The city I used to call boring has now won my heart
A couple of years ago my brother moved to Calgary for a job. He met a lovely girl and has set down some roots in the city. This past September I went out to see them and give Calgary a second chance.
A few years ago I lived in Banff for a year and half and would come to Calgary on my days off to visit or to get some shopping done. Banff is small and doesn’t have a lot of shopping to choose from, so being from a huge city like Toronto you kind of miss that some times. I would come into Calgary and book a night at the Palliser and go for dinner and shopping with my girlfriends who had weekdays off like me (hospitality life).
I honestly didn’t love going into the city and I am not the only one who thought like this, so please don’t view me as horrible and stop reading.
I thought the way I did about Calgary for a very long time, basically until my visit in September. I’ll be the first one to say that I’m wrong and feel badly about bashing a city I really didn’t want to care about.
So many things have changed in the Calgary these days. There are a lot of interesting places to check out. On my most recent visit, I went to places that I never noticed before. I got away from the downtown core and saw beautiful views and ate great food. The city has an energy which I never saw before. It may have something to do with young people moving into the city to get a more affordable lifestyle than in other major cities in Canada. Whatever the reason, I had a great time while being there.
I also came to notice that the craft beer industry is alive and well in Alberta and there are hundreds of microbreweries all over the province! I even went to check out the Mashing, a craft beer festival held at the stampede grounds
Here are some of the places in Calgary I got to check out on my last visit
Brasserie Kensington- Grab a plate of mussels and fries with a microbrew on the side at this fantastic spot.
Cold Garden- The décor is more like a garage sale, but it’s a great place to hang out with great beer and you can even bring your dog!
Big ol’ Beautiful- Located in Inglewood, it’s a very open concept microbrewery with ever changing brews.
Calcutta Cricket Club-Designed like an old style Vacation spot in India, the food is delicious and the cocktails are on point.
So Calgary I just want to say, I think you’re great. You totally changed my mind about you. Thanks for having people who are so friendly and interesting and thanks for evolving and growing. I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got the next time I visit!
I’ll be posting about Banff and the Rockies in a different post and all the winter activities to do out there
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