North Edmonton
North Edmonton is a sprawling suburban area of the City of Edmonton, Alberta. It is generally composed of low density residential neighbourhoods consisting of primarily single family detached homes and a few "power centres" (shopping developments).
Understand
editAfter oil was discovered near Edmonton in 1947, the city started expanding to the north and hasn't really stopped since.
Neighbourhoods here are generally middle or lower class, and range in age from "old" (relatively, before the Second World War) to still being built. This area includes a former armed forces base (Griesbach) and municipal airport (Blatchford), both of which are being redeveloped.
This district includes the city's Arab district and Filipino neighbourhood, and is a good place to look for cheap and cheerful restaurant meals.
Get in
edit
By car
editNorth Edmonton is crossed by a large main road. 97 Street (Highway 28) is probably the biggest of them all. It goes from the Central district all the way through the north-side and out into the countryside. It takes you through residential areas and major big box retail areas. 137th Avenue is another big one, going east and west and is full of shops. Other major roads include: Fort Road, Victoria Trail, 167 Avenue, 66 Street, 127 Street, and Saint Albert Trail/Mark Messier Way.
North Edmonton is served by three highways: Yellowhead Trail (Highway 16), Manning Drive (Highway 15), and Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216). The Yellowhead is the main one and can get you in and out of the city quickly and goes west–east. Manning Drive is an extension of Fort Road and goes to Fort Saskatchewan, a suburb 14 km away. The Anthony Henday is a ring road around the city with multiple exits on the north side.
Transit
editTransit is available in the area but light rail only exists in the far east of this part of the city, whereas the rest of the Northside relies on buses which have limited frequencies in the more far-flung residential areas. The four Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations: covered here are Clareview, Coliseum, Stadium, and Belvedere (near Fort Road).
- 1 Stadium station. Access to Commonwealth Stadium during football and soccer games, as well as bus transfers the rest of the time.
- 2 Coliseum station. Was once quite useful for getting to the main hockey area and concert venue, now closed. Can still be used to transfer between train and bus.
- 3 Belvedere station. Access to bus transfers and a casino, but not much else.
- 4 Clareview station. The northern terminus of the LRT, large park-and-ride lot, bus transfers, nothing within walking distance.
See
edit- 1 Alberta Aviation Museum, 11410 Kingsway (Avenue), ☏ +1 780 451-1175. Great for a nice time out with the family and experience new knowledge about airplanes. They are great for learning about aviation history and include pistols, uniforms and planes dating back to the 1920s.
- 2 Alberta Railway Museum, 24215 34 St NW. Weekends from Victoria Day to Labour Day. The collection of railway equipment and buildings contains locomotives from the Canadian National Railways (CNR) and Northern Alberta Railways (NAR). Trains operate only on holiday weekends in summer.
- 3 Old Towne Beverly. Once a separate town, Beverly was amalgamated into Edmonton in the 1940s. It was a beautiful, quiet mining town. Today it isn't the place to shop, but some quaint shops may pop by as you drive/walk by. Most stores are streetfront making it very inviting to pedestrians. It is also nice to admire what history is left of it.
- 4 Greisbach Central Park (Maple Leaf Park), 14204-, 14594 Sir Arthur Currie Way (just west of 97 Street along Greisbach Road). closes at 11PM. A series of small parks connected by trails run through the neighbourhood, the largest is the Central Park, which has a man-made hill, the highest spot on the north side of Edmonton, perfect for seeing the downtown skyline. free.
Do
edit- 1 Century Casino (Century Casino & Hotel), 13103 Fort Road, ☏ +1 780-643-4000, fax: +1-780-406-0762, edmonton.info@cnty.com. 9AM-3AM.
- 2 Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton Cinemas, 14231 137 Avenue NW, ☏ +1 780-732-2223. Clean theatre that can get quiet busy at times. The pictures is pretty good and the food served is pretty yummy. The place is full of the hottest, latest shows. For detailed showings, see the Edmonton Movie Guide.
