Calgary's Coolest Neighbourhoods: Beltline
Locals and visitors often ask me “what is Calgary’s coolest neighbourhood?” My reply is, “It depends on what you like to do.” Just for fun I thought I would do a series of blogs on what makes Calgary’s City Centre neighbourhoods (Beltline, Bridgeland, East Village, Eau Claire/Downtown West, Downtown Core, Inglewood, Kensington and Mission) are all cool.
This blog explores the Beltline community.
You know a neighbourhood is cool when a church offers services in English, Ethiopian and Hispanic every Sunday and to top it off offers a "New Life Journey" Sunday evening.
Beltline
Calgary’s Beltline community boundaries are from the Elbow River west to 14th St SW and from 17th Avenue SW north to the railway tracks.
In reality, it is three distinctly different neighbourhoods – East Beltline (EABE), which includes everything east of 4th Street SW with 1st Street SW as its pedestrian corridor; North Beltline (NOBE), which is the 10th & 11th Avenue SW pedestrian corridor (at one time this area was known as Electric Avenue for all of the bar signage) and South Beltline (SOBE), which is the area next to the 16/17th Avenue SW pedestrian corridor (was nicknamed The Red Mile as ten of thousands of Calgary Flames jersey fans took over the street during the Flames Stanley Cup Playoff run in 2004).
Festivals/Events
As Stampede Park is within its boundaries, the Beltline could claim everything from Calgary Expo to Calgary Stampede as its signature event. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The Banks of Bow Sculpture, by Bob Spaith and Rich Roenisch at Stampede Park becomes an amazing playground during Stampede.
Only cool neighbourhoods use their back alleys as backyards for parties.
Shops
Gravity Pope is bit like an acid trip.
Gravity Pope is arguably Calgary’s coolest retail store not only from a design perspective but also for their amazing footwear and fashions.
It is a “must see” for anyone visiting Calgary.
Long-time 17th Ave anchor shops like Reid’s The Stationery Store (this is not your typical stationary store) Rubaiyat (jewellery, art glass, home accessories) and Mona Lisa Artist’s Materials are unique and fun places to browse.
Mountain Equipment Co-op’s flagship Calgary store at the corner of 10th Ave and 8th St SW has been a citywide destination for decades. Across the street is Atmosphere -another outdoor wear store.
Metrovino's front door is in the back alley.
Cork dorks won’t want to miss Metrovino and its carefully curated selection of wines. Bonus – double your fun here as it is located at the back of the Cookbook Company retail store with its 2,000+ cookbooks in stock (largest in Western Canada) as well as cookware.
The Beltline is also home to some funky designer stores like Roche Bobois, Kit Interior Objects, Shaun Ford & Co. and Chintz & Company flagship store.
MEC's colourful display of canoes in the front window is very cool.
Every time I go to the Camera Store is it has a great buzz...I love this place.
17th Avenue has some great eye glass shops like Eye Candy and Brass Monocle.
Heritage Posters and Music is a must see for audiophiles.
Cafés
The Beltline is blessed with numerous independent cafés including the iconic Caffe Beano, where artists and hipsters have been hanging out for decades. Other notable cool coffee spots include Kawa Espresso Bar, Analog, Bumpy’s Café and Good Earth Cafe.
The corner of 7th Ave and 17th St SW is center ice for Calgary's 17th Ave stroll.
Restaurants
There are a plethora of good restaurants in the Beltline, some of my favourites being Yellow Door (yes, it really does have yellow doors), Foreign Concept and Model Milk for their innovative menus and cool interior design. Bonterra Trattoria, a traditional favourite has arguably Calgary’s best al fresco patio. Beltline offers several great pizza parlours – Cibo, Posto Pizzeria and Bar, Una Pizza + Wine.
If you are looking for some late-night dining, Ten Foot Henry is a good bet. The cuisine is “new North American,” i.e. creative, vegetable focused and built for sharing. Currently on their menu is a “Crispy Pickerel” with almond purre, brussel leaves and pickled grapes.
Then there’s a Beltline hidden gem - the Mermaid Inn Restaurant located in the mellow yellow-coloured Danish Canadian Club building built in 1964. While the club is for members and their guests, they will happily sign you in as a “special guest.” The food is great as is the price. Note: it is closed Sundays; the Saturday brunch is outstanding.
You can't miss The Danish Canadian Club with the Mermaid Inn Restaurant entrance on the side.
RE:GRUB's patio shouts out "this is a cool place."
Calgarians love their early morning breakfast meetings. Hommage to Eward Hopper.
Nando's Portuguese restaurant on 17th Ave is like walking into an artwork.
Tea time in the Beltline is very popular too!
Art & Architecture
The Beltline lays claim to most of Calgary’s major commercial galleries, which are clustered in and around the 700 block of 11th Ave SW. There you will find Herringer Kiss, Paul Kuhn and New Zone Galleries. Other galleries nearby include Gibson, Lattitude, Gerry Thomas, Trepaneir Baer and Webster Galleries.
Loch Gallery, over on 4th St SW is definitely worth checking out.
And if you are walking by Hotel Arts, pop in and check out the art in the lobby and beyond as there is lots of it and it is very good. Be sure to look up at the glass installation on the ceiling in the entrance.
As for public art, the Beltline’s signature piece is “Calgary Scroll” by David Rokeby, a huge S-curve that spans from one side of the 8th Street underpass to the other looking a bit like a monorail track.
The “track” is actually an LED screen that displays bits of old Calgary news from the early 20th century that pedestrians can read as they stroll from the Beltline to downtown.
Or is it “Chinook Arc” by Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock in the Barb Scott Park. This is an interactive, illuminated sculpture that glows in the dark. The shape was inspired in part by the Beltline street cars and Chinook arch cloud formation that periodically forms in the Calgary sky.
