Kensington is a Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, focused around the intersection of Kensington Road and 10th St. NW, also known as the Kensington-Louise Crossing Business Association. It is located in the communities of Hillhurst and Sunnyside, immediately north of downtown and the

Bow River The headwaters of the Bow River in Alberta, Canada, start at the Bow Glacier and Bow Lake (Alberta), Bow Lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Rocky Mountains. The glacial stream that feeds Bow Lake (Alberta), Bow Lake ...

, and is easily reached by most of the city's major access routes. Kensington-2004

The Calgary

C-Train CTrain (previously branded C-Train) is a light rail system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Much of the system functions as a high-capacity light metro, while in the downtown free-fare zone, trains run like a modern tram with a dedicated right-of ...

(above ground light-rail transit system) runs through the Kensington area via Sunnyside Station. The station is located along 9A Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenue N.W. Kensington is a lively area with many independent shops, restaurants and pubs. The BRZ hosts ''Christmas in Kensington Village'' in December, the

Sun and Salsa Festival The Sun and Salsa Festival was an annual festival put on in the Kensington Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) of Calgary, Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is on ...

in July, as well as the ''Bizarre Bikes & Bazaar'' in May.

History

The surrounding Hillhurst area was owned by the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

and pioneer rancher Ezra Riley at the beginning of the 20th century, when Riley Park was used for horse pasture. The oldest commercial buildings still standing date from before the First World War.

Diagon Alley In Kensington

In 2017 and 2018 businesses in the Kensington area transformed themselves into shop replicating those seen in Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter series. The event takes place in July and is open to the public for free.

Popularity

Within the City of Calgary, Kensington is an area that houses over 200 unique businesses and services, in addition to a significant number of historical sites. This makes Kensington both a popular inner city district for many local Calgarians, as well as popular destination for shopping and accessing trendy and niche services within the city. Much of this popularity is generated not only by the shops and services, but by the popular and trendy restaurants that are situated within the district.

References

Neighbourhoods in Calgary Shopping districts and streets in Canada Tourist attractions in Calgary {{Calgary-stub

History

Diagon Alley In Kensington

Popularity

See also

References