OT: Visiting Calgary (General City / Area Discussion)
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Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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Fair.
If you're looking to grease up on some under 18 year old and want a club, go to Cowboys on a Friday or Saturday while you're here.
Love
Registered User
- Feb 29, 2012
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I posted this almost a year and a half ago but just wanted to say my wife and I are officially moving from Vancouver to Calgary this spring. Looking forward to it! We’re going to Calgary on family day weekend to check it out (neighbourhoods, restaurants, etc).
Any cool restaurant or bar recommendations?
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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A month and none of these other guys helped out. CFHF too busy feeling sorry for themselves over helping someone out
You're coming next weekend I gather.
There are some really cool new places in town now. I'd recommend getting a feel for some of the neighborhoods while also enjoying some of their food/liquors.
My recommendations are nearly always the same:
Check out Inglewood, one of the coolest neighborhoods in Calgary, tons of shops, restaurants, bars, a BUNCH of breweries there if you're into beer and there's even a speakeasy there; points if you find it and get in
If you head towards Ramsay (the neighborhood just south, you'll be on your way on the brewery belt).- This should give you a feel for the central/north central neighborhoods around there, they have that vibe; from Ramsay to about Crescent Heights/Renfrew and everything in between.
Check out Kensington, really similar to Inglewood with a bit of a different vibe. Maybe a bit more modern/less rough around the edges. You can hit Hayden Block, great BBQ, some of the best variety of bourbon/whisky in the city. They have stuff you can't find elsewhere if you're a bourbon or whisky guy. I've had stuff there I've never been able to find an actual bottle of elsewhere.
- This should give you a feel for the NW side of Calgary. Lots of nice neighborhoods littered from that point for the next 30 minutes of driving in that direction.
Downtown Calgary is pretty dull outside of Stephen Ave. Some nice places to eat there, unique and some are very enjoyable. Nice cocktails in the Wednesday Room, the steak salad at The Guild is one of my favs from downtown, all your chains are located there too if you need a little easy stop (if you have kids that just want Earls or Cactus Club).
The rest is up to you. If you have an area in mind that you wanted to see while you were here give me a shout and I can pony up some recommendations?
Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
- 21,439
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To be fair, I was waiting for you, our official local guide.
And then forgot...
I’m the unofficial, official guide haha
So this is VERY premature, as I haven't even applied for the job yet, and the job market in this field is Highlander-esque (200-300 enter, one emerges victorious several months later), BUT...would you be able to answer a few questions about living in Calgary?
-What's the average cost of living?
-What's the vibe of the area?
-How would you describe living in Calgary to someone who has never been there?
I'm looking at applying for an open Renaissance/Shakespeare position at Mount Royal University.
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
-What's the average cost of living?
-What's the vibe of the area?
-How would you describe living in Calgary to someone who has never been there?
I'm looking at applying for an open Renaissance/Shakespeare position at Mount Royal University.
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Fig
Absolute Horse Shirt
- Dec 15, 2014
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Where are you potentially coming from? We can try to make comparisons.
Calgary is a city you'll want a car for. But we also love our outdoor activities. Wages to cost of living are quite good. Not as bad cost of living as a big city. Not as many things to just plug in activity wise, but with the cost of living here, it's not hard to make your own entertainment. Lots of close knit clubs here for a variety of hobbies vs large interest groups to get forgotten in.
Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
Buying basic stuff: Cost of Living in Calgary
Buying a house: Real Estate Listings in Canada: houses, condos, land, property | REALTOR.ca
Renting something: Apartments For Rent Calgary | Find Apartments, Houses & Condos - RentFaster.ca
You'd be fine if you locate within a 15-20 minute drive/walk/bike of Mount Royal University. Try to stay west and north of major freeways if you have breathing issues. Winter can be a cold harsh mistress. While a Chinook is a pleasant tease every now and then, if you suffer from migraine headaches related to changes in air pressure they kind of suck.
Outside of the downtown core (south of Elbow River to about 20 Avenue S) Calgary is basically one big suburb.
