Is Calgary becoming a dead town?

[Csquared]

Originally Posted by snootchiebootchies

One thing I've noticed is that there is lots of space available in many children's programs now. 4 or 5 years ago, we had to fight like warriors to call or log in as soon as registration opens to register our kids into programs or you end up on a wait list. We are now able to register our kids in almost any program, anytime. My daughter is in a music class where she is only one of two students. My son is in a gymnastics class with four other kids. It's great they get the extra attention in these classes.

There are still places I wouldn't mind if they were less busy -- eg., the Landmark movie theatre, all the dim sum places up in north Calgary, etc.

The number of children's programs have grown a lot in the past ten years so it's gotten rid of a lot of the registration madness.

[calgarywinning]

Would be nice, whenever the new building is built for the Flames to play in that there is a design for entertainment and night scene around the building.

Restaurants, bars, club usage around the new arena could be refreshing. Would be nice too if it were "indoor" or warmth for the winter so it could be used year round.

[troutman]

It is debatable that a cluster of Bubba Gump, Planet Hollywood, Margaritaville, etc. adds anything to a city.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Bunk

The changes in the club scene are perhaps even much more pronounced in Toronto - where the "Entertainment District" in the west end of downtown was full of massive clubs and bars when I was in my undergrad there ~15 years ago, it is now condo-ville with a hooters in the middle still hanging on. I don't think it's been displaced elsewhere, I think it's just shrunken everywhere.

I was out at dinner last night at Ten Foot Henry on 1st street SW - case in point - as far as I can recall it used to be the location of a club I used to go to all the time. It was jam packed and a great vibe on the street.

I've lived in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. What I've noticed over the last 10 years is a lot of the "character" places have shut down. They've all been replaced by very gentrified restaurants/bars, which tend to be much more expensive. This seems part of a larger economic trend, where wages are not keeping up with inflation and only the upper half can afford to frequent many of the restaurants and bars out there.

[dobbles]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

City isn't dead.... good restaurants are super busy a lot of nights. Lots more daytime choices - yoga, spin, cross fit, escape rooms, etc. Food scene is solid. So I can only assume you are referring to clubs and drinking establishments.

For drinking establishments we now have beer halls and cocktail lounges and shisha lounges...all of which were super limited more than 10 years ago. So more options there.

For the night clubs scene...youre right. It has been steadily getting worse since at least the mid-90s. But why? I bet three things:

1) Technology. In the 80s and 90s, we listened to the radio for new hits, the top 100. We went to underground clubs to find new sounds and interact with those sharing your interest in music. There was no better way. Now I can find new music and interact with fans better on online forums and applications such as SoundCloud. So technology has made this better, cheaper, and easier.

2) Better alternatives for night life. Beer halls accomplish a lot of what a club does. Can get wasted with buddies, flirt with ladies, hang out. But as a bonus - you can actually talk with people at a beer hall! Other alternatives to a night out of clubbing include cocktail bars and shisha lounges.

3) Better live music experiences elsewhere. Go to a super club (say one of dj mags top 100 in the world), or a music festival like Coachella, edc, Osheaga, shambhala, etc. Then compare it to a run-of-the-mill night club. It just can't compete. I'd rather do shambhala once a year than do 26 night of clubbing in a year.

4) cultural shift has reduce demand for certain types of dance clubs. Remember when guys use to just start bumping and grinding with girls at the club...that doesn't really fly for a large segment of the world today. #metoo

The eventual solution is fewer clubs overall...where lots of old ####ty clubs are replaced with fewer higher quality, higher capacity, purpose built clubs that make for a better night out and can use scalr of enterance fees to get awesome live acts. Better sound, better lights, better ventilation, better bar set up, better djs. But at the same time, the club night still has to be genre focused. So instead of 5 electronic focused dance club with capacity of 500, you need 1 club at 2500. Think Hakesan or The problem for Calgary is that back in the day it could only support one electronic dance club. So even if the city is twice as large now, it lacks critical mass more now than it did in the past.

Why must you torture me so?!?!?!?!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by troutman

It is debatable that a cluster of Bubba Gump, Planet Hollywood, Margaritaville, etc. adds anything to a city.

You've basically just described half of America.

[Jordan!]

Have you not been to the Westbrook mall food court?!

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Have you not been to the Westbrook mall food court?!

You shut your mouth, Dragon's Lair has some of the best fast-food hamburgers in town!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Have you not been to the Westbrook mall food court?!

