[ssiguy]

Ive seen some pictures of the area and it seems like just a strip mall full of different restaurants with huge parking lots infront. Doesn't look very pedestrian friendly.
Please give me some insight to the area...........maybe I'm wrong.

[Kilgore Trout]

it's entirely typical postwar sprawl: strip malls along a busy arterial. those strip malls, however, are filled with a diverse array of immigrant businesses. a cursory glance at the international avenue business directory reveals:

-- one vietnamese bakery
-- one middle eastern bakery
-- one sari shop
-- one vietnamese bahn mi shop
-- one korean diner
-- one chinese diner
-- one mediterranean grocery store
-- two vietnamese drugstores
-- five vietnamese grocery stores
-- one latin american grocery store
-- one chinese supermarket

etc.

now, the concentration of such ethnic diversity on a commercial street, urban or suburban, is not unique. here in montreal, i can find every single one of the things i just listed on the main between viger and jean-talon, plus a whole lot of things international avenue doesn't have (like, say, latino record stores and chinese family associations). but it just so happens that 17th avenue southeast has a single unified business improvement association that has done an exceptionally good job at marketing its street's diversty.

so basically, international avenue is not a good place for an afternoon stroll but it is a great thing to have in calgary.

[Rusty van Reddick]

There are too many ethnic gems in Intl Ave to list, but yeah, you basically need a car to get to them.

Thanks to Riise telling me about this- we can add a real TT roti place to Kilgore's list- Tropical Hot on 52nd St just north of 17th. Much better than Roti Hut by Marlboro Mall and more convenient than Trinidad/Tobago Social Club, which is by the airport.

[Distill3d]

International Avenue is just a nice rebranding of Forest Lawn. In theory (at least in theory) it is supposed to celebrate canada's multiculturalism and diversity. however, the area will probably never reach its full potential. mainly because most calgaryians view Forest Lawn as the ghetto and most of its residents do little to help shed that image. sad fact, but its true...

[Boris2k7]

Correction: Most Calgarians in the N.W., S.W., and S.E. view the entire N.E. as a ghetto...

So Forest Lawn, you're not alone! :D

[krazycanuck]

Plenty of adult video, liquor and pawn shops as well.

This could be an extremely nice retail area, but it's nothing special right now

[IntotheWest]

^ There's a nice exotic car store in the area as well...apparently sells the most in Western Canada.

[skrish]

^ Yeah, I never understood why ZR Auto was located right there.

[Bassic Lab]

Correction: Most Calgarians in the N.W., S.W., and S.E. view the entire N.E. as a ghetto...

So Forest Lawn, you're not alone! :D

Forest Lawn is in the SE.

Most Calgarians evidently wouldn't know a ghetto if it meant their lives.

[Boris2k7]

Forest Lawn is in the SE.

:O Now that I think about it, you're right.

Most Calgarians evidently wouldn't know a ghetto if it meant their lives.

Which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.

[Riise]

Correction: Most Calgarians in the N.W., S.W., and S.E. view the entire N.E. as a ghetto...

So Forest Lawn, you're not alone! :D

Hey! What's with all this hate for the N.E.? I guess yall don't like how we roll up here... And btw, the S.E. is hella ghetto! The N.E. isn't that bad either, just because some shit occasionally goes down here and the city doesn't have a real ghetto, although Forest Lawn, Dover, and Erin Woods are trying ever so hard to build up there street cred, to talk about people create this bunk image of the N.E.. I went to Father Lacombe HS in the S.E. and the entire time I was there I saw maybe two fights, and there were probably another two I missed. Compare this to St. Mary's where shit was constantly going down and where on multiple occasion peeps from my school had to go to back people up, and also to Bishop Grandin which I don't even want to talk about because it was, and still is so bad!

[Surrealplaces]

Kilgore's description is pretty accurate. A great place for ethnic restaurants and businesses. Forest Lawn is one of the the most ethnically diverse parts of the 'Calgary Northeast' riding, which is the most ethnically diverse riding between Toronto and Vancouver.