A mural program was launched in 2017 at various locations on the sides of buildings and in alleys with several more murals to be completed in 2018.
Beltline is home to the new Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre that includes dance studios and offices as well as 230-seat space for performances. DJD’s performances are nothing but cool and at night, you can check out the colourful mural of dancers that adorns the rooftop of the building.
In 2005, the 1911, Tuscan style Wesley United Church was converted into the Calgary Opera Centre (now called the Arrata Opera Centre).
It is used for rehearsals, wardrobe shop, education programs, offices and even the occasional performance by Calgary Opera.
When it comes to architecture the Memorial Park Library is a “must see.” This majestic Edwardian Classicism building opened in 1912 and is surrounded by a lovely, two-hectare park/garden. It is one of 150 libraries built in Canada with funding from the American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and is still a functioning library so be sure to go inside.
When it comes to modern architecture, the Beltline is home to several new condo towers, with Mark on 10th being perhaps the most distinguished with its playful use of a yellow tinted glass atrium at the corner to the pastel-coloured panels on the exterior that draw the eye up to the roof-top resident lounge projecting over the edge of the building.
Calgary is known as the "Sandstone City" for its many early 20th Century sandstone churches, schools and library, many of which are located in the Beltline. Calgary Collegiate Institute was built in 1908 (903 13th Ave SW).
Grace Presbyterian Church, 1009 15th Ave SW.
Walk inside Chinook Arc an interactive, illuminated sculpture by Joe O'Connell and Blessing Hancock and you get a cool perspective on NORR architects Aura Tower condo.
Palliser South is a funky new office tower that is cantilevered over top of an old parkade to create a unique shape.
Parks/Plaza/Pathways
The Beltline is blessed with three historic urban parks - Lougheed House and Beaulieu Gardens (1891), Central Memorial Park (1912) and Tomkins Park (1915). It is also home to a new urban dog park in Connaught Park, the new Barb Scott Park and the brand new Thomson Family Park, the latter replacing the Calgary Lawn Bowling club facility.
The Beltline is part of Calgary’s City Centre Cycle Track program with a dedicated bike lane along 12th Avenue, from 11th St SW to 4th St SE and 5th Street from 3rd Ave SW to 17th Ave SW.
As you walk along the Beltline's 13th Ave, you would never know that you are in the middle a dense high-rise community as the streets have a lovely tree canopy that make them pedestrian friendly.
Speaking of streets, while wandering the Beltline be sure to keep your eye out for fun sidewalk stamps like this one from 1909.
Memorial Park is Calgary's oldest park, recent renovations added this playful fountain, a restaurant and more seating.
Who says families don't live in the City Centre. Haultain park's playground, playing field and tennis courts are well used by all ages.
Humans and canines both enjoy the Beltline's mini dog park.
Fitness/Recreation
The Beltline lays claim to the oldest the oldest purpose-built social service building in Calgary - the Beltline Y.W.C.A. opening in 1911. Today, the Beltline Aquatic and Fitness Centre (its current name) is a busy place as over 23,000 people live close by. Two other major fitness centers include Heaven’s Fitness and Yoga Passage. There is also a winter skating rink at the new Thomson Family Park.
The lawn behind the Lougheed House makes for perfect playing field.
In the winter this same space becomes a curling rink for the Beltline Bonspiel. (photo credit: Lougheed House)
Pubs & Clubs
The Ship & Anchor is Calgary’s iconic pub. Even in the middle of winter its sunny patio can be packed with hipsters enjoying Calgary’s brilliant winter sunshine. On weekend mornings it becomes a popular spot for soccer fans to congregate while the Saturday afternoon jams are packed with Yuppies. A close second would be the Rose & Crown pub on 4th.
If your idea of a good time is sampling beer (and whose isn’t) you have to visit Craft Beer Market’s original beer hall with its 100+ beers on tap. Or, visit Trolley 5 Brewery Restaurant where the 400 seats await you to try out their craft beer brewed on site.
If live music is your thing, a good bet would be Broken City and Hifi Club who have both been hosting live music since 2004 and 2005 respectfully. While Mikey’s on 12th is a new location, Mikey has been curating live music shows for decades and his Saturday afternoon blues jam is very popular with locals.
17th Avenue becomes a beer garden in the summer with its numerous patios.
Fun/Funky/Quirky
Enjoying a couple of maple bacon doughnuts at Jelly Modern Doughnuts (you can’t eat just one) is perhaps the quintessential FFQ Beltline experience. Or, is it enjoying an “A-bomb” hot dog at Tubby Dog at 2 am?
Some might even say it doesn’t get any cooler than enjoying an ice cream cone at the Beltline’s two signature ice cream parlours - Made by Marcus or Village Ice Cream -when it’s -30C outside.
Tubby Dog is also Tubby arcade...how quirky is that?
On an early February, Tuesday afternoon there were half a dozen people enjoying some Marcus ice cream.
It doesn't get much quirkier than the Beltline's "Happy Together" Convenience & Grocery Store.
You will also find some funky fashions on the streets of the Beltline.
Hand Signals is a fun piece of public art by Derek Besant. It spells out the word DREAM. You will find it on 4th Avenue between 14th and 15th St SW.
Last Word
Even the Beltline’s name is cool. It is named after the Calgary Municipal Railway’s Route #5 that was nicknamed the “belt line” as its route used to wind its way back and forth from 17th Ave SW to downtown like a conveyor belt in a manufacturing plant.
I have only scratched the surface of the cool things to see and do in the Beltline.
If you like this blog, you will like these links:
Calgary: Beautifying The Beltline