We were last here in 2013. It used to be super busy in the summer. This is May, so young people are still in school. Even then, the parking is very crowded. We went for the food court. There are fewer restaurants now, less variety, pricier too. My won ton noodle soup was $13, with 5 small won ton and lots of noodles similar to Ramen. Two of the Anchor store were closing, which doesn't bode well for the mall. High end stores like Rolex and Tiffany were very sparce, but that's normal. The mall has a nice feel and atmosphere. Might need a touch of modernizing, but not a lot. read more

Shopping at CF Chinook Centre is a pleasant experience and the decorations that are hung up around the mall every so often are pleasing to the eye and relaxing to take in. Also, the movie theater is an added bonus. read more

This is a huge mall. There are so many shops. Many world recognizable brands and Canadian brands for all shopper budgets. It's a two story mall and there weren't a lot of escalators/elevators. I got turned around a couple times trying to find my way back to the entrance to find my car. Good thing they have interactive map stations. They have themed sections of the mall with a big food area too. Parking is plentiful and it circles the mall. read more

In the past few years, I only come here if we are meeting up for a movie or I need to stop in a particular place. It is a nice place and has a huge assortment of shops and food. I don't enjoy crazy, busy places anymore (thanks, COVID & getting old!). read more

This is a great mall, hate to say it but Edmonton take note. It's clean, it has tons of great store and dining. It has underground parking. Admittedly it has a lot of high end shops compared to what a normal person may want but it is a good shopping experience read more

If you enjoy shopping designer brands, this is definitely an option in Calgary. There was a mix of low end and high end stores although I was looking at many of the higher end options. We were visiting from out of town and stopped at this mall as our last stop before leaving. Prices are the same as in BC except it is one tax here instead of two! So items felt a bit cheaper than what I am used to paying. read more

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Overall, I am not a big fan of Chinook because it's all about self gratification and opulence. The Centre appears to be run well but no one is overly friendly or welcoming there. It is simply a behemoth of consumer materialism. Parking is terrible at special event times such as Christmas. It would be the one of the last places I would take anyone from out of town as there are so many other public venues that are far more worthwhile. If consumerism and spending is your thing then I highly endorse Chinook Centre. But for me the only draw is the Apple Store only because of convenience and outstanding service. read more

I like this mall. Its nice inside. Lots of great store. Very spacious and airy to walk in. They have a huge parking lot. They also have one underground too. Just perfect and convenient. Also its close to downtown so that is a plus for someone like me who lives downtown. Most people come here because of the theater. Its a Scotiabank theater so its bigger. Also the theater is newer and its great to come to this mall just to go to the theater. They have some artwork to see inside. So that is plus. read more

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Best mall In Calgary! Lots of exclusive stores plus merry go round. Large food court and movie theatres. Bowling alley is 5 pin only. No five star as portions of mall corridor are way to narrow from the 1980's read more

It's Calgary's version of Yorkdale Mall in Toronto. It's big, has a bunch of decent stores and yes...for all you fruit lovers...it has an Apple Store. The three times I've been here, the whole car scene was nuts! There was 9...yes NINE...9 security guards directing traffic at their main entrance. Parking is a nightmare...right in the middle of the day and getting in and out of the place was no easy task. If you don't need to go there...don't. I would avoid the whole mall rat race and go to the other malls around the area. The same advice I give for Yorkdale! Shopping should be fun not a punch to the CHINook! Bwahaaha! Couldn't resist. Cheers! read more

CF Chinook Centre - Cool sculpture at the mall. - Shopping Centers Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Thank you January! Your excellent customer service delivered. We have the perfect & most creative holiday presents purchased & under our tree! Shopping with Rocky made our day as we look forward to seeing & feeling the happiness from those who open them. Rocky is lucky to have you!! Chinook Mall got all the more happier to shop at. read more

