Urban living in Edmonton - Page 19

Hardhatdan · #**361** Posted **Aug 26, 2019, 3:57 PM**

Looks like people came out in full force. Very cool.
We went up to little Italy for the Fiesta Italiana which was also very well attended.

Coldrsx · #**362** Posted **Aug 26, 2019, 4:04 PM**

There was also an event taking place in Chinatown... quite the day in Edmonton.

Harrison · #**363** Posted **Aug 26, 2019, 4:38 PM**

We are now large enough where there can be large festivals/events taking place on the same day and all are well attended. Hopefully people aren't afraid to compete with some of the larger festivals (Fringe, Heritage Days, Folk Fest, etc.).

Coldrsx · #**364** Posted **Aug 26, 2019, 6:00 PM**

I had many people come up to me yesterday saying that they were biking from this to Chinatown to Little Italy...

Gus Haynes · #**365** Posted **Aug 27, 2019, 3:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I had many people come up to me yesterday saying that they were biking from this to Chinatown to Little Italy...

Many people? Came up to you, entirely unprompted, to mention the specific route of their bike rides?

Shah, right.

Coldrsx · #**366** Posted **Aug 27, 2019, 3:42 AM**

Actually.

Most were from outside of central Edmonton and told me that this was one of their stops on their Sunday adventure.

rakesh · #**367** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 2:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oiler-dude

2 bed + 2 bath range from 807 SF to 1,107 SF. They've also got 2 Bed + Den + 2 bath in the 1,000 SF - 1,400 SF range.

The city talks about getting more people to live downtown all the time. As i have been house hunting lately, I know that one can find brand new 2 bed 1200 sq feet townhouses for 300K in the suburbs and since Edmonton is a car dependent city and most people drive, they choose to live in the burbs in their spacious affordable homes. Developers need to offer 2 bed condos (mid rise, doesn't have to be high rise) in the same price range (maybe 800 to 1000 sq ft) downtown. I promise that will attract a lot for prospective buyers.

I remember back in 2010 condos in downtown Toronto were going for 250 to 300 K.

Coldrsx · #**368** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 2:39 AM**

You have a TON of options in the 300-400k range Downtown and in central Edmonton...and certainly can make the choice/decision to not be car dependant.

s4.audios · #**369** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:12 AM**

I dont think any option like that exists for new build and that's where the city will struggle to compete with. The "brand new" in the suburbs is too much of a price gap with that of central.

Hardhatdan · #**370** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 6:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

You have a TON of options in the 300-400k range Downtown and in central Edmonton...and certainly can make the choice/decision to not be car dependant.

Maybe you can if you don't have kids who have activities all over, or like to leave the City on your own terms, etc. Otherwise still wind up owning a car, incurring the a good portion of the costs associated with it, but you pay more for less housing.
Condos at the current pricing are going to be an ever narrower demographic in Edmonton it seems to me.

Coldrsx · #**371** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 2:33 PM**

Not be rid of a car necessarily good sir, but not car DEPENDANT. Give one up or arrange work/life to not require it as often.

Choice.

feepa · #**372** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 2:53 PM**

Or maybe grow up and realize that not everyone needs to be squished in to a downtown condo. Love these nearly 40s that think they are still living there early 20s. Kids, Wife, recreational hobbies. No garage for my toys, noisy smelly neighbours, ya, choices...a private yard to myself with deck/patio, my own yard to grow stuff in, a garage for all my toys and cars and a place to work on them too! Room for my wife and kids, and my own home office, and not trying to balance that in a 2-3 bedroom 1000 sqft overpriced box. Just because you don't live downtown doesn't mean your any less of a person. Most in the city are better off not being downtown, because the majority of us don't work downtown. The majority of jobs are on the fringe of the city, and #@%#@%$# those that stick their noses up at you because you choose to live somewhere else than downtown

Choice

Coldrsx · #**373** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:07 PM**

Please don't bring C2E here.

Point being, there are many affordable options for condos, houses, townhouses, duplexes etc. in central Edmonton right now... and many would allow for rightsizing your car use/dependency.

240glt · #**374** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:08 PM**

Looks like you can get into a 1 bedroom downtown for around $100k, and a 2 bed for under $200k in an older building.

