Moving to Edmonton! Help!

[Marta]

Hey guys,

So um... I'm moving to Edmonton for school (I know, I know...it never ends). The program should take me about 5 or 6 years to complete, so its quite a "full" and "permanent" move. That being said, I've never been to Edmonton or anywhere out west for that matter, so I have very little idea as to what to expect. Dentinger (another member) has kindly given me some pointers on the city, but I was hoping to hear what anyone else who lives/lived/visited there has to say. There's obviously random info online but its hard to say how objective it is. Luckily, I already have an aparment on campus so housing isnt an issue, but trying to get a general idea on basically everything else in the city. Also, I am still trying to decide what to do with my car since I cant imagine selling it just yet, but see no point of booting it across the country when basically all my time will be spent on campus (living, studying and working).

Anyways, any comments/suggestions would be much appreiciated.
Pretty excited to head out to a brand new place but will definitely miss some things in Toronto (especially my MMA gym, TM3 friends and obviously the car scene...).


Share your thoughts please!

[Flagrum_3]

Unless you have a place to keep your car and someone to care for it, I would suggest selling it whilst you can still get something for it. If your sure you won't take it with you that is....Also; Leaving the car sitting for that period of time will introduce a myriad of problems.

Never been to Edmonton, so sorry can't help you there. Except expect some extreme cold temps in winter....get some thermos lol.

_3

[mazdabetty]

Booo Marta, leaving us

All for a good reason though. I wish I could go back to school for the program I want to take! I'd have to move to Nova Scotia though for 4 or 5 years as well.... I don't have the guts to do it, so I'm proud of you

I have zero advice as I've never been to Edmonton, I just wanted to say good luck and I hope everything goes well for you out there. (Buy a very warm jacket bahahha)... oh and I say keep the car, but only because I know I would never be able to part with mine hahaha... at the very least keep it at your parents house so you have something to use when you come back to visit

[cwp_sedan]

Buy a parka!

[ZeroChalk]

a snowboard, a pickup truck, and a sled.

[Broli]

Hi Marta,

I was coaxed into logging in by Ami. I moved to Edmonton in October 2011 and would be happy to provide you some insights.

I will send some information here as well I will PM you with my email and phone number if you have any questions later.

Edmonton is a nice city. The people are friendly, the outdoors-ness is great. the river valley is beautiful and has lots of opportunity for walking, biking, running, cross country skiing . . .or just sitting on a bench and relaxing. summers are filled with all sorts of festivals, the city boasts of all its festivals, as a matter of fact. daylight hours in the summer are awesome, when there is still twilight at midnight that is pretty cool . . .expect the opposite in the winter . . .

winters are cold. not the whole time, but man does it get down to minus 40s from time to time. that is cold. i cold like i never felt in Toronto.

chapstick . . it is very dry here, and you will notice it, especially at first.

as for the car . . . i would bring it if i could, there is a lot to do that is accessible more easily by car, you could rent a car for trips i suppose, but jasper and banff are great in the summer and the winter. public transit is good in the core, not really otherwise, traffic here is awesome, i have never yet complained about traffic, i wonder how i will hold up the next time i am on the 401 . . .

you will miss somethings about Toronto, i know i do, but I am happy living here.

popeyes does not exist here, thought that may not be a problem for you . . I know it would kill other TM3ers

yes . . there are a lot lot lot of pickup trucks, yes most cars have a plug in, most houses do not have A/C, you dont need A/C too much here, maybe for a week in the summer, the pace is slower, be prepared for this, it used to annoy me, it doesn't anymore. also, people here like to make fun of Toronto "the Centre of the Universe"

i still have my TM3 plate covers on so holla if you see me rolling around . .

Good luck with your school in Edmonton,


- Alex

[schmat66]

popeyes does not exist here, thought that may not be a problem for you . . I know it would kill other TM3ers

LOOOOOOOOOOL thphirrizle

[cwp_sedan]

Hi Marta,

I was coaxed into logging in by Ami. I moved to Edmonton in October 2011 and would be happy to provide you some insights.

I will send some information here as well I will PM you with my email and phone number if you have any questions later.

Edmonton is a nice city. The people are friendly, the outdoors-ness is great. the river valley is beautiful and has lots of opportunity for walking, biking, running, cross country skiing . . .or just sitting on a bench and relaxing. summers are filled with all sorts of festivals, the city boasts of all its festivals, as a matter of fact. daylight hours in the summer are awesome, when there is still twilight at midnight that is pretty cool . . .expect the opposite in the winter . . .

winters are cold. not the whole time, but man does it get down to minus 40s from time to time. that is cold. i cold like i never felt in Toronto.

chapstick . . it is very dry here, and you will notice it, especially at first.

as for the car . . . i would bring it if i could, there is a lot to do that is accessible more easily by car, you could rent a car for trips i suppose, but jasper and banff are great in the summer and the winter. public transit is good in the core, not really otherwise, traffic here is awesome, i have never yet complained about traffic, i wonder how i will hold up the next time i am on the 401 . . .

you will miss somethings about Toronto, i know i do, but I am happy living here.

popeyes does not exist here, thought that may not be a problem for you . . I know it would kill other TM3ers

yes . . there are a lot lot lot of pickup trucks, yes most cars have a plug in, most houses do not have A/C, you dont need A/C too much here, maybe for a week in the summer, the pace is slower, be prepared for this, it used to annoy me, it doesn't anymore. also, people here like to make fun of Toronto "the Centre of the Universe"

i still have my TM3 plate covers on so holla if you see me rolling around . .