I'm currently at a school in Arkansas, but I'm far more used to Western NY weather (cold winters, lake-effect snow). I loved living in Rochester NY which is a small city--it had some of the benefits of city life (diversity and culture, lots of different ethnic restaurants, etc) but you were always within an hour's drive of just about everything (hiking, wine country, etc).
Nanuuk
Registered User
If you are into outdoor recreational activities whether winter or summer, Calgary might be the place for you. Access to the mountains whether the National Parks or Kananaskis is a short drive away (one - two hours).
You can hike or ride your mountain bike on any number of trails (you can do this within the city as well) in the summer and cross country ski, downhill ski, snowshoe, hike in the winter.
Calgary has more 1000km of bike pathways going from one end of the city to the other. It has two large urban provincial parks (Nose Hill in the north, Fish Creek in the south).
Fish Creek Park is the second largest urban park in Canada and has 62 miles (37 miles paved) of pathways.
You will see tons of wildlife in Calgary in these parks and sometimes even in your front yard. Deer, rabbits, coyotes, cougars, killer squirrels (just kidding), bear (not that frequent).
The transit service isn't that bad unless you happen to work in an industrial park. To Mount Royal I would say it is pretty good.
Living close by would be nice, but I'm taking a guess it could be pricey relative to other areas of the city.
Still if you locate in the Southwest of the city you could have the best of both worlds. Close to work and close to play.
Good luck!
So I will be in Calgary for the Hawks game next Tuesday. Just some questions for you guys. I will be there monday-Wendsday, with my wife and 2 kids (4 and 6). Any good restaurants that are a most go and any ideas on what to go see? Also any info on parking at the stadium would be great as well. Thanks guys.
Fig
Absolute Horse Shirt
- Dec 15, 2014
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Super sorry, we're all asleep at the wheel.
I don't know if there's something that's a must go, but beef in Calgary is quite good. Alberta has good beef. Steakhouses and lots of burgers will be decent. Reviews are a good indicator, just go with something you enjoy eating. Calgary isn't a place that's probably a foodie haven, but the base level of most places is pretty decent.
Aim to go to the mountains. It's about 1-2.5 hours away to some really scenic places ranging from Banff, Lake Louise, Canmore to Drumheller (dinosaur bones). If you're a nerd, you can dig up some videos of The Last of Us filming locations and see the areas they filmed. Calgary has a lot of great natural scenery in the area.
Things the kids might like to see might be the library downtown? The Calgary Zoo is pretty decent. I mean, there's nothing specific I can think of that's unique to Calgary that the kids might love. We have a lot of good things done really well, but very few things that are truly unique to the town at this time.
Calgary isn't super big. You can drive to most places within about half an hour in the city.
Parking by the stadium... there's a lot of places you can park. You can aim to park in some free areas and walk 10-20 minutes or find some random place that's 5-10 minute walk and pay $10-20. The area around the arena isn't really sketchy and the crowds are big enough after a game so I think it'd be comfortable even if you needed to walk a little bit.
discordant concord
Registered User
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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IMO, you're splitting hairs here.
Neither U of A nor U of C have what are considered best-in-class business schools in Canada, they normally rank in that 7-13 range depending on whose list you're looking at. U of A is generally considered the better university, but if I were you, I'd mostly be focused on your lifestyle for the next 3-4 years rather than the programs. For example, if there's cheaper flights home from one of the locations, if it's easier to find living accommodations, if you have friends/family in those cities; those are things I'd considered if I was drilling down into the business programs.
If there's one tid-bit of advice I can give someone (as someone who isn't decades removed from university), employers don't care about what's written on the paper; they care that you have it. In the summers build your network the best you can (apply for every single summer student job that's applicable anywhere) before you go working at Safeway or something.
mrzeigler
.. but I'm not wrong
Hi all, I'm hoping you can offer some general Alberta winter travel advice.
I'm planning a winter 2024/25 trip to the Yukon for the northern lights. After several days in the Whitehorse/Kluane area, I'm looking to spend up to a week in Alberta. I've never been to your province, and it may be be years before I have a chance to see Jasper, Icefields Parkway and Banff in summer, so I'm considering an itinerary that would have me in Jasper for two days, one day at Lake Louise and three in Banff, with me leaving the Icefields Parkway driving to a bus/tour company. How often is the Icefields Parkway closed during winter? Are the winter views at Jasper and along the drive worth the risk incurring weather-related delays? Any advice is welcome.
