| The character of urban populations is most certainly mirrored in their likes and dislikes. Proud, refined, haughty Parisians love the finest wines, romance and fresh baguettes. Strong, gruff, sentimental Muscovites adore the finest vodkas, long, leafy autumn walks and caviar. Tough, ambitious New Yorkers melt for the finest stocks and bonds, driving like idiots and hot dogs. However, we’re not entirely sure what Calgarians’ fever for big sunglasses (Best new trend), screaming "Yee-haw!" (Best local slang/swear word) and getting naked in Stanley Park (Best place to get naked) says about our psychological makeup.
Peruse the following comprehensive list of all that Calgarians love and hate (sometimes one and the same – a certain churlish provincial premier for example) and make up your own mind as to what we’re all about.
THE CITY
Best new trend
Big sunglasses
Smart Cars
Worst new trend
Crocs
Skinny jeans/pants
Best kept Calgary secret
Bowness Park
Inglewood
Best shortcut
Mission Road to MacLeod Trail
Sifton Blvd.
Most eye-appealing building or structure
Calgary Tower
Bankers Hall
Best historic structure
Lougheed House
Fort Calgary
Coolest place to take visitors
Zoo
Stampede
Best public art
Family of Man (CBE)
Stephen Avenue "trees"
Best part of the boom
Jobs/money
Urban revitalization (restaurants, shops, etc.)
Worst part of the boom
Rising house prices
Traffic
Best place to own a house
Mount Royal
Kensington
Best day trip
Banff
Kananaskis Country
Best place to waste an entire day
Floating down the Bow River
Prince's Island Park
Best place to ride your bike
Bow River pathways
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Best place to go for a stroll
Prince's Island Park
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Best toboggan hill
St. Andrew's Heights
Nose Hill Park
Best place to watch the sunset
Nose Hill Park
Crescent Road
Best place for picnic
Prince's Island Park
Bowness Park
Best place to see a ghost
Heritage Park
The Deane House
Most romantic place for a first kiss
Crescent Road
Prince's Island Park
Best place to pick up someone of the opposite sex
The Ship & Anchor
Cowboys Dance Hall
Best place to pick up someone of the same sex
Twisted Element
Broken City
Best place to meet your web date
Higher Ground
Caffé Beano
Best public place to get naked
Stanley Park
The Bow River
Best place to people-watch
17th Avenue S.W.
Stephen Avenue Walk
Best place for a wedding (other than a church)
Devonian Gardens
Calgary Zoo
Best local cause
The Mustard Seed
AIDS Calgary
Best local slang/swear word
Yee-haw
Edmonton
Calgary’s claim to shame
Calgary Stampede
The Red Mile
Best use of local tax dollars
Roads
Public Transit/LRT
Worst use of local tax dollars
Roads
Ralph bucks
URBAN LIFE
Best radio station
CJSW 90.9 FM
CJAY 92 FM
Best television station
Global
CityTV
Best art gallery
The Glenbow Museum
Art Gallery of Calgary
Best dance company
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
Alberta Ballet
Best theatre company
One Yellow Rabbit
Alberta Theatre Projects
Best movie theatre popcorn
The Uptown Stage and Screen
The Globe
Most comfortable cinema
Paramount Chinook
Sunridge Spectrum
Best area ski hill
Sunshine Village
Lake Louise
Best golf course
Shaganappi Point Golf Course
Country Hills Golf Club
Best casino
Elbow River Casino
Deerfoot Inn & Casino
Best festival
Calgary Folk Music Festival
Lilac Festival
Best free event
Lilac Festival
Stampede breakfasts
Best fund-raising event
The Big Rock Eddies
Calgary Cares
Best coffeehouse
Caffé Beano
Higher Ground
Swankiest washroom
Earls Bankers Hall
Cactus Club Café
Skankiest washroom
Warehouse / Underground
The Back Alley
Most beloved Calgarian
Ralph Klein
Jarome Iginla
Most embarrassing Calgarian
Ralph Klein
Stephen Harper
Most active activist
Robyn Hefferton
Stephen Locke
Best local villain
Ralph Klein
Stephen Harper
Sexiest man
Dave Kelly
Jarome Iginla
Sexiest woman
Astrid Kuhn
Tara McCool
Favourite local TV personality
Dave Kelly (CityTV)
Barb Higgins (CFCN)
Favourite local radio personality
Gerry Forbes (CJAY 92)
Chad Saunders (CJSW)
Best journalist/writer
Mike Bell
Mark Hamilton
Best local actor/actress
Elisha Cuthbert
Christian Goutsis
Best local band
The Dudes
The Mocking Shadows
Best cover band
Broken Toyz
Curious George
Best athlete
Jarome Iginla
Miikka Kiprusoff
Best local poet or writer
Cheryl Foggo
Sheri-D Wilson/Will Ferguson
SHOPPING
Best shopping district
17th Avenue S.W.