I should point out that if all of these businesses were at street front, International avenue would be very impressive, one of the best in Canada, just based on the businesses there. It's those strip malls with the large parking lots that work against it.

[SpongeG]

a chinese girl i work with told me that Calgary only has one T&T supermarket and its insanely busy and her cousins and relatives that live in Calgary will drive acrosss the city just to go to it

i guess living in vancouver its something we take for granted - having access to so many asian supermarkets

is there still only one T&T in Calgary?

[Riise]

a chinese girl i work with told me that Calgary only has one T&T supermarket...

is there still only one T&T in Calgary?

I think a second one opened up in Harvest Hills, a community in North West Calgary. That means that everybody in the south still has to drive cross-town, suckers!

[Stephen Ave]

a chinese girl i work with told me that Calgary only has one T&T supermarket and its insanely busy and her cousins and relatives that live in Calgary will drive acrosss the city just to go to it

i guess living in vancouver its something we take for granted - having access to so many asian supermarkets

is there still only one T&T in Calgary?

I know of at least two, but there are plenty of other asian markets. Not as many as Vancouver of course.

[niwell]

Hey! What's with all this hate for the N.E.? I guess yall don't like how we roll up here... And btw, the S.E. is hella ghetto! The N.E. isn't that bad either, just because some shit occasionally goes down here and the city doesn't have a real ghetto, although Forest Lawn, Dover, and Erin Woods are trying ever so hard to build up there street cred, to talk about people create this bunk image of the N.E.. I went to Father Lacombe HS in the S.E. and the entire time I was there I saw maybe two fights, and there were probably another two I missed. Compare this to St. Mary's where shit was constantly going down and where on multiple occasion peeps from my school had to go to back people up, and also to Bishop Grandin which I don't even want to talk about because it was, and still is so bad!

Heh, I went to HS in the "Ghetto" (Bowness) and I heard about (didnt' see) one fight. ONE. Calgary is pretty tame almost everywhere. Not that that's a bad thing.

[Boris2k7]

Hey! What's with all this hate for the N.E.? I guess yall don't like how we roll up here... And btw, the S.E. is hella ghetto! The N.E. isn't that bad either, just because some shit occasionally goes down here and the city doesn't have a real ghetto, although Forest Lawn, Dover, and Erin Woods are trying ever so hard to build up there street cred, to talk about people create this bunk image of the N.E.. I went to Father Lacombe HS in the S.E. and the entire time I was there I saw maybe two fights, and there were probably another two I missed. Compare this to St. Mary's where shit was constantly going down and where on multiple occasion peeps from my school had to go to back people up, and also to Bishop Grandin which I don't even want to talk about because it was, and still is so bad!

LOL, its just the airport, industrial land, freeways and expressways, etc. that add up to the impression. Additionally, many people who ride the S.W. > N.W. Train (like myself) will rarely (or never) ride the N.E. train, adding to the lack of real exposure.

Plus the whole "East Side" thing... oh, and I guess the redeeming factor about the S.E. is that it has well-known "good" communities such as Douglasdale, Mackenzie Lake, etc. Kinda the same for the S.W. and N.W.

As for the N.E. I can maybe name three communities... Bridgeland, Marlborough...

ummmm...

...

okay I give up, is Country Hills in the N.W. or N.E.?

[Stephen Ave]

One thing about the Northeast is that the businesses kick ass compared to the southeast. There are about 10 times as many retail businesses in the northeast. You can get so many kinds of foods, etc... all just a 10 minute drive away. Myself, I'm a big Indian food lover, and there's about 30 - 40 Indian restuarants in the northeast, and zero in the southeast. I also love Vietnamese food, and there's easily 100 or more in the northeast. Compare that to zero in the southeast.

[PiGuy]

As for the N.E. I can maybe name three communities... Bridgeland, Marlborough...

ummmm...

...

okay I give up, is Country Hills in the N.W. or N.E.?

