Too true..it's brilliant

Edmonton: Live music while you shop

I live essentially at the corner of Whyte Ave & 112th. The area is know as Garneau and it's mostly populated with students, staff that work at U of A or medical folks that work at the University Hospital. All 3 lifestyles say "busy" and Sobey's has set up a mini grocery store.

Living with a grocery store in your building is best described as kick ass. On the way home from work and hungry? Forget the fast food, you can stop in at Sobey's deli and eat. It's cheaper and healthier. Don't feel like cooking ? Sobey's has a whole bunch of fresh food ready to be taken..and it's good.

The other thing about this mini store is that it's got it's own sit down deli/cafe that even serves alcohol. Not that people are lined up to pour back a pint of Grasshopper, but it's still cool to know you can stop in and have a beer & eat..without having to go to a pub.

I noticed today that the store has gone one step further. To promote it's local eating theme, it's now promoting local live music Friday and Saturday. When's the last time a commercial food chain had live music for it's customers? I'm not sure what type of music it is..but I'm guessing it'll be more singer songwriter focused. Still, I'm impressed..very few commercial places could pull off what this place is doing.

When I leave this area, I will miss having this little store so close by. It's not just the ability to get food without even stepping outside, it's the proximity to food that's healthy & reasonably affordable by Alberta standards. I don't know why more buildings don't have these mini groceries stores. It's not a matter of parking either..there isn't any parking at all for this place.

Mr Spock does not live in Edmonton

My insurance rates: same car..that's getting older and I'm driving LESS and the cities are decreasing in size and traffic volume.

Toronto car insurance: $100.00 a month
Calgary car insurance: $162.00 a month
Edmonton car insurance: $224 a month

Reasons for high insurance? "Per capita, the risk of a collision is substantially higher in Edmonton". This MIGHT be...because the city doesn't plow streets out here so the potential collision risks are higher

Reason for not plowing roads? : The high cost of snow removal would increase property taxes. Ah.

So today's question has some math

You are a citizen of Edmonton and you have two options:

1. You pay an extra $100 dollars a year in property tax to clean roads
2. You pay $500+ in increased insurance costs, put your life at risk AND will deal with the annoyance of having an accident.

Seems pretty tough to me
/end sarcasm

Flat tires and cracked windshields

I lived in Ontario for about 15 years or something like that. Anyways, it was a long time. During that time..I never once had a crack in my windshield nor do I remember getting slow leaks in my tires.

One can't help but notice how many tire stores there are in Edmonton & Calgary and I know why. Because the government here PURPOSELY puts rocks & nails on the roads to keep these dudes busy.

For the FOURTH time in a year, I've had to take a tire in to get it patched. I came out of the gym yesterday to find my tire completely flat. Luckily, an Esso was just around the corner so I crawled over there and inflated the tire

**SIDE NOTE**. Nothing pisses me off more than gas stations that charge you $1 for inflating your tires. This is a bigger scam than pubs that don't take interact but just happened to have their own bank machine on site. A buck to fill up my tire? If we still had full service gas station no doubt these dudes would charge you money to check your oil. If you own a gas station and you charge me for air, I won't pay..and I'm not buying gas there. You cheap bastards

Anyways...nothing sucks more than coming out of the gym to be greeted by a flat tire. I was going to change it there but I was still wearing my gym clothes and I was semi covered in sweat. Plus, I was thirsty and wanted to get home and have some water.

Alberta uses rocks on the road to give you traction in the winter. Given the number of accidents I saw in Edmonton in the winter AND my outrageous insurance because of such, I'm not sure this idea works. Where it is VERY efficient is destroying your car in the summer. The city has enough money to spread out the sand and rocks, but not enough money to pick them out. Invariably, these stones meet your windshield and they completely destroy it. Some guys out here have glass that looks like a spider web. The sand..acts as a sand blaster and in a year or so your window has a million little pits in it. Try driving in the sun..looking through this. You can..and this may also explain why insurance rates are so high here.

