Guest Braveheart Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Hi, I was just wondering... how is life like in Edmonton? How safe are the streets of Edmonton... I visited Edm during my interviews and can say that the Edm streets at night were kinda scary... Also, are there any good places to eat in Edm close to the med school? I'm very into different types of ethnic foods Also, are there any grocery stores close to the med school that students go grocery shopping at. A Superstore, COOP or Safeway would be awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest apical meristems Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Hi there, I've lived in Edmonton my whole life and I can honestly say that it's a wonderful city. Unless you're walking down 95-97th Street, it's pretty safe. The area around the University is especially safe, so no need to worry. There is actually a Safeway right next to campus. A big thing about the U of A is that our medical school is actually on main campus. You'll have direct access to a wide variety of services and stores. Oh yes, and don't worry about good places to eat. Whyte Ave, situated just past campus, hosts a plethora of tantalizing restaurants - Japanese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, French... the list is endless. And then there is downtown with even more tasty places. Edmonton as a whole is big arts city, so if you're into drama, music, galleries... it's definitely the place to be. I was mentioning in the dent forum that the Windspear Centre is amazing if you love live musical performances. If you're into running, the river valley will be your best friend. Parks line the city from one end of the river to the other. Good luck! meri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kellyl20 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 If given a choice, I think that in the west, Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary would be better cities to live in, compared to Edmonton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest medsmurf Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 I definitely agree with kellyl20. I've lived in Victoria, Vancouver and Edmonton and I like the west coast much better than Edmonton. If you are used to the climate and beauty of B.C. I'm not sure if you'll like living in Edmonton. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest happy2bme Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 After living in the U.S., Winnipeg, Edmonton (albeit a short period of time) Calgary, and Vancouver, I think every city has it's merits. Compared to Vancouver, Edmonton is much more friendly and I think safer as long as you stay away from the streets mentioned previously. Although I'd still walk down the worst Edmonton street alone before I'd walk down an area of East Hastings. Edmonton has alot of great festivals and fairly hot summers and even though the winters are cold the sun still shines. I currently live in Calgary but I wouldn't hesitate to move to Winnipeg or Edmonton if I needed to with my family. However after living in Vancouver ( which my spouse loves) I have refused to move back there due to lack of sun in the winter and the fact that I would be 40 before I'd be able to afford a decent house. The point to remember is that you are probably only moving for 4 years before you take off for a residency so it's a good time in life to try another city without having to commit to it. But if you spend alot of time in the mountains or on the ocean you will be in for a shock moving to Edmonton if you're from the coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Malikar Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Yeah, don't forget to watch out for the cops in Ed. I hear they are very corrupt . Just bugging Mal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koppertone Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 I'm originally from Kamloops and did two years in Vancouver, and I must say it took some adjusting to get used to living in such a flat/cold place, but it's a pretty good city once you get settled in. It is a rowdier city (less guns but more knives) and I would suggest that if you're used to a small town setting or a safer area, stay away from downtown and live by the University. I say this because a few days ago they found a homeless man beaten to death about 50 feet from my apartment :x (I live on 109st downtown). But you know what, I lived in a really nice area of Vancouver (Broadway and Burrard) and somebody shot up our apartment buildling with an automatic rifle, so you're going to get crime in any big city when you live in high traffic areas. I don't think it's any more or less dangerous than any other city out there.... and I'm actually really starting to like the city now that it's thawed out and I can go out running on the river trails (which are REALLY nice!