As usual, the first week of September brings cooler temperatures and a slight bite in the wind. River walks along the Bow seem to be a favoured activity when autumn strikes in the city, with Calgarians enjoying the swirling multi-coloured leaves. There are many neighbourhoods that line the river, allowing residents to enjoy the fall sights from their windows. However, not all of these neighbourhoods have kilometres of pathways, dozens of benches and playgrounds with a river view only metres away.
Avenue Magazine released the Best Neighbourhoods 2018 survey results and we are proud to announce the fifth best neighbourhood city-wide is … Bowness! This northwest community became part of Calgary over 50 years ago as the city grew exponentially. The village of Bowness was created in 1948, became a town in 1951 and further became amalgamated into Calgary in 1964.
Since the community of Bowness was well established before it became part of Calgary, original buildings still stand in Calgary today and are being used for a variety of purposes. This neighbourhood has a rich history and is home to countless loyal residents who grew up in the area and refuse to leave. It contains many businesses that have been around for decades, like Bow Cycle, who continue to serve their community with exceptional care.
Coming in at number five, here are some basic statistics about the community of Bowness:
- Population in 2017: 10, 895
- Walk score: 57
- Transit score: 38
- Recreation facility: 68
Compared to the top ten ranking neighbourhoods in Calgary, Bowness has an average population but it is spread out over a large area of 5.6 square kilometres. Since it is farther away from a train line and highly dependent on buses, it does have a lower transit score. However, this is made up by the multitude of walking and biking paths found along both the north and south sides of the river, encouraging residents to get outside and be active. Bowness is also home to many recreational facilities, creating plenty of opportunities for people to play sports, swim, workout and try more physically active hobbies.
To backup Bowness as a community that truly cares about its residents, Avenue Magazine’s survey results awarded it second place city-wide for community engagement. Between the Bowness Community Association, river pathways, recreationally-focused events and countless mom-and-pop shops, there is always something happening in this neighbourhood to keep the residents busy and entertained. Bowness also has a very low person-crime rate, so perhaps the increased community engagement plays a large role in keeping the peace.
If you’ve never been to Bowness, you’re definitely going to want to go now. Friendly neighbourhood, a multitude of activities, high focus on recreation and the outdoors – what’s not to like?! You’re minutes away from the city limits but also only a fifteen-minute drive to the heart of downtown. Perhaps you like going for fancy dinners on weeknights and the mountains on the weekend – Bowness is the perfect in-between location so that you can get where you want to be in no time.