Kensington
Best corner store
Kalamata Grocery
Sunnyside Grocery
Best place to rescue cool junk
Value Village
Inglewood
Best outdoor/sports gear shop
Mountain Equipment Co-op
Sport Swap
Best pawnshop
Cash Converters
Sharky's Pawn Shop
Best snowboard/skateboard shop
The Source
Mission Snowboards & Skateshop
Best ski shop
Ski Cellar
Fresh
Best bike shop
Bow Cycle & Sport
The Bike Shop
Best CD store
Megatunes
Sloth
Best place to buy vinyl
Recordland
Hot Wax
Best bookstore
McNally Robinson
Pages Books On Kensington
Best used bookstore
Fair's Fair
Wee Book Inn
Best magazine selection
With The Times
Daily Globe News Shop
Best comics store
Phoenix Comics
Another Dimension
Best DVD store
Casablanca
Bird Dog Alternative Video
Best place to buy porn
Adult Source Video
Priape
Hippest home furnishing store
Kit Interior Objects
Koolhaus Design
Best men’s clothing store
Henry
Purr
Best women’s clothing store
Purr
Blame Betty
Best lingerie
SHE Apparel
The Cat's Pyjamas
Best place to buy a sex toy
The Love Stop
Priape
Best consignment/vintage clothing
Junk Star Vintage
Divine
Best shoe store
Gravity Pope
Arnold Churgin
Best place to find cool jewelry
Rubaiyat
Frilly Lilly
Best optical
The Brass Monocle
17th Avenue Specs
Best place to spoil your pet
Petland
Urban Dog Market
Best flower shop
Flowers Make Memories
Anne Paterson's Flowers
Best international food store
T&T Supermarket
Lina's Italian Market
Best natural foods store
Community Natural Foods
Planet Organic
Best farmers’ market
Crossroads Markets
Calgary Farmers’ Market
Best deli sandwich
Spolumbo's Fine Foods & Deli
Palace of Eats
Best local snack
Tubby Dog
Mini Donuts at Stampede
Best bakery
Glamorgan Bakery
Manuel Latruwe Belgian Patisserie and Bread Shop
Best cool treat on a hot day
Fiasco Gelato
Amato Gelato Café
Best beer store
Willow Park Wines & Spirits
Royal Liquor Merchants
Best wine shop
Willow Park Wines & Spirits
Kensington Wine Market
SERVICES
Best fitness facility
Talisman Centre
Heavens Fitness
Best place for yoga
Yoga Passage
Bodhi Tree
Best place for a haircut (male)
Hedkandi
Swizzlesticks Salonspa
Best hair salon (female)
Swizzlesticks Salonspa
Diva Hair Salon & Spa
Best place to get pampered
Oasis Wellness Centre & Spa
Stillwater Spa
Best tattoo shop
Smilin' Buddha
Bushido
Best piercing studio
To The Point
Bushido
Best laundromat
Oh Henry Laundromat
Pink Elephant (Pinky's)
Best dry cleaner
Fishman's Personal Care Cleaners
Barkers Fine Dry Cleaning
Best coin car wash
Bridgeland
Penguin/Mile Wide
NIGHTLIFE
Best new bar
The Mercury
The Palomino
Best cocktail bar
Ming
The Mercury
Best neighbourhood pub
The Ship & Anchor
Kensington Pub
Best brewpub
Brewsters Brew Pub
Wildwood Grill & Brewing Company
Best gay/lesbian bar
Twisted Element
Detours (RIP)
