Welcome to Downtown

Cheryl Probert and her late husband knew they wanted to live downtown when they moved to Edmonton in 2018.

“We’re big into the food scene and live music events, and we wanted to be able to walk to the things that we wanted to do and see,” she says.

Downtown Edmonton offers a vibrant mix of entertainment, business, education, government and community in the heart of the city. More than 12,000 people live in the core, from students to office workers to artists to entrepreneurs to young families, making it one of the city’s largest neighbourhoods. 

A hub of hospitality, sports and arts 

Cheryl and her dog, Finnegan, live in a condo near 104 Street, which is lined with restaurants, cafés, bars, and Rogers Place, a state-of-the-art arena for concerts and the Edmonton Oilers. The Arts District, which includes the Citadel Theatre, Art Gallery of Alberta and Winspear Centre, is a short walk away.

“I hardly ever leave downtown because I don't need to,” she says. “Everything I need is within walking distance.”

Making connections

Cheryl is president of the Downtown Edmonton Community League, which helps connect downtown’s condo and apartment dwellers. The league hosts pub nights, seasonal socials and Confetti Fridays, a series of summer events in Michael Phair Park. The league also runs the community garden in Alex Decoteau Park, which features 36 plots and a dog park.

“People who haven’t been part of a community with high-density housing might have a sense that because you don’t have a front porch, there isn’t any way to connect,” says Cheryl. 

“Those of us who are part of the community league are very passionate about helping people build those connections with our events. Plus, dog parks, splash pads, the fountains at City Hall—these are also places where it’s easy to start a conversation and make a connection.”

Dragons and jewels 

Here are some of Cheryl’s favourite downtown destinations: 

• Black Pearl: A seafood restaurant on 104 Street. “The team is so great,” says Probert. “I love to sit at their bar because you get dinner and a show.” 
• Double Dragon: A new music venue on Jasper Avenue. 
• Downtown Spark: An annual festival of art installations, dance parties, live music and meet-ups (for dogs and humans) throughout the core.
• Warehouse Park: Opening in 2025, this park will be the size of two football fields and will be surrounded by new apartment and condo buildings for singles, couples and families. “It will bring people from this immediate community together, but hopefully, it will also bring people from other parts of Edmonton into our neighbourhood,” says Cheryl.

A core couple 

Wayne Jones is a longtime downtown resident.

He moved to the core in the 1990s when he managed one of the city’s top music venues, known as The Rev at the time. (It’s now The Starlite Room.) 

In 2013, he married Susan Forsey, another veteran downtowner. Together, they own two bars: Cask & Barrel on 104 Street, and Rocky Mountain Icehouse on Jasper Avenue. The couple live in a nearby condo. Wayne’s mom recently moved in with them, too. 

“A house just wasn’t conducive to our lifestyle,” says Susan. “If ever anything happened in the bars and the odd alarm would go off, we’re only a few steps away. We don’t have time to do yard work, so it’s actually perfect for us to stay in a condo.”

Uniquely different 

Wayne and Susan love the camaraderie of downtown’s hospitality industry. They say it’s only gotten stronger since COVID threatened the livelihoods of many independent entrepreneurs.. 

“[Bar and restaurant owners] were close beforehand, but now we’re even closer,” says Susan. 

“We share staff and everybody has each other’s backs. We’re all uniquely different, we all kind of complement each other. It’s nice instead of having that dog-eat-dog mentality, because this industry is hard enough to begin with.”

Here are some of the couple’s favourite downtown spots: 

• Cask & Barrel: “We saw the need for it—a cocktail/beer/wine bar that was kind of different, that was geared to non-20-year-old kids,” says Wayne. “We wanted a place where we could go.” 
• Tzin: A tiny wine and tapas bar on 104 Street. Order off the menu or ask your server to choose dishes for you. “They just keep bringing plates until you’re done,” says Susan. “You don’t have to think, there’s just food.” 
• Red Star: A Jasper Avenue pub that doubles as a café, Lock Stock Coffee, by day. 
• Sabor/Bodega: A Portuguese/Spanish restaurant with a tapas and wine bar, Bodega, in the historic Revillon Building on 103 Street.

“Just explore”

Levi Binnema moved downtown to be closer to work—and extracurricular activities. He’s the manager of Audreys Books on Jasper Avenue, one of the city’s oldest book stores. 

“I like being near the pulse of the city,” he says. “I like knowing that if I want to pop out at 10 p.m., I can go for a drink or go for a walk. It’s nice to have those adventures so close at hand.” 

Levi lives in a condo at the bottom of a steep hill, just off 106 Street and close to the North Saskatchewan River and Walterdale Bridge. He likes to get around on foot—it takes him about 10 minutes to get to work. He also appreciates downtown’s proximity to the river valley and strollable neighbourhoods such Glenora, just west of downtown. 

“I love to walk,” says Levi. “I think my big tip is to just explore. Don’t get daunted by the big city blocks. Explore the side streets and see what there is because there’s so many hidden coffee shops and bakeries.”

Coffee, cocktails and community 

Here are some of Levi’s downtown recommendations: 

• Honi Honi: A tiki lounge on 103 Street. “The interior is crafted so well,” says Binnema. “You get that tiki experience, which is all about drama, gesture, showmanship and decor. I absolutely love it. And their drinks are crafted so well.” 
• Audreys Books: “It’s this place where you can just relax and be in your thoughts if you just want to browse the shelves, so in that abstract sense, I think Audreys builds community,” says Levi. 
• Stop Gap Coffee: A tiny café in a heritage house just west of the Legislature grounds. 

• Sweet Lollapalooza: A chocolate shop in Commerce Place. “You can actually see the chocolatiers making the chocolates,” he says.

“I found out about it from an Audreys customer and that’s what I love about working there. Everyone coming in has stories and they like to share them with you—I feel like I learn much more about the city just through talking to customers.”

Downtown Quick Facts

• City Ward: O-day’min
• Community League: Downtown Edmonton Community League 
• Population: 12,423
• Public transportation: Three LRT (light rail train) lines and dozens of bus routes 
• Post-secondary: MacEwan University, NorQuest College and the University of Alberta’s Enterprise Square campus
• Schools: Centre High Campus, Holy Child Catholic Elementary School, Victoria School of the Arts, St. Joseph Catholic High School
• Ice District: features Rogers Place arena, restaurants and bars, shopping and events spaces Ice District Plaza and Fan Park
• Arts District: features Art Gallery of Alberta, Royal Alberta Museum, Citadel Theatre, and Winspear Centre
• Churchill Square: public plaza, home to many events and festivals
• Other amenities: 60+ restaurants and bars, a dozen cafés, 14 hotels and 60+ retail shops and services
• Newcomers: New Citizen and New Arrival Information Centre in City Hall, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, Stanley Milner Library and Canada Place
• Parks: three neighbourhood parks: Alex Decoteau Park, Michael Phair Park and Beaver Hills House Park, as well as Alberta Legislature Grounds and the river valley
• History: In 1840, Fort Edmonton moved to the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River and what would become downtown (and the Alberta Legislature Grounds) grew around it. Edmonton as a whole is located on the traditional lands of nêhiyaw (Cree), Dené, Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Nakota Isga (Nakota Sioux), and Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and Métis peoples.

Welcome Home is a series profiling Edmonton's diverse neighbourhoods. We'll explore history, stats, fave hotspots and hidden gems from residents. Learn more about Blatchford and Summerside.