Guest EB Posted June 30, 2002 Report Share Posted June 30, 2002 In another thread, BC guy asked what it's like to live in Edmonton... everyone's going to have their own opinion, but I thought I'd post my thoughts... The winters in Edmonton are pretty brutal... -20 is standard, which means there's a lot of snow & ice making driving an occasionally scary experience. Also, the winter temp makes it pretty crappy to go out at night and party... waiting in lines to get into bars after November really starts to get chilly... Speaking of bars, there aren't really that many in Edmonton... and, I'd say a lot of them are pretty rank. A lot of the popular bars are top 40/country places (last time I was in Cowboys I'd guess the average age of the crowd there to be 17, ick!)... might seem a bit hillbilly I guess... The preppy, urban clubs of Vancouver don't really exist here, there's a few but not many... Edmonton is pretty much a blue-collar, working class place to live.... But with that being said... I still love Edmonton. I'm pretty sure that in 20 years, I'll be living here and practicing medicine... Our summers are warm (30+), the city is beautiful and in general the people are pretty down to earth and friendly... A few of the people I know from Vancouver hate living here... that "west coast" attitude doesn't exist here... Edmonton is much less posh, and a lot less fake... We have a good transit system, so if you don't have a car it's pretty decent to get around... rent isn't too bad in the city either... unless you want to live right NEXT to the campus, I'd say you can get a pretty good apartment (not rotting & crumbling) for $500 easy... If you're coming from Vancouver, you'll definately feel like there isn't anything to "DO" here... for example, we get much less prestigious concerts and events than larger cities... Hhmm... what else to say? I guess the student body of the U of A can be described as pretty much "apathetic"... No one really cares about the student union... atleast until we got the President who kept putting his foot in his mouth (hey, I think he's in this years med class!! Fun, fun, fun...) and the med girl who was naked on her posters for VP Student Life... I've been involved in student groups, and I can honestly say that getting the average U of A student to care about torture victims, the homeless, etc. is liking trying to get them to put a hot needle in their eye... just isn't going to happen... So, if you're looking for a lot of active clubs on campus, you might be disappointed... Well, it's late and I'm going to bed... if you have any specific questions about living in Edmonton, I'd be more than happy to give you my opinions... -- ps. I just realized how negative this sounds.. in the morning, I'll fix this up and elaborate upon the GOOD things of living here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BC guy Posted June 30, 2002 Report Share Posted June 30, 2002 Thanks EB for the info, very helpful. I am waiting to hear your take on the good things about Edmonton and UA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EB Posted July 2, 2002 Report Share Posted July 2, 2002 Okay BC guy, I'm back from camping so I can give you some good points about living here... If you're an "out-doorsy" sort of person, you'll probably like Edmonton... you can go camping to some awesome sites around the city (lakes, river) in less than 40 mins, you'll be pretty close to Jasper (3 hours... not as close as Calgary is to Banff though) for some great skiing, hiking, partying etc on the long weekends and holidays... If you're a skiier, the UA ski club is very active (I think the other big club is the "dance" club) and they have a lot of trips organized once the snow falls... Traffic in Edmonton is a major bonus... I mean, what the hell is with all the traffic lights in Vancouver? Every five feet it seems like you're braking... I don't think there's anywhere in Edmonton I can't get to from the North side in less than 20 mins (spring, summer, fall... winter is a whole new story)... The city is actually quite big, but the traffic is rarely heavy... I haven't gone through a year of med yet, so I can't give you a lot of pros for the UA's med school... I was impressed by the fact that about 10 mins after Marlene gave me my acceptance that I got an e-mail from the Asst. Dean of Student Affairs lending me her full support because my father's ill. I guess if things get bad, students can take "emergency vacations" and defer exams... Even before classes begin, she said I could contact her any time if I felt I needed some help... Seems like there's a good support system for med students here, and that's going to be pretty important because I'm sure I won't be the only one going through rough times in the next four years... Another benefit is that the med classes here are taught on campus... they're