Eight Houses

Another instalment in what’s become a most enjoyable series revisited each and every year. In these we wander Calgary’s downtown core in search of single detached dwellings to document, so houses, or places that were once houses and maybe repurposed but retain that “home sweet home” vibe. These are real rarities here in the big city. And we’re been newly introduced to one we’ve missed all these years – silly us – which increased our total from last year’s seven, up to eight. But next year it’ll be back down again as one property seen has since been demolished. Everything goes away in the end.

So let’s get rolling! Subject number one, the very last in the East Village and is a rooming house. Some passers-by called it worse, flop house being the only we’ll repeat here. It’s the oldest of all the dwellings seen and dates back to the early days of the twentieth century (1901 or 1904 in city records). When built Calgary, city status back then less than a decade old, had a population under ten thousand. Yes sub-ten-k, compared to one point three million-ish today. If that don’t blow your mind!

We keep saying it and has yet to happen, but we fully expect this place will cease to be someday soon. That it’s low income housing, we suspect, has thus far saved it from being bulldozed and the land redeveloped. But how long can that go on? There must be many condo builders eyeing it up. Some old timers passing by (lots of seniors towers in the area) had little good to say about the house. It’s a magnet for trouble, they told us. This property is valued at well over a million. No sheet! And of the eight places chronicled, it’s one of only two still lived in. Others are businesses or vacant.

Long ago, the East Village, now going through a renaissance of sorts, if gentrified condos and expensive coffee shops are your thing, was a blue collar neighbourhood next to an industrial area. Think warehouses and gritty rail yards.

Ground rules. To qualify as a house in this article, it needs to be a dwelling or a former dwelling that still retains that look. Real simple. If heavily modified, it’s a no. Downtown, as the city defines it, is bordered on the Bow River in the north, the Elbow River in the east, 14th Street in the west and finally the CPR tracks in the south. We’re fine with that too. All houses seen here fall within that area.

House two is the one we managed to overlook all these years and belongs to Brinkhaus Jewellers, a high end purveyor of sparkly things for the wealthy. An Amex Black is needed to get in. Or a letter of reference from Warren Buffet and proof that at minimum you own a high end German sedan. And there’s a secret handshake. The building dates from 1910. With all the towers surrounding it, one would be hard pressed to believe it but the general area here was near all residential well into the 1950s and even a bit beyond.

House three, belongs to Designs by Manuel, another jewellery firm and dates from 1913. The rest of the places documented from here in are all relatively close by. Leading up the dawn of World War One, Calgary went through a boom with the population exploding and when this house was built the city was home to some fifty thousand people. That’s five times what it was the decade prior. A busy road runs our front. Looming over are a number of tall condo towers. It looks so out of place.

Just around the corner it’s house four built in 1911, a handsome structure made of brick. It’s been empty for some time, a good six years or so, maybe more, and while there’s been no redevelopment applications put in on it (as of the publishing of this piece), we can’t help think that its days are numbered. We keep saying it, but one day. Would love to view the inside. If you own it…we’re looking at you!

Next door is a restaurant made from a similar house, but it’s been so heavily modified that we won’t include it here. We’ve taken some heat on this decision in the past, but we’re sticking to it. Without going out back where no one does, where the brick facing is still in place, one would never know it was long ago a residence.

More condo towers are seen. And some new ones planned and proposed. Yuppie heaven!

At the same intersection, diagonally, is a small house, number five. It’s empty now but once housed… you guessed it…a jewellery store, since moved away. The building dates from 1910. Talking around, it’s hinted the land will soon be redeveloped. But I think we said that last year too. Either way, it’s likely got a date with the wrecking ball sooner than later. There’s four or so lots to the east, completely empty, that if put together with it would make a nice plot of land for a couple condo towers (seemingly the fate of every underutilized property in the area) and some trendy eateries. Yeah, fish tacos! A (presumably) drunk couple is seen, and heard, getting it on in the bushes beside this house. They proudly let the world know what they were doing. Sexy! (he said contemptuously.)

