[Looger]

jumping in after my self-imposed exile (account still active and i've been posthumously accused of holocaust denial so i'll be back anyway to shoot back at some sick *******s) to offer some PG tidbits, i lived there in three stints.

good japanese restaurant in the coast plaza hotel, 'shogun' - a lot like 'japanese village', the chefs are really funny, very interactive experience, and the food is above par.

other good restaurants are 'the achillion' downtown, 'the china sail' in taber area, and a hidden gem on the highway called 'daddios'.

pubs are pretty decent, one with talented staff and an unreal ambiance is 'the publik' at the casino. looks like it should be in scandinavia or something, low leather chairs, red / dark colours, communist propoganda on the walls, and bathrooms that teach you japanese.

sushi scene is weak, though one place up on the hart highway is decent if out of the way. most sushi i found is at all-you-can-eat chinese buffets, of which there are a few.

pizza? best place, again, is up on the hart, called 'hartway pizza'. 'zorbas' is decent as well.

PG is kind of a softball mecca for the surrounding area, great new diamonds by the Y and lots of teams in town.

the bar scene is not bad, lots of out-of-towners and university girls on the weekends, a few standard clubs, a scene i'm not too into anymore but:
'rum jungle' (no relation) - trendy packed or tomblike hip-hop / dance
'fyre' - trendy, young crowd, dance music, top 40
'the generator' - top 40, meat market extraordinaire
'cadillac ranch' - cougar bar - country, top 40
'ironhorse'(renamed) on 1st ave. - hoighty toighty girls, dance music

in general the people-watching is out of this world.

downtown is a total hole. red-light, probably twice as much as calgary, whole neighbourhoods. queensway park/river areas nice during the day and demilitarized zones at night.

the strip club 'joes place' has to be seen to be believed. the wilder nights feature girls in the crowd taking it off for money, i've seen fights between them and the strippers!

mountainbiking is out of this world. 'otway' and 'the love trail' are two accessible ones. anything up by 'forests for the world'.

the natural beauty of this city i think is one of its top points, though all the beetle-kill in the immediate area is clearing out the green of the city big-time.

golf is plentiful and decently-priced, no beer carts and no bunkers:
"Aberdeen" - never played, but is supposed to be awesome. definitely the cream of the crop.
"Aspen Grove" - my fave course. short but nice scenery, good greens, relaxed play.
"Ness Lake" - cheap and parched, terrible greens and lots of mosquitos. but $20 a day is the right price.
"PG Golf and Country Club" - overblown reputation coming from a few years ago when it could afford to be exclusive. dead pine trees necessitating a move out of town.
"Pine Hills" - now called 'no pine hills'. flat and boring par-3.
"Links of Maggy May" - a links course, 9 holes running across a field with the same water hazard. yawn.
"Yellowhead" - very short course, 9 holes, fun but dangerous.

as mentioned outdoor activities are good. i floated down the river this year for kicks, always a decent time. plenty of 4x4 trails - get a hold of the Canfor map!

as for the economy, here's my take. the beetle-kill epidemic has sparked a short-term boom, with mills going up to exploit the 5-7 years everyone seems to think they have. in april i talked to salesmen that had been at mills where the wood was already too dry. it'll be over very soon.

the cargo terminal in rupert won't help out as much as everyone seems to think. the cargo expansion at the airport (lufthansa) will not either until edmonton's muni airport closes. there is some major oil and gas finds lately, but they could sit idle forever. the oil west of mackenzie in particular will be serviced out of PG. the gas pocket by chetwynd will not help PG that much.

house prices are currently higher than they should be, decent houses in college heights going for 200-250, way over what they will be in 5 years when half the mills are closed.

remarkable place in many ways, but very flawed as well. i'd recommend giving it a whirl, there are some peculiarities that are definitely unique.

EDIT: i forgot the new par-3 east of the city which is picturesque and is a 2h 45m play tops. alder hills.