Kelowna

[Shazam]

Vernon has no real downtown, but Davison Orchard is fantastic, and they have the best sandwich in the universe.

Kelowna's really cleaned up the last few years. Almost the whole of Lakeshore Road is very nice. If you haven't been there in the last three years there's been a bunch of improvements.

[Street Pharmacist]

Such an odd take in the Okanagan. Where are these unkempt houses and garbage??

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Such an odd take in the Okanagan. Where are these unkempt houses and garbage??

Not odd at all. Come to Penticton. Plenty just off the beach around their downtown.

[peter12]

I have no idea how anyone could go to the Okanagan and not notice the higher proportion of riffraff and garbage.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Having spent a lot of time in Kelowna in the last 5 years, there are undoubtedly a bunch of beautiful areas.

I don't notice any garbage. Like if we are talking street garbage in populated areas I call BS. It is no different than Calgary.

There are definitely some ugly areas though. Huge sections of highway 97 around and thru Kelowna seems ugly to me with all the industrial areas and crappy used car places and old junky stores. This continues onto the west side and into peachland around where that boarded up gas station is.

The way that Kelowna is so spread out, I find you see a fair amount of dumpy acreages when you drive around On the "back roads".

Downtown is quite nice nowadays but you don't have to go far from Berrard to find some ghetto areas. The area around the mill and that sunkist? factory by Ellis? is being upgraded, by the new police station iirc, but it needs some work. On the opposite side of downtown, there are some sketchy side streets once you pass earls. Sorry not good on my directions or streets.

However when I hear horror stories of needles galore in the parks I laugh because that whole walkway from around the 97 bridge all the way past the Delta is now quite clean and pretty. Maybe 10 years ago but it is quite pristine now. My family has been there 5 years and we'd heard stories but we've never seen that stuff.

I've been to Penticton and Vernon less frequently but they also seem fine. I've been along that beach stretch in Penticton numerous times and it seemed quite pedestrian friendly and clean. I've been to the arena numerous times too for the young stars tourney.

[Street Pharmacist]

I'm sure I can find some unkempt houses in Calgary. In fact, I know I can

[Peanut]

The first time I drove to Kelowna, we were shocked at how dumpy Sicamous was. Nicknamed it "The Sicamous Garbage".

I find Vernon and Kelowna to be much better but I know what people are talking about when they say their impression of the area is that there seems to be an above average amount of unkempt yards/homes.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

I'm sure I can find some unkempt houses in Calgary. In fact, I know I can

Totally. Check out the graffiti on the roof this dump.

[Shazam]

Meh. Lots of stretches in Calgary that are dumps. Most of Macleod Trail... That hideous yellow house in Vic Park... 12 Ave west of 14 St... The entirety of Forest Lawn... Large parts of Inglewood...

#### I remember when Eau Claire was a garbage dump.

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by peter12

I have no idea how anyone could go to the Okanagan and not notice the higher proportion of riffraff and garbage.

no need for name calling.... these are canuck fans you're talking about and isn't that punishment enough?

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by troutman

If you don't like white and rose wines, the Kelowna wineries won't be for you. The reds aren't usually very good till you get south of Penticton to the border.

There are numerous wineries north of Penticton that have their vineyards for big reds down south of Penticton now. They're not classified as estate wines, but they're grown in the same region with the same typicity as those around Oliver.

My view of the best wines in the OK are La Stella and Le Vieux Pin. They produce very high quality.

For daily consumption, I agree that Moraine is good and I also really like Rover from See ya Later as it's fairly inexpensive and is a really flavourful Cote Rotie style Syrah-Viognier blend.

[Locke]

Having just gotten back from Kelowna, I can understand what some people are talking about in terms of not liking it.

Theres a lot to see and do in Kelowna and the surrounding area, but it really reminds me of being in the LA Suburbs. Its hot, a lot of people have chosen alternatives to grass lawns and gone to water-less options, but yeah, huge chunks of Kelowna are a strip-mall and washed out suburb wasteland.

Theres parts of Kelowna that are amazing, waterfront parks, beaches, West Kelowna, the wineries. But if you're just some kid going to school in Kelowna and your parents dont have a house on the hill with a boat its nothing special.

All in all though, its a really nice place to visit.

[Weitz]

In Kelowna here for 5 days.

Worst traffic and light system ever.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Weitz

In Kelowna here for 5 days.

Worst traffic and light system ever.

No kidding! Theres a light pretty much every block without exception.

AND YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST!! SLOW DOWN!!

I cant tell you how many times some Senior on a Rascal just drove through the intersection kind of in the pedestrian walk but kind of in a bike lane and sometimes going in the wrong direction.

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by Weitz

In Kelowna here for 5 days.

Worst traffic and light system ever.

i know the traffic light system has been brought up in the news before. if i recall correctly the big issue is 'jurisdiction' since some of the lights are considered the city's lights while other are considered provincial/federal

i agree 100% - the lights are brutal. it always feels like every light is red.... and it seems to turn red just as i pull up to the intersection

i also don't understand why the city insists on lights at almost every intersection. why can't roundabouts be used more, especially in more residential areas instead of traffic lights?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by bc-chris

i know the traffic light system has been brought up in the news before. if i recall correctly the big issue is 'jurisdiction' since some of the lights are considered the city's lights while other are considered provincial/federal

i agree 100% - the lights are brutal. it always feels like every light is red.... and it seems to turn red just as i pull up to the intersection

i also don't understand why the city insists on lights at almost every intersection. why can't roundabouts be used more, especially in more residential areas instead of traffic lights?

It seems like a borderline manic obsession with traffic calming.

"We are a BICYCLE CITY!!! And dont you ever forget it! SLOW DOWN! You're going TOO FAST! That Octogenarian on a Rascal smoking a cigarette with an oxygen tank almost passed you!! You maniac!!"

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by Locke

It seems like a borderline manic obsession with traffic calming.

"We are a BICYCLE CITY!!! And dont you ever forget it! SLOW DOWN! You're going TOO FAST! That Octogenarian on a Rascal smoking a cigarette with an oxygen tank almost passed you!! You maniac!!"

Bicycle city? Besides Calgary, I've never seen so many one occupant cars on the road. Even in the commuter lane.

[Sainters7]

Just popped in on page 6 and for the first few posts, I could've sworn the "dumpy areas" and whatnot was referring to the very large H.A. element in the valley there. Literally just got to my mom's place in Vernon, we passed a few of em on the road. Shady, man.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

The thing that annoys me about the traffic in Kelowna is that they have an HOV lane on Harvey, but it's on the right side, so everyone that needs to turn ends up in that lane anyway. It's no faster than any other lane.

Driving down Harvey irks me. So slow, so many lights. They obviously planned that city without having any clue how big it would get years later. Too bad they didn't just make Harvey a highway with no lights and just exits and off ramps.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The thing that annoys me about the traffic in Kelowna is that they have an HOV lane on Harvey, but it's on the right side, so everyone that needs to turn ends up in that lane anyway. It's no faster than any other lane.

Driving down Harvey irks me. So slow, so many lights. They obviously planned that city without having any clue how big it would get years later. Too bad they didn't just make Harvey a highway with no lights and just exits and off ramps.

It's awful. And now there's literally nothing they can do about it