For anyone who wants that lifestyle the deals are incredible right now, and a huge amount of inventory in all price ranges. Prices look to be down to what they were in 2005-2006

To each their own, I don't really buy the car dependency argument, all the people I know who live downtown use their cars all the time, because aside for some restaurants there really isn't anything down there so they have to drive regardless. It's just a lifestyle choice. I loved living in my condo downtown Calgary when I was in my 20's but now the only way I'd move back into a condo is if I moved someplace like Vancouver where I had no other choice. Condos' in Edmonton are a lifestyle choice no doubt, but given the alternatives I don't think they are a good value at all, and that's reflected in people's buying patterns here.

Coldrsx · #**375** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:14 PM**

I wouldn't disagree with that 240, but Edmonton is much more urban than people give it credit for.

Harrison · #**376** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Looks like you can get into a 1 bedroom downtown for around $100k, and a 2 bed for under $200k in an older building.

For anyone who wants that lifestyle the deals are incredible right now, and a huge amount of inventory in all price ranges. Prices look to be down to what they were in 2005-2006

To each their own, I don't really buy the car dependency argument, all the people I know who live downtown use their cars all the time, because aside for some restaurants there really isn't anything down there so they have to drive regardless. It's just a lifestyle choice. I loved living in my condo downtown Calgary when I was in my 20's but now the only way I'd move back into a condo is if I moved someplace like Vancouver where I had no other choice. Condos' in Edmonton are a lifestyle choice no doubt, but given the alternatives I don't think they are a good value at all, and that's reflected in people's buying patterns here.

I agree and am house hunting right now. I am looking at an older house only 1.5 km from the Downtown core that is the same as a nice 2-bedroom condo, but comes with a double detached garage and good sized yard.

Why purchase a condo with condo fees when you can get a larger home and land that is still very close to Downtown for the same price or cheaper?

Coldrsx · #**377** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:23 PM**

Why?

Many reasons on both sides of the equation... I don't shovel, repair, clean...can lock the door and travel without a minutes notice.

feepa · #**378** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Please don't bring C2E here.

Point being, there are many affordable options for condos, houses, townhouses, duplexes etc. in central Edmonton right now... and many would allow for rightsizing your car use/dependency.

Please don't bring reality here? Sorry I forgot this was your private space to soapbox without any sort of critical thinking in response.

Ignorant responses are probably why you hide our here. Rightsizing my car use/dependency is pretty presumptuous of you. I walk to work like you do. I have a truck for pleasure, my wife needs her car as she goes all over the city from site to site, and being 2 minutes off the Henday makes it real easy to do so. There are many affordable options for condos, houses, townhouses, duplexes all over Edmonton, especially outside of the core. That's what's great about Edmonton! This war against people who don't need to/want to or see any benefit to living downtown is just silly. There's more to living in a city than in a small shoebox apartment, especially when the dollar stretches so much further elsewhere.

240glt · #**379** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harrison

I agree and am house hunting right now. I am looking at an older house only 1.5 km from the Downtown core that is the same as a nice 2-bedroom condo, but comes with a double detached garage and good sized yard.

Why purchase a condo with condo fees when you can get a larger home and land that is still very close to Downtown for the same price or cheaper?

Honestly, the best kept secret in Edmonton is the Forest Heights/Capilano area. We're just east of the WGD and our commute downtown is literally 10 minutes. Prices are down here too and there's some really good deals to be had as well.

I wouldn't discount the Alberta Ave/Parkdale/Spruce Ave area either.. little rough around the edges but if you find the right place on the right street, you can have yourself a nice little house at a really good price. When I lived by the stadium I could be at my office in less than 10 minutes on my bike.

feepa · #**380** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

To each their own, I don't really buy the car dependency argument, all the people I know who live downtown use their cars all the time, because aside for some restaurants there really isn't anything down there so they have to drive regardless. It's just a lifestyle choice. I loved living in my condo downtown Calgary when I was in my 20's but now the only way I'd move back into a condo is if I moved someplace like Vancouver where I had no other choice. Condos' in Edmonton are a lifestyle choice no doubt, but given the alternatives I don't think they are a good value at all, and that's reflected in people's buying patterns here.

My car usage actually when down when I moved out of the Oliver/Downtown. I am now closer to work, closer to many restaurants, much closer to grocery stores and everything else I might need in daily life. There's this stigma with the downtown booster crowds here and on c2e (much the same people using different usernames) that you can only live a less dependent-on-car lifestyle downtown... but they can't seem to understand that not everyone has a job in a office tower downtown...