Edmonton vs. Ottawa: A Digital Nomad's Wrecked Take on Which City Doesn't Suck
so i've been dragging my laptop across this country for three years now, looking for a place where my $5/day coffee budget doesn't make me a pariah. edmonton and ottawa kept popping up in these boring 'best cities' lists, so i did what any sane person would: i crashed on couches in both and wrote this while surviving on expired kombucha.
first off, the weather here is like god’s mood swings - yesterday i saw someone walking a lizard in a snowstorm, and today my windshield wipers are melting. at least banff’s a 3-hour drive when you need to remember mountains exist. ottawa just gives you slush. eternal slush.
*whyte avenue vs. byward market: where your liver goes to die
edmonton’s whyte avenue smells like cheap beer and regret in the best way. found a tattoo parlor that gives discounts if you bring your own ink. rent’s surprisingly decent too - last i checked, a downtown 1br averages $1,200/month. some r/edmonton thread warned me about eastside break-ins, but my coworking space had free granola so i forgave them.
ottawa’s byward market? polished tourist traps charging $18 for a cocktail. heard overheard gossip that locals call it ‘byward markup’. yelp reviews are just people complaining about seagulls stealing their fries.
north saskatchewan river vs. rideau canal: the nature lie*
edmonton’s river valley’s this massive green throat choking the city. perfect for when your coworking wifi dies. a local whispered that coyotes occasionally steal unattended burritos. worth it.
ottawa’s canal’s nice for skating if you enjoy being human bumper car. another reddit nomad said it’s ‘romantic until you fall through the ice carrying 10lbs of camera gear’.
the real kicker? jobs. ottawa’s got government gigs that pay well but feel like corporate hell. edmonton’s tech scene’s smaller, but this startup subreddit says they’ll feed you free pizza if you debug their code. i’ll take pizza over bureaucracy.
so verdict? edmonton wins if you’re okay with wearing three sweaters indoors and your definition of ‘nightlife’ involves watching a homeless man debate a squirrel. ottawa’s for people who enjoy 9-to-5 misery and pretend to love hockey.
now if you’ll excuse me, my couchsurfing host just yelled about ‘recycling violations’. gotta go.
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