Calgary population exceeds 1.2 million

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Dion

I remember 7th and 8th avenue being called the strip (late 70's) where everyone took their muscle cars on the weekend. There was a parking lot on the west end called BS corner where everyone gathered. The east end was called hookers corner where all the call girls stood looking for customers. Many a weekend was spent crusing and checking out the other cars.

And the modern day BS corner is d-bags revving their Nissans in front of a Staples

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Here I'll throw my cowboy hat in the ring. My opinion is the bridge just isnt aesthetically pleasing to my eye, theres something off about it. Perhaps it just looks unfinished to me. I dont hate it but I certainly dont love it. And it somewhat irks me that there isnt something more where it lands on the north side. Sure, it gets you across the river.
And go ahead if you want to tell me that you think I'm wrong, but its my opinion, just as valid as anyone elses.

You're more than welcome to dislike the bridge in terms of aesthetics (hey, I'm not crazy about the maroon color and the quality of construction/finishings myself). Tastes are always going to be subjective. What's a lot harder to discredit is the positive effect it's had on the city though. It's become a heavily relied upon bridge both for commuters and recreational riders, and has become a destination spot for both Calgarians and visitors.

I do agree that the north side of the river could use some more work though. It's like the poor cousin of the luxurious south side pathway system in comparison. Not placing a crosswalk right by the bridge was also pretty silly.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Dion

I remember 7th and 8th avenue being called the strip (late 70's) where everyone took their muscle cars on the weekend. There was a parking lot on the west end called BS corner where everyone gathered. The east end was called hookers corner where all the call girls stood looking for customers. Many a weekend was spent crusing and checking out the other cars.

Yeah I remember the muscle cars dragging from red light to red light. It looked like a scene out of Happy Days and I thought I'd stepped back in time 10 years. You've got to love Calgary's love for cars though, probably more so than other cities in Canada.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah I remember the muscle cars dragging from red light to red light. It looked like a scene out of Happy Days and I thought I'd stepped back in time 10 years. You've got to love Calgary's love for cars though, probably more so than other cities in Canada.

I did not know they had a scene like that in Calgary as well.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Dion

I remember 7th and 8th avenue being called the strip (late 70's) where everyone took their muscle cars on the weekend. There was a parking lot on the west end called BS corner where everyone gathered. The east end was called hookers corner where all the call girls stood looking for customers. Many a weekend was spent crusing and checking out the other cars.

Between what streets? I moved here in 81 and by 82 I built a car but raced it on 4th ave between 2nd and 5th st. The people in the Westin Hotel weren't happy and shut us down After that we had to go all the way out to forest lawn past the old drive in to get any action. "Good Action" in those days was $40.00 a pop.

But of course if you had a hot car it came with benefits.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah I remember the muscle cars dragging from red light to red light. It looked like a scene out of Happy Days and I thought I'd stepped back in time 10 years. You've got to love Calgary's love for cars though, probably more so than other cities in Canada.

Those were good times!

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Hah, kind of funny how two guys who moved away and now live in California are telling a Calgarian how to feel about the direction his city is moving in.

I think at the end of the day, there will always be people who like the cowboy thing, and people who hate it. Both will continue to exist, but I'm glad the non-cowboy stuff is getting a little more weight and consideration these days. Personally, as someone who also moved away from the city, if Calgary was still the same town it was 15-20 years ago (where you didn't have much defining it except for things like the Stampede and cowboy stuff) I doubt I would've come back.

It's just so much more layered and interesting now for everyone.

I never said or implied that the city should only be a cowboy city and everything else be damned.

I'm saying it's great that Calgary is growing is all sorts of different directions. I very much enjoy other aspects of life, and I'm no cowboy by any stretch. But I hope Calgary never loses it's unique cowboy culture and identity. Not many north American big cities have something like that to hang on to.

[La Flames Fan]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Just want to clarify, but that would qualify you for the title of "Latte Sipper". The Yop Gobblers were the other extreme, as they were deemed the suburbanites who shopped at big-box stores and bought their kids massive quantities of Yop.

All in good fun of course.

Fixed! Hahaha...

[Erick Estrada]

I actually don't like Cowboys and have never owned a Cowboy hat or boots. As a lifelong Albertan I simply have a lot of respect for the city's heritage. Where it came from and what made it stand out amongst Western Canadian cities as special. It bothers me how some want to turn this city into a cold and self absorbed place like Vancouver. Calgary simply doesn't have the lush scenery to be able to pull that off.

