Urban living in Edmonton - Page 20

240glt · #**381** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 3:49 PM**

^ In reality if one wanted to live a car-free or car reduced lifestyle here you could do it in any number of neighborhoods across all parts of the city. Where we live now it'd be possible to go car free, and we could easily reduce the fleet down to 1 if we were so inclined. We really only ever use one vehicle 95% of the time.

I hate commuting and that's one of the main reasons we bought where we did. But if my job was, say, at the airport or someplace else in the south I'd prefer to live down there instead.

SHOFEAR · #**382** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:01 PM**

Coming up on our one year anniversary of moving into our home in Riverbend....It's been an awesome experience.

The only frustration is I whish we moved out of downtown a couple years earlier. A couple years of fixing up our 40ish year old house before we had kids would have been extremely helpful. Productivity was limited with one kid...and has ground to a halt with our second being born earlier this month.

For all you guys trying to squeeze a couple extra years of urbanism in before you grow up and move into a house.....be careful....Don't do what we did and come home from the hospital and realize you have made a mistake.

feepa · #**383** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ In reality if one wanted to live a car-free or car reduced lifestyle here you could do it in any number of neighborhoods across all parts of the city. Where we live now it'd be possible to go car free, and we could easily reduce the fleet down to 1 if we were so inclined. We really only ever use one vehicle 95% of the time.

I hate commuting and that's one of the main reasons we bought where we did. But if my job was, say, at the airport or someplace else in the south I'd prefer to live down there instead.

If we were so inclined, we could down to one car too. I moved to the SW so I could walk to work. For the most part, my truck sits in my garage on the weekdays and only used to take me and my bike out of town... and being on the fringe, I can get out of town a lot quicker.

SHOFEAR · #**384** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by feepa

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...

Ours went up drastically. But does it really matter? I'd argue that getting places is and doing things is far more convenient, which is the top priority.

feepa · #**385** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:38 PM**

In the end it doesn't really matter as long as you are happy. I try to reduce my footprint whereever I am, when I can, but the notion here on SSP and C2E is that you can only do that downtown, and if you don't downtown, your looked down on negatively, as if downtown living is the be all, end all, cats meow, and you are considered a lesser person if your lifestyle choices don't match that of the uber-allies-downtown clique.

feepa · #**386** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

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.

I can also lock the door and travel without a minutes notice... and I'm a heck of a lot closer to getting out of this berg when the time comes to it. 15 minutes to EIA or QEII, Yellowhead, etc... and off to a better true urban experience for a few days than Edmonton will ever be able to offer, Central Park or not.

240glt · #**387** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 4:59 PM**

^ to each their own, but I find that shoveling/ snow blowing after a storm is as much of a community building activity as it is a chore. On our street the small army of guys who are out there doing the sidewalks, back alley and clearing spaces for people to park is pretty impressive. Everyone stops to chat, it's a great way to get to know your neighbors. In the summer when everyone is out working in their yards, we'll stop & have a beer in the alley with the guy across the way, or talk about cars or whatever.

s4.audios · #**388** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by feepa

In the end it doesn't really matter as long as you are happy. I try to reduce my footprint whereever I am, when I can, but the notion here on SSP and C2E is that you can only do that downtown, and if you don't downtown, your looked down on negatively, as if downtown living is the be all, end all, cats meow, and you are considered a lesser person if your lifestyle choices don't match that of the uber-allies-downtown clique.

I think you are the only one taking a personal attack on this matter. It really is to each their own, and there is nothing wrong with commenting on the positives of their preferences and how they see things. I haven't seen anyone talk too much 🞵🞵🞵🞵 about the burbs, but in return you are talking a lot of 🞵🞵🞵🞵 about central living. So who's the one really here talking down on others' opinions?

Not married or with kids so don't know how that would be living central, but I love it otherwise. I also agree Edmonton's footprint is a lot larger than perceived. In many ways, the size of the footprint is actually what creates that perceptions, amenities and retails often feel too far apart.

One thing I will never do again is purchase condominiumized property, especially undeveloped. Rent is the way to go in this case, all the advantages without the headaches of ownership.

christopherj · #**389** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 7:29 PM**

I think that's just it - there are pros and cons of living central, just like there are pros and cons of living in the burbs. A lot comes down to what you prioritize in life, where what you do in life is, etc. There really is no right or wrong answer as it will depend on the individual person.

There is no need to throw out comments about "these nearly 40s that think they are still living there early 20s" who live downtown. Those nearly 40s are well aware of our age and where we are in life. I don't want a garage for my toys because I have no interest in those toys. Doesn't mean I'm passing judgment on you if you do - to each their own. So no need to pass judgment on those who live differently.

B.ike · #**390** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 7:30 PM**

At the end of the day, Edmonton is a city of a million - we're a "small city" globally.

While Calgary has freeways all over, Edmonton's traffic run surprisingly well, and arguably better, without them all around.

Given our current size and traffic, living anywhere in the city is really fine assuming you have a car (which majority do).