- 3 Rundle Park Gold Course, 2909 118 Ave, ☏ +1 780-442-5311. Public course: 3018 yards, par 54. A city-owned course, this executive par-three gives a surprisingly good workout. Holes range from around 100 to over 200 yards, greens are fairly small, and your shot-making ability is fairly tested. By the nature of the course, it is busy (although you can walk on almost any time): there will be waiting time on weekends, and the course is not kept to the same level of repair the other city courses are. Nevertheless, it's a great way to warm up in the spring, and a good introduction to golf if you're entertaining non-golfers.
Buy
editShopping in this part of town generally isn't anything particularly interesting, pretty similar to other Canadian suburban areas, if that's what you're looking for, this place is fine.
- 1 Kingsway Mall (formerly Kingsway Garden Mall) (109 St & Kingsway), ☏ +1 780-477-5756. The second largest mall in the city of Edmonton. It has many large American retailers like McDonald's and DisneyStore. It is being expanded. The mall is in an older neighborhood, despite it being modern. There is also a lot of parking for free, and there are good transit options.
- 2 Londonderry Mall (137 Ave & 66 St), ☏ +1 780-475-9266. This mall is up to date and is full of many typical retailers and gives shoppers a quiet experience. Nice for a quiet Saturday morning stroll or a Sunday walk.
- 3 Christy's Corner (St Albert Tr (Hwy 2) and 137 Avenue). A power centre that includes a big movie theatre, some restaurants, and typical big box outlets.
- 4 Clareview Town Centre (137 Ave & 50 St). Suburban, open-air, powercentre.
- 5 Manning Town Centre (Manning Dr (Hwy 15) & 153 Ave). Suburban, open-air, powercentre.
- 6 Namao Centre (97 St (Hwy 28) & 162 Ave). Just modern, typical suburban big box shopping. Great if you're in the neighbourhood, homesick for your normal, uniform stores of back home or you just love those stores.
- 7 Northgate Centre (97 St & 137 Ave), ☏ +1 780-745-3695. Small shopping mall located across from North Town Centre. Contains more than 70 stores and services including Marshalls, Safeway, and Walmart.
- 8 North Town Centre, 9450 137 Ave (97 St & 137 Ave). Across from Northgate Centre. Former indoor mall redeveloped into an open-air strip mall, includes Edmonton's second T&T (Asian) Supermarket.
- 9 Skyview Power Centre (137 Ave between 140 St and 127 St). Suburban, open-air, powercentre.
Eat
editNorth Edmonton eating is pretty typical of Albertan suburbs.
- Lazia, 13663 St Albert Trail NW, ☏ +1 780-409-8345.
- Mt Fuji Teppanyaki Japan Ltd, 9635 167 Ave. M-Sa until 9PM. This is a cafeteria-style restaurant, where you order at the cash register and find a table to eat the results. Try the elegant-looking chirashi, which offers a variety of the freshest fish in the city. The homemade sesame sauce used on some of the rice dishes is so popular, they now sell it by the bottle. Close to a military base, Mt. Fuji attracts many uniformed patrons at lunch. Try arriving early or after 1PM, or call ahead for take-out.
- 1 Uncle Ed’s Ukrainian Restaurant (Mundare Sausage House), 4824 118 Ave, ☏ +1-780-471-1010. M-Sa 11AM-7PM, closed Sundays. Authentic Ukrainian restaurant and deli with imported European goods, serving Stawnchy's Mundare Sausage, a locally well-known sausage company from neighboring Mundare, Alberta.
- 2 Sahara (Sahara Palace), 10807 Castle Downs Road, Suite 110, ☏ +1 780-371-1113. Large portions of Lebanese comfort foods, shisha (hooka) available, occasionally loud with local birthday parties. This is the hub of Edmonton's Little Arabia. More food than anyone could ever need for C$35.
- 3 Rosslyn Arabic strip mall (Sunbake Pita Bakery, Cedar Sweets, Almasa Hookah & Accessories, Sara Folard & Gifts Ltd., Mona's Pizza, Cakes By Ludy, Rosslyn Halal Meats and Grocery). The best place in Edmonton to find baklava, "donair" (kebab), and other Mediterranean snacks.
- Mandolin Books and Coffee Company on 112 Avenue is a fantastic find.
