Monthly Archives: October 2023

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Regular Urban Week

This is my first effort at a simple blog post.

Living downtown doesn’t only mean we make it out to every festival in the area, no it means any time of the year we are out engaging in our community. Last week we had a number of simple things going on without needing a car or thinking about parking.

Bussin Burgers on 17th

That Friday my daughter and I went out Bussin Burgers on 17th. We had been there previously during Stampede but just for milkshakes.

Bussin Burger on 17th Ave, this photo actually taken in July
Address: 715 17th Ave SW
My daughter was ready to judge, did this burger make the grade?

Bussin has a signature pink atmosphere and serves smashed-style burgers, milkshakes and waffles. I ordered the the Bussin Burger (two smashed patties, cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, Bussin sauce on a brioche bun) ($10.99)

I don’t think these photos look appealing. Tin foil doesn’t make a good photo surround.

My daughter ordered the Stampeder Burger (two smashed patties, cheese, maple glazed beef bacon, crispy onion, tomato, lettuce, BBQ sauce, brioche bun) ($11.99)

You can just see the cheese on this one.

Did you catch that? Not bacon, but maple glazed beef bacon. Their entire menu is Halal, which means beef bacon. It was pretty tasty, I had a bite.

The spiral fries were just right.

We also had an order of spiral fries (not spicy) ($3.99)

How was it? Was it a five outa five urban stars? No. There was nothing wrong, the smashed style isn’t my favorite. Then why go? Well, to give it a try. I will say it was better than the photos look.

After that, we walked to the Saddledome for the Hitmen game.

  • The building that was on the NE corner of 17th Ave and 4th Street is all gone. It’s destruction had been a sight all summer.
  • The building that was on the NE corner of 17th Ave and 4th Street is all gone. It’s destruction had been a sight all summer.
  • The building that was on the NE corner of 17th Ave and 4th Street is all gone. It’s destruction had been a sight all summer.
This is a great strech of summer patios.

BMO Expansion

Since August of 2021 any trip to the Saddle Dome is also a chance to see the expansion of the BMO centre. This $500 million expansion more than doubles Calgary convention space to over a million square feet. I look forward to seeing how the Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo uses the space.

Learn more about the BMO Centre Expansion here

I’m sure the street scape will be better finsihed than this.
Victoria Park condos are close by.
This covered area will offer opportunities to get out of the sun and rain during Stampede.
I wonder what angle will become the defacto standard for skylines photos?

Hitmen Hockey at the Saddledome

My daughter had been to the Saddledome a handful of times previously, but thanks to Covid, not in years. Despite the utter lack of a crowd for the Hitmen, and the constant talk about the Dome needing replacement it still made a big impression on her.

The Calgary Hitmen were playing the Medicine Hat Tigers
Hyped!!
Always with the photos, I wonder where she gets that from?
Excitement was building!
I was being explained something.
Gasp, how could we lose 1-4.
Still a great night was had.

Bubble Tea in Chinatown

Saturday evening my wife and I had dinner plans and tickets to the broadway show, “Ain’t too proud”. During the day the kids and I wondered around the core, stopping in Chinatown for bubble tea, and the playground at Eau Claire market.

My son likes the train, but not to the extent my daughter did when she was younger.

To any onlooker my son looked like he was about to enjoy a delicious chocolate based beverage. But to captain skeptical, this beverage was a masquerade not a chocolate milk or a much safer plain white milk. “Why can’t we just have water?”, must have been what he was thinking. You see my son isn’t the most open to new or familiar foods. Still he liked it enought that I felt it was worth getting my own instead of sharing as planned.

Ho Won Chinese Food Restaurant
Address: 115 2 Ave SE
They were having a better time than this phto makes it look.
Sien Lok Park
Address: Riverfront Ave & 1 Street Southwest
They liked this wolf statue at Waterfront Court condos.

Eau Claire Market playground

We made it to Eau Claire Market. The whole area is going to be torn town in the next two years. It’s a shell of it’s former self, when I first moved here the market was fulled leased and lively. But even then it could be seen that it didn’t quiet fit with the area, and never truly delivered on it’s hope and promises for the area. I beleive that the area didn’t have the population, additudes, and pedestrian life yet to support such an idea. It’s been in a downward trajectory for over two decades. I hope what comes next can have a better influence and contribution to the public realm in Eau Claire.

My son didn’t care that most of the market is empty, the small playground was all new to him.
The Calgary International Film Festival exhibits at the Eau Claire theater, and all of the backdros presented us with photo ops.
Presenting “Sibling Hijinks “
A great fall day was had by us.
This is a great Joey’s location, that we’ve been to before many a movie and other outings. I haven’t made it to the LOCAL as of yet.
Address: 208 Barclay Parade SW

Evening Walk in Inglewood

At home feeling couped up my daughter and I decided to go on a walk through Inlewood. (I lied, we used the car to cross town, we were up against bed time). In my opinion Inglewood’s abundance of orignal brick buildings gives the area a unique vibe from the other old inner city neibourhoods. Historically this area was the city’s earliest industrial area with factories, warehouses and railyards. Today it has a great collection of eclectic shops and a growing variety of restaurants.

Address: 9th Ave & 11st SE
As regulars at Analog on 17th we wanted to see thier newest location that just opened up that week.
Address: 1139 9th Ave SE
The Livery Shop, a collection of local independent artisans clothing, jewelery and gifts.
Address: 1119 10th Ave SE
Mumbai Bites
Address: 1214 9th Ave SE
Rosso Coffee Roasters
Address: 1402 9th Ave SE
Norley’s Authentic Colombian Street Food
Address: 1314b 9th Ave SE
The Attic Bar & Stage
Address: 1413 9th Ave SE
Ami Tea & Sub
Address: 1357 9th Ave SE
Inglewood
Address: 1228 9th Ave SE
The PAtio at Mumbai Bites
Address: 1214 9th Ave SE
The Burn Block Building
Home to The Next Page book store
Address: 1217 9th Ave SE
The Nash Restaurant & Off Cut Bar
Address: 925 11 St SE

My favorite thing about living downtown is the spontaneity, enough of our lives are planned and scheduled. If I needed to plan ahead for any one of these things, and it required twenty minutes in the car and then a hunt for parking, I doubt I’d do them. And if I did it would be the exception, not the rule, and then relegated to the weekend.