Calgary has some pretty hip and trendy nooks to partake in retail therapy. Here are leads on some of our local stories.

Cosmopolitan Corners

It’s all about the neighbourhood. Calgary has at least half a dozen great outdoor shopping districts:

• Stephen Avenue Walk is downtown’s original thoroughfare
• 17th Ave. S.W. is where you want to go for fashionable boutiques
• Inglewood’s the spot for cool collectibles, antiques and specialty items
• 4th St. S.W. has lovely arts and crafts
• The up-and-coming Design District (just south of the downtown core) has awesome designer home décor
• Kensington (in the inner northwest) has the coolest toy store in the city, an exotic tea shop, hard-to-find vinyl, and everything in between

Farmer's Markets

Calgary loves its farmers’ markets, and they’re great places to spend some time, as well as to find unique local gifts created by unique local people:

•  The Calgary Farmers’ Market is arguably the most popular, and is open year-round at 4421 Quesnay Wood Drive S.W.
• Eclectic and fun, the Crossroad's Market is open year round 

CrossIron Mills

The first shopping mall built in Western Canada in 20 years has arrived with a splash. Bordering the city limits in northeast Calgary, this large shopping centre is organized into six shopping "neighbourhoods," each reflecting a theme distinctive of Alberta. When it opened in 2009, CrossIron Mills occupied 700 acres, employed 3,500 people and had 18 km of walls. How do we know? Thanks to the CrossIron Mills Press Kit and Fact Sheet, of course.