Edmonton stay safe · Edmonton travel safety advice
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Edmonton travel safety advice
Edmonton travel safety advice
There are some areas where increased caution is advised, particularly after dark:
The "inner city" area to the east of downtown (these neighbourhoods include: Boyle, Central McDougall, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Alberta Avenue)- a square bounded by Jasper Avenue (corresponds to 101 Avenue) on the south, 118 Avenue on the north, 97 Street on the west, and around 85th Street on the east - has parts that are best avoided. 118 Avenue and 107 Avenue feature numerous signs asking visitors to report prostitution by calling a 1-800 number. There is a large homeless and transient population in this area which has been followed with a serious drug and alcohol issue and gang violence. As well as the inner city, Stony Plain Road on the west side, 107 Avenue north of downtown, and a few areas in the city's northeast, particularly around 66th Street and Fort Road, and Abbotsfield (around 118 Ave and 34 Street) have higher crime rates and gang problems.
In recent years there has been an increase in alcohol-fueled disturbances on weekends near 82nd (Whyte) Avenue between 103 Street and 109 Street (the city's most concentrated party zone). Use caution and common sense here, be somewhat wary of the closing-time outflow after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Try to be out of the bar and on your way home by 1AM, or, at the very least, don't linger on the street after closing time, also travel in groups if possible.
Panhandling has increased in recent years, particularly downtown and in the Old Strathcona area. Just decline politely and it shouldn't be an issue. Try to avoid parking lots that aren't gated shut, as there is a clear entrance for panhandlers to get in and be more aggressive.
The murder rate in Edmonton has spiked during 2011, with a record number of killings that is being seen as an anomaly. In most cases, however, the killings have involved people who know each other, drug-related, and gang violence. Visiting Edmonton is otherwise no more risky than it is visiting any other large city.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Edmonton
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Edmonton Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.