Over the past decade Marda Loop has evolved and changed, transforming from a quiet, off-the-radar neighbourhood into a hip, city centre destination. The change is being fueled, in part, by Marda Loop's business district, which runs along 33rd and 34th Avenue south west.

"Marda Loop is growing up from a commercial area in a suburban setting to a much more urban, walkable and lively business community," said Bob van Wegen, executive director of the Marda Loop business district.

Named after the Marda Theatre and the old 33rd Avenue streetcar, which "looped" back to downtown, Marda Loop was originally limited to the business district.

Altadore is one of Calgary's hottest inner-city communities, and its appeal just keeps on growing, as a stream of new mixed-use condo projects, funky boutiques, grocery stores and fitness centres is rising along the 33rd and 34th Avenue corridors. The new additions stack the deck for a community that's already known for its quality pubs and restaurants. The coffee shops alone – think Monogram, Phil & Sebastian, Starbucks and, the latest addition, NHBR – are enough to attract the lion's share of latte-sipping Calgarians on frosty February mornings.

With new residential developments popping up everywhere – along with a growing selection of culinary gems, coffee shops, yoga studios, craft breweries and funky boutiques – the buzz around Calgary's inner-city community of Altadore just keeps getting stronger.

Now 88 years young, the ol' potlicker himself, Jim "Bearcat" Murray, long ago passed into the realm of legend hereabouts.

Nearly a quarter-century since retiring from the Calgary Flames as the only NHL athletic trainer with his own fan club (boasting Boston and Montreal chapters), Murray – recognizable by his bald head, generous moustache and ready grin – continues to be an icon.

Inner city is a term we use and misuse in equal measures, and as Calgary grows and the inner city's perceived boundaries seem to expand, understanding this term may be more relevant than we realize.

Duplexes, townhomes, and other attached homes are popular in neighbourhoods throughout Calgary, but demand for high-end attached homes is highest in the inner city.

The appeal of these homes, which are often priced around the $1-million mark, is not only premier finishings, but also the established and amenity-rich communities where they are located.

Marda Loop – the popular business district that unites the inner-city neighbourhoods of Altadore and South Calgary – has become a go-to address for new condo development, including two recently launched projects that are now under construction.

The stacked-townhome-style Marlo and apartment-style Mantra are two of the newest developments banking on the charms of an area awash in walkable amenities, from restaurants, pubs and grocery stores to more than 100 upscale boutiques.

Nicole Butz - Mission
For Nicole, the day begins with a short stroll from her riverside, two-bedroom condo (she has a downtown view and awakens to the honking sounds of geese) to La Boulangerie Bakery Cafe on Fourth Street to grab a latte.

She calls herself an ardent inner-city junkie. "I don't really do the suburbs well, and Mission's vibrant but a little bit out of the core, so you get a different vibe. It just feels like home."

Calgary's 12 business improvement areas (BIAs) represent 20 per cent of city businesses, with over $600 million in assessed property/business value, and $59 million in taxes. They go to bat for almost 5,500 businesses each day.

And while traditionally formed in and around Calgary's core, Iris Li, the City of Calgary's neighbourhood partnership co-ordinator, says four new BIAs are being considered across the city, including in suburban areas.

Marlo Giannaccari and Chris Roche rang in the new year with new Windsor Park duplex

Marlo Giannaccari, 33, and Chris Roche, 31, began their home search two years ago, armed with a strong vision of their dream oasis. Location was top of mind, as was a modernist design approach and lots of room for their two adorable pooches, Pinot and Bronco. The couple had been living in Marlo's Windsor Park townhome, but they wanted to create a home of their own together. Eventually, they found a four-bedroom, two-storey, new-build duplex in the inner-city neighbourhood of Windsor Park. They moved into their light-filled abode in December, just in time to celebrate the new year.