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest apical meristems Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 Yay Edmonton, Just wanted to add - my friend from Surrey moved here two years ago under the assumption that Edmonton was one gigantic dust bowl. Now that she's been here for a while, she willing admits that she would take Edmonton over dreary winters hands down. Oh, and what was going to be 4 years has turned in to a potential home. Later, meri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Braveheart Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 Ahh, it's good to hear that Edm will be a nice place to live in the next 4 years. Whyte Ave sounds great.... man, I was salvating by the list of different foods there.... Yeah, I'm not sure what street I was driving by in but the nights seemed pretty scary with the dim litted streets and lots of homeless people around (not that I have anything against them by the way). It's also great that there is a Safeway close to campus... I was thinking about living at or around campus so that will definitely be convenient. As for the food courts on campus, are there any 24hr places where you can get food anytime of the day (I really doubt it but was just curious... wait a minute, Tim Hortons are 24hrs aren't they? Ahhh, I seem to recall a Tim Hortons across the street from the med school as well- Oh yeah). Here's a question that just came to mind: Does anyone know how much it would approximately cost to live in or around campus for single apartment for someone living on their own and someone living with a roommate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brunchrunner Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 Hey Braveheart, Expect to pay between $570 - $825 for a 1 bedroom apartment a few blocks from campus. This includes utilities (water, heat), but not phone or cable. Of course the further away from campus you are the cheaper the rent. There are some nice walk-ups about East of the campus, but you have to decide if you want to make that walk when it's 40 degrees below zero (with windchill) and your eyelashes are freezing together and it hurts just to breathe. Sorry, I don't know about 2 bedroom apartments. You'll want to start looking for a place as soon as you get your acceptance letter. Definitely start looking before July as that's when all the affordable housing is gone and you're left with the $$$$ places. Some years back, I managed to find a pretty cheap place by walking around looking for vacancy signs (I found that apartments were going so fast that the listings in the paper were useless!). I hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Braveheart Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 Thanks Brunchrunner Wow that's pretty pricy but I guess it's due to the location. I guess I'm gonna have to shop around that's for sure. Thanks for the words of advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest klukyboy Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 My roomate and I pay $800/month plus utilities for a basement suite 4 blocks from the hospital. You can get cheaper though. Last year I paid $280/month plus utilities for a room in a house shared with 4 other guys. However, when I say "room", I mean "large closet", so I suppose you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Braveheart Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Wow, $280/month is very cheap... but you say it's a large closet? Hmmm... better than on the patio I guess.:lol Thanks for the info though. Out of curiosity, how much does it cost to live on campus? How would you guys describe the rooms? Roomy? I hear it can be pretty loud to live on campus (especially at the HUB) with everyone walking to their classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pmcol Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 I wouldn't say that 95th-97th streets and the downtown area are as dangerous as everyone is making them out to be. They are in the inner city, so there are a lot of low-income people and a lot of run-down houses so everything looks a lot scarier than it really is. The only real issue as far as I'm concerned is the number of people with substance abuse issues that frequent those areas. But, that being said, the area around the University is not much more safe (although the houses look nicer): its just across the river from downtown. Personally, I would feel more threatened walking down Whyte Avenue late at night right when the bars let out than walking down 95th street. That being said, whenever you move to a large city (which Edmonton, by Canadian standards, is) there are always going to be issues with crime, especially in the downtown/inner city areas. Compared to cities like Vancouver and Toronto, I would say that Edmonton is very safe. If your used to living in the city, you'll find that Edmonton is no different than anywhere else (it is not any safer or any more dangerous). If you can tolerate the winters, Edmonton is a great place to be. The city is beautiful in the spring, summer, and fall despite the lack of mountains and there is tons to do during the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Apna Posted May 12, 2005 Report Share Posted May 12, 2005 I'm a west coast boy that just survived my first Edmonton winter, and apart from maybe 6 or 7 memorable -40 days, it really wasn't that bad. I lived one block from the hospital, so I can't really complain about having to battle the elements on the way to school. As some people mentioned, even when it's cold outside, it's generally sunny. This makes a big difference to some people. Me, I'd still take +7, grey and drizzly like the coast over -20 and blue sky... but that's just me. I'll be brutally honest about the city. I was concerned about moving to a flat, dry, northern city... the only redeeming quality before I moved here is that my beloved Oilers play here (and that's useless now). But I really adjusted well. Generally, life in Edmonton is really good if you're living close to campus. From what I've seen of Edmonton, campus and the surrounding area is THE place to be. Like someone said, it's generally a very safe place, especially around campus. 