If your boots are made for walking, the Retail and Entertainment District or RED Mile on 17th Avenue is a great place in Calgary for urban exploring. It is an easy 1.6 km connected by urban art, heritage buildings and green space.
There are plenty of options to enjoy pit stops and grab something to eat, drink or just take in the views. It is flat, straight, concrete terrain that will take around 20 minutes, depending on where you start and finish.
URBAN ART
Acting as an open-air art gallery, the Red Mile is home to 17 murals by YYC Bump (Beltline Urban Murals Project). Located between 2nd Street and 16th Street, they contribute an artistic cityscape.
HISTORIC PLACES
Devenish Apartments: 908 – 17th Ave.
Built in 1911, recognized as a Canadian historic place in 1982. Constructed on five narrow lots featuring red brick with rough-faced stone trims, wood balconies and a parapet capped with sandstone.
Although they have been removed, the roofline originally boasted distinctively curved Jacobean-style gables and castellated towers. This exemplified the Queen Anne Revival style, popular at the time for significant apartment house designs in Western Canada.
Grace Presbyterian Church: 1009 – 15th Ave.
Built in 1912, it is an excellent example of the Gothic Revival style and sandstone construction era.
Jenkins Groceteria No. 12: 738 – 17th Ave.
Built in 1926, it is now home to Analog Coffee.
Anderson Apartments: 804 – 18th Ave.
Built in 1911 and formally recognized in 1988 as a Canadian historic place. It is a six-storey, red brick structure located on two lots with an “H”-shaped plan, creating two light wells illuminating the inner apartments and a distinctive entranceway. Classical pediment and two pilasters frame the main doors, above which is a parapet wall flanked by stone balustrades. A central hexagonal bay rises above, four floors to the stone cornice.
GREEN SPACE
Tomkins Park – 17th Avenue & 8th Street SW.
Established in 1915 on land donated by Henry & Elinor Tomkins, it is a great urban lookout and hosts numerous events during the summer.
URBAN HIKING
Extend the time and distance of this urban hike by adding another 1 km or 15 minutes by heading south on 4th Street. After that, take it to another level and step it up by adding Evamy Ridge. Complete a loop by exploring the historic community of Mount Royal, creating the Best 5k Inner City Urban Hike.
From 4th Street, it is approximately 1 km to the Saddledome, an iconic building with an uncertain future. Home of the Calgary Flames and part of the story behind the RED Mile after thousands of fans in red jerseys overtook 17th Ave to celebrate the Flame’s 2004 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Credits: Heritage Calgary.
Picture of cowboy boots by artist Jill Stanton, located at 1126 – 17 Avenue SW.
The Urban Explorer 