I am moving to Edmonton

[Antithesis]

My wife and I enjoyed our time in Edmonton when we were there for university. Of course, we were not really in any sort of position to buy a place when we were there, but we always did love the Garneau area. Can't speak to its affordability, but that's my contribution!

[TorqueDog]

Personally, I hate Calgary's obsession with diamond and parclo interchanges. Lights are the bane of my existence. Free-flooooooow.

Originally Posted by Locke

No kidding. 41 Edmonton Oilers jerseys per year so that you can throw one on the ice per game.

Assuming you're a 1%er and buy $300 authentic jerseys thats an additional $12,300 per year just in shame costs alone.

And if you want to spray Dallas Eakins in the face with a water bottle, well, that costs a whole lot more.

I suppose unless you catch him when hes dropping his kid off at school. Then it would be cheaper, but thats cold. Ice cold.

Costs more? It pays $6 million USD a year.

[Free Ben Hur!]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I live in downtown Edmonton, I like it.

I go to most surrounding suburbs via my job as a prosecutor. I hate St Albert more than any other community (white people problems, whining, too many speed cameras), Sherwood park has poor air quality and a lot of meth heads. Spruce grove and stony plain are fine but you can get backed up on the yellowhead for your commute.

Whatever you do, don't buy anywhere where you have to cross a bridge to get to work, it will double your commute.

I would probably look at Griesbach if I were you. Don't live on the southside if you're working on the north side. The henday can still get backed up, especially in winter. People drive 30km an hour in this city whenever there is a snow flake! it's maddening.

I plan to eventually move away from downtown to Blatchford when it gets built.

Lol - I take it you are unfamiliar with the bronze haze that Calgary's river valley, including all of downtown, marinates in on many, many days a year?

I've lived in Sherwood Park for a decade and don't know if I've come across a single meth head. May have something to do with your line of work. This is a fairly affluent community, our bums drink Chivas here.

For as much as I wan't to move back to Calgary, because I think it's overall a better place to live and also where I grew up, when I get to thinking about the practicalities of day-to-day city life I wonder if a suburb in Calgary can offer this kind of convenience:

Distance from home to (per google maps):

2 minute drive / 11 minute walk:

Work (nearest commercial building to my house - 3 stop signs) / gas station / convenience store (x2 includes post office), Purolator, hair cut place (x 2), Neighbourhood Latte Sipping Station, liquor store / spa / vehicle registry.

3 minute drive:

Liquor Store / Fast food (x2) / Dry Cleaners / health clinic (includes xray's and lab) / neighborhood pub (x3), (Comedy Club, unfortunately, just shut down).

4 minute drive:

Golf course / Grocery Stores (Costco, Save On, Safeway), Fast food (x5), Drug store (x2) Family restaurants (Tilted Kilt, Famoso, Vietnamese place, Denny's, Joey Tomatoes, Boston Pizza, Ricki's).

5 minute drive:

Home Depot / Rona / Gym (x2) / Canadian Tire / Earls / Lowes/ Dentist / Doctor / another neighborhood pub / more fast food / 3 more latte sipping stations / Staples / UPS / hotel (x3)

Just about every commodity or service within about5 minutes or two kilometers. Something to think about if you are relocating to greater Edmonton.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Free Ben Hur!

Lol - I take it you are unfamiliar with the bronze haze that Calgary's river valley, including all of downtown, marinates in on many, many days a year?

I've lived in Sherwood Park for a decade and don't know if I've come across a single meth head. May have something to do with your line of work. This is a fairly affluent community, our bums drink Chivas here.

For as much as I wan't to move back to Calgary, because I think it's overall a better place to live and also where I grew up, when I get to thinking about the practicalities of day-to-day city life I wonder if a suburb in Calgary can offer this kind of convenience:

Distance from home to (per google maps):

2 minute drive / 11 minute walk:

Work (nearest commercial building to my house - 3 stop signs) / gas station / convenience store (x2 includes post office), Purolator, hair cut place (x 2), Neighbourhood Latte Sipping Station, liquor store / spa / vehicle registry.

3 minute drive:

Liquor Store / Fast food (x2) / Dry Cleaners / health clinic (includes xray's and lab) / neighborhood pub (x3), (Comedy Club, unfortunately, just shut down).

4 minute drive:

Golf course / Grocery Stores (Costco, Save On, Safeway), Fast food (x5), Drug store (x2) Family restaurants (Tilted Kilt, Famoso, Vietnamese place, Denny's, Joey Tomatoes, Boston Pizza, Ricki's).

