Calgary's next 'Trendy District' - Page 2

Boris2k7 · #21 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:03 AM**

Oh, here's another one: Edmonton Trail. Already a bit going on.

11th Ave deserves to be up there too. Maybe 12th as well?

DizzyEdge · #22 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:13 AM**

In a way I'm trying to picky.. although there are things of interest on 12th ave, or 11th ave.. or Edm Trail.. does anyone actually say "hey let's go hang out on 11th ave today"..I'm trying to think of 'districts' where the area is the destination. I'm not sure if that makes any sense.

Boris2k7 · #23 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:19 AM**

^ That makes sense, but by the same criteria, do you see someone saying "let's go hang out on 1st St/Centre St/16th Ave?"

DizzyEdge · #24 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:19 AM**

In a way it's tricky, as just about every shopping mall would qualify.. ugh

DizzyEdge · #25 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boris550

^ That makes sense, but by the same criteria, do you see someone saying "let's go hang out on 1st St/Centre St/16th Ave?"

Ok you win

Boris2k7 · #26 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:21 AM**

^ That is true as well. And I do hear "let's hang out at Chinook" far more than I hear "let's hang out on 17th." I know, sad world.

EDIT: LOL, I originally put "hand out" on 17th instead of "hang out"

DizzyEdge · #27 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:25 AM**

Hand out might be closer to reality.

I agreed what you said earlier about 17th ave SE having a Macleod trail feel, as does most of 16th ave NW to be honest, it's hard to say where to start, although with 16th ave the intersection of 16th and centre would be a good start.

One thing doing this exercise has made me realize: so much is location location location. Might Marda loop be a great area? sure, but areas like 17th sw, 4th st sw, 1st st sw, 11 st sw, etc are sure helped by being within walking distance of each other.

Bowness.. well Bowness is it's own unique beast.

Riise · #28 Posted **May 1, 2007, 6:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Up & Coming:
-Olympic Plaza Cultural District (includes part of Stephen Ave)
-Chinatown
-1st Ave NW (Bridgeland)
-Marda Loop / Garrison Gate
-1st St SW
-11th st SW

The Bridges is actually located in the N.E., and it would be my choice for which area is headed towards becoming the next trendy district. However, I think Centre Street North has much more potential. A lot of it is already built out and I think with a few additions and modifications the area could really start to blossom. The corridor currently has a density greater than the surrounding area and I can seeing it increasing organically to a medium density corridor with a few high-density highrise condos. The corner of 16th and Centre Street could very well become the intersection of two of Calgary's finest streets/boulevards, and well patronized tram routes...

Bassic Lab · #29 Posted **May 1, 2007, 9:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Hand out might be closer to reality.

I agreed what you said earlier about 17th ave SE having a Macleod trail feel, as does most of 16th ave NW to be honest, it's hard to say where to start, although with 16th ave the intersection of 16th and centre would be a good start.

One thing doing this exercise has made me realize: so much is location location location. Might Marda loop be a great area? sure, but areas like 17th sw, 4th st sw, 1st st sw, 11 st sw, etc are sure helped by being within walking distance of each other.

Bowness.. well Bowness is it's own unique beast.

You've got a point about Marda Loop's distance from other areas but the situation could be improved by extending the retail zone on 33 Ave east to 14th Street and trying to turn 14th into a retail strip. Of course that would probaboly take decades to really materialize, but by that time it could really tie every thing in together much better. The effect of that new development with the grocery store and condos right on the strip could really mean alot, if it is a one off the are could languish, if on the other hand it sparks more development then the area could really take off.

Really I'd take a couple places off of the made it list and put them in the potential. Inglewood is one example, 9th Ave is a nice place but you just don't see the people there like you do one 17th or Stephen's. There are also a number of vacant lots that really need to be filled in. The SE LRT should really help and I could see the place really taking off in the near future but it just isn't there yet. So I'd place it as the next "trendy" district.

The competition is some of the areas north of the river, Edmonton Trail and Centre Street in particular. They seem much further behind but are actually seeing the neccasary redevelopment while 9th Ave is pretty stagnant for the time being.

International Ave and 16th Ave really do have Macleod Trail feels and I'm not sure if either will see the kind of redevelopment that would be needed to turn them into places where the pedestrian can really thrive.

DizzyEdge · #30 Posted **May 1, 2007, 5:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

You've got a point about Marda Loop's distance from other areas but the situation could be improved by extending the retail zone on 33 Ave east to 14th Street and trying to turn 14th into a retail strip. Of course that would probaboly take decades to really materialize, but by that time it could really tie every thing in together much better. The effect of that new development with the grocery store and condos right on the strip could really mean alot, if it is a one off the are could languish, if on the other hand it sparks more development then the area could really take off.

People have been talking about street cars lately, I've often thought a cool route would be a Marda Loop->Beltline->downtown->Inglewood line, which would improve Marda Loop's chances without all the extra redevelopment.

Quote:

Really I'd take a couple places off of the made it list and put them in the potential. Inglewood is one example, 9th Ave is a nice place but you just don't see the people there like you do one 17th or Stephen's. There are also a number of vacant lots that really need to be filled in. The SE LRT should really help and I could see the place really taking off in the near future but it just isn't there yet. So I'd place it as the next "trendy" district.