I think I'll rant about insurance a bit later.

Playoffs

I openly admit to being a semi disinterested hockey fan. Many years ago, I was a Toronto fan, but Toronto started to suck, so I lost interest. It's interesting to note that they still suck. In a league where money buys skill and speed, the Leafs are the kings of cash, but they're last place Larry in the standings.

A buddy of mine, a guy that still resides down in The Mission in Calgary sent me this little Youtube link. If you don't follow hockey, well the Flames came in 5th & will play Chicago. I have no idea whether they will win or lose, but they made it. It's a team that's on the up and up..

Haters

I am originally from Ontario and have lived in Alberta a total of 3 times, each time I come back I stay longer.   

One thing that really burns my ass is the people who seem to have a hate on for Alberta just because it's Alberta.   The last time they were here was 1982 and they automatically assume life is still the same.  You know, we're all about eating steak, voting Conservative & drilling for oil.  

I don't think it's a stretch to say that 25 years ago Alberta WAS a rather "redneck" place...hence names like Cowtown or Deadmonton.   What these people don't seem to realize is that much has changed in the past 25 years.   If you walk through the streets of Calgary you're more likely to see a sushi or Thai food place than you are a steak house.  Or the assumption that because there is a perpetual "Conservative empire" out here that we're all backwater hicks.   One thing you learn about living out here is that what is happening culturally has little to do with who is in power at the Legislature in Edmonton.  In fact, I'd say the artistic community is far more cohesive in cities like Calgary...and especially in Edmonton because the government's only focus is what's happening in the oil patch.  

The other stereotype is that "oil patch workers" are all roughneck hicks.  There is a grain of truth to that if you're to go to a camp in Fort McMurray, but having did work for dozens of oil companies in Calgary you're more  likely to find the CEO or CFO heading off to a wine tasting then him going gopher hunting.  Same for Edmonton.  

If you're one of those people that posts in forums labelling Alberta as nothing but a bunch of hicks...get over yourself.  Or better yet, come and live out here & take some time to open your mind and understand that the "redneck" majority is a minority.  The rest of us just doing our thing, we don't like country music & we don't go gopher hunting on weekends.  

The longer I live out here, the more I realize the narrow minds of this nation are more likely to be found in Toronto or Montreal than they are in Calgary or Edmonton.  People come here for opportunity...to make more money, to advance their careers..or some just for a change in life.  Something fresh, something new.   The one great attribute about Alberta is that it's a place where there ISN'T a whole bunch of government interference when you want to do something.   Feel like renting a condo and working out of it?  Go right ahead.  Try doing that and publicly talking about it in Toronto..the city will be on your doorstep in 30 days to talk to you about "zoning laws"

I could do with some more urbanization out here..but all in all, I like the mentality of Alberta.  And if you believe we're all greedy oil barons..then example the Green Party's monster showing in Calgary in the past election.  In some ridings they came in second.   Number 1 with wind power too.  

Just something to think about.  

Slumdog Millionaire

I had been meaning to see this movie for like a year. Unfortunately, about 90 different things stopped me from seeing it.

It's just kick ass..

Edmonton: The Quarters

Edmonton's downtown is a far seedier and rougher place than Calgary. From about 109th Street east..most of the core is low rent & empty. There are pockets where the city has tired to fix things up but they've been somewhat unsuccessful although residents say that it's improved in the past few years.

The east side of downtown Edmonton is known as the Quarters..an area that reminds me of watching "Cops" when I was a kid. It's endless vacant lots or dilapidated houses and most of the population you'll see there are homeless folks or drug addicts. It's common place to see street walking hookers & there are more than a few sex parlours in the neighborhood. When I parked to take this photo with my Blackberry, I was approached immediately by a woman asking if I was looking for a good time..in broad daylight..with a cop car in plain view up the street. If you're a student of urban design you'll find this area of Edmonton fascinating. Low rent shops, stores & the portion of society that we left behind to suffer with their own ills.