I'm planning a winter 2024/25 trip to the Yukon for the northern lights. After several days in the Whitehorse/Kluane area, I'm looking to spend up to a week in Alberta. I've never been to your province, and it may be be years before I have a chance to see Jasper, Icefields Parkway and Banff in summer, so I'm considering an itinerary that would have me in Jasper for two days, one day at Lake Louise and three in Banff, with me leaving the Icefields Parkway driving to a bus/tour company. How often is the Icefields Parkway closed during winter? Are the winter views at Jasper and along the drive worth the risk incurring weather-related delays? Any advice is welcome.
Fig
Absolute Horse Shirt
- Dec 15, 2014
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How would you get to Alberta and where would you start your drive? You've mentioned both summer and winter which are pretty different. Winter is beautiful.
Assuming you're flying to Yukon and back in the winter, then Calgary is the place you want to land to rent a car to drive out to Banff, Lake Louise and Kananaskis. Those can all be driven to within around 2.5 hours from Calgary and less if you stay out there for a few days. You can also hit Takakkaw falls on the BC side and emerald lake if you're OK driving an extra hour ish from Calgary.
Moraine and Peyto lake are nice and worth going, but there's some crazy summer tourism stuff going on where due to parking, tours etc. You might have to book weeks in advance to get on a shuttle otherwise you might not be able to go if you don't arrive by like 6 AM. In the winter right now, there's no parking fees for Lake Louise (for instance) but in the summer there were fees and it was heavily restricted.
Jasper is about 4.5 to 5 hours away with the Columbia icefields about 30-45 mins earlier than the town. The icefields parkway is an OK drive. It's usually OK year round depending how much time has elapsed since the last snow fall. It honestly depends on the weather. If the roads are relatively dry, then you won't have much of an issue driving the parkway. Usually the roads are addressed within 20-36 hours of the last snowfall depending how badly the rest of the region gets hit. If it's a white out scenario, avoid/delay, or either make sure it's someone else driving with good tires (ie: Tour bus with winters) or NOT a rental car with all season tires on (doable, but super stressful). I personally don't go to Jasper often because it's so far, but the mountains and lanes there really give perspective how tall the mountains are because you're directly beside them. It's a different beauty than Banff and Lake Louise which is also amazing in its own right. On the Trans Canada between Calgary and Lake Louise, the mountains are at a little bit of a distance and you don't feel as small. Oh, and the Icefields parkway does have certain areas with no cell coverage. If that bothers you, then make sure to prepare well or avoid it.
What probably makes the most sense is to stay in the Canmore or Banff area for a few days. On the day with the best weather, hit Jasper. The Trans Canada is frequently ploughed, salted and sanded as needed, so even if there's some inclement weather, it's a bit less sketchy than the Icefield parkway (especially since there's areas with no cell coverage there).
Lake Louise in January ish I think has the ice castle and skating on the lake.
What else are you planning to do in the area? Hikes/walks? Hot springs (err, more like a hot tub)? Downhill skiing/snow boarding? Cross country skiing? etc.?
Sometimes, not always, you can see the northern lights as far south as Calgary.
mrzeigler
.. but I'm not wrong
I'll be there in January. Because of my available travel dates and the date of the new moon, I'm going to do the Yukon for the first week — dogsledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, Eclipse Hot Springs, a wildlife preserve visit and sightseeing flight over Kluane during the days, hoping to see the aurora at night. I'm toying with the idea of a flight to Dawson City for one night there, but I don't think it would offer enough of a payoff for the price (although the 12-year-old Jack London fan within me might beg to differ).
Then I was thinking I'd fly to Edmonton. If the OIlers happen to play that night, I'd probably catch a game and then head to Jasper early the next day. If they don't, I'll head straight to Jasper, probably by bus but maybe driving a rental. After two or three days of relaxing and taking in the scenery at Jasper we'd head south.
