Edmonton's Best Neighbourhoods

Ask any of the locals and they'll tell you straight up. The West Edmonton Mall may be an OK place to visit, but no one lives there. There's more to Edmonton than West Ed.

Edmonton, the capital city of the province, also has the distinction of being home to the backbone of Alberta's oil industry — the blue collar workers. But it is also cultural and educational hub. Edmonton is "Canada's Festival City" and where students from cross Canada come to attend the University of Alberta. But within the city limits lies the heart of what Edmonton is all about. Day-to-day life in Edmonton's best neighbourhoods.

Let's take a look at Edmonton's most desirable communities as ranked by Money Sense Magazine:

North East Inner-City

Look to the communities of Montrose and Newton next door to Rexall Place, where the NHL Edmonton Oilers are playing their last season of hockey before moving to the new Roger's Arena downtown. These two neighbourhoods were built prior to World War II. Small bungalows common to this era are still available, but it's not the teeny square footage that attracts buyers to Montrose and Newton. It's the large lots and ease of access to major arteries such as Yellowhead Trail and the Anthony Henday expressway. When an older bungalow on a large or even a double lot comes on the market they're snapped up at a tear-down price. The wonderful new homes being built in these communities are revitalizing the area.

South East Inner-City

Recognizing that redevelopment is good for the inner-city sole, the second best spot in Edmonton are neighbourhoods such as Ritchie, Hazeldean and King Edward Park. The areas South East of the downtown core where built out over a 30 to 40 year period beginning prior to World War II, and are situated along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River and the Mill Creek Ravine. Anything close to the river is popular with Edmonton home buyers. Another area attraction is Whyte Avenue, aka 82 Avenue. This street is urban legend in Edmonton, with hip cafes, book shops, art galleries and intimate pubs.

With 700 square foot bungalows available for in the $400,000 to $425,000 range it's no wonder they're disappearing in favour of beautiful detached and semi-attached infill homes, perfect for families. King Edward Park in particular was rezoned by the City of Edmonton to allow for this redevelopment specifically to bring families into inner-city Edmonton.

North Glenora and Friends

First time buyers and investors are also looking at North Glenora, Inglewood, Westmount and Woodcraft. The average home price in this area is $425,000. The best value for sweat equity is Inglewood, were many homes are still occupied by the original owners and often require updating or replacing. Zoning in Inglewood especially allows developers to build four townhomes or a fourplex on one of the larger lots. Westmount is a west-central neighbourhood close to the Groat Ravine. About 25% of the homes in this neighbourhood were built in 1910. Mostly in the south end of the neighbourhood, or "Groat Estates," some of these homes are on a heritage protected list. Build-out continued over a 50 year period so Westmount has a mixed bag of home styles but the location makes it a solid win for buyers.

The older homes in North Glenora are of better quality. An old-money neighbourhood where knocking down a home would be a shame. Full of character, charming to walk and close to downtown. Three ingredients for a wonderful Edmonton neighbourhood.