Don't forget about Coral Springs! It's actually a really nice community in the NE, I must admit I was shocked when I saw actual nice, big houses in the NE. :P

[mersar]

Panorama = NW, Country Hills = NW, Harvest Hills = NE, Coventry Hills = NE

Pretty much Harvest Hills Blvd is the dividing road (although it is curved... there are parts of the NW that are further east then parts of the NE)

[CorporateWhore]

Myself, I'm a big Indian food lover, and there's about 30 - 40 Indian restuarants in the northeast, and zero in the southeast. I also love Vietnamese food, and there's easily 100 or more in the northeast. Compare that to zero in the southeast.

I never realized this till I left, but Calgary has some great Vietnamese food. Comparatively, NY and the majority of the east coast has awful awful vietnamese restaraunts....or asian restaurants in general. When it comes to asian food (apart from Indian, Ive found), "go west, young man" definitely holds true.

[Bigtime]

Northeast representin' in 'dis thread yo!

But this place has gotten to soft for me, that's why I biz movin' to the SE! Arriva gangstas gonna mess that hood up! That's right Sasso/Vetro, I'm talking bout you fools. Keynote better sleep with one eye open as well, you know what I'm sayin'?

[Rusty van Reddick]

a chinese girl i work with told me that Calgary only has one T&T supermarket and its insanely busy and her cousins and relatives that live in Calgary will drive acrosss the city just to go to it

i guess living in vancouver its something we take for granted - having access to so many asian supermarkets

is there still only one T&T in Calgary?

First, why is "only one" T and T anything to be ashamed of? Edmonton has "only one" and Toronto initially had "only one." Calgary has a HUGE Chinese community, 6% of its population (this is HUGE by North American standards), so it can support a T and T despite having a mere million people.

Second, your friend is wrong anyway, we have TWO.

Third, you assume for some reason that our "dearth" of TT's means that we don't have a lot of Asian markets- we have MANY Asian markets.

So, yeah, living in CALGARY this is something we take for granted- having access to so many Asian supermarkets. How many are there in Chicago, per capita? It cannot even TOUCH Calgary.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Why would you compare it to Chicago anyway? Chicago's demographics don't compare to any Canadian city. No shit you'd have more Asian grocery stores, not many Canadian cities wouldn't?

The racial makeup of the city of Chicago estimated for 2006 was 36.39% Black or African American, 31.32% White, 26.02% Hispanic or Latino, 4.33% Asian and Pacific Islander, 1.64% from two or more races, 0.15% Native American, and 0.15% from other races

Where as in Calgary the asian popolation sits at around 12%. Winnipeg it's at 13%,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago

edited which to not many

[Rusty van Reddick]

I mention Chicago as a major NA city that does not have as many Asian markets as Calgary does. SpongeG mentions what this girl told him about Calgary as if we're lacking in Asian markets, which is not remotely true.

[SpongeG]

First, why is "only one" T and T anything to be ashamed of? Edmonton has "only one" and Toronto initially had "only one." Calgary has a HUGE Chinese community, 6% of its population (this is HUGE by North American standards), so it can support a T and T despite having a mere million people.

Second, your friend is wrong anyway, we have TWO.

Third, you assume for some reason that our "dearth" of TT's means that we don't have a lot of Asian markets- we have MANY Asian markets.

So, yeah, living in CALGARY this is something we take for granted- having access to so many Asian supermarkets. How many are there in Chicago, per capita? It cannot even TOUCH Calgary.

first of i wasn't criticizing i was asking - sheesh -

she never complained about it either - she just said that she visited her family there (about two years ago) and that they had to drive across town to get to the T&T one day and she said if she lived there she would just go to the safeway nearby or whatever

fuck furry you sure are quick to jump onto the negative :rolleyes:

[Just Build It]

Why would you compare it to Chicago anyway? Chicago's demographics don't compare to any Canadian city. No shit you'd have more Asian grocery stores, not many Canadian cities wouldn't?