Good luck with your school in Edmonton,


- Alex

[silverstarmazda]

what ever happened to that small bbq at the baseball park marte??? thats how you came known on this thread and let hope we get one going before you leave!!

[asyed]

LOOOOOOOOOOL thphirrizle

thats exactly what came to my mind first when I read that line

[Marta]

Hi Marta,

I was coaxed into logging in by Ami. I moved to Edmonton in October 2011 and would be happy to provide you some insights.

I will send some information here as well I will PM you with my email and phone number if you have any questions later.

Edmonton is a nice city. The people are friendly, the outdoors-ness is great. the river valley is beautiful and has lots of opportunity for walking, biking, running, cross country skiing . . .or just sitting on a bench and relaxing. summers are filled with all sorts of festivals, the city boasts of all its festivals, as a matter of fact. daylight hours in the summer are awesome, when there is still twilight at midnight that is pretty cool . . .expect the opposite in the winter . . .

winters are cold. not the whole time, but man does it get down to minus 40s from time to time. that is cold. i cold like i never felt in Toronto.

chapstick . . it is very dry here, and you will notice it, especially at first.

as for the car . . . i would bring it if i could, there is a lot to do that is accessible more easily by car, you could rent a car for trips i suppose, but jasper and banff are great in the summer and the winter. public transit is good in the core, not really otherwise, traffic here is awesome, i have never yet complained about traffic, i wonder how i will hold up the next time i am on the 401 . . .

you will miss somethings about Toronto, i know i do, but I am happy living here.

popeyes does not exist here, thought that may not be a problem for you . . I know it would kill other TM3ers

yes . . there are a lot lot lot of pickup trucks, yes most cars have a plug in, most houses do not have A/C, you dont need A/C too much here, maybe for a week in the summer, the pace is slower, be prepared for this, it used to annoy me, it doesn't anymore. also, people here like to make fun of Toronto "the Centre of the Universe"

i still have my TM3 plate covers on so holla if you see me rolling around . .

Good luck with your school in Edmonton,


- Alex

Amazing! I'd appreciate that so much! Also, shout out to Ami for making me some friends haha.
I will definitely miss the freedom/convenience of a car, especially my absolute love for driving and the performance scene. I've heard that the public transport is sketch on the outskirts, but I'm hoping the university area and downtown core will be manageable. Also, I get a metropass (or whatever they're called in Edmonton lol) free with my program, so that will also absorb some of the cost. This is especially true given the ridiuclously high cost of living and the fact that my apartment is SO friggen expensive. ...especially for a perpetual student.

I've never actually been to Popeyes (I wonder if Phil will delete me now haha), so that wont be an issue. I'm really looking forward to all the nature/outdoor stuff and how to do alot of mountain biking and such.

Zero Chalk.... lol, a dog sled you mean? Thats next on the list right after a Parka, a Canada Goose jacket (the super long one haha), an igloo and obviously heat packs (now accepting donations).


MazdaBetty- haha, yea Nova Scotia is a different story lol! I dont blame you! I think I will leave it at home for a little bit. I'm giving Edmonton and the University of Alberta a 3 month trial.... if I totally hate the city and decide I dont want to spend ANOTHER 5 years in university, I will just come and get a "real job." So I dont want to jump the gun and get rid of it, espeiclaly because its great still and I love it. I'll have someone drive it everynow and then and maintain it as well. (I will actually miss Chrysler haha). The cost would be alot parking it on campus, especially with a car charger or whatever they have there. This way I will have my car for Christmas, reading week and the summer when I come home for a couple of weeks. If I decide I cant do without it (quite probable) I will bring it with me, or sell it next year. It still has low mileage and runs great, so Im hoping it wont depreciate too much.

Thanks everyone for your well wishes with school. Lord knows I'm going to need it!


And Sam- haha, yea I guess thats when people realized I was a REAL girl and NOT a robot haha. I'm so down. This time though, smores lol!

If anyone else has any insight, that would be wonderful.

Looking forward to talking to you Alex. Ami, thanks again, you're wonderful.

[Marta]

.. and yes, I still dont know how to quote multiple people. Clearly my field of study IS NOT computers.

[SilentJay]

Ah to be young and mobile again... Anyhoo, good luck!

[Broli]

I will look forward to speaking with you, my mailbox is full, so i asked Ami to send my info.

yes, cost of living is high, the first few months every time i went into a supermarket i was quite surprised with the costs. You won't hate it here, but after two years, it is still not home like Toronto is to me, but . . . it is getting closer!



cwp_sedan . . . i miss you too buddy . . . lol

[rzapata]

Nice, good luck with the move. Seems like a lot of TM3ers are moving to the west this year.

