Today I was out in Downtown Calgary. Downtown Calgary is a very odd beast. From 7am to 6pm it’s full, vibrant, makes you feel part of a great city. Once the workday ends though, Prypiat is probably more lively a place than this 20-block radius.
When I was out today, I discovered some rather odd options for street vendor fare. Some of it intrigued me. In a one-block radius, I could order donairs and shawarmas while further down the way was a oven-fresh pizza joint operating right on the sidewalk. The biggest one there was a bratwurst stand, they were pretty big.
I am not such a big fan of shawarmas or donairs and the pizza joint only offered full pizzas. I also didn’t think I could eat a footlong bratwurst and it wasn’t until after my meeting that I discovered the donair stand sold hot dogs. So now I know for next time.
Wonder if somebody will get a permit for a stir fry place? While innovative, do people really trust these operations? Wouldn’t call it great for everyday eats but in a pinch they do the trick. Also, the way the downtown is built, you never have to go outside. Majority of our buildings in Calgary are connected by overhead covered walkways so you can go from your house to a parking garage to your office without ever going outside. In a few select locations, you can even access your apartment/condo. Maybe a ploy to get people to go outside?
Here’s a film that might explain the above a lot better, Waydowntown directed by Calgary director Gary Burns.
Just kind of an interesting thing I observed today.