Living and Schooling in Lethbridge

[Pooty]

Hey there cp braintrust!

I'm pretty much 100% decided on going to UofL in the fall to get a B.f.A as an undergrad to get into architecture and was just wondering a few things about the school and the city. Pretty much the basics like what areas to rent in, where to party it up, tips for uni life, that kinda stuff. Anything is helpful pretty much! Hopefully there`s a few people here that can help me out.

Thanks in advanced!

[Buff]

If you're going to the U of L, try to stay on the westside, where the University is. Hopefully close enough to walk as parking is crazy at UofL. It takes only 15 minutes max to get anywhere in Lethbridge, unless you're trying to get into the U of L parking lot. Then you add another 5-10 minutes.

I'm getting older and have a young family so I would look for totally different things in a city than a young Uni student. The Duke seems to be forever popular with the students though. My buddies and I like going to MoJo's after hockey. It's a nice pub.

You should already have been looking for a place if you want to stay near the U.

[flames85]

Hi Pooty,
I work at an architecture firm in leth, and did my schooling here as well.

Here's my advice (after living here for 4 yrs):
Living - since your going to the UofL. I would suggest living on the westside, there are tons of places to rent nearby and you wouldn't even have to drive.

Nightlife: well depending on where your coming from... it could be a total let down.
Bars/Clubs: All bars in leth are scuzzy to me, its more a matter of what night it is.
Thursday - Studio 54 is the busiest, Friday / Saturday - Everyone seems to go to Pulse. There is also 'Essies' & 'Boss Hawgs' which are country bars. (not my thing but boss hawgs is usually the busier of the two). Soundgarden is a 21 and up cougar bar, and Top Hat is the strip joint. Most of the crowds are fairly young . (18-25)

Best places to watch flames games: Shark Club in the south, or if you wanna stay on the west i would suggest mojo's or backstreet.

Hope that helps! Welcome to Lethbridge.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by flames85

Hi Pooty,
I work at an architecture firm in leth, and did my schooling here as well.

Here's my advice (after living here for 4 yrs):
Living - since your going to the UofL. I would suggest living on the westside, there are tons of places to rent nearby and you wouldn't even have to drive.

Nightlife: well depending on where your coming from... it could be a total let down.
Bars/Clubs: All bars in leth are scuzzy to me, its more a matter of what night it is.
Thursday - Studio 54 is the busiest, Friday / Saturday - Everyone seems to go to Pulse. There is also 'Essies' & 'Boss Hawgs' which are country bars. (not my thing but boss hawgs is usually the busier of the two). Soundgarden is a 21 and up cougar bar, and Top Hat is the strip joint. Most of the crowds are fairly young . (18-25)

Best places to watch flames games: Shark Club in the south, or if you wanna stay on the west i would suggest mojo's or backstreet.

Hope that helps! Welcome to Lethbridge.

The best place to watch waitresses is Shark Club. I can't say I remember any of their faces though.

[D to the iddy]

Agreed on living on the Westside. There's usually tons of places for University students that are close to school so you can walk (although the wind can make walking suck in the winters). With that, after a couple weeks of classes you should be able to make friends who live in your direction that you can bum a ride off going home (into the wind)

As Flames85 said, it usually depends on the night for partying. All his assessments of the clubs are pretty bang on. I've lived here for about 5 years and it seems like clubs go through about a three year life cycle of being popular so it wouldn't shock me if another club starts making some waves next year.

Three pubs to watch games on the Westside would be The Duke (soon to be Pop's Pub West), Backstreet or Mojo's. I like Mojo's personally but to each their own.

Enjoy the Canadian Windy City!

[Pooty]

yeah, I've already contacted a few people for rentals on the west side, are any specific neighborhoods better than others?

And flames85, what route did you take as an undergrad and where did you get your masters? I've been thinking coming back here to UofC to get the graduate degree.

ps...Thanks!

[Lionel Steel]

I'd say the entire westside is pretty legit rental wise. There are some older areas (mostly closer to the university), but they're still pretty good.

I live about a 5 minute drive away from the university, but I still walk or ride a bike when it's nice out (takes 20-30 minutes).

Parking is kind of a pain in the ass, I'd buy a parking pass online this summer if that's the route you want to go, they're available on the Bridge.

[Sr. Mints]

When I went to ULeth, I rented an apartment in a high-ish rise (concrete foundation=quiet) on the south side, pretty much downtown. 5th Ave and 3rd street or maybe 3rd ave and 5th street--right across from a donut place called The Spudnut Shop, and down the street from a descent pizza place. Rent started at about $400/month up to $550 by the end of 2005.

I cycled to school across the coulee when the snow wasn't a hindrance, and took a bus other days; the transit system got me from downtown to campus very easily.

There were times I regretted not living on the west side: on those days when it was -20 with 200km/hr winds, it was pretty tough to get out of bed. And there seemed to be a lot of those days. I wasn't too much into going to the bar, so I can't help you there.