I'd say half of the core is rundown and it may be why so many people see Edmonton as such a rough place. There looks to be a huge drug problem in downtown & the few times I've been there I've been approached by addicts & people that rise my guard (something that doesn't happen much).

Once you pass 109th Street, there is a notable change in the mood of the city core. I'll write about that next...but first it's the gym.

Edmonton: Lucky 97

Food prices are expensive in Alberta..and one way around that is Lucky 97 supermarket. It's an Asian supermarket in Chinatown (97th street and about 106th Ave).

When you arrive at Lucky 97, you'll immediately discover that there are not enough parking spaces for all the customers. The parking lot is a sea of people that just stop or park sideways or come up with more creative ways to stick their car in a corner and hope it doesn't get towed. Even around the back you'll find most of the spots are taken. I tend to park on the side streets but they are very narrow and in winter have huge snow ruts in them. I'd advise you to lock your doors and keep valuable out of site. The area is populated by some pretty ghetto looking characters..absolutely none of them Chinese.

Inside Lucky 97, you'll experience what you find in most Asian markets. It's small and it's very crowded. Just walking down the aisle is somewhat frustrating with all the people scattered around you. The store has a great selection of fresh fruit and veggies and it's one of the only places in Edmonton where you can find good veggies in winter. It's also one of the only places I've found stuff like Bok Choy & other Asian foods without paying double the price at Sobey's.

Lucky 97 has a huge seafood department, a big meat department (very busy) and has a take out style deli/restaurant. I'm a big fan of genuine Chinese food and this place is a deal. $4.50 for 3 choices in a combo..that's a price that's unheard of in Alberta. You'll pay double that pretty much everywhere else.

The store has a good choice of pretty much everything, but if you're expecting the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere of Safeway or Sobey's you aren't about to find it. There is no 80's music playing on the speakers and the aisles are packed with merchandise stacked up as high as it can go. For "fresh food" the prices can't be beat but be prepared to to endure a long line and huge crowds on weekends.

The store caters to Asians but you'll find the odd white person shopping there, perhaps looking to save money. The day I walked toward the store, some bum came running at me saying "You're the first white guy I've seen all day, can you spare some change". Did he think that by saying that I'd hand over some money ?

This area of Edmonton can only be described as a run down shit hole, but it has some incredibly interesting shops & it's unique in the city. It's unfortunate for the vendors & for the area that it's in such a lousy neighborhood. It's also an amusing paradox. We often here people bitching that "immigrants" are lazy, good for nothing scum that just live off government handouts. Chinatown is exactly the opposite....the business owners are all Chinese and the addicts & bums in the neighborhood are all white.

If you do visit this place, try weekends mid day. It will be busy and somewhat frustrating but it's worth it. The area is very seedy and outright dangerous at night..and it's very empty

Edmonton: Chinatown

Like all cities, Edmonton has it's own Chinatown. Chinatown in Edmonton is on the NE side of the city core near an area called "The Quarters" on 97th Street & around 104th Ave.

The first thing you experience when you drive into this area is how gritty and rough looking the area is. The area is populated with hundreds of the poor, homeless & drug addicts...and very few Chinese people. The Chinese seem to come here to shop & eat, but they wisely don't seem to own any property in the area (outside of some seniors I'm sure).

My favourite stop in Chinatown is the Garden City Bakery & Restaurant. It's a small hole in the wall that has a great bakery where everything is $1.00 or less. They make these excellent curry, pork and beef filled buns that are the size of a Pizza pop but they taste much better. The prices are excellent although you might be taken aback with putting the food on a food court style plastic tray rather than in a box. The shop is small, cramped and often very busy, usually with Chinese folks but you'll occasionally see a white guy or two.

The area around this bakery is sadly a perfect example of urban decay in Edmonton. The Chinese people don't seem to be bothered by the bums & addicts in the neighborhood but I'm quite sure that some people would be.