Low-Key, Low-Cost Calgary

Our Local Expert Says:

This is one of the best parts of Calgary. There are many areas of the city pathway that make you forget you are in the center of a big city. If you're walking, start at Eau Claire market, cross the walking bridge into Princes Island park and enjoy all the open space. If you're running or biking, there are signs all over that let you know the distance from one landmark to the next. Bring bread to feed the many Canadian geese that hang out along the pathways, or to throw into the river and watch the geese fight for it. Avoid the area East of Eau Claire market, up until the 4th St. bridge, as this is a popular spot for homeless people and junkies.

Description:

Calgary boasts the largest pathway system in North America. Nearly every day of the year, regardless of the weather, you can find Calgarians running, walking, riding, rolling and even skiing along 360 kilometres of paths. The network twists its way through countless municipal parks, alongside rivers and reservoirs, past skyscrapers, into valleys and through mini-forests, fields of wildflowers and other surprises. Use of the pathways is absolutely free. Maps are available from several outlets. Contact Calgary Parks and Recreation for information.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is a great spot for people watching. If you are visiting during the summer, find a restaurant along Stephen Ave with a patio and sit and watch the power lunch rush, or the after-work drinks excitement.

Description:

Stephen Ave.'s cobblestone streets mark the core of downtown Calgary. Not only does it offer restaurants, bars and pubs, cafes, shopping, art galleries and more, several of the buildings along the street are more than 100 years old and beautiful architectural works. Check out the Old City Hall, the Hudson's Bay Company and the old Bank of Montreal Building. Also nearby are the Calgary Tower, the main library, and the downtown shopping mall.

Description:

When a cold north wind is howling and the mid-winter temperature is too frigid, this downtown greenhouse is a welcome oasis of greenery and warmth. It showcases many local and tropical plants, fountains, waterfalls, reflecting pools stocked with carp, wooden bridges and a small playground where harried parents can let loose their children.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is the place to see lots of galleries and studios in one spot. Grab a refreshment at the café too.

Description:

Art Central is a mecca of visual art and culture. Besides being a place where people exchange creative ideas and concepts, this place is also a hub of studios, restaurants and art galleries. It hosts various art exhibitions, art classes, book launches and corporate painting workshops for those who like to explore their artistic side. The three bright open floors and open atrium illuminated with a skylight provide the exact mood for any event.

Description:

Seventeenth Avenue is not just a great place to shop; it is also an important cultural area of Calgary. The city puts on an annual event where artists enliven the otherwise plain urban surroundings with art in order to give citizens and visitors an engaging experience while traveling the streets. Expectedly, there are a large number of cafes, restaurants and shops to explore. Try Quincy's on Seventh for filling portions of traditional foods at affordable prices. For trendy and fashionable clothes, check out Aluminum Planet before you got out to the clubs.

Our Local Expert Says:

Always brimming with people, this is the best spot to sip coffee, enjoy delicious treats and watch the characters of downtown Calgary go by. The Purple Perk is also a favourite of local food and restaurant critic John Gilchrist.

Description:

Located in the historic Mission district of Calgary, we're here to supply you with all your coffee needs. Drop by for a delicious coffee beverage poured by our trained baristas, and enjoy one of our delicious fresh daily specials, muffins, soups and more.

Our Local Expert Says:

This 17th Ave. pub is always busy, no matter what time of day. Anytime the weather is above 0 degrees, you'll find their patio full. It's a great place to have beers with friends.

Description:

The mother of all alt-pubs -- that is, pubs committed to Calgary's long-standing and lively alternative music scene -- the Ship, as locals call it, is a dark cave inside, but boasts a patio nearly twice its interior size right on the prime 17th Avenue strip. The pub fare -- nachos, chicken wings -- is more than passable, and the frosty pitchers of draught -- usually filled with product from local-hero microbrewery Big Rock -- keep the outdoor throngs content as long afternoons turn into even longer evenings. A Calgary tradition.

Description:

It must be great to be a projectionist at this downtown movie house. Instead of changing the reels on Hollywood's latest high school prom flick, you get to handle the kind of films first seen at festivals, or overseas in foreign languages. This multiple screen cinema typically shows critically acclaimed films from around the world, with the occasional French farce thrown in so as not to seem too pretentious. The Globe is for those who like to think over their popcorn. Call for timings.

Description:

Built in 1951, this theatre is Calgary's best example of Art Deco architecture. The newly revamped interior contains the Uptown Stage for live performances, and the historic Uptown Screen for first run art-house films. Patrons usually arrive early to browse the visual art gallery and imbibe at the lobby bar. Movies show nightly, with weekend matinees and regular midnight shows rounding out the offering. As a treat, short Canadian films preceed each feature.