East Village Rejuvenation Plan

[Bigtime]

I love the fact that the hostel is staying in East Village, when the hood is built up it's going to be the place for any backpacking type folks to stay.

Is that one in Beltline still around? Wicked Hostel? By the Stampede grounds.

[Cyric]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Is that one in Beltline still around? Wicked Hostel? By the Stampede grounds.

Yup, that one is still there. Other than those two I'm not aware of any others in the city though, which seems a bit surprising as I wouldn't think that those two alone could meet the demand. I suppose a lot of backpackers just use Calgary as a stopping point on the way up to Banff.

[The Fisher Account]

Haven't seen much movement on C Square since the land was razed weeks ago:

[CalgaryAlex]

Originally Posted by Cyric

Yup, that one is still there. Other than those two I'm not aware of any others in the city though, which seems a bit surprising as I wouldn't think that those two alone could meet the demand. I suppose a lot of backpackers just use Calgary as a stopping point on the way up to Banff.

There are obvious reasons for this, but it's kind of sad that Banff has a much healthier hostel market than Calgary. Other than the HI hostel in EV and Wicked Hostel, there isn't much to choose from other than the summer U of C res rooms. Those aren't exactly in a prime location for seeing the sites sans car.

I remember meeting a couple Aussies in Paris in 2007, and they had just recently come to Europe via Canada. They stayed in the hostel in EV, and had a terrible opinion of Calgary as a result. My friends and I were not surprised that staying in EV at that time left a bad impression of the city. Going forward, the experience for backpackers staying in EV will be a little bit different!

[The Fisher Account]

Originally Posted by CalgaryAlex

There are obvious reasons for this, but it's kind of sad that Banff has a much healthier hostel market than Calgary.

Why is it sad that one of the premier ecological destinations in the world has a better hostel set up than a big corporate city? Makes sense to me.

[CalgaryAlex]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Why is it sad that one of the premier ecological destinations in the world has a better hostel set up than a big corporate city? Makes sense to me.

I never said it doesn't make sense, I was simply saying that it's unfortunate.

A lot of backpackers visit Calgary, and should have options for staying within the city. Any city in the world that aspires to be a tourist destination, corporate city or not, should have a variety of accommodation options.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by CalgaryAlex

There are obvious reasons for this, but it's kind of sad that Banff has a much healthier hostel market than Calgary. Other than the HI hostel in EV and Wicked Hostel, there isn't much to choose from other than the summer U of C res rooms. Those aren't exactly in a prime location for seeing the sites sans car.

I remember meeting a couple Aussies in Paris in 2007, and they had just recently come to Europe via Canada. They stayed in the hostel in EV, and had a terrible opinion of Calgary as a result. My friends and I were not surprised that staying in EV at that time left a bad impression of the city. Going forward, the experience for backpackers staying in EV will be a little bit different!

If someone put a 100 bed hostel right on 17th Ave, it would be insane. Would do more for this city's reputation and tourism than a few Marriotts and a bunch of stampede flags along highways.

It could be feasible with the right touch. Many mountain travelers have to fly in from somewhere, wouldn't be hard to convince them to stay a night in the city before heading to the mountains on tour or on their way out to the airport again. Put it near enough to all the bars, stampede and travelers would get a different impression fairly quickly.

Unfortunately, hostels are in the category of developments that Calgary has no idea how to do properly: something that caters to cheap students and youths. Beer, building and rent costs are too high in the best areas for a hostel, thanks to all the obvious antics associated with being oil-fueled boom town. Maybe a wealthy benefactor will set one up as a trust one day or something.

[CorporateWhore]

Yep, Ive always held the belief that a good quality hostel will do much more for Calgary's tourism scene and reputation, than another ho-hum business hotel.

[CalgaryAlex]

Originally Posted by MasterG

If someone put a 100 bed hostel right on 17th Ave, it would be insane. Would do more for this city's reputation and tourism than a few Marriotts and a bunch of stampede flags along highways.

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

Yep, Ive always held the belief that a good quality hostel will do much more for Calgary's tourism scene and reputation, than another ho-hum business hotel.

I know Calgary wants families and older people to come here, so they cater to that, but if they want to build a lasting impression on people, they have to start when they are young. Get the party crowd in here so people who are 20 have fond memories and want to come back again.

IMO the demographics Calgary's tourism board is going after add nothing to the vibrancy of the city when they are here. They check out the Calgary Tower, eat some dinner on 8th Ave and peace out to their hotel room by 7pm.

In terms of viability, I wonder if a number of 17th Ave businesses could gather some capital together and jointly fund the construction of a hostel. They would see their profits get a bump (especially the bars) and do a lot for their local area.

EDIT: sorry for derailing the thread. I just had to jump on that hostel business since it's bothered me for a long time.

[Design-mind]

A few of Simmons building grand opening.









https://www.facebook.com/EmbassyBOSA

[Design-mind]

A few more from the inside posted on twitter by Chima Nkemdirim,







Emily Buck,



Dr. David J. Finch.



https://twitter.com/EastVillageYYC

[H.E.Pennypacker]

Damn that looks great .. That rooftop patio is amazing

[Govertical]

Fantastic views!

[TallBob]

MMmmmmmm..... Crab Legs!

[lineman]

Originally Posted by CalgaryAlex

I know Calgary wants families and older people to come here, so they cater to that, but if they want to build a lasting impression on people, they have to start when they are young. Get the party crowd in here so people who are 20 have fond memories and want to come back again.

IMO the demographics Calgary's tourism board is going after add nothing to the vibrancy of the city when they are here. They check out the Calgary Tower, eat some dinner on 8th Ave and peace out to their hotel room by 7pm.