I went to the new Chinook Centre opening last night and although I have been to hundreds of store inaugurations in my life, this one has to be by far the most glamourous and the most stupendous. First thing that stood out for me was how amazing the organization was, the registration so easy, and parking was basically a breeze because of dozens of parking guides. The red carpet leading to the entrance was actually the skirt of a chinook centre goddess who led you to the elevators. You entered two floors of newly remodeled Chinook centre floors with over 14 kiosks of free alchohal and food. We are talking all you can eat and an endless supply of personally shucked oysters, chicken and beef skewers, funky chinese to go boxes complete with fresh sushi and chopsticks. There were miniature tacos and burgers and half a dozen desert tablesbrim filled with dark chocolate, and truffles, and carrot cake and and and. Lets not forget the sleek goblets of champagne, red and white wine, hearty portions of scotch and scrumptious apple martinis. I was reeling with all the options, when you saw a station next to empty it would be replemished in a bat of your eye. The stores were bright and glistening and people were given beautiful red and white gift bags, brimming with chocalate and calvin klein undies. If this opening is an indication of the new Chinook Centre, it will undoubtedly be a huge success with over 40 more new shopping locations. 5 stars read more

The new wing is open and the stores in it are a welcomed addition. I used to work in the mall at Old Navy and seeing the transformations since then are great. With so many stores that Calgary has been missing, it's hard to believe that it's taken this long to attract some of them with all the oil money floating around the city. I'm glad to see that Cadillac Fairview was able to do it. Sure the mall is crowded most of the time, but just like their marketing messages have been saying over the years: PARK IN THE BACK. I've only had problems finding parking at this mall once, and that was on boxing day, which was a stupid idea to go to the mall anyway. read more

Very big mall in Calgary. Lots of stores, choice is wide from high, expensive stores to cheap ones. Everyone should be able to find something suitable for him. There is also quite big food court. When you are in Calgary and want to do some shopping this place is worth visiting. read more

CF Chinook Centre - Tesla dealership - Shopping Centers Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I like that this mall is central in the city of Calgary so that people form the north and the south connect here. It is busy any day of the week and at anytime. I also like that they are now creating a big pedestrian bridge to go over rather than the sidewalks getting full of people waiting to cross as it is such a popular mall. However, as it is so popular and this mall has stores in it that most around the city don't have such as Tiffany's, Kate Spade and the Apple Store the fact that the mall has very little parking is inconvenient. However, I do like that the mall has a caracul in it to help keep kids occupied. read more

If you asked me what a good shopping mall should have I'd say: convenient location, ample parking, a wide variety of stores, good hours, walkability, entertainment venues, a solid food court, restaurants and of course washrooms in the right places. Does Chinook Centre have all this? Short answer: yes and then some! Full breakdown below: 1) Convenient location? Yup! Right on Macleod and Glenmore with the Chinook LRT located just a short walk away. Small secret, Route 506 is a free shuttle bus service to/from Chinook LRT/Chinook Centre for those who have trouble walking or just need a break. There are also dedicated Mayfair Taxi spots and Car2Go spots, so there are no shortage of options to get to/from Chinook Centre. Score: 5/5 2) Ample Parking? Yes and No, there are over 5,500 spots (most underground) making it Calgary's largest heated parkade. So yes there is ample parking, but the "no" for parking is because you have to know where to look. The front surface lot (East) and most immediate underground areas are typically poor choices. I recommend checking the rear (West) surface lots and underground, but avoid the Nordstrom area (used to be the spot when it was Sears, but busy since Nordstrom came in). Surface covered parkade can be hit and miss out back. Also the area by Shell and Nordstrom out front is usually a safe bet due to its awkward placement lol ;). They even do valet parking at this mall on weekends... lol. Not free like The Core though! You will have to pay. Score: 4/5 3) Store Variety? ABSOLUTELY! A little bit of everything, something for everyone and a range of price ranges from affordable to very high end. With over 250 stores there's really too many to list, check out the list online! Score: 5/5 4) Hours? 9:30am-9:00pm Mon-Sat, Sun/Holidays 11:00am-7:00pm, more than adequate! There are some exceptions on some anchors like Chapters, Shoppers and the Movie Theatre of course (check online). Score: 5/5 5) Walkability? Yup! The layout of this mall is pretty simple to navigate once you're familiar with it. You can even do it pretty strategically to cover both levels with minimal/no overlap if you know what path to take. Escalators and elevators are in the right places. It does get fairly crowded, but the walk ways are wide enough so you can get past the slow pokes. They even categorize the floor plan a bit, for example most cell phone stores are in the same area and most high end stores are in the same area. Score: 4.5/5 6) Entertainment? The best theatre in Calgary (see my separate review for why I think it's the best). There's a bowling alley as well at this mall! No other major activities though. Score 4/5 7) Food Court? Great balance, a little bit of everything from greasy to healthy, from super cheap to a bit more expensive. Sweet to Savoury... you get the point. Score 5/5 8) Restaurants? MMhmmm: JOEY Chinook, State & Main, Bazille, Double Zero Pizza, Boston Pizza, Globefish Japanese Bistro and Chop. Great options, just docking a point for variety, Score 4/5 9) Washrooms? These are so-so, they have them located throughout the mall but they're kind of in these odd spots away from everything and you find yourself rushing to them rather than conveniently using them. Score 3/5 Simply put: Chinook has something for everyone! Given my breakdown above you may be wondering why I gave it a 5/5 overall instead of a 3 or 4. This mall is a 5/5 because it's the best Calgary has to offer despite a couple short comings, if all the malls in Calgary were the exact same distance apart I would always choose Chinook Centre because it offers more overall. Market Mall, South Centre, The Core? No contest... Some might argue CrossIron Mills and it would be close because they have some strong anchors. But Chinook would still edge it out because CrossIron doesn't have the quality of theatre Chinook does nor does it have the restaurant options. So if you only get to visit 1 mall on your next major shopping day, choose Chinook Centre :). read more