Drink
edit- 1 Chateau Louis Liquor Store, 11727 Kingsway Ave (just south of the City Centre Airport attached to the hotel of the same name). Tu-Sa 10AM-10PM, Su M 10AM-7PM. This liquor store has one of the largest selections of single-malt Scotch in Edmonton. (In fact, it was the site of Canada's only whisky kidnapping - in 1999, a fabulously rare bottle of 1955 Bowmore malt was stolen and offered back for ransom!) The selection is good and the prices are better than many places in the city. The liquor store is now known not just for its Scotches but also for its wide selection of other hard liquors, many of them premium brands ranking well above the regular bar brands in quality and price: it's one of the few stores in town with a choice in absinthes, as well as high-end tequilas, rums, and non-Scotch whiskeys. The wine selection is limited, and while there's a good variety of premium beers, any true beer aficionado would head a few blocks west to the Sherbrooke Liquor Store.
- 2 Sherbrooke Liquor Store, 11819 St Albert Trail (on the NE corner of St Albert Trail and 118 Ave), ☏ +1 780-455-4556. This liquor store is dominated by a massive cooler of beers that runs the gamut from humble macro lager to ultra-premium exotics, and a respectable selection of wines and spirits to round it off. Widely regarded as the city's largest selection of beer.
Sleep
edit- 1 Best Western Plus City Centre Inn, 11310 109 St, ☏ +1 780-479-2042, toll-free: +1-800-780-7234. Easy access to Kingsway Mall, NAIT, and LRT.
- 2 Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre, 11727 Kingsway, ☏ +1 780-452-7770, toll-free: +1-800-661-9843, fax: +1-780-454-3436. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 3 Chateau Nova Kingsway, 159 Airport Road (Kingsway & 121 St, near the former Edmonton Municipal Airport), ☏ +1 780-424-6682, toll-free: +1-866-913-6682, fax: +1 780-424-6683, edmontonkingsway@novahotels.ca.
- 4 Chateau Nova Yellowhead, 13920 Yellowhead Trail (Yellowhead Trail & St. Albert Trail), ☏ +1 780-454-5441, toll-free: +1-866-913-6682, fax: +1 780-454-4348.
- 5 Edmonton Inn & Conference Centre, 11830 Kingsway NW, toll-free: +1-888-747-4114. Get a suite looking south.
- 6 Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Edmonton North, 581 Griesbach Parade NW (just north of 97 St & 137 Ave), ☏ +1 780-540-5100, toll-free: +1-844-844-6083.
- 7 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edmonton North, 13742 50 Street NW, ☏ +1-780-476-9898, toll-free: +1-877-660-8550, hiexedmontonnorth@gmail.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Clean hotel near LRT (Clareview) and major road connections. Major big box retail stores are also at your footsteps if you stay here.
- 8 Rosslyn Inn and Suites (Prospectors Gaming Room), 13620 97 Street NW, ☏ +1 780-476-6241, toll-free: +1-877-785-7005, reserve@rosslyninnandsuites.com. Clean, small hotel near the major arterial of 137th Avenue and is using a clean, modern building. Pretty typical suites.
- Radisson Hotel & Convention Center Edmonton, 4520 76 Avenue NW, ☏ +1 780-468-5400, rhi_edcc@radisson.com.
Stay safe
editAreas around the Fort Road district (between Yellowhead and 135 Avenue) are best avoided at night. There are a lot of homeless, poor people and the number of dirty and drinking establishments in the area doesn't help.
Go next
edit| Routes through North Edmonton |
| END ← | N  S |
→ Central Edmonton → South Edmonton |
Jasper / Grande Prairie via  ← West End ← |
W   E |
→ Sherwood Park → Lloydminster |
| Peace River ← St. Albert ← | N  S |
→ West End → Calgary |
ENDS at  ← |
SW  NE |
→ Fort Saskatchewan → Mundare |
Cold Lake / Fort McMurray via  ← Bonnyville ← |
N  S |
→ ENDS at |
| Cold Lake / Fort McMurray via ← Gibbons ← |
N  S |
→ ENDS at  |
| West End ← St. Albert ← | W  E |
→ Sherwood Park → South Edmonton |