Very helpful info, and your description of the experience convinced me that it's worth the possible weather disruption of my schedule. I confirmed that the pull-off areas along the Icefields Parkway are not maintained during winter, so I don't think there's any reason for me to rent a car just to deal with the possible stress of this drive. I'll catch a bus to Lake Louise, spend a day there before heading on to Banff/Canmore. We'll probably do a day or two of skiing or maybe mix in some more snowmobiling, but at this point in the trip, I think we'll mostly just want to enjoy the vibe of a winter resort town before we head to Calgary for our last night (and catch a Flames game if they're playing) before flying home.
Thanks for the info!
Fig
Absolute Horse Shirt
- Dec 15, 2014
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January is a good time.
For aurora in Yukon, consider bringing a tablet. From what I recall, cameras can detect and amplify the lights more than what we can see with the naked eye. Using the camera on the tablet and you'll be able to see the auroras in more vibrant colors on the screen (pictures will also be more vibrant than the naked eye). You can do the same by watching on a phone and viewfinder of a camera, but the screen is bigger on a tablet if you want to see it on the spot.
Edmonton to Jasper is still around 4 hours I believe. Then another 3.5 to 4 hours from Jasper to Banff with the ice fields in between. Bring sunglasses to the icefields, the reflections and refractions of the sun on the snow/water/ice can get quite bright on a sunny day (even in the winter).
If it comes to time allocation, I'd personally allocate more time in Banff, Canmore/Kananaskis and Lake Louise than Jasper, unless civilization disconnect and serene is more your jam (ie: closer to Yukon/NWT remote and quiet). Banff/Canmore/Lake Louise are more tourist resort town feel and vibes. Jasper is more like small remote town feel and vibes so if that's your thing, your allocation plan sounds pretty good.
Hopefully the ice castle on the lake is there in January for Lake Louise. This is an El Nino year so it might be warmer than normal. Hopefully there's plenty of snow wherever you go (I would be optimistic about it). Clothing wise, layer up with an external windbreaker layer and internal layers of thinner insulative layer. It's a dry cold we have here and we have a lot of sunshine, so when the wind blows (and it's not a warm wind Chinook) it's really cold. But without wind chill, it'll feel a lot warmer than the reported temperatures. It's not like a moist cold where the cold seeps through the clothing.
tyflames
Registered User
- Jul 4, 2010
- 1,843
- 26
Hello all ,
Group of around 30 year old guys coming down in a few weeks for the blackhawks game . Was supposed to see bedard but that won’t work out. We usually come down every year but it has been about 3 years now. We would like to go to shanks (I’m told this is the best sport lounge) before or after the game . Is reservation required to get a table for 4 guys . Also any other recommendation for some guys who have no interest in a cowboys or club environment . (We used to do cowboys post game when we were younger )
Thanks
Group of around 30 year old guys coming down in a few weeks for the blackhawks game . Was supposed to see bedard but that won’t work out. We usually come down every year but it has been about 3 years now. We would like to go to shanks (I’m told this is the best sport lounge) before or after the game . Is reservation required to get a table for 4 guys . Also any other recommendation for some guys who have no interest in a cowboys or club environment . (We used to do cowboys post game when we were younger )
Thanks
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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Schanks is far for me personally, to be honest. It’s a fairway down from the Dome; without any traffic it’s like a 20 minute drive from the Saddledome. With it being a Saturday night game, there shouldn’t be much traffic.
You’re also sort of in no-man’s land that far down McLeod as well. So if you guys were like 'we need some late night grub!' you'll be going on SkipTheDishes or Ubereats. There’s Ranchman’s there, if you want a country music club atmosphere (think Cowboys if it was a country bar). If your hotel is near I guess it works though!
