Inglewood is historic, Inglewood is trendy, Inglewood is today. No other inner city community in Calgary captures the glamour of yesteryear and the engaging spirit of the present than in this riverside community just to the east of downtown. Established in 1875, Inglewood is Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, and it is now home to an eclectic range of shops – from quirky vintage furniture stores and indie fashion boutiques, to a diverse selection of restaurants and eateries. But popular as it is, Inglewood still holds some secrets. Here are a few destinations only locals will know.

Discover: Inglewood Wildlands Park
9 Ave. SE

On the very east end of iconic 9 Avenue SE is a lush, urban wilderness called the Inglewood Wildlands. The land is being rehabilitated from an industrially contaminated site back to its natural state. Pathways trace its long, remarkable history from a native hunting ground, to Colonel James Walker’s homestead, to an oil refinery and now to an urban wilderness park. It is also home to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Nature Centre.

Shop: Recordland
1208 9 Ave. SE

Seems like the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 did what the advent of CDs, digital streaming services and the vagaries of the music industry could not do – get Recordland to close its doors – at least, temporarily. A staple of Inglewood, it is simply the best source for new and used vinyl records in the city. With over 500,000 LPs in stock (double that in storage, reportedly), it is a treasure trove for the music lover who can find discs (vinyl or otherwise) from polka to Metallica and everything in between among its shelves.

Eat: Gorilla Whale
1214 9 Ave. SE

There are way too many diners, cafes and restaurants concentrated around the stretch of 9 Avenue SE from 8 to 14 St. SE and picking one is all but impossible. There’s fine dining at Rouge, and contemporary urban fare at The Nash, but Gorilla Whale is more emblematic of the kind of small scale restaurants that abound in Inglewood that are a joy to discover. Serving a delicious blend of East-meets-West food, Gorilla Whale says it is “loud, fun, rock ‘n roll-lovin’, ‘Japanese-ish’ restaurant and lounge featuring yakitori, ramen, burgers, cocktails, sake and hyper-local craft beer.”