Formulating any kind of a comparison between the two old Edmonton districts Alberta Avenue and Old Strathcona is a tricky proposition. Many people would lean toward Old Strathcona as the champion of arts, nightlife, and cuisine. However, Alberta Avenue is a strong up-and-comer that presents a world of opportunity for entrepreneurs in all four categories — and with a little help from the city’s revitalization program, Whyte Avenue might have a strong rival on its hands. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Arts
Old Strathcona is home to an ancient arts community by Edmonton standards. From the Walterdale Playhouse to the Varscona Theatre, not to mention the theatrical extravaganza that is the Fringe Festival, Old Strathcona is in the lead. However, we must not overlook the healthy art community thriving on Alberta Ave. After all, Arts on the Ave, The Carrot, Avenue Theatre, and the Nina Haggerty Centre are home to some of the city’s finest works of art.

ADVANTAGE: OLD STRATHCONA

Nightlife
Needless to say, Old Strathcona is legendary for its nightlife action — remember the Oiler riots of 2006? It’s the perfect place to find a balance between dance clubs and pubs catering to every taste in town. Well, unless mobs of drunken kids with too much money and no clue how to behave civilly after the bars close isn’t your thing. If that’s the case, Alberta Avenue might be more your style with its large selection of neighbourhood pubs stocked with reasonably cheap booze, karaoke, and a welcome absence of stupid kids and tourists.

ADVANTAGE: DRAW

Cuisine
Both strips have cuisine from all over the globe, the difference being that Old Strathcona is getting overrun by the all-consuming franchise machine. (In a district that prides itself on originality, it’s disheartening to see Mom and Pop diners giving way to knockoff Mexican joints and half-assed fast Greek food.) We say boo! Sure, Alberta Ave. has its share of franchise eateries, but places like the Banaadiri African Bistro and Tony’s Pizza Palace still reign. We’ll give this one to the underdog.

ADVANTAGE: ALBERTA AVE.

Monuments
Alberta Avenue has the huge baseball bat located at the 118 Avenue and 97 Street intersection, and though we understand that it’s a relic from a design plan from the early 1990s that got lost somewhere along its way, it still represents one of the favourite weapons used by the gangs who frequent the neighbourhood. Old Strathcona’s most recognizable monument is Danek Mozdzenski’s fireman statue outside the Strathcona farmer’s market. Not that we don’t absolutely adore the giant aluminum bat, but firefighters who save lives are way cooler.

ADVANTAGE: OLD STRATHCONA

WINNER: Old Strathcona

According to this wholly unscientific and yet flawless analysis of these two districts, Old Strathcona is the victor, but in the bigger picture Edmonton is pretty lucky to have two neighbourhoods like this. Even if Strathcona’s arts community is old and entrenched, Alberta Avenue is a stretch of opportunity for ambitious artists looking to get their start.

 We recommend visiting www.avenueinitiative.ca to get the scoop on revitalization opportunities.