Do they have a S'Barro's? I only like authentic NY pizza...

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Have you not been to the Westbrook mall food court?!

Wanna get a girl to fall in love with you? Take her to Smittys on a date

[clubspecial]

Check out El Furniture Warehouse...

[FireGilbert]

This thread reminds me of the time I told my sister the Calgary nightlife was dull compared to other cities I have lived in and she responded by asking me why it mattered because I was a loser that never went out anyways.



There is plenty to do in Calgary but the city does seem dead at night other than a few enclaves like 17th and Kensington. I'm thinking this has a lot to do with weather and sprawl. If you live in the burbs there is no chance you are heading out to the city on a Saturday in November. You'll stay at home or go to your local.



The major reason for a decline in nightlife, which is happening globally, is gentrification. Here in Sydney the night life and music scene has absolutely cratered in recent years. It goes something like this: property development starts in a working class area filled with bars and clubs -> the developers and new residents do not like living in a noisy area so they lobby the government (and donate lots of money) -> new zoning and laws are enacted which forces much of the night life to close -> more property developers buy up the closed businesses. Your formerly gritty party of town with a great night life and music scene is now filled with $1M apartments, high end restaurants, and wine bars that close at 10pm.

[Muta]

I think 17th (and its general area) is lacking three things - 1) hotels; lots of other entertainment districts in other cities have hotels in or very near them, within walking distance. This allows tourists to easily jump right into the action. 17th doesn't really have that infrastructure at all. 2) cafes; not enough low-commitment / small cafes and eateries to grab something quick that isn't commercial and requires more than 15 minutes of time. La Boloungerie in Mission is a good example of this. 3) Venues; there needs to be a music or performance venue as an anchor on 17th, capable of holding insane music shows with a capacity of up to 800 or so. There also should be more street-level galleries or a fresh food produce market, stuff that people like that diversifies the business a bit from just the same ten bars and restaurants.

Just some observations from what I've liked about other cities!

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by Muta

3) Venues; there needs to be a music or performance venue as an anchor on 17th, capable of holding insane music shows with a capacity of up to 800 or so.

That sounds like hell. 17th is already a transportation nightmare.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

That sounds like hell. 17th is already a transportation nightmare.

Hmm, agree to disagree. Having a venue like this in that area would be incredibly awesome. I suspect it would also be a very popular venue too.

[DJones]

Did the clubbing thing in University. I would have killed for craft beers and Tinder.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by DJones

Did the clubbing thing in University. I would have killed for craft beers and Tinder.

Cowboys is still packed with college kids Thursday-Saturday from what I’m told.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Locke

You've basically just described half of America.

Have you been to America in 20 years? I can't think of any city up or down the east coast where places like that are prominent. There may be a few still around, but they all seem to be run down and dying. Most cities, big or small, around here have very thriving independent restaurant, craft beverage, and entertainment scenes.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by snootchiebootchies

One thing I've noticed is that there is lots of space available in many children's programs now. 4 or 5 years ago, we had to fight like warriors to call or log in as soon as registration opens to register our kids into programs or you end up on a wait list. We are now able to register our kids in almost any program, anytime. My daughter is in a music class where she is only one of two students. My son is in a gymnastics class with four other kids. It's great they get the extra attention in these classes.

There are still places I wouldn't mind if they were less busy -- eg., the Landmark movie theatre, all the dim sum places up in north Calgary, etc.

There was a huge baby boom around 2008. It's died down since then. Other things are now busier - getting my oldest into competitive climbing was interesting, the sheer number of kids her age that showed up.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Muta

I think 17th (and its general area) is lacking three things - 1) hotels; lots of other entertainment districts in other cities have hotels in or very near them, within walking distance. This allows tourists to easily jump right into the action. 17th doesn't really have that infrastructure at all. 2) cafes; not enough low-commitment / small cafes and eateries to grab something quick that isn't commercial and requires more than 15 minutes of time. La Boloungerie in Mission is a good example of this. 3) Venues; there needs to be a music or performance venue as an anchor on 17th, capable of holding insane music shows with a capacity of up to 800 or so. There also should be more street-level galleries or a fresh food produce market, stuff that people like that diversifies the business a bit from just the same ten bars and restaurants.

Just some observations from what I've liked about other cities!

There are seven hotels in walking distance of the interesting parts of 17th Ave SW.

(there's a free to use washroom in Hotel Elan btw)