Also, there's this funky smell that appeared seemingly at random all around the city. It is the most vile thing, and simply thinking about it turns me green. Sometimes I wondered if I was the only one to notice it. Don't leave your windows open at night in the summer, the smell is sneaky like a dog fart, only 100 times worse.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Also, there's this funky smell that appeared seemingly at random all around the city. It is the most vile thing, and simply thinking about it turns me green. Sometimes I wondered if I was the only one to notice it. Don't leave your windows open at night in the summer, the smell is sneaky like a dog fart, only 100 times worse.

Usually that smell is due to Canbra Foods, which is a Canola oil/margarine manufacturing plant on the north side of the city. The smell usually becomes apparent the odd time that the wind isn't prevailing from the west.

----------

I used to live in Lethbridge. Grew up on the west side. If you don't intend on living in residence, I would recommend staying on the west side just due to proximity to school. Most places on the west side are a walkable distance from the University, but if you want to optimize walkability, stay in Varsity Village east of McMaster Blvd. The only tricky thing if you don't have a vehicle could be grocery shopping. There's a Safeway on the west side, but it isn't the easiest to walk to from the areas near the University. There is a Shopper's Drug Mart that is very close to the University that carries some food though.

You can find the odd dive on the west side, but really if you've rented in or are familiar with most other cities, including Calgary, there's not much that would surprise you. The oldest houses/townhouses/apartments you will find on the west side are 35 years old. The communities on the west side in order of oldest to newest are Varsity Village, Indian Battle, Ridgewood Heights, Mountain Heights, Heritage Heights, Mountain Heights, West Highlands. Then there's Riverstone, Copperwood and Sunridge which are still developing. Not surprisingly, these are also roughly ordered in distance from closest to furthest from the University. You'll find most of the rental stock in Varsity Village and Indian Battle.

For pubs, the Duke is a U of L student mainstay. Backstreet is a good time, and I'm not all that familiar with Mojo's, only been in a couple times, but it seemed alright. Average Joe's Sports Bar on the south side is a good place to watch a game.

You'll find most regional amenities on the south side. Park Place Mall is really the only indoor shopping mall worth mentioning. Most big box retail is on the south side, as is the central business district and the hospital. The north side is a mix of residential and industrial. Much of the north and south sides are quite a bit older than the west side.

[Jbo]

This thread is great just to see how many CP folk went to U of L.

I graduated in 2007 (different program though)

Same advice as everyone. Stay on the west side. Duke is always popular. Backstreet has amazing hangover food called a Jamie sandwich that is made with pizza dough. Two guys pizza place is awesome for late night pizza.

Bars tend to close and open every semester so I have no idea what is down there anymore.

It is really windy down there, but you get used to it quick.

Edit: Essie's on Monday nights was always fun.

[conroy22]

Have you thought about living in Rez? If you are just graduating from high school, it is a great place to meet ALOT of friends, and you can roll out of bed and be in class in 10 minutes tops...depending what part of Rez you live in, sometimes don't even have to walk outside. I was a resident assistant there two years ago, and am going on my fourth year living in Rez, so if you have any questions about it, feel free to message me!

As for nightlife, studio is always full of people. Everyone else pretty much covered everything. One of the grest things about living in rez is when you go to the bar, you can walk in and know a largr majority of the people there. Ad if you live on the west side, it is always easy to hop into any, regardless if you know thepeople, because the majority of students live on the west side. The plaza that has backstreet and the duke (although sadly it closed...turning into another pub I guess), shoppers, macs, KFC and taco time is a block away from the university, real handy.

Lethbridge at times can become a really hard place to try and find an
apartment to live in, so I suggest doing some research and going to take a look at places sooner rather then later!

[Lunatik]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Also, there's this funky smell that appeared seemingly at random all around the city. It is the most vile thing, and simply thinking about it turns me green. Sometimes I wondered if I was the only one to notice it. Don't leave your windows open at night in the summer, the smell is sneaky like a dog fart, only 100 times worse.

it's not that random, it's Canbra foods and you're right it is putrid

________________________________________________-

Now for my thoughts on Lethbridge... I can't help with university life, but I have lived in Lethbridge my entire life. The bar scene is crap, the places seem dirty and if you are older than about 22 you feel out of place. We do have some decent pubs though, for sports bars Shark club is widely considered the best, I always preferred Average Joe's, but I haven't been there since they relocated.

for renting being a student as others have stated you will probably want to go west, there always seem to be quite a few good deals over there

[Professor Successor]

Originally Posted by Buff

The best place to watch waitresses is Shark Club. I can't say I remember any of their faces though.

I would give my vote to Backstreet on the Westside. More my style (both in terms of the bar and the staff; added bonus: they have faces! ), but both places have their merits I suppose.

Clubs
As for the nightlife, I will echo the "ugh" consensus already stated in this thread. Almost every bar plays the same music and rotates through the same clientele. I would, and do, prefer to save some cash for gas money and go up to Calgary once or twice a month as opposed to falling into the usual routine down here. But being your first year, I'd still check it out and see what you think. Maybe I'm just a jaded 4th year student.... Though if I'm drunk already, Jurassic Park (Soundgarden) is pretty fun. I feel as though it offers a glimpse into my future....for better or for worse.