in a building that merges with the hospital, but you're also right across from the Education building. When interviewing elsewhere, I wasn't impressed by the system that has the teaching hospital completely removed from the main campus (like Calgary)... if you're coming to a new city, you're going to want every opportunity to meet new friends. Yes, there's 125 ppl in your med class but that doesn't guarantee that there will be someone you want to party with/date in that pool... If you're single, you'll probably want to see the best U of A has to offer when it comes to women... And even though I'm a woman, I have to admit that those girls in business just seem to be a cut above the rest of us! If you like theatre, the Citadel usually has a good season... the one coming up certainly looks great, as well as good theatre festivals (the Fringe, Shakespeare in the Park)... Back to the bars of Edmonton. If you like country music (does anyone in BC like it? Or is it just Albertans?), you'll dig Cowboys, Ezzies, Cook County... If you like cougars, we also have bars full of them... You'll probably appreciate Whyte Ave if you end up living near the campus. You have probably 3 blocks full of little clubs & pubs ranging from Irish "pubs" to R&B/Urban music, 80's, blues, country, electronic or the most posh bar on Whyte Ave - the Iron Horse... it's great because you can just walk from bar to bar until you find a place that's good. There's no way to tell what bars are gonna be full each weekend, so it's nice to have a ton of them to choose from... Also, most don't have $5 cover... that makes me happy Edmonton is also pretty safe... we've had a few shootings lately, but those are ethnic gang related activities... I don't think any innocent bystanders have been caught in the cross-fire... BUT, if you do come here I wouldn't recommend living in Millwoods :b Actually, one thing about Edmonton is that there are definite places TO live and NOT TO live in... I won't point out specifics because I don't want to offend anyone who may live in what I'd consider shady... The area of the north side I'm living is becoming shadier and shadier everyday, and my family is seriously considering moving... So, if you do move here and aren't staying near campus, I can let you know of the areas to definately stay away from.... Oh yah, there's great opportunities to get involved with research at the u of a as a med student... there really are some amazing projects going on, and there's a lot of scholarships (AHFMR, NSERC, CIHR) for students to work over the summer... I don't know if $$$ is an issue for you, but if you'd be looking for summer work that paid higher than the $6500 research stipend, you could always go up to Northern Alberta to work... with the huge economic boom, wages for any sort of manual labor are pretty good. In fact, I know a few med students who've gone up there and managed to make almost all the money they needed for tuition, rent, etc in a single summer... Anyway, its hard for me to think about the good things about Edmonton... I've lived here for 20 years, I think I take most of the positive stuff for granted... Personally, I believe Edmonton is a beautiful city. Sure we have the "blemished" areas, but river valley (full of biking and running trails) is spectacular, and the UA campus is so pretty... If any more good stuff springs to mind (I'm sure it will), I'll post some more in this thread... Hopefully some other Edmontonians (Shkelo?) could post thier thoughts so you have a clearer picture before you make any decisions about where you're moving... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted July 2, 2002 Report Share Posted July 2, 2002 Sweet stuff. Thanks EB. I'll be doing an elective in Edmonton later on this summer so it's nice to have an idea of what to expect. If any other Oilers fans have other opinions to contribute (shkelo, <cough> <cough>), that'd be awesome too. Ian UBC, Med 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shkelo Posted July 2, 2002 Report Share Posted July 2, 2002 LOL, can't a guy take a few days off!?! Congratulations Erin on on your new-found moderator duties!! (Oh I know, Ian, you're trying to recruit me, but now the pressure's off. Come September, I will have other commitments besides medical school that I need to attend to, so I'll have less free time unfortunately. Besides, I kinda of like this unofficial moderator status.) Erin's did a fantastic job at selling the city, so I'm not going to rehash what has already been said. However, there are still a few more mentionables. First off, Edmonton in the summer is awesome. The city's biggest asset is the extensive river valley, which extends virtually east to west of the entire city. Great for running and rollerblading! They are a lot of great hidden areas for mountain biking as well and tons of parks (for picnics, open areas, etc.). There are also a ton (!!) of festivals in Edmonton (Jazz City, Fringe Theatre, International Street Performers Festival, Klondike Days, Heritage Festival, Folk Festival and CariWest festival). Whyte Ave is particularly good this summer with all the hot weather we've been getting. It is within walking distance from the university and there are ample bars and shops to choose from. The university itself is like a small enclosed community. There are several bars on campus (and near campus) as well as great student services through the SU building (which is only getting better with their new million dollar renovations). The U of A bookstore is probably one of the best in the country (it has won numerous awards in the last few years). U of A wears are cheap and you have access to education-priced software/hardware right on campus. Tim Horton's "Timmys"/Wendy's are right across from the U of A Hospital and are always popular (as well as Earl's, Great Canadian Bagel, Subway and Booster Juice). There are several workout facilities to choose from (one in the Butterdome; the other in the basement of the hospital - open 24 hours too). Of course, the library system at U of A is fantastic and the second largest in Canada next to Toronto. MedSci library is a great study area, but go early because it seems to attract a lot of students. I wouldn't call the transit system in Edmonton "great", but it is relatively affordable. Buses go just about everwhere you need them to go (most of them are follow direct routes to and from the university at peak hours). The LRT is OK, but mainly for going to see the hockey games or heading downtown. Downtown Edmonton isn't great, in my opinion, unless you want to see a flick at Eaton Centre or head to a favourite night spot. (Personally, I think it is a little ugly.) The south part of Edmonton is completely isolated from the LRT right now, although the city has approved (and working on) expansion plans to allow more commuters to use the quick, traffic-bypassing transit to the university and downtown. That will indeed be a welcome addition. My experience with Edmonton (I'm not originally from here) is if you come here with a negative attitude, you'll probably hate it. It's not always what you do here, but who you do it with. The U of A med school is top-notch and has several cutting-edge medical research/clinical environments to choose from (state of the art imaging center/ transplantation and diabetes research/ proteomics) as well as several translational research areas of excellence (cardiovascular research/ medical genetics/ neurosciences/ oncology/ pulmonary-asthma/ gastroenterology-hepatology/ infectious diseases - microbiology/ perinatal and women's health). There are good opportunities here for those that look for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AB newbie Posted July 3, 2002 Report Share Posted July 3, 2002 EB and shkelo: Thanks for the great posts. Although I've lived in Alberta for over 18 years of my life, I've never really had the chance to explore Edmonton. I was beginning to get suspicious as to why no Edmontonians were coming forward to "sell" their city. Thanks for sharing some of the great things Edmonton has to offer. I look forward to meeting you in the fall. take care M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maxell Posted July 6, 2002 Report Share Posted July 6, 2002 I lived in Edmonton for a while - it is a beautiful city, although many would disagree (it is a subjective calling). There are wide open green spaces, wide roads, the River Valley is amazing - imaging a forest in the middle of the city. The UA campus and medical school are beautiful - the med school is adjacent to the new (built in 1988 ?) hospital which is one of the nicest hospitals I have ever seen. The med school library very bright and modern, which incidently closes at 24.00 hours! Jasper National Park is 4 hours away by car which makes a great getaway to relax from the stresses of life. The transit system is excellent for a city of that size (consider that it is a small city). The only major problem is that renting an apartment near the medical school or campus is a big concern. There is in fact a large building opposite the med school (not Newton Place but the other one) that is a bit expensive (I think >$700), that appears to be ideal for med students, but I do think there is a waiting list for it? Being from BC, you might be a bit disappointed, but consider that for a city of that size and location, it could be a lot worse (compare to Saskatoon or Winnipeg). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BC guy Posted July 6, 2002 Report Share Posted July 6, 2002 So nice of you all to post info re Edmonton. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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