Hills • Kincora • MacEwan • Montgomery • Mount Pleasant • North Haven • North Mount Pleasant • Panorama Hills • Parkdale • Pleasant Heights • Point Mckay • Ranchlands • Rocky Ridge • Rosedale • Rosemont • Royal Mews • Royal Oak • Sandstone Valley • Scenic Acres • Sherwood • Silver Springs • St. Andrews Heights • Sunnyside (includes Kensington) • Thorncliffe Heights • Tuscany • University Heights • Upper Hillhurst • Valley Ridge • Varsity Acres • Varsity Estates • Varsity Village • West Hillhurst |
| Northeast | Abbeydale • Beddington Heights • Bridgeland • Castle Ridge • Coral Springs • Coventry Hills • Falconridge • Greenview • Harvest Hills • Highland Park • Huntington Hills • Marlborough • Martindale • Mayland Heights • Monterey Park • Mountview • Pineridge • Regal Terrace • Renfrew • Riverside • Rundle • Saddleridge • Sunridge • St. Georges Heights • Taradale • Temple • Tuxedo Park • Vista Heights • Whitehorn • Winston Heights |
| Southwest | Altadore • Aspen Woods • Bankview • Belaire • Beltline • Braeside • Bridlewood • Britannia • Canyon Meadows • Cedarbrae • Chinook Park • Christie Park • Cliff Bungalow • Coach Hill • Cougar Ridge • Discovery Ridge • Eagle Ridge • East Springbank • Elbow Park • Elboya • Erlton • Evergreen • Garrison Woods • Glamorgan • Glenbrook • Glencoe • Glendale Meadows • Glengary • Haysboro • Kelvin Grove • Killarney • Kingsland • Lakeview • Lincoln Park • Mount Royal • Mayfair • Meadow Lark Park • Millrise • Mission • North Glenmore • Oakridge • Palliser • Park Hill • Patterson Heights • Prominence Point • Pump Hill • Rideau Park • Richmond • Rosscarrock • Roxboro • Rutland Park • Scarboro • Shawnessy • Sienna Hills • Signal Ridge • Somerset • Springbank Hill • Springside • Spruce Cliff • Shaganappi • Shawnee Slopes • South Calgary • Southwood • Stanley Park • Strathcona • Sunalta • Wentworth • Wildwood • Windsor Park • West Springs • Westgate • Woodbine • Woodlands |
| Southeast | Acadia • Applewood Park • Auburn Bay • Bonivista Downs • Chaparral • Copperfield • Cranston • Deer Ridge • Deer Run • Douglas Glen • Douglasdale Estates • Dover • Erin Woods • Fairview • Forest Heights • Forest Lawn (contains International Avenue) • Grandview • Inglewood • Lake Bonaventure • Lake Bonavista • Lynnwood • Mahogany • Maple Ridge • McKenzie Lake • McKenzie Towne • Midnapore • Millican Estate • Mills Estates • Mountain Park • New Brighton • Ogden • Parkland • Penbrooke Meadows • Queensland Downs • Radisson Heights • Ramsay • Red Carpet • Riverbend • Seton • Sundance • Valleyfield Industrial Park • Willow Park |