Humming with an eclectic, urban vibe, Calgary's inner-city community of Connaught attracts a variety of residents, from millennials to empty nesters. The community brims with multi-family housing, tree-lined parks, community vegetable gardens, purpose-built dog playgrounds, and a variety of unique restaurant and retail offerings. As an added bonus, many of these businesses, such as Kalamata Grocery and Analog Coffee, are spearheaded by local entrepreneurs.

"There is just this huge appeal – there are the parks and the trees and you are also in the thick of it. It's a real community where there is something for everyone," said Connaught resident Patricia Insole.

The Beltline is a community experiencing a period of major transition – from the reconstruction of 17th Avenue S.W. to the reimagining of Victoria Park.

Through it all, the beauty and vibrancy of this inner-city neighbourhood just seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

Located smack-dab in the middle of the city and packed with amenities, the Beltline could be considered both the literal and figurative heart of Calgary.

City eyes the future with 17th Avenue facelift

Whether you're a person or a stretch of pavement, 30 years of hard labour can take its toll. When you're as heavily travelled as 17th Avenue S.W., the effect is multiplied. That's why the City of Calgary, armed with a $44 million budget, is giving much of the area a facelift. From Macleod Trail to 14th Street S.W., the City is upgrading utilities, rebuilding the road and improving pedestrian areas to pave the way for future use.

"This began as simply a road construction project," said Ryan Murray, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary's transportation department. "After 30 years, it was time to dig down and rebuild the foundation of 17th Avenue. We decided that while we were down there, we should make the most of it by upgrading old utilities and rebuilding the road."

Joshua Smith achieved his ideal downtown lifestyle at the right price point with a new Beltline condo

Joshua Smith, a 31-year-old communications adviser, was living in the northeast community of Taradale with his brother, commuting close to two hours a day to his job in the downtown core and back. His goal was to save some money and purchase a condo in the inner city. He yearned for the downtown lifestyle, where he could be close to coffee shops, restaurants and workout facilities. He wanted to be able to walk to work, and to meet friends for dinner or drinks without having to worry about a lengthy drive or an expensive cab fare. He also required a home with a great view, and it had to be affordable.

Marina and Gavin Reeves returned to the core to recapture their inner-city lifestyle

Marina and Gavin Reeves are busy, young professionals – she's an engineer and he's an accountant. Four years ago, they sold their condo in Connaught and moved to the northeast area of Highland Park, where they purchased a larger home, but they soon realized it wasn't the lifestyle fit that they were looking for. The couple ended up coming full-circle, as their lifestyle epiphany spurred a search for a townhome in the city's core. They wanted a home with outdoor space for their two dogs that was also close to transit, coffee shops and the inner-city action. Plus, it had to be big enough to grow into, as the couple plans to start a family in the near future. They found what they were looking for at Grosvenor Americas' Avenue project, located in Calgary's Downtown West End.

Parks are especially important in densely developed downtown

"Quality, not quantity" is how City of Calgary parks manager Keath Parker characterizes green spaces in Calgary's downtown core, an area that's not only home to tall office towers, but residential neighbourhoods as well, including the Beltline (Connaught and Victoria Park), East Village and Eau Claire.

Parker explains it wasn't until the mid-1960s that the province's Municipal Government Act (MGA) gave municipalities the authority to take up to 10 per cent of a development for open public space. Residential neighbourhoods developed prior to that tend not to have as much green space as those created after the MGA.

However, Calgary's downtown is still far from a cold, concrete jungle. In fact, there are 24 parks in the downtown area covering roughly 65 hectares of open green space, according to the City.

New site opens at Cannaught Park

The City of Calgary has opened its first fenced inner-city off-leash area at Connaught Park.

"There are almost 650 dogs licensed in the Beltline, and during public engagement we identified a need for a safe and dedicated off-leash space in the area," says Doug Marter, development manager for Calgary Parks.

Connaught Park, located at 11th Street and 14 Avenue S.W., was selected for its central location and because it was originally designed as a multi-use park, said the City.