Calgary
Travel Guide > North America > Canada > Alberta > Calgary
Introduction
Calgary sits in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, to the west rise the majestic mountains, the to east flat prairie plains extend all the way to Ontario. Originally a western frontier town, Calgary is still proud of this heritage, displaying it with pride during the Calgary Stampede. One of the fastest growing cities in Canada thanks to an oil boom, Calgary is a very modern city. Calgary has hosted the winter Olympic games, and is an excellent place for winter sports.
Neighbourhoods
Downtown Calgary has five distinct neighbourhoods:
- Eau Claire (including the Festival District) - The neighbourhood of Eau Claire is located immediately north of Downtown, fronts the Bow River and sits immediately north of 3rd Avenue South. A mix of riverside condominiums, shopping, restaurants, hotels, a large public plaza and urban parkland, including the Prince's Island Park, the site of many summer festivals, including the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Carifest, Shakespeare in the Park and various busking happenings. Within Eau Claire is Eau Claire Market and a variety of pubs and restaurants. It is also located on the city's large network of pedestrian pathways and trails.
- The Downtown West End - the West End is a high density residential community, with the Millennium Park, TELUS World of Science and Mewata Armouries are located in the western area of the neighborhood, while paved multi-use (bicycle, walking, rollerblading, etc) paths line the northern rim along the Bow River.
- The Downtown Commercial Core - 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. This is a dense business area. 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.
- Chinatown - The district is located along Centre Street in the northeast area of Downtown Calgary immediately north of the Downtown East Village.
- The Downtown East Village - Downtown East Village is a residential neighbourhood within the eastern portions of downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is contained within the city's Rivers District.
Sights and Activities
- The Calgary Zoo - located slightly east of the city's downtown (adjacent to the Inglewood neighbourhood) and is easily accessible via Calgary's C-Train light rail system.
- The TELUS World of Science - a science museum and planetarium complex located in the Downtown West End.
- The Glenbow Museum - 93,000 square feet (8,600 m²) of exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbow's collection of over a million objects.
- The Calgary Tower - 190 metre free standing tower, constructed glass floor extension on the north side of the tower's observation deck opened. Consisting of four large panes of glass, it is about 20 feet long and 5 feet wide. When standing on the glass, one can look straight down on 9th Avenue South and Centre Street. The Calgary tower features a revolving restaurant that rotates so as to give customers a scenic view of downtown Calgary.
Events and Festivals
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede, held in July every summer in Calgary, showcases the rich cowboy heritage of this modern western town. Be prepared to don a white cowboy hat, some cowboy boots and get ready to do a two-step! The Stampede's stated goal is to preserve western heritage and values, and there are a number of argicultural events like rodeos and chuck wagon races. However, Calgary is a very modern city, and the party extends to more than just people who love horses. Many bands play during the week and a half long festival, and the whole town spends a week partying.
Weather
Calgary has a semi-arid, highland continental climate with long, dry, but highly variable, winters and short, moderately warm summers. Although Calgary's winters can be uncomfortably cold, warm, dry Chinook winds routinely blow into the city from the Pacific Ocean during the winter months, giving Calgarians a break from the cold. These winds have been known to raise the winter temperature by up to 15 °C in just a few hours, and may last several days. More than one half of all winter days see the daily maximum rise above 0 °C.
Getting There
By Plane
Calgary International Airport, (airport code: YYC) is located 17 km from the downtown core. Air Canada connects Calgary to more destinations across Canada, the USA and the rest of the world direct from here. WestJet flies from Calgary to destinations in western Canada. In addition, many US airlines fly to Calgary.
Calgary Transit provides public bus transportation to and from the Calgary International Airport via Route #57 with service to and from the Whitehorn LRT Station. If driving, It is approximately a 25 minutes drive northeast of downtown.
By Train
The national, government owned Via Rail does not run to Calgary. The only passenger train which uses Calgary train station is the privately owned Rocky Mountaineer Railtours train. The route heads west from Calgary stopping in Banff then continuing through the Rockies to Kamloops and Vancouver.
By Car
The Trans Canada Highway runs just north of Calgary giving it a good east - west connections to the rest of Canada by road.
By Bus
Greyhound operates on the Trans-Canada highway route which heads east to Regina (764km / 11 hours), and west to Banff (120km / 2 hours) and Vancouver (1057km / 15 hours). A highway also connects Calgary to the north, to the capital of Alberta, Edmonton (299km / 3.5 hours). Greyhound and Red Arrow operate buses on this route.
Getting Around
By Car
By Public Transport
Transit in Calgary is provided by Calgary Transit, which operates buses and light rail lines within the city. Cash fare for tickets is $2.25 for adults and $1.50 for youth (all persons between the ages of 6 and 14 years old or who are full time students attending school up to grade 12).
The website provides a trip planner, or route maps can be found at this page.
Calgary Transit operates a fleet of 115 Seimens-Duwag built LRVs (light rail vehicles) that operate on 42.1 kilometers of track and 36 stations. Route map can be found: C-Train LRT.
By Foot
By Bike
Eat
Drink
Calgary has a good bar/club scene whether you are looking to dance or sit and talk with a few friends. Your best bet is to roam 17th Ave, just on the south side of downtown. This street dubbed "The Red Mile" is especially active following hockey games, moreso if the home team wins!. 1st street S.W., located just south west of the Calgary Tower is also a good place to try as it's also only a short walk away from 17th Ave. You can also try 11th Ave S.W. for some dance clubs, heading west from the 1st street intersection. If you are looking for something a little more trendy, you can try Stephens Ave (8th Ave) right in the middle of downtown, it is a nice walk and has many outdoor patio's. There are also many quality neighbourhood pubs scattered throughout the city.
Some good dance clubs include:
Bamboo -- 1st street/12 Ave S.W.
Amsterdam Rhino -- 11th Ave S.W.
HiFi Club -- 11th Ave S.W.
Some good pubs/bars include:
The Ship and Anchor -- 17th Ave S.W.
Melrose Bar -- 17Ave S.W.
Drum & Monkey -- Shared with Bamboo, 1st Street/12 Ave S.W.
Work
Calgary is a booming city, thanks to a growing oil industry throughout Alberta. There is a shortage in just about every sector in the city. The oil industry alone is bracing for a worker shortage of up to 40 000 people over the next 10 years. There are many proffesional, business, and entry level job oppurtunities in and around the city. If you are a traveller looking for work, there shouldn't be a need to worry about finding employment in such areas as retail and restaurant industries. If your eligible to work in Canada you should be able to start working in just a few days. Your best bet is to just visit places you'd like to work and let them know your interested, and chances are they will hire you.
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