CF Chinook Centre - Game of Thrones Finale on the big screen, sure why not! - Shopping Centers Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Way to go, Chinook Centre, you have removed everything that made you interesting: the fabulous mosaic flooring in the centre court, the dinosaur statue, the carousel, the fanciful airplanes that circled above the food court. All of these were removed and replaced with . . . nothing. Empty space. Now you are no different from every other mall in North America. That's sad, really sad. read more

Now I have to start off this review honestly and say that I'm not really into shopping malls to begin with. I avoid crowds, but I love shopping- so if I have to go to the mall, I'm probably going to do it on a weekday morning. My mom and I ventured into Chinook on Saturday specifically to visit La Senza and spend a gift card. It seemed like we were pretty lucky with parking- we found a nice big spot immediately in the back parking lot. I see that other reviews talk about how parking can be a nightmare here, and I can totally see it. They have a valet service, and traffic around the mall was totally bananas by the time we left. The inside of the mall is spacious and quite nice. They have an interesting mix of stores, both high-end and small boutiques. And a LOT of cell phone shops. It took us a very long hike to find La Senza- the mall has a unique layout and it is easy to get lost (and I come from the city of West Edmonton Mall, so I know what I'm talking about here!) However, we did find it and the ladies inside were lovely and very helpful and we managed to spend the whole gift card. So it seems like a pretty decent mall, though it doesn't have many of my favourite stores all in close proximity. Pros: more exercise as part of your shopping experience :) Cons: a LOT of walking. read more

While visiting in Calgary, stopped by the Chinook Centre. It's a great mall. There's utilitarian stores like Sears and Zellers, Apparel stores like Hollister and Roots, as well as Electronics retailers like Best Buy Mobile and Apple Store. It's a good Middle Class mall. The food court has a lot of variety. It also has a large movie theater on site. It's appears to be a good one-stop shopping place. A good place to kill a few hrs. The only thing missing are ultra -Luxury stores like Rolex and Louis Vuitton. There is a Burberry store though. read more

Such a cool mall! Tons of shops and a great fast food too. Highly recommend checking this mall out!

