Good and Bad About Living in Edmonton, Alberta

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The Good and Bad About Living in Edmonton, Alberta
The Good and Bad About Living in Edmonton, Alberta

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In recent years many people have made the move to Edmonton, and some left it just as quickly as they came. Edmonton can be a hit or miss, and the majority of people who move here do so without knowing what they’re getting themselves into. Having lived in Edmonton for over 10 years, I’ve seen this happen over and over again. So if you too consider moving, let me tell you what’s good and bad about living in Edmonton.

To make it easier for you to decide whether Edmonton is right for you, I organized this article into point form pros and cons for each of the following categories: weather, dining, transportation, money, lifestyle, housing, education, employment, and other.


WEATHER

Pros

Cons

  • amazing summers with few rainy days
  • pleasant autumns with colorful foliage, fairly warm temperatures and little rain
  • temperatures in summer range from 20 to 30°C
  • long daylight in summer from around 5 am until around 11 pm
  • due to cold temperatures, snow is dry and won’t soak your shoes and clothes
  • life does not stop no matter how cold it gets or how much it snows
  • very dry climate which can be good for your car
  • many people seem to improve their pollen-related allergies in Edmonton
  • there is always snow for Christmas
  • most days are sunny, even in winter
  • incredibly long and cold winters
  • autumns only last 2-3 weeks at most; sometimes weather switches from summer straight to winter
  • spring does not exist; as soon as snow melts it’s suddenly summer
  • temperatures in winter can fall below -50°C
  • short daylight in winter from around 8 am until around 4 pm
  • sometimes it snows frequently and you constantly have to shovel/ clean your car
  • difficult to dress nicely for a night out during winter
  • the dry weather can take a toll on your skin and hair
  • there is a lot of dust which could cause allergies or hay fever
  • in the summer, the wind brings smoke from nearby wildfires which can make breathing difficult

DINING

Pros

Cons

  • there are a lot of amazing local coffee shops (check out the best ones here)
  • there are plenty dining options, including international cuisines
  • wherever you live, you are never too far from a restaurant
  • most restaurants offer delivery so you don’t have to go outside when the weather is very cold
  • some of the most expensive coffee in all of Canada
  • there are mostly restaurant chains; very few are family-owned businesses
  • almost no fine dining options
  • no molecular gastronomy
  • there are no Michelin Star restaurants and I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen anytime soon

TRANSPORTATION

Pros

Cons

  • the light rail transit system is currently expanding which should make it faster to get around Edmonton
  • roads are wide and fairly well maintained
  • since Edmonton is a car-centric city, there are plenty of parking spaces (including in downtown)
  • the international airport is well connected to other cities in Canada, USA, and abroad
  • it is very difficult to live in Edmonton without a car
  • terrible public transit infrastructure (many times I have waited up to 1 HOUR for buses that were supposed to come every 15 minutes)
  • the city is spread out and it takes a long time to get from place to place
  • congested traffic during rush hour in the morning and evening
The Good and Bad About Living in Edmonton, Alberta: Money

MONEY

Pros

Cons

  • housing is significantly more affordable than in other parts of Canada
  • lower income taxes
  • no provincial sales tax
  • some utilities like water and electricity are cheaper compared to other parts of Canada
  • everything costs money; not much to do for fun without spending money
  • you need a lot of winter gear which can get very expensive
  • groceries cost more compared to other large cities like Toronto or Montreal
  • expensive internet, TV, and phone services

LIFESTYLE

Pros

Cons

  • perfect for those who wish to live in a detached home
  • Edmonton is a great place for outdoor activities, there are numerous walking, hiking and cycling trails, tennis and basketball courts, ice rinks, and green spaces throughout the city
  • there are many festivals, especially in the summer months
  • very few tourists come to Edmonton and thus museums and other attractions are never overcrowded
  • people are kind and helpful; if you need some assistance they will likely help you
  • not many things to do for fun
  • most people tend to stay at home, not many go out and about walking or into downtown
  • some neighborhoods don’t have sidewalks, which makes it impossible to go for walks
  • aside from basic gyms, there limited options for alternative forms of exercise like reformer pilates or spin classes
  • not the best place for partying or dating
  • Edmonton can be very lonely if you don’t have an established group of friends
  • making friends can be difficult; most people are superficial and not interested in making deep connections

HOUSING

Pros

Cons

  • lots of housing inventory so it’s fairly easy to buy a house if you have the money
  • in some areas homes can be quite large and you can have a lot of space and a big back yard
  • rentals are getting more and more expensive
  • terrible neighbors (at least in my experience); many come here to live and work temporarily so they don’t respect the buildings they live in or the neighbors who live there

EDUCATION

Pros

Cons

  • Edmonton has very good public schools
  • there are multiple options for post-secondary education
  • few private schools and the quality of education isn’t as good as that of public schools
  • post-secondary education can be expensive and the institutions seem more focused on the money they’re making than the education they provide

EMPLOYMENT

Pros

Cons

  • lots of entry-level jobs in the service industry or manual labour
  • there are also some jobs in government, healthcare, and education
  • can be very difficult to get a well-paying job without connections
  • the cyclical economy makes it likely you will lose your job in a recession

OTHER

Pros

Cons

  • fairly safe society
  • clean air and drinking water
  • diverse population from all over the world
  • the universities offer very high salaries for certain jobs (mainly teaching positions)
  • Edmontonians are less concerned with appearance compared to other places, thus you can dress more casually even when you work in an office environment
  • lots of coyotes in the winter
  • Edmonton is too far away from the mountains to have day trips
  • poor healthcare, it is very difficult to find a doctor
  • you can feel very tired in the winter season due to limited daylight
  • road construction is incredibly disruptive and takes a very long time to complete

These have been the good and bad things about living in Edmonton. As with all places, Edmonton isn’t all good nor all bad, but somewhere in between. It certainly suits some lifestyles more than other. I hope that by organizing the list into pros and cons for each life category it helps you make an informed decision on whether moving to Edmonton is the right decision for you.

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