Edmonton advice - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

GreenTeaFrapp · 01-08-2009, 04:13 PM

So I'm going to spending quite a bit of time in Edmonton over the next few months for work. Not exactly the first place I'd like to be going but at least there are direct flights there from Ottawa.

Anyway, I'll be right downtown so I could use some advice on places to eat, hotel to stay at and places that will show NHL games that don't involve the home town team.

My boss recommends the Westin but if there's somewhere better I'd be up for that since the Trip Advisor reviews for the Westin aren't great. My main concerns would be a decent fitness center, good internet access and quality room service.

Is there a grocery store anywhere in downtown Edmonton? Is their transit system as bad as it looks from its website? Why does their light rail line seem to go nowhere? Shouldn't it at least go to their biggest attraction, West Edmonton Mall?

Tyler · 01-08-2009, 04:15 PM

Do you like perogies?

Phanuthier · 01-08-2009, 04:19 PM

The bus system isn't bad, but the LRT won't take you anywhere important really. You can catch a bus to West Ed pretty easily. I personally enjoy going to BP's Lounge for a game, especially around UofA cause of all the Calgarians that go to UofA. Eating downtown isn't bad, there's lots of neat restraunts downtown especially on Jasper Ave.

Just a note on West Ed, its not really a place you go shopping (there is a FCUK

). Back when I was in Edmonton, a night there included dinner, a trip to the firing range (wild wild west) and a movie (cheap movie theator and IMAX are both there) or the comedy club there which is better then any Yuk Yuk's I've ever been to. If you are thinking about going there for shopping or to see really cool shops, you'll be disappointed.

Sylvanfan · 01-08-2009, 04:19 PM

There is a Save On foods downtown as a grocery store. I think it's on 105th street. Down town is not all that lively for places to eat as say Whyte Avenue which you can get to easily enough from the University LRT station, but there are a few decent places there. The transit system is not great as the LRT basically does from the University through Downtown to the Sports Stadiums to the part of town that no one wants to live in anymore. As Phaneuthier said though to get a bus from Jasper avenue to the WEM is pretty easy though and they run pretty often. Than again the WEM isn't that much of an attraction unless you have to go to one of the more specialty stores that is only there.

SportsJunky · 01-08-2009, 04:22 PM

I'm in Edmonton about 50% of my time right now. I like the Sutton Place downtown. Decent rates and underground parking which is a must for me in the winter. I sometimes stay at The Mayfield which is right around the corner from the Mall. It has a killer fitness centre and great internet. Good restaurants but crappy room service selection.

I haven't tried the Westin in Edmonton.

rubecube · 01-08-2009, 04:22 PM

Make sure if you're going to a fancy restaurant that you wear your best sweatpants and good shoes.

DuffMan · 01-08-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubecube

Make sure if you're going to a fancy restaurant that you wear your best sweatpants and good shoes.

Wearing your pajama bottoms to go out is the new hotness.

Buff · 01-08-2009, 04:54 PM

Get a new job, and make sure they don't do business in Edmonton!

One place to eat that you must absolutely look up is Badass Jack's. I love that place. Its fast food but they make the best wraps I've ever had. www.badassjacks.com

For shopping there is Kingsway Mall. I don't think it is all that far from downtown. Probably an easy bus ride away. If you haven't been to West Ed then it is at least worth checking out. It has a lot of shops that you would find in most other malls, but its still something to see.

I recently stayed at the Crown Plaza downtown. Its old, but it wasn't bad. It is a couple of blocks away from a mall... I can't recall the name but I think it was City Center? I only went to the theatres there and didn't pay much attention to the shops in the mall.

Just remember one thing. Don't expect much and maybe you'll be more suprised with the city.

GreenTeaFrapp · 01-08-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

Do you like perogies?

Love them as long as they don't have nasty fillings.

GreenTeaFrapp · 01-08-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Just a note on West Ed, its not really a place you go shopping (there is a FCUK

). Back when I was in Edmonton, a night there included dinner, a trip to the firing range (wild wild west) and a movie (cheap movie theator and IMAX are both there) or the comedy club there which is better then any Yuk Yuk's I've ever been to. If you are thinking about going there for shopping or to see really cool shops, you'll be disappointed.

So the WEM doesn't have all the standard mall stores? I figure there must be at least a couple of stores that we don't get in Ottawa. Plus, I get to take advantage of the fact that you spoiled Albertans don't have a PST.

Is there a better mall for shopping in Edmonton then?

GreenTeaFrapp · 01-08-2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

I'm in Edmonton about 50% of my time right now. I like the Sutton Place downtown. Decent rates and underground parking which is a must for me in the winter. I sometimes stay at The Mayfield which is right around the corner from the Mall. It has a killer fitness centre and great internet. Good restaurants but crappy room service selection.

I'm not going to stay anywhere but downtown. The client's office is downtown and the thing I'm looking forward to the most is being able to walk to work. Staying by the Mall doesn't make sense to me. I might visit it once or twice, not hang out there on a regular basis.

So how is the fitness center at Sutton Place? What sort of equipment does it have?

Phanuthier · 01-08-2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

So the WEM doesn't have all the standard mall stores? I figure there must be at least a couple of stores that we don't get in Ottawa. Plus, I get to take advantage of the fact that you spoiled Albertans don't have a PST.

Is there a better mall for shopping in Edmonton then?

WEM has all the stores as you probably have back home... The Bay, Zellers, 5 La Senza's, Sport Chek, Forzani's, Underground, GAP etc. If you want to save a couple bucks, yeah I guess you could buy something at WEM. Just saying, just cause its a big mall doesn't mean there is variety. I dunno what you are really looking for in shopping, I'm not really a fashion expert, but there's a mall downtown that should probably suite some of your needs.

