Chinatown, Calgary Rentals

Renting in Chinatown, Calgary

Chinatown packs a lot into a few blocks between the Bow River and 4 Avenue, on the east side of Calgary's downtown. Dim sum houses, bakeries, herbalists and Asian grocers line Centre Street and fill Dragon City Mall, while Sien Lok Park and the river pathway sit at the north edge. Housing runs from older walk-ups to new riverfront towers, and the city's Tomorrow's Chinatown plan is steering redevelopment so the neighbourhood keeps the character people come here for.

• •Dim sum, bakeries and Asian grocers along Centre Street
• •Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre — the largest of its kind in North America
• •Sien Lok Park and the Bow River pathway
• •Minutes on foot to the downtown office core
• •和園 Harmony Park and Parkade

Getting around

No CTrain station in Chinatown itself — the 7 Avenue platforms are about three blocks south. Centre Street is one of the busiest bus corridors in the city, with frequent service north over the Centre Street Bridge. The Bow River pathway runs west to Eau Claire and east to East Village.

Walkability

Walk Score: 90+. Groceries, restaurants, a pharmacy and the office towers are all within a few blocks, which makes this one of the few Calgary neighbourhoods where daily errands never need a car. Parking, on the other hand, is tight and mostly paid.

The vibe

Busy by day, quiet at night. Family-run restaurants and shops that have been here for decades, an established Cantonese-speaking community alongside newer arrivals in the riverfront towers, and its best week of the year at Lunar New Year.

Nearby

Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, Sien Lok Park, Dragon City Mall, 和園 Harmony Park, Bow River pathway, Reconciliation Bridge, Prince's Island Park, Eau Claire, East Village