Urban living in Edmonton

[urbanroo]

I’ve read through threads in this forum for the last 10 years, but this is my first post. This is my situation and I’d be grateful for any feedback: I grew up in southwest Edmonton, but school and work took me, after high school, to San Francisco, London, Paris and elsewhere. I now have a young family and live on the near north side of Chicago amid a dense band of century-old highrises and rowhouses nestled along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I sold my car and can’t remember the last time I missed it. I love being able to walk to grocery stores, restaurants and shops, as do the many other young families in my neighborhood. As fate would have it, life is now taking me back to Edmonton for a few years and I’m preparing to move this summer. I have a complicated relationship with the town I grew up in, though I always defend it and sing its virtues to outsiders. That said, the move comes with some trepidation.

My question for you is: what is the vibe like in Oliver, Grandin and downtown? Do people actually live in these areas? Is there life after the offices close at 5pm? Will you see people (singles, couples, families?) strolling the streets at 7pm picking up groceries or getting a bite to eat? My brother (who lives in Edmonton but not downtown) says everyone drives there for work and leaves at 5pm. Is this true? He’s says I’m insane to try to recreate my urban life in Edmonton.

I should add that I’m working with a real estate agent from afar and am having a lot of trouble finding a place to live in these areas. Many buildings seem a bit run down and full of young 20-something partiers. Other promising condos have come up, especially in the Grandin area (my parents, who still live in Edmonton, have checked them out for me). But we keep running into a problem: age restrictive covenants that forbid children from living in these buildings. I’m a little surprised at how difficult my home search is proving and how family unfriendly these areas seem to be. Are there families who live in these areas? Are there buildings that accept families (my real estate agent is working hard but is having trouble getting clear answers from listing agents on this issue). Should I keep my dream alive, or should I give up, buy a car, and move to the suburbs?