The racial makeup of the city of Chicago estimated for 2006 was 36.39% Black or African American, 31.32% White, 26.02% Hispanic or Latino, 4.33% Asian and Pacific Islander, 1.64% from two or more races, 0.15% Native American, and 0.15% from other races

Where as in Calgary the asian popolation sits at around 12%. Winnipeg it's at 13%,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago


edited which to not many

Where as in Calgary the asian population sits at around 12%. Winnipeg it's at 13%,

Where are you pulling these stats from?

If you look at Stats Can you'll find it's more like. By Asians I'm assuming, Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian, Korean and Fillipino

Calgary 12%
Winnipeg 8%

Winnipeg has a large Fillipino poulation, but far less Vitenamese/Chinese

http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=825__&Geo2=CMA&Code2=602__&Data=Count&SearchText=mountain%20view&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All

[Greco Roman]

Where as in Calgary the asian popolation sits at around 12%. Winnipeg it's at 13%,

Where are you pulling these stats from?

If you look at Stats Can you'll find it's more like. By Asians I'm assuming, Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian, Korean and Phillipino

Calgary 12%
Winnipeg 8%

Oh, relax. This isn't that big of a deal. Bottom line is that Canadian cities (yes, Winnipeg is MOST DEFINATELY included) are becoming centres with larger asian populations. Winnipeg's asian population is growing too.

If it makes you feel better, Calgary still has a bigger d*ck, okay? :haha:

[Just Build It]

Oh, relax. This isn't that big of a deal. Bottom line is that Canadian cities (yes, Winnipeg is MOST DEFINATELY included) are becoming centres with larger asian populations. Winnipeg's asian population is growing too.

If it makes you feel better, Calgary still has a bigger d*ck, okay? :haha:

I didn't mean to come across as anal, I guess I just don't like people making up stats and posting them here. I like to see people at least back up their stats or claims.

I noticed on the Winnipeg stats that there is a large Filipino communitity. Far larger than any other group. What's the scoop?

[Greco Roman]

I didn't mean to come across as anal, I guess I just don't like people making up stats and posting them here. I like to see people at least back up their stats or claims.

I noticed on the Winnipeg stats that there is a large Filipino communitity. Far larger than any other group. What's the scoop?

You just came across as "how dare Winnipeg's be bigger than Calgary's" is all. No worries. Was that 2001 figures? I'm sure Winnipeg's proportion is over 10% by now anyways.

The Winnipeg Filipino population, from my understanding, is one of or the largest PER CAPITA in Canada. Apparently, one of the reasons they came over was due to the large presence of the Manufacturing industry in Winnipeg, and now have a very solid community base. The East Indian population is also growing, as is the Vietmamese, Soudanese, Ethiopian, Central and South American communities, and many others as well.

[murman]

fuck furry you sure are quick to jump onto the negative :rolleyes:

Might be the caffeine that does it to him!

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

I didn't mean to come across as anal, I guess I just don't like people making up stats and posting them here. I like to see people at least back up their stats or claims.


Making up stats? Screw you, sorry I forgot to ad the link, usualy I don't forget. And yes I made an error with the Pegg numbers. Once again though, why out of the blue would Calgary be compared with Chicago when talking about Asian populations?

StatsCan 2001

Calgary 12%


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary#Visible_minority_groups


Wiinnipeg

9.9%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg#Visible_minorities

[Boris2k7]

LOL, we should throw rocks at you just for using Wiki as a source...

[Western Spaghetti]

Making up stats? Screw you, sorry I forgot to ad the link, usualy I don't forget. And yes I made an error with the Pegg numbers. Once again though, why out of the blue would Calgary be compared with Chicago when talking about Asian populations?

StatsCan 2001

Calgary 12%


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary#Visible_minority_groups


Wiinnipeg

9.9%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg#Visible_minorities


Why Calgary would compare to Chicago I'm not sure either. When it comes to stats, there are lots of ways to look at them. Who are we considering as Asian?
Looking at Statscan it looks like about 12% for Calgary and around 8% for Winnipeg, just as stated earlier.