95-97 sts are definitely ghetto... Whyte Ave can be intimidating to some people late at night, but I've never had a problem there. Campus has a SafeWalk program to anyone who feels uncomfortable walking alone at night. Most of the restaurants I've been to have been great... one thing you notice really quickly in this city is the sheer volume of retail. There are stores and restaurants EVERYWHERE, not just in the giant mall. I have to say I think Whyte Ave is overrated, but it does still offer a wide variety of places to eat or drink or both, all within reasonable walking (or cheap cab ride) distance from campus. If you happen to have a car, there's great places to eat all over the city, particularly the south along Calgary Trail. The Safeway near campus is possibly the worst grocery store I've ever been to. Their service, prices, selection and overall quality are brutal... they take advantage of poor students. If you can, beg for a friend to take you to the Save-on Foods on Calgary Trail... it's much better. Everything else you usually need is near campus too: all major bank branches, liquor store (for Koppertone), dry cleaners, liquor store (Koppertone again), drugstore, movie store etc etc The LRT and bus system are quite reliable as well... about as good as public transit can be, anyway. I don't need to use these too often, but they're fairly convenient when I do. Overall, Edmonton has exceeded my expectations. I think a lot of it has to do with the support network you almost immediately form as you meet your classmates. If you live on/near campus, you'll probably find that half your class lives near you. This made adjusting to life on my own really easy. If the NHL lockout would just end, my life here would be near perfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isoceles Posted May 12, 2005 Report Share Posted May 12, 2005 Hi there: I lived in HUB for the first two years of my undergrad and, quite frankly, I hated it. It's not in very good shape (think minor mold and vents that haven't been cleaned out for 20 years), it can (not always) be really loud (especially if you live above garbage pick up... or near an apartment whose occupants like to have noisy sex in the middle of the day! ). And, although I guess most apartments are like this, the places have no personality. Also, my room-mates and I (I lived in two different 4-bdrms) had bad experiences with the maintenance staff. On the plus side, its pretty cheap; and I had days where I could get to all of my classes without every stepping outside (a big plus when it's blizzarding!). Also, it's nice to have laundry and food places that you can run to in your pajamas if you like :lol ! One point of advice: if you need parking make sure you find the date when permits become available, and be there early to get in line!! Take this with a grain of salt. I and my room-mate who lived with me both years both hated it, but some people really love HUB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Braveheart Posted May 16, 2005 Report Share Posted May 16, 2005 Thanks Apna and Isoceles for your honesty about Edmonton. Isoceles, out of curiosity, how much was it to live at the HUB? I've heard similar things about the place from other people so it's something that I will have to think more about. As for the comments about the Safeway... that's too bad they do that. How could they have a conscience taking advantage of us students? Oh well. Are there any places close by that are better than that Safeway that is convenient to take a bus or train to? Anything about this topic would be nice as I do need food to live :lol . Darn food... too bad I can't just live off of IV bags. Thanks again for all the info guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isoceles Posted May 16, 2005 Report Share Posted May 16, 2005 Hey Braveheart: When I was there, 4 years ago, it was $240 for a 4 bdrm. The next year tho I think it was going up to $270 or something, and I really don't know what it would be by now??? Definately, at the time, it WAS a really cheap option (and probably still is). Price and proximity are definately HUB's major advantages. Good luck finding a place! Edited to say that I just remembered, and you may know this, that I think you need to apply to get a place in HUB. I'm not sure how competitive it is, but bear in mind that if that is an option you are considering you might not want to put applying off too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Braveheart Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Wow, $240-$300 for a 4 bedroom apartment is super cheap! But I guess you get what you pay for huh? I hope there aren't any cochroaches there... urrgh... I've lived in a place with cochroaches and mice and that's something I can definitely live without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Apna Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I haven't really used the bus system too much yet... so I'm not sure which stores can be reached by bus, but I'll give it a shot: the Save-on-Foods on Calgary Trail that I mentioned before MUST be on a bus route. It's a good store and it's on such a major street; I can't see it not being served by transit. Even further south along Calgary Trail is a Superstore which is also economical for students. Interestingly enough (and I unfortunately just found this out a few weeks before the school year ended), there is a special shuttle bus (costs around $10??) on Sunday mornings that leaves campus (gravel parking lot next to Second Cup) and goes to one of these two stores and back, to help students shop at a better store than Safeway. I hear it's really popular though, so you have to be there early to get on it. If anyone else has better info on this, please correct me. There is also a Save-on-Foods downtown about two blocks from the Corona LRT station. I never went there, mostly because I'm not big on lugging back groceries on the train. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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