Which interestingly, given what was just transpired, a picture that can never be unseen and due to haunt us for all time, brings us to house six. This one is connected to historic Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and was once the home (parsonage) for the pastor, but today seems to be rented out. The church sits just to its right. Built in 1912 (according to the city), or 1914 (the church) it seems well kept up and of all the places explored today, this one we suspect is the least threatened. As long as the church is there so should it survive. It’s smack dab in the middle of condo central – look left, look right and take in a sea of them, but hearkens back to a time when the west end was mostly low density residential. I remember it so as a kid (in the ’70s). And rather run down too.

One day we’d like to get a look inside Holy Trinity Lutheran. We’re just crazy about places like it.

Some blocks away is what’s become our favourite, house seven. Sadly though, our visit would be the last and it was torn down shortly after. This one is perhaps the smallest, and certainly most kitschy in design (and with that cool broken glass stucco), and overall is a real cutie. And it’s made to look all the more tiny and humble given how it is (or rather was) jammed in there up against some neighbouring buildings and with those tall office towers looming over it in back. This here one is/was (we’re stuck in tense hell) the newest of all the houses seen, having been built in 1950 (according to the city – another report says much earlier, 1910-ish – the city’s usually right).

It was lived in till the early 2010s and was used as an office of sorts for a time after but for the last couple years has been empty. It fronts on a busy road but being small and set back I doubt many people passing see it (or saw it – here we go again). When built, it was on the very edge of what was then downtown. Today, it would be in the middle of it. We’ll miss it. By the way, it and the land (or rather exclusively the land, the house being worthless in this sort of environment) is/was worth a tidy two point six million. Cha-freaking-ching!

When built Calgary had a population of some one hundred and thirty thousand. My, this city is mostly new.

Sharing the same alley is what is the least interesting house, or former house, in our view. Sure it’s meets all the criteria but it seems to lack any charm or appeal. It dates from 1911. Once housing the offices of a lawyer it was vacant on our visit and up for lease. Odd lighting from a plus-15 walkway bathes it in a distracting shade of teal.

And there you have it, another one in can. As long as there’s these homes we’ll be doing these articles. Fully expect in subsequent years the titles will become numerically smaller and smaller till maybe becoming “One House”. Or maybe “No Houses”. But then we can move on to other inner-city neighbourhoods and start the series anew.

It’s more fun to shoot with friends, a couple of who joined us this fine evening, a fun outing made all the better with company. On the way back to the car, a look inside a window of an old folk’s home, a row of scooters lined up in the aisle. That’ll be us one day! We’ll start a scooter club, and have club colours, a cool moniker, “Seniors of Anarchy SC”, and drive chopped rides with booming exhausts, extended forks and “ape hanger” handlebars. And we’ll cruise up and down in front of the senior’s centre and party hard, at least until eight thirty or so.

Earlier episodes, where we had it all wrong…
Seven Houses…and holding (2017).
Seven Houses (2016).
Eight Houses (2015).
Nine Houses (2014).

A strange adventure in the core…
Goin’ Waydowntown.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: May, 2018.
Location: Calgary, AB.
Article references and thanks: City of Calgary.

All shots were taken from public property.

It’s the very last house in the East Village.

It’s an old one, well over a century in age.

Out back…

We missed this one all these years.

It’s home to a high end jeweller.

The building dates back to 1910.

It’s more fun to shoot with friends. Hey Byron!

Waiting on a bus next to Designs by Manuel.

It’s completely surrounded by condos.

This old place has been empty for many years.

It’s dwarfed by surrounding towers too.

A new condo’s on the way.

Slated for redevelopment.

It was a jewellery store once.

A houses connected to Holy Trinity Church.

Turning right we see this.

This used to be a residence for the pastor but is now rented out.

This one’s lost in the clutter.

Sadly, it was recently demolished.

It’s the newest house seen.

This hard to photograph one is vacant.

Scooters as far as the eye can see!