[Just Build It]

Making up stats? Screw you, sorry I forgot to ad the link, usualy I don't forget. And yes I made an error with the Pegg numbers. Once again though, why out of the blue would Calgary be compared with Chicago when talking about Asian populations?

StatsCan 2001

Calgary 12%


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary#Visible_minority_groups


Wiinnipeg

9.9%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg#Visible_minorities


My apologies about the comments about people making up stats. I didn't realize you had gotten them off of Wikipedia, which of course is why they would be different. Here is a screenshot of the stats direct off of Statcan's website. 2001

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1058/statsaa5.jpg

Peolple can do the math or whatever.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

LOL, we should throw rocks at you just for using Wiki as a source...


Wiki linked to statscan, I feel the same way.

[ssiguy]

I didn't want this to become a city vs city thread which you guys seem determined to make it.
What exactly does Winnipeg have to do with International Ave?

Anyway, it seems its just another strip mall street with a lot of ethnic restaurants.....................not very enticing.

[Jay in Cowtown]

Plenty of adult video, liquor and pawn shops as well.

This could be an extremely nice retail area, but it's nothing special right now


Nothing says International like... Porn, Booze and stolen DVD players!!!

[Kilgore Trout]

I never realized this till I left, but Calgary has some great Vietnamese food. Comparatively, NY and the majority of the east coast has awful awful vietnamese restaraunts....or asian restaurants in general. When it comes to asian food (apart from Indian, Ive found), "go west, young man" definitely holds true.

toronto is the obvious exception, since its huge asian population (largest chinese and south asian populations in north america, both proportionally and in raw numbers) ensures good food.

montreal also has great vietnamese food -- better and cheaper than calgary, i would argue, although i agree that calgary does have exceptionally good vietnamese restaurants on the whole.

[Wooster]

^except we have the subs. I am desperate to get my hands on one. Can't wait to get back to Calgary for the break. :eat:

[Kilgore Trout]

oh, we have those too. i've noticed some interesting differences, though.

montreal -- skinny french baguette, modest in size, average price $2.50
calgary -- thicker bun, more robust fillings, average price $5.50

i'd say that vietnamese subs are as widely available here as in calgary (don't forget, there are roughly four times as many vietnamese in montreal as in calgary), but i can see why you would miss the banh mi in calgary -- they're certainly more substantial than elsewhere.

[Wooster]

They're in Montreal? that's awesome! I believe Banh Mi Thi Thi was the first in Canada in 1992 no? I was never able to find any in Ontario in the 5 years I have lived here.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Banh Mi in Toronto are almost always $1.50- take that, Montreal.

Calgary has huge banh mi and huge shawarma- I wish both where smaller.

[toddburns]

this thread got off topic

theres minoritis all around calgary, forest lawn has many minority stores but has tons of other retail stores

interational avenue is the next big thing for calgary its not the ghetto, there are tons of liqour stores bars and pawn shops if not more on beltline on 17 ave sw so lets be fair,

[toddburns]

[QUOTE=krazycanuck;2492281]Plenty of adult video, liquor and pawn shops as well.


yeah what about 17 ave sw, theres just as many bars, liqour stores, pawnshops and porn plus you get unsighty ggay couples holding hands down the street and kissing, plus hte gay bars, i wouldnt want my family near any of those. you dont see that in forest lawn do you?

[toddburns]

^ Yeah, I never understood why ZR Auto was located right there.


why not? raddison heights/albert park is a very nice area

[240glt]

^good, do everyone a favor & stay in Forest Lawn, I'd rather have gay couples on my street than simple-minded bigots

[Rusty van Reddick]

[QUOTE=krazycanuck;2492281]Plenty of adult video, liquor and pawn shops as well.


yeah what about 17 ave sw, theres just as many bars, liqour stores, pawnshops and porn plus you get unsighty ggay couples holding hands down the street and kissing, plus hte gay bars, i wouldnt want my family near any of those. you dont see that in forest lawn do you?

Ladies and gentlemen, the first poster to be banned twice!

I cannot stand seeing unsightly gay couples, but I love seeing the sexy sexy ones.