[Ozy_Flame]

What is with this perception that playing down the cowboy image suddenly turns us into a soul-less metropolis? How does that even align?

When I think about how Calgary is growing and the pace at which it is, I don't comfort myself saying that we'll never be like Vancouver because of the cowboy image. Frankly, it's about the people, Calgarians are friendly, hard-working and for the most part respectful. We have that reputation around the country, especially in comparison to Vancouver. It has nothing to do with cowboy hats.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I actually don't like Cowboys and have never owned a Cowboy hat or boots. As a lifelong Albertan I simply have a lot of respect for the city's heritage. Where it came from and what made it stand out amongst Western Canadian cities as special. It bothers me how some want to turn this city into a cold and self absorbed place like Vancouver. Calgary simply doesn't have the lush scenery to be able to pull that off.

Actually, the cowboy image crafted by Guy Weadick and promoted by the Stampede ever since has eff-all to do with the actual heritage of Calgary. Ranchers here didn't wear Stetsons, and they usually had a British accent. It's a kitschy, fabricated marketing image. I can get onboard with the notion that it's better than having no image at all. But there's nothing authentic about it.

[HOWITZER]

Instead of peddling and focusing a "wild wild west" culture, Calgary is better suited fostering am image as an outdoor playground. That was will resonate more with visitors. And if people really want a country themed town you put em on the first bus to Fort McLeod!

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Just want to clarify, but that would qualify you for the title of "Latte Sipper". The Yop Gobblers were the other extreme, as they were deemed the suburbanites who shopped at big-box stores and bought their kids massive quantities of Yop.

All in good fun of course.

It's funny - in the industry I'm in now (development) there's lots of interesting data available about "psychographic" groups. In this one analysis there's about 16 distinct psychographic groups across the whole city - defining consumer preferences on a lot of things, socio-economic status, life stage, and so forth.

It is not a lot different in some ways to how people here go on about "latte sippers" and "Yop Gobblers" but broken down further. Housing and community choice, it seems, say a lot about a person in a lot of different ways. People seem to self select and cluster in places where people are a lot like themselves.

The names of the groups are also equally as colloquial as "yop gobbler" or "latte sipper" for example "pets and PCs" (which is the dominant group of new suburbs in Calgary), "money and brains", "grads and pads", "suburban gentry", "cosmopolitan elite", "daytrippers and nightowls", "urbane villagers" etc, etc.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Bunk

It's funny - in the industry I'm in now (development) there's lots of interesting data available about "psychographic" groups. In this one analysis there's about 16 distinct psychographic groups across the whole city - defining consumer preferences on a lot of things, socio-economic status, life stage, and so forth.

It is not a lot different in some ways to how people here go on about "latte sippers" and "Yop Gobblers" but broken down further. Housing and community choice, it seems, say a lot about a person in a lot of different ways. People seem to self select and cluster in places where people are a lot like themselves.

The names of the groups are also equally as colloquial as "yop gobbler" or "latte sipper" for example "pets and PCs" (which is the dominant group of new suburbs in Calgary), "money and brains", "grads and pads", "suburban gentry", "cosmopolitan elite", "daytrippers and nightowls", "urbane villagers" etc, etc.

That would be really fun stuff to read!

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah I remember the muscle cars dragging from red light to red light. It looked like a scene out of Happy Days and I thought I'd stepped back in time 10 years. You've got to love Calgary's love for cars though, probably more so than other cities in Canada.

yet, like I already complained about in this thread, no race track

[Locke]

Originally Posted by btimbit

yet, like I already complained about in this thread, no race track

Even when we had a race track it was third-rate, low-rent crap.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Locke

Even when we had a race track it was third-rate, low-rent crap.

Hey, I saw Bobby Knievel jump 10 school buses at that third-rate, low-rent crap of a racetrack. Even got to touch the rocket that his dad jumped Snake River Canyon on.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Locke

Even when we had a race track it was third-rate, low-rent crap.

Helluva lot better than a drive to Edmonton or Medicine Hat

[Locke]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Helluva lot better than a drive to Edmonton or Medicine Hat

Were you racing? The ruts in the quarter-mile drag track were so deep they damn near ended my life.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Locke

Were you racing? The ruts in the quarter-mile drag track were so deep they damn near ended my life.

Trick was to know where they were

And in my case, also have plenty of spare CV's at home