Moving to Edmonton

[Locke]

Why are you moving? Whats your profession?

[Sylvanfan]

I'll have a place for rent in St.Albert come August 1st, and I'll allow a pet or two so long as you don't try breeding Rotweillers in the spare bedroom....

These days I seldom actually get into the City of Edmonton. Live in St.Albert, and work in Acheson. I don't find it that bad. I just threaten to fire the guys who think the Oilers are any good, so I don't put up with too much crap.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by shane_c

2) How is traffic?
3) How is transit?
4) Are there good bike lanes to both DT and Univ?
5) It seems that Spruce Grove, St Albert and Stoney Plain are popular. How easy to get DT and to the Univ from there?
6) What areas should be avoided for housing? I see some houses fairly close to DT are very cheap so I'm guessing sketchy as well.

Depends on your budget for sure but Westmount/Inglewood is pretty great. Inglewood is cheaper because it is on the other side of 111th Ave but I don't think that actually matters. It is a quick 5 minute drive from there to downtown or the U of A with no traffic. East of Westmount gets into much higher density housing and more downtownish so maybe not ideal for kids but lots of trendy stuff over in Oliver.

South of the river I think it is pretty expensive right around the University and going further than that makes the commute downtown a pain. The Strathcona area is great for access and community but expensive.

On the east side of downtown is a lot of communities that are currently at the earlier end of revitalization and would be considered up and coming. You will be able to buy a place for a great price and the neighbourhoods are becoming pretty trendy but I am not sure how "gentrified" they are so there could be neer-do-wells hanging about.

I don't know much about the surrounding cities and the far flung reaches of Edmonton. Places like Windermere are growing really fast but I can't personally imagine commuting from there every day. No different than living in the deep SE of Calgary and commuting downtown. A lot of people love it but it isn't for me. St. Albert has pretty good connections to downtown and the U of A but I have no idea what traffic is like.

Feel free to send me a note if you have any specific questions.

[Johnny199r]

I lived in Edmonton for a few years, I really liked it.

The two big advantages Calgary has are:

1. Close proximity to the mountains.
2. Way more direct flights to various cities.

[N-E-B]

Idk if this matters to you but Edmonton gets way more and way better concerts than us. The entertainment here is pretty terrible for a city our size.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I lived in Edmonton for a few years, I really liked it.

The two big advantages Calgary has are:

1. Close proximity to the mountains.
2. Way more direct flights to various cities.

3. Calgary has an NHL team

[CaptainCrunch]

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Idk if this matters to you but Edmonton gets way more and way better concerts than us. The entertainment here is pretty terrible for a city our size.

This isn’t true. Edmonton has gotten more of the big acts since the new arena has been built. But a few concerts a year of a very specific variety, if you even care about seeing top 40 acts, is neither way more nor way better.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

We lived in Forest Heights just east of Downtown...as neighbourhoods in Edmonton go it was good

[shane_c]

Thanks for the replies. Budget would be around $350-375k max, of course cheaper is better.

Considering a move for more job opportunities.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by shane_c

Thanks for the replies. Budget would be around $350-375k max, of course cheaper is better.

Considering a move for more job opportunities.

You live in Vancouver long enough you forget there are places, many, many places where you can buy a house on a regular wage, I could sell my beaten up old ex grow op and retire to Edmonton with over a million in the bank and a fully paid for house, but Edmonton, no...damn!

[Ozy_Flame]

1) The easiest jobs for us to get would likely be gov't for her and at UofA for me since that's the field where most of experience is. What would be some good communities to look at that would provide good access to downtown and the university?

If your budget is what it is, I suggest a condo in Oliver or a smaller house in Queen Mary Park. If it's not too far for you, check out Ritchie - it's the up-and-coming neighborhood for younger folks, and has a great brewery (Biera).


2) How is traffic?

I found it's very managable. Better than Calgary's. That said, it depends where you live and where your commute goes. High Level bridge is painful to get to from Downtown at 4:30. On the weekends it's not bad, but people also like to drive - just like in Calgary.

3) How is transit?

Average. It's the same like Calgary, perhaps with a little less service. Underground subway downtown, however, is GREAT in the winter.

4) Are there good bike lanes to both DT and Univ?

As I write this, bike lanes are being installed in Garneau, McKernan, Strathcona, Queen Alexandra, etc. They're going all in from the looks of it, and people actually do use them - even in the winter.

5) It seems that Spruce Grove, St Albert and Stoney Plain are popular. How easy to get DT and to the Univ from there?

Spruce Grove and Stony Plain - not that hard to get to the Uni, and DT is not that far off. Once you are on the Henday, Whitemud is easy and fast, but Fox Drive does back up a bit. YOu might consider taking the Yellowhead and coming in from the North, but Henday/Whitemud/Fox Drive should suffice, takes about 20-30 minutes in the morning. The new Walterdale Bridge has like 4-5 lanes so traffic moves fast once you're through Garneau.

6) What areas should be avoided for housing? I see some houses fairly close to DT are very cheap so I'm guessing sketchy as well.

Boyle Street, MacCauley, Parkdale, and Eastwood can be dicey. Westwood, Spruce Avenue and Alberta Avenue are better by comparison as they are slowly gentrifying and provide inner-city options for younger families. Plus they are becoming student neighborhoods with NAIT and Grant McEwan rapidly expanding their campuses.

Ping me if you want any more advice, I am a recent Calgary transplant myself and - suffice to say - this place has grown on me a bit.

[metallicat]

I think my neighbours house in Newton is going to be up for sale soon. I love my neighborhood. I grew up here and moved back a few years after getting married. I bike to work downtown and it takes me 25 minutes. I'm on paths and bike lanes for at least 75% of the commute. My neighborhood is in the NE so it gets a bad rap, but crime is low and housing turnover is low. People have been here for decades.

Only reason I'd ever leave my neighborhood is if for some reason it became possible for us to buy an acreage.

[DuffMan]

Its only 20 minutes from Airdrie to downtown Edmonton