GreenTeaFrapp · 01-08-2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buff

Get a new job, and make sure they don't do business in Edmonton!

My company generally deals with local clients. But the Edmonton branch didn't have the expertise to meet the client's demands so they reached out to the Ottawa branch. Lucky me.

Quote:

I recently stayed at the Crown Plaza downtown. Its old, but it wasn't bad. It is a couple of blocks away from a mall... I can't recall the name but I think it was City Center? I only went to the theatres there and didn't pay much attention to the shops in the mall.

Did you check out the fitness center for it? Did you have any problems with Internet? I hate having to spend an hour or two trying to get internet issues resolved when I check into a hotel.

Quote:

Just remember one thing. Don't expect much and maybe you'll be more suprised with the city.

I'm not expecting much but it could be worse. I successfully turned down some work in Saskatchewan last year.

Temporary_User · 01-08-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

Do you like perogies?

Can someone fill me in on this joke once and for all?
I'm not a native Calgarian, so I have never understood it. I have asked some of my native Calgarian friends before (some even now living in Edm) and they told me they never heard it before. Is it strictly a CP thing?

SportsJunky · 01-08-2009, 05:30 PM

Edmonton has a large Ukranian population.

GreenTeaFrapp · 01-08-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

WEM has all the stores as you probably have back home... The Bay, Zellers, 5 La Senza's,

FIVE La Senza's! FANTASTIC! I get to be the creepy guy checking out women's underwear in five different places all under one roof! And even better, I don't have to worry about running into anyone I know.

SportsJunky · 01-08-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

I'm not going to stay anywhere but downtown. The client's office is downtown and the thing I'm looking forward to the most is being able to walk to work. Staying by the Mall doesn't make sense to me. I might visit it once or twice, not hang out there on a regular basis.

So how is the fitness center at Sutton Place? What sort of equipment does it have?

Actually for some reason I want to say that there isn't a gym at the Sutton Place. I'd just google it if you can.

Edmonton's downtown is really small so I'm guessing you won't have much difficulty walking to the office.

Sylvanfan · 01-08-2009, 05:42 PM

Kingsway Garden mall has most of the same stores that West Ed does, minus a few specialty ones. Just beware that it's not in the nicest neighbourhood and you will have a take a bus to get there from Downtown. When you go to Kingsway compared to West Ed....you notice that it's a different clientele in terms of income bracket, but it is less crowded. I will admit that West Edmonton has a few of the attractions that Phaneuthier talked about, problem is that if you do want to stay there past say 9:00 at night, I'd highly reccommend a cab home. Edmonton's bus system is like the movie Underworld after about 10:00 at night.

Southgate Centre is pretty comparable to Kingsway and from Downtown you can take the LRT to the Health Sciences station and than get a bus pretty easily too. Southgate has a bit higher end clientele than Kingsway.

If you feel like living Dangerously...walk from Kingsway to Rexall along 118th, or Alberta Avenue. I made that mistake one night and found that in the street among the traffic was a much safer place to be than on the sidewalk amongst the locals.

Sainters7 · 01-08-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

WEM has all the stores as you probably have back home... The Bay, Zellers, 5 La Senza's, Sport Chek, Forzani's, Underground, GAP etc. If you want to save a couple bucks, yeah I guess you could buy something at WEM. Just saying, just cause its a big mall doesn't mean there is variety. I dunno what you are really looking for in shopping, I'm not really a fashion expert, but there's a mall downtown that should probably suite some of your needs.

Exactly. West Ed's huge, but in reality for clothing places you'd be looking at, it doesn't really have anything more than you'd find at, say, Chinook...unless you're a complete chotch, because in that case you could go to Europa Blvd in the mall and pick up a nice pair of pre-ripped $300 jeans. That area is for the most part where all the dousches shop. All the good stuff's in phase III. The rest of the mall is alot of useless trinket stuff, plus remember there's a massive movie theatre, hotel, casino, waterpark, big body of water(complete with a pirate ship, underwater submarine rides, and a seal show) and indoor theme park(plus 2-3 food courts), and several bars(even a couple clubs). That's why its so big. It's not like its just row after row of awesome stores. It's just a big tourist trap.

Personally I'd say go to Kingsway. It's right downtown, where you wanna stay, and its also a huge mall(for some reason Edmontonians like their massive malls). It'll have everything you need. As for the LRT, its a complete joke. It barely leaves the downtown core. I can't believe a city of that size has such an awful LRT system, its surprising.

If you wanna look around at cool shops, go down to Whyte Ave. It's by the University, which isn't very far from downtown. Its all outdoors, so its obviously a little cold now, you may wanna wait until April or so. But there's tons of cool stuff to see down there, and might I recommend chillin on the patio at Julio's Barrio and havin their nachos(obviously when it warms up).

As for hotels, I can honestly say I've never stayed at a hotel in this city before, so I'm no help there. But there's a really nice gym downtown called Centre Club(its affiliated through World Health Club). Two level gym, plus its got racketball, a basketball court, steamroom/hot tub, and some other stuff(haven't worked out there in five years, I'm sure its added some things). Its on 104th Ave, only a couple blocks up from MacEwan College, right next to the Staples. Pretty much right downtown. It could possibly be the best gym in the city.

And Sylvanfan's right about the grocery store. It's on 109th St, a couple of blocks after you pass MacEwan heading towards Jasper Ave(100th). It's a big Save-On, you're looked after there. All the stuff I've told you about is within a few blocks of each other, around the MacEwan College campus. I'm sure there's some good hotels around there.

SportsJunky · 01-08-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

If you wanna look around at cool shops, go down to Whyte Ave. It's by the University, which isn't very far from downtown. Its all outdoors, so its obviously a little cold now, you may wanna wait until April or so.

I second this. Whyte Ave is a nice little shopping area with tons of character.