If you want that yard and garage and the cheapest option is in Allard...so be it. Thanks to the Henday, under ideal traffic conditions, you're only 30 minutes away from another part of the city.

It's just what you value. 75% of my friends have properties outside the ring road but most of them come to downtown or whyte ave anywhere between twice or seven times a week. But they've accepted that as part of their life and a trade off necessary. Currently, at my stage in life, I value my time and so I live centrally and avoid commute times.

TLDR: car is still king in a city sized like edmonton, and having one affords you options.

SHOFEAR · #**391** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 8:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by christopherj

I think that's just it - there are pros and cons of living central, just like there are pros and cons of living in the burbs. A lot comes down to what you prioritize in life, where what you do in life is, etc. There really is no right or wrong answer as it will depend on the individual person.

There is no need to throw out comments about "these nearly 40s that think they are still living there early 20s" who live downtown. Those nearly 40s are well aware of our age and where we are in life. I don't want a garage for my toys because I have no interest in those toys. Doesn't mean I'm passing judgment on you if you do - to each their own. So no need to pass judgment on those who live differently.

"To each their own".....

Are you serious?

There is no group more focused on social engineering and passing judgement on others choices than the 20 something year old urban elites who think they have the answers for how everybody else should live.

Coldrsx · #**392** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 8:52 PM**

I am not 20, but thank you

christopherj · #**393** Posted **Aug 28, 2019, 9:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

"To each their own".....

Are you serious?

There is no group more focused on social engineering and passing judgement on others choices than the 20 something year old urban elites who think they have the answers for how everybody else should live.

My experience is that I'd say the same about those that live in the 'burbs, and pass judgement onto people like me (well out my of 20's) who question why I'd want to live in some 'tiny shoebox', etc. So yeah, believe what you want to believe on that one.

In fact you yourself did it when you said "For all you guys trying to squeeze a couple extra years of urbanism in before you grow up and move into a house.....be careful....Don't do what we did and come home from the hospital and realize you have made a mistake." You're implying that because someone like me doesn't want to live in a house in the burbs that I'm not 'grown up'.

mintzilla · #**394** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 2:25 AM**

oh gross, that C2E toxic us vs them 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 is making its way to ssp... shame

Harrison · #**395** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 3:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

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.

I'd own a piece of land and the house (i.e. better resale value over the long term), condo fees are unpredictable, have a garage where I can work on the car or bicycles, have room for my own garden and patio...

We want 3 bedrooms as well and any nice 3 bedroom condo would be much more than the houses we've been looking at.

rakesh · #**396** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 3:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by B.ike

car is still king in a city sized like edmonton, and having one affords you options.

I am as pro transit as they come. Haven't driven a car in years. Still don't have a car. But IMO, in Edmonton driving is not a choice. When you have only 2 lrt lines (or should I say 1.25), the bus frequency is 15 minutes or more outside of rush hour and you happen to live in the suburbs having a car becomes a must. I went for a townhouse viewing in Heritage Valley and the bus that would take me there doesn't run on Saturdays and Sundays. So I had to get off at Ellerslie and walk my 🞵🞵🞵 off (took me 45 min and I am a fast walker). Imagine walking that much in winter. There are lots of people living in that area and they are building these beautiful communities all over. Honestly not having frequent transit is a shame. Fix the transit system and then we can talk about getting people out of their vehicles. Also the city should build more affordable housing near lrt stations.

BTW, Edmonton doesn't have 24 hour bus routes. I was out one night, missed the 3 am bus which apparently was the last one, had to take a cab.

mintzilla · #**397** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 5:24 AM**

^to be fair I don’t think you can expect perfect transit options in the farthest flung suburbs in the city...

feepa · #**398** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 1:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintzilla

^to be fair I don’t think you can expect perfect transit options in the farthest flung suburbs in the city...

You can't even expect decent transit service downtown in this city, let alone perfect.

kcantor · #**399** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintzilla

^to be fair I don’t think you can expect perfect transit options in the farthest flung suburbs in the city...

maybe it is unfair to expect perfection but maybe it is fair to wonder if this is partly why full fare revenues have dropped 10% in the last 5 years while ridership has dropped by 2 million a year.

http://https://www.google.ca/amp/s/edmon...ommendations-to-improve-city-transit/amp

SHOFEAR · #**400** Posted **Aug 29, 2019, 2:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by christopherj

My experience is that I'd say the same about those that live in the 'burbs, and pass judgement onto people like me (well out my of 20's) who question why I'd want to live in some 'tiny shoebox', etc. So yeah, believe what you want to believe on that one.

In fact you yourself did it when you said "For all you guys trying to squeeze a couple extra years of urbanism in before you grow up and move into a house.....be careful....Don't do what we did and come home from the hospital and realize you have made a mistake." You're implying that because someone like me doesn't want to live in a house in the burbs that I'm not 'grown up'.

I'm offering life lessons that I learned the hard way.

You strategically didn't comment on the social engineering part though. Urbanites loooooove that.