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Ill-informed opinion: I asked a colleague from the magical land of Canadia whether I should take a flight to London from Edmonton or Calgary after travelling t

by GlennS 5y ago

Ill-informed opinion: I asked a colleague from the magical land of Canadia whether I should take a flight to London from Edmonton or Calgary after travelling through the Canadian Rockies. She said Edmonton was shit, so Calgary. As of 2019, Calgary was a kind of US-style car block city, except with nothing to do. Certainly not for tourists. I hope Edmonton isn't really worse, because zzzzz. I was interviewed by the local TV news when I tried to visit a tall building, which was closed. They do have a lovely park stretching along the river though. I think it'd be a pretty decent place to live if you had a bunch of friends to hang out with. And maybe loads of money too? That helps.

goodcanadian 5y ago
I grew up in Alberta. I am reasonably familiar with both Edmonton and Calgary. Neither is a terribly exciting city, but I would not say "Edmonton is shit." Really, I think they are more or less the same. Edmonton has an even nicer system of parks along the North Saskatchewan River, and isn't terrible for festivals and such in the summer. Calgary's main strength is its proximity to the Rocky mountains. I can't think of much in Calgary proper that I would recommend to tourists, except possibly the stampede. Edmonton has West Edmonton mall if that is your thing. YMMV.
thehappypm 5y ago
IMO it's a lot like Denver. Denver downtown is pretty boring, but there are lots of cool neighborhoods outside of downtown with some character and fun spots. Large, car-oriented, sprawling, flat. Oh, and access to some of the best hiking and skiing in the world.
skeeter2020 5y ago
Strong Calgary booster here though I'm originally from BC (~20 years ago). I was one of the economic migrants that caused the population to explode as were many (most?) of the people who moved here in that period. If you were voluntarily willing to pack-up and move across the country for work, demographically you were typically: young, educated and motivated (vs. historically it was desperate and motivated). Calgary still feels "small" for a million-plus people and very meritocratic. It has a neighbourly feel that is very Canadian-prairries, less than an hour to the mountains and not as cold as you might think (outside of February) due to chinooks. If you're looking for exciting cities I'd stay away from almost ALL Canadian and US locations, but if you're looking for a big cities that supports a lifestyle that's not urba-based, Calgary is pretty great. Everything my family does is either walking distance or a very short drive (I live in the NW beltline) yet I'm very close to all the outdoor-centric activies I love.

by GlennS 5y ago

goodcanadian 5y ago

I grew up in Alberta. I am reasonably familiar with both Edmonton and Calgary. Neither is a terribly exciting city, but I would not say "Edmonton is shit." Really, I think they are more or less the same. Edmonton has an even nicer system of parks along the North Saskatchewan River, and isn't terrible for festivals and such in the summer. Calgary's main strength is its proximity to the Rocky mountains. I can't think of much in Calgary proper that I would recommend to tourists, except possibly the stampede. Edmonton has West Edmonton mall if that is your thing. YMMV.

thehappypm 5y ago

IMO it's a lot like Denver. Denver downtown is pretty boring, but there are lots of cool neighborhoods outside of downtown with some character and fun spots. Large, car-oriented, sprawling, flat. Oh, and access to some of the best hiking and skiing in the world.

skeeter2020 5y ago

Strong Calgary booster here though I'm originally from BC (~20 years ago). I was one of the economic migrants that caused the population to explode as were many (most?) of the people who moved here in that period. If you were voluntarily willing to pack-up and move across the country for work, demographically you were typically: young, educated and motivated (vs. historically it was desperate and motivated). Calgary still feels "small" for a million-plus people and very meritocratic. It has a neighbourly feel that is very Canadian-prairries, less than an hour to the mountains and not as cold as you might think (outside of February) due to chinooks. If you're looking for exciting cities I'd stay away from almost ALL Canadian and US locations, but if you're looking for a big cities that supports a lifestyle that's not urba-based, Calgary is pretty great. Everything my family does is either walking distance or a very short drive (I live in the NW beltline) yet I'm very close to all the outdoor-centric activies I love.