I can't say much about Edmonton because I haven't been there (was gonna go a few weeks ago but got lazy because of working all day and night).

I guess, most people have already mentioned the necessities and whatnot. Most important thing that you may want to do is to accept that these cities (Calgary and Edmonton) are not nearly as comparable to Toronto. Once you've accepted that, you will enjoy your overall stay.

When I drive around the city, I always try to compare everything I see to what I've seen in Toronto, which is why I get homesick and miss TO a lot. But slowly, I'm trying to realize that this city has it's own uniqueness (and perks as well somehow) and just enjoy the stay, the environment, the people, etc.

Good luck with everything and hope to see you in Calgary as well.

PS:

I want to perhaps start a thread for TM3 members in Calgary and Edmonton and maybe organize a meet or something. Once I get a chance.

[hamza7]

Good luck with the move, I really can't help you with Edmonton since I've never been but I do know of a reputable detail shop if you get a vehicle there you want to take care of.

AutoObessed.ca

[peterm15]

Let me know when you go. I have a few family members there that need a good ass whoopin. Lol.

Good luck.

Ps. Where's pookaroo cris (?)
Didn't he just move there a few months back.

[ZeroChalk]

Sled = snowmobile

Good luck with the move!

[sudz]

My only advice would be to get a block heater. lol.

And let your car warm up good before driving. if you crank and drive at minus 30...make sure you check your oil levels often.

[malfunktion]

I just moved to Edmonton two weeks ago for work...

The people are nice.... the roads suck.. everyone has an exhaust/ muffler problem.. every car is 100x louder then it needs to be it seems.

Still getting my bearings on the place but have seen a few mazdas and hoping that a Edmonton Mazda group emerges :p

[fumoffu]

Hmmm.

I should organize a Mazda BBQ meet at one of the Edmonton park this summer.

Edmonton is quite nice but boring at time.

[hitable]

Hey Marta, peterm15 brought me over here!!

I'm in 4th year Uni. I moved here from Hong Kong about 9 years ago, and I still can't stand some of the stuff here in Edmonton due to just how boring life is here and how poorly transport systems are laid out. The University LRT station... escalators are almost ALWAYS down.. and once they are.. for some reason takes them 3 -4 weeks to fix... As a matter of fact, the LRT system itself... is .. just awful.. random stops (mechanical issues).. etc.. Some bus drivers feel like they could leave 10 minutes early from a stop or come 10 minutes late (and this is during nice dry days).

That being said, we have friendly people here, WEM and Southgate if you like shopping.. decent drivers.. not bad for an educational stay at all really..

Just one word about the driving conditions though (roads).....



If you need any help when you get here feel free to message me questions!

[Marta]

You guys are hilarious and make me actually LOL every time I come on here!
Thanks for the advice on the blockheater and snowmobile... not sure how I will deal with the winter.
Young and mobile? More like young and stupid haha....
I will keep the shop in mind if I do cave and take my girly with me.
Peter- I'm taking names so just send them along This reminds me how badly I need to find a reputable MMA gym...


I am so down for a Edmonton/Calgary thread. I need to get my car fix somewhere, thats for sure. I heard its mostly a raised truck/diesel scene... not looking forward to that too much but meh!
Malfunktion- send me a shout in a couple of weeks and let me know how you like it!
I am prepared to accept that its not Toronto, but a wicked nightlife is mandatory. Especially for this degree!
Super super pumped that my apartment is right by the entertainment distict!

[peterm15]

Oh ya.

Get used to the Newfie accent. I'm pretty sure there is more in Alberta then in Newfoundland.

[Das Uberdog]

You guys are hilarious and make me actually LOL every time I come on here!
Thanks for the advice on the blockheater and snowmobile... not sure how I will deal with the winter.
Young and mobile? More like young and stupid haha....
I will keep the shop in mind if I do cave and take my girly with me.
Peter- I'm taking names so just send them along This reminds me how badly I need to find a reputable MMA gym...

I am so down for a Edmonton/Calgary thread. I need to get my car fix somewhere, thats for sure. I heard its mostly a raised truck/diesel scene... not looking forward to that too much but meh!
Malfunktion- send me a shout in a couple of weeks and let me know how you like it!
I am prepared to accept that its not Toronto, but a wicked nightlife is mandatory. Especially for this degree!
Super super pumped that my apartment is right by the entertainment distict!

I lived in Edmonton for 20 years before moving to the GTA 5 years ago. A couple things, like everyone mentioned get your block heater on! You will need it for 6 months lol, get snow tires. Reason being you're used to the multiple daily plowing and salt of the GTA. In Alberta they rarely plow and we use gravel and sand as its easier on the environment. Be prepared for windshield chips and paint chips in your front bumper.

As for the nightlife, White Ave will be your friend. It's not too bad. It's gets crazy enough. It's just not as chic as T.O.

There's been a ton of MMA gyms opening. Where are you staying? I can help direct you and are you looking at doing MMA or more into Muay Thai, BJJ, wrestling, etc