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OT: Visiting Calgary (General City / Area Discussion)

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Thanks Johnny. Definitely gonna do that. Still hope to get on a tour which will include Banff. As with driving in snowy (?) Alberta... not sure how confident I am about that, given that I have to get used to drive on the 'wrong' side already...
 
Hi guys,

I'll be staying in Calgary with some friends between February 12 and 17. I guess it's probably not the nicest time of the year as far as the weather is concerned, so we would like to find accomodation not too far away from bars, restaurants and shops.

Any advice about which area we should stay in? So far, I found about the southern part of downtown, 17th avenue SW and Kensington. Any other place we should consider? And if not, which one of those three is the best?
 
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stv11 said:
Hi guys,

I'll be staying in Calgary with some friends between February 12 and 17. I guess it's probably not the nicest time of the year as far as the weather is concerned, so we would like to find accomodation not too far away from bars, restaurants and shops.

Any advice about which area we should stay in? So far, I found about the southern part of downtown, 16th avenue and Kensington. Any other place we should consider? And if not, which one of those three is the best?
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Are there any particular places you are looking to visit while in Calgary?

Any hotel within walking distance from 17th Avenue should be good for bars/restaurants.
 
InfinityIggy said:
Are there any particular places you are looking to visit while in Calgary?

Any hotel within walking distance from 17th Avenue should be good for bars/restaurants.
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Not really. One of us has a job opportunity in Calgary and he is more interested about how locals live rather than tourist stuff.
 
Unlimited Chequing said:
Will you be driving around much? If not, there's a string of hotels along Banff trail and there's a train station literally across the street.

http://goo.gl/maps/No4WJ
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And just for context, 16th Avenue and Kensington is right by Banff Trail, as is the University of Calgary and McMahon Stadium if you're a CFL fan. I like the area myself, as I live nearby. Really easy to get around by personal vehicle and lots of main transit routes (C-Train, buses) nearby.
 
stv11 said:
Hi guys,

I'll be staying in Calgary with some friends between February 12 and 17. I guess it's probably not the nicest time of the year as far as the weather is concerned, so we would like to find accomodation not too far away from bars, restaurants and shops.

Any advice about which area we should stay in? So far, I found about the southern part of downtown, 16th avenue and Kensington. Any other place we should consider? And if not, which one of those three is the best?
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16th Avenue is humongous big, where along 16th Avenue? If it's near the group of hotels along Banff Trail there are a number of places to eat & drink nearby - Big T's Smokehouse comes immediately to mind for good BBQ. There's also some hotels along 19th Street NE - I wouldn't stay there if I had other choices. (I work in the area, and grew up in the area too - I know it well)

There will be many things to do/see/eat/drink if you stay downtown. Kensington is a more trendy neighbourhood, lots of shops and very good restaurants in the area.

All of these areas are served by public transit - specifically the C-Train that will get you to many parts of the city. You probably won't need a car although I do recommend it if it's your first visit, you have to do the touristy things like seeing Banff.

You might even want to catch a hockey game while you're here. :)

As for the weather - it will be hit or miss. You could arrive during a Chinook and experience temperatures in the +5 to +10 range, or you could arrive during a hellish prairie winter and experience -20 as a daily high. Pack accordingly and be prepared to dress in layers.
 
Stewie Griffin said:
16th Avenue is humongous big, where along 16th Avenue? If it's near the group of hotels along Banff Trail there are a number of places to eat & drink nearby - Big T's Smokehouse comes immediately to mind for good BBQ. There's also some hotels along 19th Street NE - I wouldn't stay there if I had other choices. (I work in the area, and grew up in the area too - I know it well)

There will be many things to do/see/eat/drink if you stay downtown. Kensington is a more trendy neighbourhood, lots of shops and very good restaurants in the area.

All of these areas are served by public transit - specifically the C-Train that will get you to many parts of the city. You probably won't need a car although I do recommend it if it's your first visit, you have to do the touristy things like seeing Banff.

You might even want to catch a hockey game while you're here. :)

As for the weather - it will be hit or miss. You could arrive during a Chinook and experience temperatures in the +5 to +10 range, or you could arrive during a hellish prairie winter and experience -20 as a daily high. Pack accordingly and be prepared to dress in layers.
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I actually meant 17th avenue SW, south of downtown. Not sure why I wrote 16th.

We will rent a car and go for a trip to the Rocky Mountains, but first we want to enjoy the city for a few days, so I guess we'll stick to public transport for that time, but having stuff to do within walking distance of our accomodation would be nice.

As for the hockey part, we already got tickets for the game vs Vancouver on 2/14! :)

How is downtown during the weekend? Is it mostly an office area without much going on on Saturday and Sunday, or is it worth staying there?
 
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Based off my past experience - downtown definitely turns it down on the weekends (by comparison to weekdays) at least that's how it was when I was younger. It was mostly an office area but it's diversified to include more residential. If you will benefit from staying there (if you need to be somewhere downtown during the week) then it would be my first choice. There might not be a lot going on, but there will still be things to do and is still home to lots of good restaurants, pubs, and even live theatre. You can even rent a car downtown for the price of daily parking (around $40/day).