Housing
But yeah, if you haven't stated already start scanning kijiji and the off-campus housing websites for places. I just moved to a new one and heard from the lady who manages the building that a lot of students (especially overseas students) are already renting. I don't know your budget or your living plans, but there are still some pretty affordable basement suites and apartments out there. I'd say definitely try to get something for July 1 at the latest. If you aren't ready to move yet most places will cut you a deal on rent until the semester starts. So ask, even if they don't advertise it.

Parking
I will also testify to parking being a bitch at the school. But i save money by only buying a pass for the first semester. I've never got a ticket in the past 2 years in the winter semester using the expired one, just so long as i stay in the same lot. If you want cheap parking, the church across the street has some sort of deal for students...but I've eitehr lived to close or been to lazy to check it out

Things to do
I'm getting my BFA as well and it's not a bad little arts town. And if you like nature, even better. There are a couple nice parks nearby and the riverbottom is a nice bike ride. The winters are considerably less fun, especially given clubs and pubs are pretty much the primary public entertainment option.

Restaurants
One thing I wasn't execting to find down here were all the quality restaurants. A few of my favourites are

Saigonese for Pho (and Vietnamese in genreal)
2 Guys Pizza (for delivery)
Tops Pizza (for dine in)
Firestone (for something a little classier but affordable)
O'shos (for sushi)
Bento Box (for a quick lunch)
Taj* (for indian, which includes an all you can eat buffet that lets you take home a doggie bag)
Abyssinian (Ethipoian)
The Guest Haus (for greasy brunch buffet/breakfast)

*the only restaurant I listed that is on the Westside. There are very view amenities on the Westside compared to the North and South but it looks like that might slowly be changing. And it is true, you can get pretty much anywhere in the city in under 15 minutes.

[Lunatik]

Originally Posted by Professor Successor

Restaurants
One thing I wasn't execting to find down here were all the quality restaurants. A few of my favourites are

Saigonese for Pho (and Vietnamese in genreal)
2 Guys Pizza (for delivery)
Tops Pizza (for dine in)
Firestone (for something a little classier but affordable)
O'shos (for sushi)
Bento Box (for a quick lunch)
Taj* (for indian, which includes an all you can eat buffet that lets you take home a doggie bag)
Abyssinian (Ethipoian)
The Guest Haus (for greasy brunch buffet/breakfast)

*the only restaurant I listed that is on the Westside. There are very view amenities on the Westside compared to the North and South but it looks like that might slowly be changing. And it is true, you can get pretty much anywhere in the city in under 15 minutes.

I once heard Lethbridge has more restaurants per capita than any city in the country

I do have 1 question though... when did Taj move to the Westside? I haven't been there in a couple years but last I knew It was closer to downtown


and its Guesthouse


edit: I would like to add that the Saigonese is an amazing place, its my favorite place in the city by far.

[likwid888]

Originally Posted by Lunatik

I once heard Lethbridge has more restaurants per capita than any city in the country

I do have 1 question though... when did Taj move to the Westside? I haven't been there in a couple years but last I knew It was closer to downtown


and its Guesthouse

The old Taj is still around, they just opened up a new one on the west side. It never seems too busy though.

[Lunatik]

Originally Posted by likwid888

The old Taj is still around, they just opened up a new one on the west side. It never seems too busy though.

very nice, thanks for the info. not that i ever make it to the westside

[J pold]

Just graduated from the U of L and was down in Lethbridge for two years, loved every minute of it.

[Temporary_User]

Everyone is mentioning parking at the university. There is a church across the street from the university that allows students to park there for free. Plus they hold a free BBQ at the beginning of the year (same day they hand out their free parking passes). Go to this BBQ early, get some free food and parking pass.

Living situation, as everyone mentioned you want to be on the westside. Don't even think about looking elsewhere.
If you are 18-19 maybe even 20 look into living in res for your first year. I can't see how you would regret it.

I moved out of Lethbridge just under a year ago, so I'm shocked to hear that the Duke closed down. It did seem like it wasn't doing as well this year as previous years, so I guess I could understand.
Nightlife is what you make of it. Everyone who is saying it is "ugh" or "meh" is probably not a student.
As a student the nightlife is pretty good. Lots of parties and the bars down there have more of a house party vibe since most of the patrons are students. The nightlife is comparable to Calgary.

[Jbo]

The Duke closed down?

[likwid888]

Nightlife

Best Night Clubs

• Pulse - I'm guessing you're a young post-secondary student, so this is a good, young meat market for male students. Typical ######y night club music.
• Studio 54 - A bit of a dirty bar, with lower class clientele, but always busy and usually has the cheapest drinks.
• Sound Garden - 21 or Over club. Mostly cougars, but they play a nice mix of music here. Fun to check out once in a while.
• Essies - Country bar. Best place to find women in my opinion. Girls love country music, so you'll find many groups of girls coming here.

Best Place to watch the game

• Shark Club - Hot waitresses and tons of flat screens everywhere. I have always enjoyed the food here as well. What more could you ask for?
• Average Joes - Just re-opened in a new location downtown last year. Big, open and a great sports atmosphere.
• Mojos - Mostly male students, but the only good place on the west side worth watching at.