Everything you need to know about living, working and studying in Edmonton

The city is made up of a mix of neighbourhoods, some more lively than others. Overall, the city is family-oriented, which attracts many young families to Edmonton. There is not as much diversity between neighbourhoods as there are in other cities like Montreal, Quebec City or Ottawa.

Like most cities in North America, Edmonton is laid out on a grid pattern. The further away from the city centre, the shorter the buildings (i.e. no skyscrapers), but the bigger the houses.

Edmonton is only 150 years old. This means the buildings are also relatively young; an old house in Edmonton is only about 60 years old.

Check out the interactive map of Edmonton, designed by Leo, a working holiday maker in Edmonton.

Downtown

This is the central business district (CBD) where you will find Canada Place, the main federal administrative centre, and the City Hall. In the summer, it is a lively area with big festivals and events. On hockey game days, crowds gather in the streets to support the Oilers. In the winter, the festivals mostly stop, but the ice hockey season, the concerts at Rogers Place, and the student bars do not close down.

Nearby is the “Ledge” (short for legislature), which is the provincial Parliament. The Ledge can be seen in the series The Last of Us on HBO.

Downtown is not the safest area to live in, which doesn’t help its development. However, you’ll find some pretty cool bars and restaurants here. It’s easy to get around, with access to plenty of buses, pedestrian walkways, and LRT stations.

Oliver (MacEwan)

Located west of Downtown, Oliver is a neighbourhood known for having a good quality of life and being walkable for pedestrians.

There are many shops, restaurants and bars. Oliver is right next to MacEwan, which is one of the three big universities in the city.

Rent is reasonably affordable because of the student population in this neighbourhood.

Kingsway (NAIT)

Kingsway is a nice area with a large shopping centre. It is home to a Polish community, Polish store, and a Polish church.

The neighbourhood is located near one of the largest hospitals in the province, the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Kingsway has a number of parks and sports fields where you can play rugby, soccer, American football and baseball.

There is also the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), another of the three large universities in the city. Despite its proximity to a big university, Kingsway does not have as many bars and is not known for its nightlife.

The LRT Metro Line stops at NAIT and Kingsway.

Bonnie Doon (French Quarter)

Edmonton’s French Quarter is located in Bonnie Doon, east of Whyte Avenue (Strathcona). The French-speaking campus of the University of Alberta (UofA) is situated here.

In this area, you will find cafes, French-inspired restaurants and shops, including the Bonnie Doon shopping centre (admittedly not the best shopping centre in Edmonton). There is a French-speaking community here.

Bonnie Doon is served by the Valley Line LRT.

West End

The west end is home to the famous West Edmonton Mall. It is served by several bus lines and the LRT, which run frequently to give people easy access to the mall.

University of Alberta/McKernan/Garneau

UofA is like a city within a city; a cosmopolitan bubble within Edmonton.

Students can use the sports facilities located in the “Butterdome” (named as such because it looks like a big lump of butter), which is extremely well equipped (several university sports teams are national champions!)

South of the university, you have the McKernan district, served by the LRT. Although McKernan is close to the university, it is not that close to the shops, and is considered a quiet district.

East of the university campus, you have Garneau, a neighbourhood connected to the north and south of Edmonton with frequent buses. You also have Whyte Avenue nearby for bars and restaurants. Along Saskatchewan Drive, you will find one of the best views of Downtown Edmonton.

Southgate (Pleasantview)

Southgate is another one of Edmonton’s big shopping centres and is served by the LRT. You have the Pleasantview neighbourhood to the north, with a large park perfect for exercise. To the east of this same neighbourhood is an industrial area with potential job opportunities. In Southgate, you are not too far from the Calgary trail, where there are more restaurants and bars.

Whyte Avenue (Strathcona)

Whyte Avenue is an avenue located in the south of the city, in the Strathcona district, which connects the University of Alberta (west) and Bonnie Doon (east). It is one of the busiest and liveliest avenues with many bars and restaurants. The Strathcona district is one of the oldest in the city.

Aside from Downtown, this is the best place to go for nightlife. Close to UofA, many students go to Whyte Avenue to spend their evenings drinking.

Things to remember:

• We have listed the main neighbourhoods here, but there are, of course, others! Depending on your criteria, you may need to choose a very different neighbourhood.
• Most of the neighbourhoods mentioned above have a shopping centre nearby. This is handy for finding a first job, as many of the shops and food chains will be looking to regularly recruit!

What about safety and security?

Edmonton has one of the highest crime rates in Canada. Like most large Canadian cities now, you will see many homeless people in the city centre. There can be drug use, fights, etc. You will notice security guards posted throughout shopping centres and the downtown area.

However, not all neighbourhoods are equal when it comes to crime and violence. You can view crime rates by neighbourhood on the Edmonton Police website.