5 minute drive:

Home Depot / Rona / Gym (x2) / Canadian Tire / Earls / Lowes/ Dentist / Doctor / another neighborhood pub / more fast food / 3 more latte sipping stations / Staples / UPS / hotel (x3)

Just about every commodity or service within about5 minutes or two kilometers. Something to think about if you are relocating to greater Edmonton.

These two words do not belong together.

[Acey]

I like it here so far. It's pretty much Calgary with less traffic.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Huh? What does this mean?

And I'm cooled off. Edmonton vs Calgary is just hilarious here.

Didnt mean anything. They were just some words of advice.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Acey

I like it here so far. It's pretty much Calgary with less traffic.

incorrect

[Free Ben Hur!]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

These two words do not belong together.

Awesome. Thank you, UCB, for the on-topic post and for riffing once more on the Edmonton blows theme.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by flameswin

incorrect

Where I live in the south end, that is the case. In Calgary I'd plan my day around traffic, but where I have to go in Edmonton it doesn't matter. I'm sure Sherwood or St. Albert to downtown are brutal, but I don't make that trip so I don't care. I'll amend my post to say, "the part of Edmonton where I live, traffic doesn't dictate my day like it did in Calgary"

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Acey

Where I live in the south end, that is the case. In Calgary I'd plan my day around traffic, but where I have to go in Edmonton it doesn't matter. I'm sure Sherwood or St. Albert to downtown are brutal, but I don't make that trip so I don't care. I'll amend my post to say, "the part of Edmonton where I live, traffic doesn't dictate my day like it did in Calgary"

lol what?

Never go to a major American city.

[Acey]

The fact that traffic in American cities is horrible does not change the fact that I planned my day so as to avoid being on the road at rush hour, luckily I had the flexibility to do so.

Not sure what your point is.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Acey

I like it here so far. It's pretty much Calgary with less traffic.

Not really. I'd say it's more like Winnipeg with freeways.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Not really. I'd say it's more like Winnipeg with freeways.

Henday's like Stoney, Calgary Tr/Gateway is like Macleod, Whitemud kinda like a Deerfoot, downtown on a similar river, St. Albert, Sherwood, Spruce Grove are like Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane. Similar LRT development planning, both cities oil driven obviously. I feel you could argue either way...

[Lego Man]

Moving out of Edmonton was by far the best life decision I've ever made.

[CalgaryFan1988]

When I was working, Edmonton was a fine city. Traffic was good, weather is good 3 seasons of the year, etc....

It's your days off that I found really suck in Edmonton. Wife and I like going for drives and seeing new places. Edmonton is far from everything, but a real step up from Ft Mac. The OP will like it IMO.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Acey

Henday's like Stoney, Calgary Tr/Gateway is like Macleod, Whitemud kinda like a Deerfoot, downtown on a similar river, St. Albert, Sherwood, Spruce Grove are like Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane. Similar LRT development, both cities oil driven obviously. I feel you could argue either way...

Totally.

The rest of the city feels like Winnipeg; potholes that can eat family pets, a lackluster downtown, not a terribly 'pretty' place to live, very similar weather. So take all those freeways you mentioned and plop them in Winnipeg and boom, Edmonton.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Acey

Henday's like Stoney, Calgary Tr/Gateway is like Macleod, Whitemud kinda like a Deerfoot, downtown on a similar river, St. Albert, Sherwood, Spruce Grove are like Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane. Similar LRT development, both cities oil driven obviously. I feel you could argue either way...

come on now. This is accurate if your criteria is "LRT exists"

[MrMastodonFarm]

Calgary's LRT is vastly superior to Edmonton's. Edmonton is trying to play catch up, in a major way.

Calgary LRT has over 86 million yearly riders, 53 KM's of track and 43 stations.
Edmonton LRT only has 33 million yearly riders, 21 km's of track and a paltry 15 stations.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by nik-

come on now. This is accurate if your criteria is "LRT exists"

Obviously one is superior to the other, but Edmonton's actually started construction first. I just meant both cities started developing light rail right around the same time.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Acey

Obviously one is superior to the other, but Edmonton's actually started construction first. I just meant both cities started developing light rail right around the same time.

Started construction first, only spent half a billion less (2 in Edmonton to 2.5 for Calgary) and have about 1/3rd the system and ridership. Saying similar development is pretty misleading.