In terms of viability, I wonder if a number of 17th Ave businesses could gather some capital together and jointly fund the construction of a hostel. They would see their profits get a bump (especially the bars) and do a lot for their local area.

EDIT: sorry for derailing the thread. I just had to jump on that hostel business since it's bothered me for a long time.

I highly doubt hostel users are going to pay $100 or more for dinner and >$7 on pints. 17th is a restaurant strip, with a few pubs and mid-high end clothing stores scattered throughout. While there are very good places to dine here and there, 17th isn't some unique world class jewel that's ripe for hoardes of backpackers to jump on. Sorry to crush your fantasy, but nothing about businesses pitching together to house youths on a budget screams raking in the profits.

Personally, if I came here from half a world away, I'd be done with 17th after one night and take off to Banff.

[WickedHostelJeff]

Figured I'd jump in - first off - there's already a hostel on 17th - Wicked Hostels. (most locals don't even know we are there, most also don't realize we're consistently rated as one of Canada's top hostels) For those wondering about how many backpackers head up 17th - our guests mainly head to the Ship, Local 510 and the Rose and Crown - most of the bars and eateries are just not cost effective for backpackers.

For those wondering how long backpacker's stay - we average a little over 5 nights per guest. Many book for just one night (plan to head to Banff) they tend to stay for another day or two once they get here. There were a couple comments about what there is to see in Calgary..sadly we don't put much effort into tourism here in Calgary so there isn't much. We try to make up for that by constantly providing "Calgary" experiences for guests. Ranchman's nights, floating down the Elbow in summer, curling in the winter etc.

Hope that's helpful.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

[CalgaryAlex]

Thanks for the info, and for the hard work in getting your guests out to enjoy our beautiful city! Glad to hear Wicked Hostel gets high ratings due to your hard work. Also great to hear that many people decide to stick around for a couple extra days once they arrive.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by WickedHostelJeff

There were a couple comments about what there is to see in Calgary..sadly we don't put much effort into tourism here in Calgary so there isn't much.

What's that supposed to mean?

For a visitor there is tons to see and do just as there is in any city- you seriously direct them to that hole Ranchman's? 17th is chockablock with restaurants, coffeehouses, and yes bars and clubs- it's no different from any modern, prosperous city and for somebody completely unfamiliar with it is ripe for discovery. The fact that the owner of a hostel can't think of anything to recommend is pretty pathetic. Just getting a map of local coffeehouses would show them a scene that rivals every city in North America since Calgary's coffee scene is EPIC, world class in every respect. I could go on and on but your evident pessimism isn't encouraging.

Most eateries aren't cost effective- the low end is pricey everywhere these days, sorry to say. But there are lots of cheap eats- Calgary has a MASSIVE number of Vietnamese places and they're all "cost effective." Shawarma is cheap and plentiful, and so is banh mi- all of these are "Calgary experiences" so how about telling guests about them? I could probably come up with 50 cheap-ish places to eat within a kilometre or so of your hostel.

You're not on 17th, either.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by WickedHostelJeff

Figured I'd jump in - first off - there's already a hostel on 17th - Wicked Hostels. (most locals don't even know we are there, most also don't realize we're consistently rated as one of Canada's top hostels) For those wondering about how many backpackers head up 17th - our guests mainly head to the Ship, Local 510 and the Rose and Crown - most of the bars and eateries are just not cost effective for backpackers.

For those wondering how long backpacker's stay - we average a little over 5 nights per guest. Many book for just one night (plan to head to Banff) they tend to stay for another day or two once they get here. There were a couple comments about what there is to see in Calgary..sadly we don't put much effort into tourism here in Calgary so there isn't much. We try to make up for that by constantly providing "Calgary" experiences for guests. Ranchman's nights, floating down the Elbow in summer, curling in the winter etc.

Hope that's helpful.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

Thanks for posting, I've always wondered about that hostel. Do you guys ever get complaints about all the vagrants in the area? I lived a couple blocks west on 15th and was always surprised how seedy it can be around there, especially with Alpha House right there.

Rusty, why are you so angry lately man?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

What's that supposed to mean?

For a visitor there is tons to see and do just as there is in any city- you seriously direct them to that hole Ranchman's? 17th is chockablock with restaurants, coffeehouses, and yes bars and clubs- it's no different from any modern, prosperous city and for somebody completely unfamiliar with it is ripe for discovery. The fact that the owner of a hostel can't think of anything to recommend is pretty pathetic. Just getting a map of local coffeehouses would show them a scene that rivals every city in North America since Calgary's coffee scene is EPIC, world class in every respect. I could go on and on but your evident pessimism isn't encouraging.

Most eateries aren't cost effective- the low end is pricey everywhere these days, sorry to say. But there are lots of cheap eats- Calgary has a MASSIVE number of Vietnamese places and they're all "cost effective." Shawarma is cheap and plentiful, and so is banh mi- all of these are "Calgary experiences" so how about telling guests about them? I could probably come up with 50 cheap-ish places to eat within a kilometre or so of your hostel.

You're not on 17th, either.

Maybe you should list some for him Rusty. Also you seem to have your finger on the pulse more than many here but I'll chip in my 2 cents. If they are primarily budget conscious back packers looking to Banff for a wilderness experience why not point them to many of our awesome parks in the city like Prince's Island, Nose Hill, Fish creek, Edworthy or even areas like the Riverwalk or the Inglewood bird sanctuary? Hell, Inglewood in general should be a place most backpackers check out. It's generally cheaper than 17th and has lots of eclectic quirky shops and cafés.