Review #27 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge 2012 Being the closest mall to my place, I like going to Chinook when I am in much need of retail therapy sessions. What's to like: - lots of good shops - not that huge that it will tire you to talk from one end to the other - lots of parking spaces - good size food court They can improve: - maybe add a few more restaurants - improve that main macleod vehicle entrance/exit where most of the time, drivers do not know who has right of way or who's supposed to yield/stop - add a few more restrooms - i dont know who's responsible for that escalator to the theatres but someone needs to fix it cos that's not working most of the time read more

I was heading over to the Chapter's in Chinook Centre when I remembered that I hadn't checked out the new wing yet. Coming down MacLeod Trail South, I spotted a new turn off, which I thought would lead me into the parking lot in front of the new wing. Instead, it lead me straight down into the new North Parkade. This was the start of my venture into the new wing. The new wing is pretty swank. The parking lot itself just smells new. Its got high ceilings, it's well lit, and the little green and red lights above the stalls to tell you whether a spot is open or not actually work. While I walked to the escalator, I even noticed some background music playing. That's right, music in the parkade. Featuring higher end stores that I'm used to seeing in Vegas rather than Calgary (think along the likes of Coach and Burberry), the new wing certainly sparkles in comparison to the Chinook I'm used to. If you're worried about parking, go on a Tuesday evening like I did. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a parking spot, and if you stop in the middle of the mall to look at all the shiny new sights, you won't have to worry about causing any collisions for the people behind you. When I left, I followed the parkade through to the backside of the mall so I could head back downtown. It linked up with the West Parkade before it let me surface. There was a definite transition. I felt like I was crossing over to the wrong side of the tracks. The low ceilings, the dim lighting... the new and the old just don't quite match. read more

Chinook center, is the biggest mall Calgary has. It has undergone several renovations over the years. The addition of the new wing, is very clean and bright. It makes the rest of the mall seem like it needs updating. I like the new underground heated parkade. It makes shopping with the family a little easier. I even like to take my jacket off, and leave it in the car. Also the car has a chance to defrost on those minus 20-30 temps. Located in the mall, is a fair sized food court with huge windows. If anyone remembers the old food court, It was a tiny little thing located by the professional building off the second floor. located in the center, is also a movie theater, with a few arcade games and fast food restos. located also in the center on the lower level is a bowling alley. If you like 5 pin bowling then you'll like this place. (I just hate wearing the shoes). A little history, at the end where the movie theater is located was a Woodwards food floor, which later became a Safeway that was also accessible from the mall. On the outside perimeter their are a few full service restaurants, like Globefish, Joeys, etc. On the outside (not accessible from the mall) is Chop. Its a stand alone, that share the parking lot with Chinook, located on the southside. All the restaurants are not accessible from within the mall, with the exception of Boston pizza. BP is located on the upper level, close to Sears down the west corridor. If your shopping for a B-day present etc or simply for yourself, Chinook is almost certain to have what you need. read more

CF Chinook Centre - Shopping Centers Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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If you know me, you know I've been in the retail world for my entire career. And I still love it. I had only been to Chinook Centre once before on a mall tour so I was excited when the Hubba Hubby suggested we hit up the mall to check out Nordstrom when we were in Calgary last weekend. And what a great experience from start for finish! There's tons of parking and it's all well signed. We ended up in one of their many parkades and it was easy to find parking and then find our way into the mall. The mall itself was also really easy to find, at the corner of two main intersections that was well signed. The two level mall has a ton of great stores - I wasn't specifically looking for anything so I couldn't tell you if they're missing anything obvious - but we loved the selection and the layout. Props to the mall for having a lot of way finding available - both with the handheld mall directory and maps, as well as the electronic versions. The food court is expansive, both in selection as well as seats. The place was packed for a Saturday afternoon but we were able to find great seats next to a fireplace to enjoy some Thai Express. Really, anything that you were in the mood for can be accommodated in this food court! Chinook Centre was clean, which was fantastic to see especially with so many people in the mall that day. And we just got good vibes from it - bright, airy, vibrant, comfortable. read more

I went to check out the Chinook Expansion today. Parked in the North Parkade, in the basement of the new expansion building. The parkade is very well lit and lots of aids to help you find your parking spot. They have thought of everything, especially for handicapped parking spots, which are close to the entrance of the shopping centre. The escalator took me to the main floor of the new expansion buidling where the fancy shops are. It's like being in mini Las Vegas Premium Outlet Shops with all the designer and fancy stores like Burberry, Coach, Fossil etc. I can see many shoppers buying expensive handbags and walking out of the store with their purchase. It's nice and airy in here. It's not so claustrophobic as CrossIron Mills, I find. I think the rest of the mall may have to keep up with the new expansion side. read more

