This little-known neighbourhood west of Forest Lawn is often mistaken for, well, Forest Lawn. The gateway to International Avenue, Southview can claim its own interesting parks, international restaurants and shopping, and public-art installations that keep Calgary weird and wonderful.
Journey to Freedom Park
A poignant memorial to the “boat people” who died fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, Journey to Freedom Park also celebrates Calgary’s spirit of compassion in helping those who made a new life here. Designed in the shape of a boat, the park is a unique first stop as you head east into the neighbourhood off Barlow Trail.
1907 17 Ave. S.E.
Mekong Restaurant
Nothing fancy here, just straight-up cheap, delicious Vietnamese home-cooking. Mekong Restaurant fan favourites include the satay-beef sub and house-special pho, but don’t miss menu item No. 9 — the charbroiled beef wrapped in lalot leaves has a cult-following.
2885 17 Ave. S.E.
Unity Park
An oversize avocado and a wall of faux-botanical greens make summertime a permanent feature on International Avenue. The art and colour of Unity Park’s public-art installations interrupt the concrete monotony of Southview’s commercial district, even making the side of a dental hygiene clinic worth a pause.
3111 17 Ave. S.E.
Hong Kong Food Market
Whether it’s cuttlefish or coconut tubers you’re after, Hong Kong Food Market has you covered. You’ll find pretty much every spice, sauce, seafood, noodle and shrimp paste in the wide world of Asian ingredients here. Go for the tokwa’t lechon; stay for an aromatic stroll through the aisles.
3215 17 Ave. S.E.
Paradise Lanes
Five-pin bowling at its old-school best: at Paradise Lanes, little has changed in the six decades since it opened its doors. The first five-pin alley in the city with automatic scoring, Paradise is just that for hipsters, league-bowlers, and fans of onion rings and slushie shots.
3411 17 Ave. S.E.