Inglewood offers the best of inner-city living

There is a lot to love about living in Calgary’s inner-city. The commute to work downtown is much shorter compared to the new suburbs, there are plenty of established amenities already ready to be enjoyed, and of course there is the prestige of living in a made-for-you home.

Building new infill homes in the inner-city has become more popular, as more young families rediscover the charms of living in an already established neighbourhood.

Recent City of Calgary’s community profiles reveal that there are more Calgarians under the age of 14 living in inner-city communities. Calgary’s total is at about 19 percent of that age group, but in Altadore it is at 20 percent, in West Hillhurst it is at 17 percent, and in Hillhurst it is at 15 percent. That means more young families are moving to these neighbourhoods, and more are coming in.

But if there is one community that really exemplifies the best of inner-city life in Calgary, it’s Inglewood.

Bustling inner-city lifestyle

If the recent Inglewood Night Market events this summer was any indication, it’s easy to see why this historic, inner-city neighbourhood remains as hip as ever. Culture, commerce, and community all come together in Inglewood. It’s all happening here – even after nearly a century and a half since it was founded!

This historic inner-city community close to downtown Calgary remains as busy, trendy and happening as it was when it was founded in 1875, and 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.

It is Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, and today it is home to an eclectic range of shops – from quirky vintage furniture stores and indie fashion boutiques to a diverse selection of restaurants and diners, coffee shops and entertainment venues.
Its resiliency was again on display, as its commercial hub continues to thrive even after the two years of pandemic lockdowns. “We only saw one store close throughout that, and it wasn’t even really because of slow sales,” says Rebecca O’Brian, Executive Director of the Inglewood Business Improvement Area (BIA).

Inglewood has been a lively residential and commercial hub in Calgary since 1875. Today, it continues to be a vibrant, historic, pedestrian- oriented neighbourhood with about 400 residential, institutional and commercial buildings constructed before 1914. Inglewood was designated by the Canadian Institute of Planners as Canada’s Greatest Community in 2014.

Live in Inglewood

Inglewood offers a broad range of residential options as well, and they can range from the million-dollar single-family properties by the banks of the Bow River to the affordable multi-family developments that continue to spring up in the neighbourhood.

StreetSide Developments’ Konekt Inglewood is the latest to join the ranks, but it has been so successful that it is all but sold out.

But there are other residential developments afoot, O’Brien says. “The new Brewery-Rail Lands development by MATCO is now under review at the City,” she tells Calgary New Home + Condo Guide. Although it’s still a long way off before the first shovel hits the ground, it gives confidence in the continued growth of Inglewood.

The Brewery-Rail Lands, located in a mostly disused industrial area off 17th Ave. SE, are envisioned as an innovative, compact, livable, mixed use, and transit oriented urban development in the heart of Calgary. It re-imagines the site’s industrial roots for the 21st century, MATCO says in its website. Find out more at www.breweryraillands.com.

Explore Inglewood

From its industrial past as ‘Brewery Flats’ to its present status as an arts and culture hub, Inglewood is Calgary’s oldest and boldest neighbourhood, the Inglewood BIA says in its website inglewoodyyc.ca.

Centered along 9th Avenue, Inglewood’s west entrance is located at the significant confluence of the Elbow and Bow Rivers. The neighbourhood boasts over 240 businesses, including shops, restaurants, boutiques, a broad spectrum of services, live music venues, craft breweries and eateries for residents and visitors alike.

Inglewood is the heart of Calgary’s Music Mile. It is also home to many festivals, including JazzYYC, Sunfest, Car Free Sundays Inglewood Night Market, Fringe Festival, Bleak Midwinter Film Festival, with multiple additional events being hosted in the community throughout the year.