I first spent time in this city in the late 1960’s and early 70’s when a lot of old houses, old hotels and warehouses still existed in downtown Edmonton. It was a time of hippies wandering and hitchhiking, Hari Krishna performing on the streets, and people who offered places to stay, some of which were supposedly haunted. I always maintained a spot in my heart for the city.
However, cities grow, and Edmonton is not the same as it
was. My son and grandson live there now, as well as a couple of friends, and I
go to visit several times a year if I can. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked
the city as much as I used to. Construction had changed the face of downtown
with apartment blocks, high rises, trendy shops and restaurants (I like good
restaurants, but also small and intimate ones). It is and feels much huger than
it was. I’m not necessarily a fan of large cities, though those that have
interesting neighbourhoods which feel like small communities, (e.g. Berlin,
Germany) can be quite interesting.
I no longer drive long distances so my trips to Edmonton
involve planes or buses. I need to walk or to use public transit to get around.
The LRT has been extremely convenient to get downtown, to the art gallery, to
my favourite mall at Southgate Centre. I was able to get to the Muttart
Conservatory in the past, using a couple of buses. Lately I’ve been using city
buses more as well and finding them incredibly convenient, being able to text
for the next bus (with each passing day I become more enamored of my smart
phone), or use my phone to get directions. I’ve used buses to get to areas of
the city I hadn’t gotten to before (Italian Bakery, Whyte Avenue) unless
someone drove me, and I have plans to do more exploration.
My favourite cities in Canada have always been Saskatoon,
Hallifax and Victoria – all have water, interesting neighbourhoods and cultural
amenities. I’m adding Edmonton to the list as I become more familiar with it.
One of the things I love about it is the river. Like Saskatoon, that water is a
kind of heart and the trails along it are wonderful to walk. I haven’t done as
much of that as I’d like – there are good maps of those trails and designated
park spaces as well as golf courses along the river.
I haven’t been to the new location of the Royal Alberta Museum,
and it’s been years since I explored Jasper Avenue. I haven’t been on the university
campus in a while. The neighbourhood where my son lives is quiet and walkable,
though close to amenities like an ice cream shop, a Bodega restaurant, and a grocery
store. An LRT station is withing walking distance and several buses go nearby.
The river is also within walking distance.
There are more areas to explore and I look forward to getting
to know the city even better.