Yes, Chinook Centre is the biggest mall in Calgary (I specify Calgary because I realize that CrossIron Mills mall in Balzac is much bigger now), but I rarely go there. Yes there is a HUGE variety of shops there, but It's ALWAYS packed. Especially during this time of year, it's unbearably packed and it's only going to get worse in the weeks approaching December. And although I absolutely LOVE their movie theatre, I find the mall and the store owners to be rather pretentious. The last time I went there, I asked a store owner if I could try something on and she just looked at me and responded by saying "ONLY if you're seriously considering buying it". Well I'll tell ya what, I wouldn't BUY something I didn't try on, so I just turned around and walked out. Definitely not the greatest mall I've been to, and quite frankly even if it was, you wouldn't catch me there very often. read more

Love, love. love the new addition at Chinook. It has definitely added a new feeling to the mall. Here's why I liked it so much.... 1. Parking in the new North parking deck. The ceilings are high enough for my ginormous SUV to fit no problem (just make sure when exiting you don't go through the West parkade because it is very short). The lights to tell you which stalls are open are awesome too. Even on a busy Sunday there was tons of open parking. 2. High end stores & stores that you don't see at every mall. Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Hollister, Burberry, etc. Awesome stores even if you are just there to browse. 3. All that extra square footage means that even on a busy Christmas weekend it wasn't that crowded. All in all, I will be back to finish my Christmas shopping! read more

Chinook, Chinook, Chinook why you gotta be such a weekend gong show?! My gosh, from the moment you drive up (yah, drive up, not even parked) you can feel the eminent chaos that will ensue. Once you find parking, (allot about 10-15 mins to find a spot or you can pay $11 for the valet service) you enter the largest mall in Calgary. I enjoy the selection of stores and restaurants. There are tons of cool stores like Nordstroms, Apple, Sephora and many, many, many others. So if you're looking for something in particular you're almost guaranteed to find it at Chinook. But if you don't like the excessive crowds, the endless lines and the bustle of being contained in a building with 5,000 people do not go to Chinook, well on the weekends. During the weekdays, Chinook is probably one of my happy places in Calgary. read more

Chinook Centre is, for lack of a better phrase, a constant and consistent gong show. Easily Calgary's busiest shopping centre (including the new one out in Balzac, as Chinook is still far more convenient for most Calgarians), visiting this place feels like entering a war zone. It scares me a bit. Chinook is big and filled to the brim with anything you need. My personal favourite is Mexx, although truthfully I don't go there to buy anything. I tend to save my money for the outlet stores, but their Mexx is a good size with great selection. I absolutely love the theatre here, but avoid it on the weekends. It is not designed to accommodate the massive amount of people who show up for new movies. Going up the stairs is depressing, because you see the mess you're about to get yourself into. But they partly make up for it with a Tim Hortons (timmies and a movie = awesome). Chinook has the same flaw found in most malls that I absolutely hate. The open space in the middle to look down or up to another level. Aesthetically, it makes sense for a few reasons. Functionally, it's a complete wast of space. When the mall get's busy - which it does, often - the narrow room fills up quickly. All malls should be designed without that void in the middle. Compared to Market Mall or the new CrossIron Mills, it's like playing frogger on a busy day. But, despite the frustrations found at most malls, Chinook is a great place to do some shopping. read more

I liked this mall a lot! My bf brought me here and we went on a mini shopping spree! 5% tax at the mall for a Toronto girl is amazing! I heard that the mall is recently redone and it looked new and fabulous! I actually saw the mean girl from the bachelor canada behind me in line at AX lol random. I just love Alberta ppl, everyone is so nice even at a crazy packed mall! Wish there was a big Holts here tho! Good selection of stores overall and clean! :) read more

CF Chinook Centre - Parking at the mall with red/green sensors to tell if the spot is taken or not. Some were broken tho :( - Shopping Centers Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

