Calgary, Canada

I have lived in Calgary for 8 years and, coming from Vancouver, was initially shocked by the comparative lack of spirit, the unbelievably bad restaurants, and the small-town conservative stoicism of the place. I now understand that Calgary is a working town not a destination. As another person pointed out, most people who were not born here have come here to find work, not because they actually want to live here. And it shows in peoples attitudes toward one another. Where I came from most people were genuinely happy just to be there, independent of any financial concerns, and that showed as well. Calgary's population now exceeds one million, a fact that many locals proudly say confers "big city" status on their town, but the City of Calgary is a huge conglomeration of sprawling subdivisions and bald-ass prairie. The truth is that Calgary proper is more than 6 times the size of Vancouver proper with a population density of roughly just one person for every four in Vancouver, and while ... Read more

What beautiful scenery? I lived in Calgary for a decade. I have family that has been there since the seventies. Calgary is flat, has the ugliest beige and brutalist architecture, dead yellow grass, and no trees. There are no mountain views like they brag about and there is literally not a single landmark that is worth looking at within city limits. Just thinking about driving down 16th ave and witnessing some of the ugliness again is giving me nightmares... What little character the city does have is either totally ignored or slated to be bulldozed because everyone wants to live in a cookie cutter suburb with a three car garage next to a big walmart. What really kills me is how the locals incessantly put down Edmonton for being "ugly". Now I have never lived in Edmonton but I've visited enough to see that it has ten times the character of it's southern rival. It also has plenty of coniferous trees. Now Calgary isn't all bad - if you're white and conservative. If you're a minority or ... Read more

I've traveled, worked and lived in many cities around the world - Calgary is always a nice place to come home to. Not to large, not too small. It's modern, clean and safe - in comparison to other cities the same size within and outside north america. No provincial sales tax goes a LONG way when it comes to buying cars, homes, etc ... the bike paths are great and the nearby provincial and national parks are among the best in the world.

A sprawling, ugly, conscienceless dump with the most ignorant inhabitants that Canada can provide.

What a joke of a city...Good thing, the rockies are close...Apart from that , nothing much to do or see...The calgary stampede maybe,  if you get drunk enough...one might find a decent steak n' eggs breakfast somewhere and ...Oh yeah, Calgarians like to go out linedancing too.

I am born and bred in calgary.And i have to say Calgary is the best city in canada if not north america. It has the third best climate in canada, one of the lowest crime rates in canada, Id like to see some american cities and toronto + Vancouver beat it. It also has the most extensive bike path system in the world, good people, and if you want to get rich calgarys the place to do it. And for everyone who says calgary has nothing to do come down to 17th ave after a flames game (win or lose)

One word....SUCKS!! Want to talk about a booming city. Check out Las Vegas. Now theres a booming city. The only thing booming around here is the larger that life people. Don't you know how to exercise. I guess cuz there is nothing to do in this god awful boring city. Came here not by choice but because my company had a conference here. You now the saying of good news travels but bad news travels even faster. Sorry to say that none of my friends or co workers will be back here again. Russ, Pasedena CA

High Performance Rodeo (the oldest juried performance art and experimental theatre festival in the world), Calgary International Film Festival (which has in 5 short years become Canada's third largest film fest), Calgary Folk Festival, PlayWrites, 17th Ave, Kensington, Inglewood, Chinatown, fantastic inner city neighbourhoods, a world-class skyline that belongs in a city of 5 million not 1 million, coffee houses on every corner, a Vietnamese noodle house (or two or three) in every neighbourhood, the least racially segregated city in North America, the third most diverse city in Canada, the best air quality in the world...

Now, now. I'm Calgarian, and I love tourists. I agree that many people here can be a-holes, but definately not everyone! I love it here. You have to know where to go. The Stampede is awesome--though quite expensive, but it's only once a year--and I love the Glenbow Mueseum.

I have mixed feeling about Calgary, I love the downtown and the older surrounding neighborhoods. But Calgary has serious problems with suburban sprawl and the city doesn't seem to have an identity. I also agree that Calgary has an elitist, snobby aura to it. Not the friendliest city for outsiders and minorities. All in all its an OK place, a Canadian version of Denver.

Calgary has to be one of the most over rated cities in Canada. Not only are the people a$$holes out here but there's nothing to do here. If you ever come into this city just head west towards Banff and BC b/c it not worth stop in.

Calgary is a very anonymous and empty city in search of an identity. A very poor imitation of Edmonton for sure. Total lack of character and way too expensive. Go a few hours north to Edmonton and see for yourselves!!!

There were very few things about Calgary that I was impressed with, number one would be the beautiful scenery. The ugliest thing was how rude most of the people were to us when we there. I would never care to visit the city again. There maybe more to Calgary than what we saw, but who would want to put up with the rudeness long enough to see it? No thanks...

A pretty decent city to visit, but a terrible (and I mean Terrible) city to live in. Much more expensive than it deserves to be, and the people are mostly complete a$$holes. If you see someone being genuinely friendly in this city, they are almost definitely from somewhere else. This is probably the most elitist city in the country (after Toronto) and the hostility to those they consider beneath them is thick enough to be collected with a butterfly net. They pride themselves on having the most educated population, but any visitor will be put off by the jaw-dropping ignorance of most of its citizens. Combine this ignorance with the most opinionated people in the country and it is unbearable for any longer than a day or two. Only stop if you need to gas up before hitting the mountains. They have a pretty good transit system but neither the trains nor the buses run past midnight, which is mind-boggling for a city of one million people. They get two stars instead of one only becaus... Read more

they say that texas is big, but calgary is full of biggots

Fun to go to the mountains. Not too far to go to get away from the rat race!

I always figure I have a 1-in-4 chance of finding my destination in Calgary, with the numbered streets and avenues and their quadrants (NE, SE, NW, SW)!

Go there!