17th Ave will definitely have lots of things to keep you entertained. Lots of bars & a wide variety of restaurants between Macleod Trail & 14 Street - everything from fast food to fine dining. Has the potential to be a bit on the noisy side - but you may enjoy the bustling nature of the area. Will be a bit further away from the C-Train, a vehicle may be a necessity.
 
stv11 said:
How is downtown during the weekend? Is it mostly an office area without much going on on Saturday and Sunday, or is it worth staying there?
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The actual downtown core is pretty dead during evenings and weekends, especially if you're coming in February. And like Stewie said, if you are going downtown during the regular business hours on weekdays, park fees are pretty outrageous.
 
OT: Visiting Calgary

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice. My wife got me tickets to a game at the end of January. Is there a decent hotel close to the arena that anybody could recommend? Or is it easier to stay somewhere a little further away and take transit (I'm assuming the C-Train takes you close to the arena?)?

Thanks
 
Volica said:
I didn't know you were so hardcore Hox :laugh:

If that place was still around, I don't think I'd send my worst enemies down there for a good time.
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Oh sure, the liquor store, local merchants, hourly rates, I frequented it often.

@ Dcookson, for being in Downtown and close to the Dome you may want to try the Westin?
 
dcookson said:
Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice. My wife got me tickets to a game at the end of January. Is there a decent hotel close to the arena that anybody could recommend? Or is it easier to stay somewhere a little further away and take transit (I'm assuming the C-Train takes you close to the arena?)?

Thanks
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Honestly, near the Arena, there's quite a few if you go towards downtown or if you go towards McLeod Trail.

One Hotel suggestion that comes to mind is the Holiday Inn (if you're looking at cost savings) along McLeod trail. It literally backs onto the C-Train tracks (If 39th station is open? It was closed for a bit there) and you're all of two stops South of the Dome (like a 2 minute train ride). It should be your run-of-the-mill chain hotel.

Outside of that, if you're looking to spend a bit more, but live the life of luxury for a night, go towards downtown, there are several higher profile hotels there. If you're looking to be a bit further away from the action, but still close to trains/a decent hotel. The Carriage House and Delta hotels further South along McLeod Trail are still close to Heritage/Southland stations respectively.

Those are my humble recommendations.
 
Hey guys,

I may potentially be on the move in the near future and Calgary may be where I end up. My girlfriend will be coming with me. She's a student and will be doing university through distance but will also be looking for a job likely serving at a sports bar. She's been doing it for years here in St. John's and has lots of experience but i;m just curious if any of you guys know where the best place would be for her to go when it comes to making some coin. Here in St. John's men usually pack Boston Pizza, Jack Astors and all those large chains but is it the same way in Calgary? Would she be better off applying to a familiar chain restuarant or are there some local places where people would prefer to go?

p.s. thanks @unlimited chequing for directing me to this thread.
 
kento19 said:
Hey guys,

I may potentially be on the move in the near future and Calgary may be where I end up. My girlfriend will be coming with me. She's a student and will be doing university through distance but will also be looking for a job likely serving at a sports bar. She's been doing it for years here in St. John's and has lots of experience but i;m just curious if any of you guys know where the best place would be for her to go when it comes to making some coin. Here in St. John's men usually pack Boston Pizza, Jack Astors and all those large chains but is it the same way in Calgary? Would she be better off applying to a familiar chain restuarant or are there some local places where people would prefer to go?

p.s. thanks @unlimited chequing for directing me to this thread.
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Shanks is the best/most popular sports bar in Calgary and they have a couple locations
 
kento19 said:
Hey guys,

I may potentially be on the move in the near future and Calgary may be where I end up. My girlfriend will be coming with me. She's a student and will be doing university through distance but will also be looking for a job likely serving at a sports bar. She's been doing it for years here in St. John's and has lots of experience but i;m just curious if any of you guys know where the best place would be for her to go when it comes to making some coin. Here in St. John's men usually pack Boston Pizza, Jack Astors and all those large chains but is it the same way in Calgary? Would she be better off applying to a familiar chain restuarant or are there some local places where people would prefer to go?

p.s. thanks @unlimited chequing for directing me to this thread.
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Earl's is a good place, you get lots of tips.
 
Where she works largely depends on what part of the city you live, but she shouldn't have any problems finding a sports bar to work at. There's lots around, including the two you've mentioned. Maybe once you figure what part of the city you will be living in we can help narrow down some of the more popular restaurants/bars in that area.
 
Adirondack Flames said:
Shanks is the best/most popular sports bar in Calgary and they have a couple locations
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You guys are awesome. Thanks for the quick response.

I may as well keep going. My job will have me based out of an office very close to the Calgary Golf and Country Club. Would it be wise for me to seek a place to rent right in the heart of downtown or a little more southwest? I'd love the have something urban and modern maybe in a condo but don't want to pay any more than like 1500 a month. Maybe those needs are tough to match. I'd like to live in a place where i'm close to work but also close to needs like grocery stores, wal mart and so on. I'm not really familiar with Calgary and i'm not sure where those areas are located. Some cities have all your needs downtown while others have them on the outskirts. Also how is traffic during rush hour. If google maps tells me it will take me 15 minutes to drive somewhere how much longer will it be at peak times?

Thanks for all your help guys!
 
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