As my flight to ORD was delayed, I took this as an opportunity to check out the Chinook Centre. What's the saying? When in Rome.... Anyway, first thing's first - this mall is ginormous. I was afraid that parking would be a nightmare, but it seemed to flow pretty well and I even scored a spot next to one of the elevators. Win. [However, I had to make sure I snapped a picture of the exact spot I was in as I was convinced that I would get lost and never be able to locate the rental car again.] Store-wise, nothing really seemed to stand out to me. The selection of stores seemed pretty standard and a good mix of both high end and more affordable. I think they have random attractions throughout the mall, like model airplanes or something? The one thing that stood out as different than the US was HUGE food court. Like, what. Tons of Asian food, too - not just Panda express style stuff. Yups. *sigh* After quickly walking through one more side of the mall, I decided it was time to leave as I didn't want to risk missing my flight. And, for those of you that care, I actually navigated my way back to the rental with no problems. Yay to the Tory Burch store reference point. read more

Case Logix Kiosk Chinook Mall. Most crooked kiosk ever. Was there on Saturday December 7, 2019. Overpriced phone cases that they can't seem to make their minds up on what the prices are. Was interested in a case and was told it was $36.00. Went back to possibly get one it and now the price is $42.00. You would get zero stars if it were possible. Never again. read more

Larger, usually more crowded than the other malls, good selection of stores. My hubby gives this Mall 4 stars... me 3. I have seen many a Mall in my day and forgive me for having visions of open air malls in Hawaii but this Mall for me is just average-style. I do not like the location for us, but if you live south, everything you could possibly need is in this Mall. Sephora, Body Shop, Shoppers, Lush etc for the ladies, tons of clothing stores, Sports stores for the guys, Build A Bear for the kids... What I do like is the Food Court and how that is laid out compared to other Malls and how clean it is in comparison too. The Chapters in the Mall is amazing as well as Coach... I could go on and on. The movie theatre right there is attached as well as Chop ( I recommend for drinks only over food) if you want to wet your whistle while you shop! Lots of Mall security who are high visibility - never hurts. So much traffic though. Just getting into the Mall when it is busy on a weekend is nuts! Goes with the territory! Happy Shopping! read more

The crappiest parking in the world. How much did chinook spend on their red/green parking stall light setup, to have an error rate of 80-90% wrong at the start, to utter failure in 3 years? The crazy tight windy underground parking absolutely sucks. They had people directing for pedestrians, but they needed people for directing stalls. They have decent shops, but it's too big for it's own britches in terms of parking. read more

Review #22 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge Pros: Large selection of shopping, lots of name brand stores, there's even a Victoria's Secret. Movie and Imax theatres lots of parking Restaurants Cons: TRAFFIC GETTING INTO THE MALL OFF GLENMORE IS INSANE!!!! It seems like no matter what time of day it is, it's totally freaking backed up with people trying to turn left and go into the mall. And then Macleod gets backed up too. The most frustrating thing about this mall is trying to get in and out and get a parking spot. It's damn annoying. The parkades don't all connect, sometimes it's confusing trying to get out of them. Also if you go to a late movie and went into P2 through the mall entrance they close it off, so you have to go outside into P1 and then walk up the ramp and then into P2 to get your car. I just wish it wasn't so damn busy. Why does everyone like Chinook so much? Why is it so busy? Does everyone live at the mall or something? It's crazy. read more

I moved here from a relatively small city so this mall was like a vacation. There are so many stores that's it's hard to leave empty handed. The area around it is great as well because there are three thrift stores in the area so a whole day of shopping is expected. the c train is also right there so there is easy access to it read more

I have a need/hate relationship with Chinook Centre. Despite all the reasons I don't like visiting, I find myself here about 6 times a year for various reasons. After the expansion, the selection of stores is phenomenal - if I need a variety of items (like for Christmas shopping) this is usually the place I end up (though I'll find a weekday to do the shopping instead of an evening or weekend). I love that there's a Phil & Seb in here and Victoria Secret was a great addition. The minuses? It's extremely busy. Parking is generally non-existent and can be endlessly frustrating. I've had a bad experience with the new underground parkade (fire alarm pulled & it was 1.5 hours before I got out of the parkade, including firemen asking me to not idle when possible due to air quality issues) and it lets out onto Macleod Trail which is pretty inconvenient when traffic is heavy. All the parking lots are generally stuffed full of people during peak times and the 3-way stop in front of the mall off Macleod is a mess at the best of times. Don't bother turning into the mall from northbound Macleod, go the back way through 5th St. All in all, I'll keep visiting Chinook but when I can head somewhere else I do that instead. read more

