Captial City: Edmonton
By Shawn Gilhespy
29 Aug 2009
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
I live in the Capital City of Alberta: Edmonton! I currently reside in the quiet, but busy area of Avenmore (Central Southside) where there are no shortages of it's retired folk and young alike.
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
If I could choose an adjective to describe it, I think I'd have to make up my own.
It's a very, "I'm-to-old-to-work-but-too-lazy-to-do-anything-but-at-the-same-time-still-inspired-by-all-the-kids-in-the-area-so-I-plant-lots-of-flowers-and-vegetables" type of area...
If you get what I mean.
Or if that doesn't work for you, in other words, it's lively, has tonnes of retrospect, matured, and seems to be THE "spot" for complete home reno's. Trust me. I know that last one first hand!
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
After living here for three years (longest home in the last six years) I finally feel like I can call this place "home" for the time being. Previously, I grew up in the North Side Ghetto (aka Abbottsfield) for the first twelve years of my childhood. Soon after my parents divorced, my Dad and I moved to South side Millwoods in a house with what seemed like my Dads new soul mate and her children.
After countless arguments after the second year, my Dad and I figured that we'd be better off alone, just us men. We moved to a small town home in a neighboring community (Hazeldean) to my current residence. We stuck it out there for two years while I finished my Junior High years.
Soon after we found an actual house to live in that was, luckily, close by. I was really starting to get sick of this constant moving. Which brings us to my current residence in Avenmore where my Dad and I live a happy life together.
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
My favorite thing about where I'm at would have to be the location. It's fifteen minutes to anything: Whyte Avenue, Downtown, Sherwood Park, Millwoods, South Common. All these sweet places within fifteen minutes from my house! Also, the 8 runs down my street. It's so easy to travel where I want!
The least thing I enjoy is the never ending renovations in my house. My Dad is gone for 2 weeks at a time, and then back for a week tops, so he never has anytime to work on the anything. I really can't blame him though. Who wants to come back home from out of town for 2 weeks straight and work some more? Certainly not I. But if he weren't so damn handy, we'd hire contractors to do everything! Let's just say he likes to save money where he can. Go figure!
Do you feel that you belong there?
I really don't know if I belong here. Well, my neighbors wish I didn't. Apparently I bother them every single day, playing drums.
Well I call bullshit.
I'm not even there everyday! Come on people!
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
Everyone thinks we're assholes here, but it's totally not true!
Although, we are a "fast-paced," "on-the-go" city, but generally we are pretty friendly!
Remember: everyone has his or her bad days!
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
So you know those yummy smoothies you get at a place quite possibly known (when I say, "quite possibly" I mean everyone should know this place) Booster Juice? Well it was totally founded here in Edmonton!
No joke, my best friends' Sister is actually the girl on the BoosterJuice adds!
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
I love how no matter where you go to in this city, that there's always some sort of hidden beauty that goes unrecognized because of what it is. For example, the abandoned Parkade downtown, below La Ronde and the forgotten ruins of Whyte Avenue: both very beautiful places that few have ventured off to explore. I also adore all the unique and quirky tags around the city. Two of my favorites are, "Listen!" and "Oh nO!" You'll find them anywhere you go.
Another great thing about where I'm at is that you can walk five minutes from my back yard and feel like you're not even in a city. It's like a story-time dream world of endless kilometers of ravine but located over the entirety of the city!
I think is pretty sweet, too, that during the summer we are always having something going on. We are also known as festival city because of our frequent festivities such as Capital X, Street Performers, The Blues Festival, The Fringe Festival, The Folk Festival, CariWest, Pride... the list just goes on and on and on and on!
Anything else you'd like to add?
I hope y'all liked to hear about my hometown and its lovely perks and festivities!If you're planning a road trip across Canada, definitely take a stop in Edmonton during the summer. There's loads to do. (West Edmonton Mall's got a water park, a theme park and more than 10 city blocks of shopping inside it!)
