Downtown West End

Calgary Downtown West End

The Downtown West End is a neighbourhood within the western portions of downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is bounded to the north by the Bow River, to the east by 9th Street W, to the south by the CPR Tracks and to the west by 14th Street W. It is a community located in the southwest quadrant of Calgary’s inner city. As the name implies, it is located in the western half of Calgary’s downtown area. The neighbourhood was established in 1884, one year after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The neighbourhood is bound by the Bow River in the north, 9th Street SW in the east, the CPR railroad lines in the south and 14th Street SW in the west. The Downtown West End is largely residential and populated by apartment buildings and condominiums, with only a handful of single-family detached homes left in the area.

There are several landmarks and attractions located in the Downtown West End. The Mewata Armouries is located on 11th St. SW. It is easily recognizable due to its castle- like architecture. It was built during World War One as a reserve armoury for the Canadian Forces. Today, it is home to several local militia units. The TELUS World of Science is also found in the Downtown West End. The science museum and planetarium is home to several exhibits. One of the most popular is the Discovery Dome Theatre, which simulates the night sky on its ceiling. Millennium Park is the largest free outdoor skateboard park in North America. It has 75,000 square feet of skateable space, basketball and volleyball courts and other family attractions. The park opened in September of 2000.

The C-Train is easily accessible from this neighbourhood as the 7th Ave line runs through the centre of the community. The 8th St SW station serves the majority of transit riders in the area. Because it is such a central area, there are numerous bus routes that run to all corners of the city. The Downtown West End has several paved bike paths including one that runs down 10th Ave SW and the trails that run along the bank of the Bow River. The major roads in the neighbourhood are 9th Ave SW and 14th St W. The 8 St SW station of the C-Train LRT system serves the community. Downtown West End is also well connected into the Plus 15 skywalk system.

There are currently no schools in the Downtown West End neighbourhood. Primary school education can be found in surrounding inner suburbs, such as Sunnyside and Inglewood. The neighbourhood does not contain any post-secondary institutions , however the three major ones (The University of Calgary, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD)) are all easily accessible via Calgary Transit.

All shops contained in the Downtown West End are accessible by walking. There are a variety of local shops and grocery stores, as well as gas stations in the area. The Downtown West End is also close to other trendy neighbourhoods such as Inglewood, Kensington and Eau Claire.

More information? Please contact Dennis Choo-Kim, your friendly neighbourhood Real Estate Associate at (403) 891-8878 or by email at dchookim@cirrealty.ca