Sexiest clientele
Mynt Ultralounge
The Ship & Anchor
Best redneck bar
Ranchman's
Cowboys Dance Hall
Best place to watch sports
Schanks Athletic Club
Melrose Café & Bar
Best place to see exotic dancers
The French Maid
The Speakeasy
Best place to shoot pool
The Garage
Schanks Athletic Club
Best place to see something funny
Yuk Yuk's
The Ship & Anchor
Best DJ night
Dance MoFo (Broken City)
Hai Karate (Hifi)
Best place to karaoke
Ducky's Pub
Broken City
Best club to dance in
The Hifi Club
Broken City
Best live rock music club
Broken City
The Hifi Club
Best live jazz/blues club
Beat Niq Jazz and Social Club
Red Onion Bar & Grill
Best live country/folk club
Ironwood Stage & Grill
Ranchman’s
Best concert venue (500+)
MacEwan Hall
Pengrowth Saddledome
Best bartender
Christine (Broken City)
Lacey (HiFi)
Sexiest staff
Cowboys Dance Hall
Mynt Ultralounge
Best patio
The Ship & Anchor
Broken City
Coldest beer on a hot day
The Ship & Anchor
Melrose Café & Bar
Best local brew
Big Rock Grasshopper
Wild Rose Brown
Most interesting wine list
The Living Room
Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro
Best non-smoking bar/lounge
Café Koi
Ironwood
DINING OUT
Best new restaurant
Eight
Café Koi
Best restaurant for a first date
The Living Room
The River Café
Best restaurant when someone else is paying
Teatro
The River Café
Best service
The Living Room
The River Café
Best overall restaurant
The River Café
The Coup
Best food at YYC
Tim Hortons
Montana's Restaurant
Best late-night (after 1 a.m.)
Tubby Dog
Wicked Wedge
Best all day breakfast
Nellie's
Diner Deluxe
Best diner
Diner Deluxe
Galaxie Diner
Best pizza
The Wicked Wedge
Spiro's Pizza on 17th
Best guacamole
El Sombrero Restaurante Mexicano
Salt & Pepper Mexican Restaurante
Best appetizers
Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro
Murrieta's
Best burger
Peters' Drive-In
Burger Inn
Best veggie burger
The Ship & Anchor
Burger Inn
Best fries
Peters' Drive-In
The Ship & Anchor
Best shrimp salad rolls
Co do Vietnamese Restaurant
Oriental Phoenix
Best falafel
Falafel King
Tazza Grill & Deli
Best sushi
Hana Sushi
Towa Sushi
Best curry
Rajdoot
Mango Shiva
Best Vietnamese
Co do Vietnamese Restaurant
Oriental Phoenix
Best dim sum
Silver Dragon
Harbour City
Best Indian
Rajdoot
Taj Mahal
Best Italian
Buon Giorno
Fiore Cantina Italiana
Best calamari
The Broken Plate
Ouzo Greek Taverna
Best tacos
Salt & Pepper Mexican Restaurante
El Sombrero Restaurante Mexicano
Best vegetarian
The Coup
Buddha's Veggie Restaurant
Best steak
Caesar's Steak House
Hy's Steak House
Best place for oysters
Catch
Embarcadero
Best dessert
The Cheesecake Café
The Chocolate Bar
Best chai
Steeps
Oolong Tea House / Higher Ground |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.