My love hate relationship with Chinook Centre shifted to hate after battling it out for parking a few days ago. It was insane! I drove slooooooowwwwwlllly around the entire parking lot before scooping up a spot, only to fight the crowds in the mall to do some shopping. Chinook is one massive rectangle which is giant pain in the ass when you want to visit two stores on opposite ends. It's great exercise but bad for time and stress levels. I do love the selection of stores, which is why I love Chinook. I love their tasty and open food court, which is a great place to catch a break, and the events. I love the movie theatre and bowling alley (although I wish they had a grocery store) and I can't wait until they finish renovations... They have all the big box stores in Calgary, a Zellers, Sears and a Bay, a Zara, a Lululemon, an Aritzia, a Rickies, tons of shoe stores, a FCUK, a Mac Store... I could shop forever and the new stuff is going to be tops. But the parking. ARGH. Basically, if I visit Chinook it has to be a day trip to make the huge ordeal worth it. Chinook is great for shopping but badly designed for everything else. Unfortunately it also appears to be the main hub of activity for all of Calgary's High School population. No wonder it's so busy. read more

I'm just going to assume this is for people not from Calgary... because if you've been in Calgary for more than about a month and HAVEN'T been to Chinook, I can only assume you've made the conscious choice to avoid it, and thus don't need my review. This is basically THE mall in Calgary. If there's a major retailer that routinely shows up in malls, there's a pretty good chance it's in Chinook, and it's that kind of "it has everything" mentality that brings me back here again and again and again. It's a well known and accepted fact that most guys aren't mall people, but I'll be the first to admit I'd almost rather go to a store at Chinook rather than a standalone store, cause I know chances are I can kill 3,4 or sometimes 10 birds with one stone here. To add to that, it's not only nice and close to a C-Train station (about 3 blocks away), but if you're too lazy to walk THAT (and sometimes I am) there's even a FREE shuttle bus that runs from the station to the south end of the mall, right in front of one of my other main reasons to love this mall.... the movie theater! Sure, these days lots of malls are located right by movie theaters... but there's the catch. This one isn't NEAR the mall, it's ATTACHED to the mall, which (especially in cold Calgary winters) is a very good thing. Add this to the fact that this is, I believe, still the biggest theater in Calgary, the only one with an IMAX screen, and home to one of the cities 2 Ultra AVX auditoriums AND D-Box motion seating, and this is one "best in the city" location attached to another. How do you beat that? Of course, if you're driving, you should be aware that parking here can get a bit crazy at times, and leave some people pulling their hair out... but given that you're going to the most frequented mall in the city which is built at the intersection of two of the main drags (thus negating the chances of a big lot) that's to be expected, and I think they do a lot better than I would have expected, given the circumstances. (Bit of a tip, if you enter from the west into the area behind, or park in the garage beside the theater, these are probably your best options in terms of finding a spot.) ...and besides, how many times can you say you've been to a food court that practically looks like an amusement park? That alone should win it some cool points there. read more

Ah, the Chinook Mall. It has morphed so much over the years. At one point back when I lived in Canmore, this would be the mall we would *always* hit up when we came to town. They have always had a great variety of shops, which was a godsend as a kid. I have two older sisters, so while they and my mom would spend hours clothes shopping for this and that, my dad and I would hit up the electronics stores and anything else not related to clothes. I quite enjoy the expansion they have done, except the part where it's made parking that much more of a pain. These days, I'm more likely to just avoid it all together unless I'm looking for something specific (ie at one point the Phil and Sebastian coffee shop there was the closest one to me). On the upside, their food court is quite spacious, with lots of windows at one end - that makes it feel quite huge, and depending on the time of the year, the sun will blast through. Inevitably, I'll be back. However, I will likely opt to go via transit, as parking can be quite nightmarish. read more