Yeah I was on the fence with Inglewood, it's not as much a destination as Kensington/Stephen Ave/17th ave/4th st, but it's big enough that it has more critcal mass than Marda Loop, there's enough stuff to do down there to keep one busy for a couple of hours.

Quote:

The competition is some of the areas north of the river, Edmonton Trail and Centre Street in particular. They seem much further behind but are actually seeing the neccasary redevelopment while 9th Ave is pretty stagnant for the time being.

Very true, although Inglewood has enough critical mass the squeak by, the smaller areas like Center/Bridgeland/etc are active, meaning they'll likely pass Inglewood in the near future.

Quote:

International Ave and 16th Ave really do have Macleod Trail feels and I'm not sure if either will see the kind of redevelopment that would be needed to turn them into places where the pedestrian can really thrive.

Again, I think International Ave has to focus on a few blocks, possibly ones in good proximity locations (as far west as possible?) or in locations where the necessary redevelopment would be minimal.

I'm just waiting for someone to suggest that Macleod trail be converted to a pedestrian friendly walkable streetscape

yads · #31 Posted **May 1, 2007, 7:11 PM**

16th Ave will not be trendy until the trucks are taken off of that road. Who wants to go hang out on a street when you have a constant stream of light and heavy trucks whizzing by you?

entheosfog · #32 Posted **May 1, 2007, 7:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by yads

16th Ave will not be trendy until the trucks are taken off of that road. Who wants to go hang out on a street when you have a constant stream of light and heavy trucks whizzing by you?

No kidding. It's a pedestrian's nightmare. If an area is to be trendy and the next 'it' area, it really has to be pedestrian friendly.

DizzyEdge · #33 Posted **May 2, 2007, 1:52 AM**

Yeah, I'd like to see any 'passing through' trucks moved to the future ring road, and any trucks that need to access areas serviced by 16th ave moved to the median lane.

Distill3d · #34 Posted **May 2, 2007, 1:44 PM**

If 16 Ave N becomes a trendy district before the transcanada is re routed, I'm going to shoot someone.

Personally, I see Quarry Park, the River Quay, Railtown (should it be built) and Mohagany as trendy districts...

Me&You · #35 Posted **May 2, 2007, 2:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distill3d

If 16 Ave N becomes a trendy district before the transcanada is re routed, I'm going to shoot someone.

Personally, I see Quarry Park, the River Quay, Railtown (should it be built) and Mohagany as trendy districts...

Mohagany? The furthest-out, south eastern suburb?

Distill3d · #36 Posted **May 2, 2007, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me&You

Mohagany? The furthest-out, south eastern suburb?

That would be the one. Isn't that supposedly the super dense suburb with the potential highrises going in?

Me&You · #37 Posted **May 2, 2007, 4:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distill3d

That would be the one. Isn't that supposedly the super dense suburb with the potential highrises going in?

I think there are parts that will be dense, but I can't come to call the furthest-out suburb the next "trendy district".

Long term, I think Ramsay will be the one...

You Need A Thneed · #38 Posted **May 2, 2007, 4:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by entheosfog

No kidding. It's a pedestrian's nightmare. If an area is to be trendy and the next 'it' area, it really has to be pedestrian friendly.

Wider Sidewalks will certainly help. Who likes walking where a semitruck cruises by 3 feet from you?

The redevelopment of 16th Avenue could take a while, but I think it'll turn in a nice boulevard. I'm glad they spent the extra money on extra landscaping.

Boris2k7 · #39 Posted **May 2, 2007, 5:12 PM**

BTW, Macleod Trail really sucks walking down. Last May (aka. last time I spent a month looking for summer jobs) I walked from Chinatown to Fish Creek/Lacombe... man that pedestrian experience sucks. The only parts that are decent to walk on (but by no means urban or trendy) are around Heritage and the stretch from Cemetary Hill to Chinook. Otherwise, you get stuck in situations where there might be no sidewalk on one side of the street, you suddenly end up having to go really out of your way just to get over a crossing (you actually have to go down into Fish Creek Park to get across), or the road speeds up and you have cars flying past at 90km/hr.

entheosfog · #40 Posted **May 2, 2007, 5:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boris550

BTW, Macleod Trail really sucks walking down. Last May (aka. last time I spent a month looking for summer jobs) I walked from Chinatown to Fish Creek/Lacombe... man that pedestrian experience sucks. The only parts that are decent to walk on (but by no means urban or trendy) are around Heritage and the stretch from Cemetary Hill to Chinook. Otherwise, you get stuck in situations where there might be no sidewalk on one side of the street, you suddenly end up having to go really out of your way just to get over a crossing (you actually have to go down into Fish Creek Park to get across), or the road speeds up and you have cars flying past at 90km/hr.

Wow. That's quite the walk. My girlfriend was asking me the other day if there is a continual sidewalk from 17th Ave SW to where she works in Millrise. She's thinking of biking to work if there's a transit strike. Doesn't the sidewalk end around Anderson?? How would you get around on foot/bike in that area I wonder...

Anyway, McLeod does suck for pedestrians. If you want to cross the street in some parts of McLeod by Heritage, it's quite a hike to the next set of lights. I can't see anywhere on McLeod being a trendy area south of 17th Ave SW. At least 16th Ave has some sort of potential. Maybe.