There is only one gay bar on 17th btw, and it's not unsightly; it's invisible.

[toddburns]

My apologies about the comments about people making up stats. I didn't realize you had gotten them off of Wikipedia, which of course is why they would be different. Here is a screenshot of the stats direct off of Statcan's website. 2001

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1058/statsaa5.jpg

Peolple can do the math or whatever.


interesting, sometimes arabs are classified as caucasion believe it or not.

[KrisYYC]

That means that everybody in the south still has to drive cross-town, suckers!

Yeah but we have IKEA ;)



Plus the whole "East Side"

Don't turn this into an East Side vs. West Side thang, West Side till I die! :haha:

j/k

[Riise]

Yeah but we have IKEA ;)



Don't turn this into an East Side vs. West Side thang, West Side till I die! :haha:

j/k

You bastards stole it from us! ;) Wouldn't that be kind of ironic, the area where the would be theives are from getting something stolen from them? Getting serious, though, I know they needed a bigger store but wouldn't it have made sense to keep the North location open? It's a long drive for people living in the Northern part of the city in general and I think both stores would do well.

[KrisYYC]

You bastards stole it from us! ;) Wouldn't that be kind of ironic, the area where the would be theives are from getting something stolen from them? Getting serious, though, I know they needed a bigger store but wouldn't it have made sense to keep the North location open? It's a long drive for people living in the Northern part of the city in general and I think both stores would do well.

Yeah when I first heard that the South was getting IKEA I thought they meant it would be Calgary's second location. I didn't think they'd actually close the North one! The yuppy factor is pretty high in Calgary, I'm sure both could have prospered. Have you been to IKEA down here? It's a complete zoo at any given time, along with the rest of that painfully inefficient monstrosity(sp?) of a box store mall.

Kris

[Rob D]

yeah what about 17 ave sw, theres just as many bars, liqour stores, pawnshops and porn plus you get unsighty ggay couples holding hands down the street and kissing, plus hte gay bars, i wouldnt want my family near any of those. you dont see that in forest lawn do you?

If that is what keeps you away from this area that's great! Do you always stutter when you say the "g" word?

BTW is it okay with you if unsightly straight couples hold hands and kiss?

[Calgarian]

interesting, sometimes arabs are classified as caucasion believe it or not.

How do you figure that?

[Wooster]

If that is what keeps you away from this area that's great!


hear hear.

[Calgarian]

wasn't this guy banned yesterday? wft?

[Rusty van Reddick]

How do you figure that?

In Todd's defense (I'm a non-unsightly ggay so I think it's okay for me to step up), in the US, Arabs/West Asians are in fact considered "white." However, Native Americans are considered what we would refer to as visible minority, so in comparing stats for "racial minorities" b/t the US and Canada, you have to recognize the different definitions. A long time ago somebody on here posted what Canadian cities would look like if they used US "minority" defs, and cities like Regina and Winnipeg moved to near the top of the list because the US would define aboriginals as lumped together with Asians, blacks, etc, as minorities. In Canada, aboriginal or non-aboriginal status is counted as neither race nor ethnicity- I don't know why this is since native groups qualify as BOTH race and ethnicity (in my opinion as a sociologist).

[toddburns]

In Todd's defense (I'm a non-unsightly ggay so I think it's okay for me to step up), in the US, Arabs/West Asians are in fact considered "white." However, Native Americans are considered what we would refer to as visible minority, so in comparing stats for "racial minorities" b/t the US and Canada, you have to recognize the different definitions. A long time ago somebody on here posted what Canadian cities would look like if they used US "minority" defs, and cities like Regina and Winnipeg moved to near the top of the list because the US would define aboriginals as lumped together with Asians, blacks, etc, as minorities. In Canada, aboriginal or non-aboriginal status is counted as neither race nor ethnicity- I don't know why this is since native groups qualify as BOTH race and ethnicity (in my opinion as a sociologist).

well said, no i am not homophobic i was only refering to the "unsighty" public lewdness and hole drilling in in public places. expically on 17 ave sw.