It can get busy on game nights in terms of traffic in and out of the Dome and surrounding area. Even if you're jumping on a train. On the way back it’d be a hard sell for me personally lol. By the time you pack out of the Dome, find an exit, either get to an Uber or jump on the C-Train, it’ll be late... Then by the time you get down there, you might find yourself back at like midnight or later. I can't say I've ever partied at Schanks on a Saturday night after a game, so it might be bumping, or it might be a few tables of veteran alcoholics because that seems to be the mix I've ever been greeted with going there
I’m around the same age as you, and you also couldn’t pay me to go to Cowboys; I mean unless you like hitting on 17 year olds, waiting in line for an hour or two, and then buying expensive poorly poured drinks. When me and the boys go out after a game, I'm aiming at two scenarios:
We're heading West from the Dome onto 17th or towards 10th. We're landing at Craft or National toward 10th, because it'll be busy, but fun with good beer selections. If we go 17th we'll aim for Ship, Prohibition or if those are packed, Trolley 5 because that one is always an easy in.
For more of the 'cultured' experience my second choice:
We're going East of the Dome into Inglewood and we're posting up at one of the Breweries. OB's or Cold Garden is the end goal, because they're outside food places. Meaning you're getting nice craft beers, and then you're hitting up the Uber/Skip/Door or a couple of the boys rip down to the Domino's and grab some slices. There's going to be people out, I'm of the ilk that likes to be at places that are sort of 'busy' versus a bar where you're the only table outside of the local degenerates.
Good news, the 14 day forecast has us right around 0 for your trip down too, so it won't be this hell-like-freeze over.
tyflames
Registered User
- Jul 4, 2010
- 1,843
- 26
Much appreciated this!Schanks is far for me personally, to be honest. It’s a fairway down from the Dome; without any traffic it’s like a 20 minute drive from the Saddledome. With it being a Saturday night game, there shouldn’t be much traffic.
You’re also sort of in no-man’s land that far down McLeod as well. So if you guys were like 'we need some late night grub!' you'll be going on SkipTheDishes or Ubereats. There’s Ranchman’s there, if you want a country music club atmosphere (think Cowboys if it was a country bar). If your hotel is near I guess it works though!
It can get busy on game nights in terms of traffic in and out of the Dome and surrounding area. Even if you're jumping on a train. On the way back it’d be a hard sell for me personally lol. By the time you pack out of the Dome, find an exit, either get to an Uber or jump on the C-Train, it’ll be late... Then by the time you get down there, you might find yourself back at like midnight or later. I can't say I've ever partied at Schanks on a Saturday night after a game, so it might be bumping, or it might be a few tables of veteran alcoholics because that seems to be the mix I've ever been greeted with going there
I’m around the same age as you, and you also couldn’t pay me to go to Cowboys; I mean unless you like hitting on 17 year olds, waiting in line for an hour or two, and then buying expensive poorly poured drinks. When me and the boys go out after a game, I'm aiming at two scenarios:
We're heading West from the Dome onto 17th or towards 10th. We're landing at Craft or National toward 10th, because it'll be busy, but fun with good beer selections. If we go 17th we'll aim for Ship, Prohibition or if those are packed, Trolley 5 because that one is always an easy in.
For more of the 'cultured' experience my second choice:
We're going East of the Dome into Inglewood and we're posting up at one of the Breweries. OB's or Cold Garden is the end goal, because they're outside food places. Meaning you're getting nice craft beers, and then you're hitting up the Uber/Skip/Door or a couple of the boys rip down to the Domino's and grab some slices. There's going to be people out, I'm of the ilk that likes to be at places that are sort of 'busy' versus a bar where you're the only table outside of the local degenerates.
Good news, the 14 day forecast has us right around 0 for your trip down too, so it won't be this hell-like-freeze over.
Thank you for the insight . Definitely out of our cowboys related days so this is exactly what we are looking for .
Volica
Papa Shango
- May 15, 2012
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Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
The King's Head Pub is right across the street.
Though that's only there to make you remember why you don't do the loud bar scene anymore.
Nanuuk
Registered User
That used to me son's favourite haunt. He's older and more respectable now (40) so that's out.
There is also a bar at the Carriage House Inn across the way on 90th Ave.
Personally I've never been to either, even when I was young and stoopid.
There is also a bar at the Carriage House Inn across the way on 90th Ave.
Personally I've never been to either, even when I was young and stoopid.
