[Bring_Back_Shantz]

No matter what anyone tells you, Calgary does have a vibrant downtown scene.
Like any city the economic heart of it (where all the skyscrapers are) is definitely dead after 6:00, but who wants to hang out there anywhere. When people talk about a vibrant downtown, to me, that's now what they should mean. It's the outskirts of downtown that really count.

Go 1 block in any direction of downtown and you'll find some really great places (except maybe west, Sunalta has some work to do).

Inglewood, large swaths of the Beltline, 17th Ave, Mission, Kensington, Sunny Side are all great neighborhoods to explore and hang out in, and the East Village is really starting to grow up. There is also St. Patrick's Island, which is a fantastic new gem right on the edge of downtown. Just chilling out there on a warm weekend is a great way to spend the day.