What to see in Calgary, Canada

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* Calgary Tower. The Calgary Tower is not as impressive as the CN Tower in Toronto, but it still commands a great view over the city and the surroundings. On a clear day you can see the Rockies to the west.

* Glenbow Museum. Western Canada's largest museum, with over 93,000 square feet of exhibition space spreading over three floors. More than 20 galleries are filled with artifacts from Glenbow's collection of over a million objects, emphasizing local history. Regularly changing visiting exhibits focus on art or more distant cultures. http://www.glenbow.org/

Downtown is the dense business area roughly bounded by the Bow River on the north, the railroad tracks (south of 9 Ave S) to the south, 6 St E and 14 St W. It is a core of modern, glassy skyscrapers, with little in the way of character or street life. With the exception of Stephen Avenue Pedestrian Mall (8 Ave S between Macleod Tr E and 3 St W), and the attractions listed below, it is a relatively unrewarding neighborhood to visit.

17th Avenue is Calgary's premiere place to see and be seen. It boasts a large and eclectic variety of restaurants, unique shops and bars. This street is where Calgary parties, most notably becoming the "Red Mile" during the 2004 Stanley Cup (hockey) playoffs, where up to 100,000 cheering fans gathered to celebrate victories by the hometown Flames. The dense nightlife on 17th Avenue starts at 2nd Street W and goes to 15th Street W.

Kensington is another notable shopping neighbourhood, with a somewhat more bohemian feel than 17th Avenue. (One notable store sells Birkenstocks and Futons.) It offers a good variety of restaurants, with more emphasis on coffee shops and less on bars. Kensington runs on Kensington Road N from 14th St W to 10th St W, then north on 10th St W to 4 Ave N.

Chinatown is the heart of Calgary's Asian diaspora, although much of north and east Calgary has a Pacific Rim influence. An area of a half-dozen blocks centred on Centre Street S, from 4 Ave north to the Bow River, packs in a dense network of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and other Asian restaurants, shops, housing and cultural facilities. Centre Street north of the river functions as Chinatown's immediate suburb, with Chinese oriented businesses stretching for 20 or more blocks.

Mission runs along 4th Street SW from 17th Avenue to 26th Avenue. It tends to shut down before Kensington and well before 17th Avenue, although it does have some interesting restaurants and shops.

Other districts that may be of some limited interest include Inglewood (9 Ave SE from 8 St to 14 St), notable for its' combination of bikers and antique stores; Bridgeland (1 Ave NE from 7 St to 9 St), a neighborhood with a strong Italian influence; Mount Royal (south of 17th Avenue, from about 20th Avenue to 30th Avenue), originally built for Canadian Pacific Railway executives and still housing many of Calgary's elite; and Crescent Heights / Rosedale (Centre St to 9 St W, Crescent Rd to 13 Ave N), combining historic houses with an amazing view of the Downtown from Crescent Rd.

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