17th Avenue SW
17th Avenue is a historic road in Calgary, dating back to the town's inception in 1884. Then, it was the southwest border of Calgary. Now, it's the beating heart of the city. Between a 14-block stretch between 16th Street and 2nd Street, 17th Ave is home to over 700 restaurants, bars, shops and businesses. Some of the notable places to check out are Lonely Mouth (for Japanese food), Maven (for brunch) and Model Milk (for both classic dishes and original creations). To no surprise, the homes surrounding 17th Ave are some of the most desired properties in Calgary. Neighbourhoods such as Upper and Lower Mount Royal, Bankview, Cliff Bungalow, and Erlton are just some of the highly sought after nearby areas that Calgarians love to call home!
Mission
Mission started as a section of land acquired by the Roman Catholic church to start a Catholic "mission" to help keep a strong French-Catholic community alive in Calgary. Shortly after, it became its own town separate from Calgary, called Rouleauville, but it was annexed in 1907 by Calgary. Mission is home to some of the oldest buildings in Calgary, notably the beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral and the Alberta Ballet Company building, which at various points in its life has served as a parish hall to St. Mary's Cathedral, the St. Mary's Boy's School (back when there were separate boy's and girl's schools), and a railway station! Now, Mission is a vibrant community that fuses historic brick-and-mortar buildings with modern architecture with popular businesses such as Earls Tin Palace, and Shokunin (consistently one of Canada's top restaurants), and be sure to check out the Lilac Festival every June, kickstarting the Calgary summer festival season!
