1. I grew up wandering around the city, I can't fathom not being connected to your hometown.
2. Bike paths almost everywhere! Cycling is a passion and over the years the city has added more and more!
3. BDI. Living in very close proximity from the infamous Bridge Drive In ice cream shop for 2 summers has been amazing. If you make it to the city in the summer, it's a must do. Highly recommend the Saltzberg, a waffle cone with nutella on the inside, vanilla soft serve, dipped in chocolate, with a light drizzle of caramel sauce on the outside, topped with coarse salt and whipped cream. it's divine.
4. Beautiful old buildings everywhere. Seriously, everywhere.
5. Random walks next to rivers.
6. The St.Norbert Farmers Market in the summer.
7. Shopping down Osbourne street for fantastic and unique indie clothes, housewares, antiques and jewelry.
8. Speaking of Osbourne, A Little Pizza Heaven. Garlic Butter Crust after proper Whiskey Sours from The Toad next door. Enough said.
9. Although we are the capital city of Manitoba, I don't remember the last time I met someone more than 3 degrees of separation away from me. Everyone either knows everyone, or knows someone who went to school with someone who works with your uncle. It's kind of great.
10. Getting crazy defensive about our Slurpee capital of the world title... and the endless 7/11 events people get wayyyyy too into.
11. So really random fun fact, the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg do have a combined greek system. It's small but part of the cozy charm of the city. The parties are also pretty great (sue me I'm 21, I like cheap drinking). Also, our University is some of the most affordable in the country.
12. Spring Hill. It's a ditch. We ski in a ditch.
13. Socials. It's a Manitoba thing, but for those unfamiliar, usually it's for a wedding or some other fundraising, rented hall, silent auction, 90s music, snacks, and of course lots of boozin. (Fun fact: my Father featured a shooter bar at his most recent one, and that would be the reason I can no longer drink Baja Rosa)
14. The Golden Boy. Why yes, we topped our provincial legislative building with a giant naked golden dude that we got from France, are you really that surprised?
15. Unless it's rush hour, I can get from one end of the city to the other in an hour absolute tops. Usually closer to 30 mins.
16. There are some cities that think they take hockey seriously, and then there's Winnipeg Jet's fans. I remember literally getting the afternoon off school in high school when we got our team back to go party and enjoy the free concerts at the forks, and everyone waiting in our library watching tv waiting for the official announcement.
17. Train schedules. This is one of those "grew up on railroads" things not many of ya'll will relate to, but I can leave Winnipeg on Thursday night, hang out in Toronto all day Saturday, and be home Monday morning/afternoon. Perfect relaxing weekend.
18. Museums. Again, we're a small city, but we have a ridiculous number of museums. The Manitoba Museum (also contains our sweet planetarium and an interactive science centre), the Children's Museum, The Electrical Museum, The Costume Museum, The Craft Museum, The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Air Force Heritage Museum, that's not even a complete list.
19. First Fridays. On the first Friday night of every month, most of the art galleries in the city host evening events. If my museum list was any indication, we also have a borderline obscene amount of art galleries.
20. The Phantom of the Paradise. If you know this movie, you're probably from Winnipeg or Paris, as those were the only areas it ever really took off. If you like Rocky Horror, you'll probably be really into it. The soundtrack is amazing, basically it's a rock opera where Phantom of the Opera meets Faust meets Rocky Horror? Seriously just go watch it online somewhere, so great.
21. Oh a bear from here inspired Winnie the Pooh. You're welcome world.
22. Tons of great performance venues. MTS centre and Investors Group Field are the usual for larger shows, but the Pantages Playhouse, Burton Cummings Theatre and the Park Theatre are really awesome mid-sized but pretty venues. The Manitoba Theatre for Young People is another amazing space which provides so many great opportunities for youth to get used to being on stage!
23. Well housing prices have exploded all over Canada, Winnipeg is still relatively affordable. I'm currently renting a pretty sizable entire top floor bedroom in a shared house (one of my girlfriends owns it), and pulling it off on a university frugal budget.
24. So many festivals around the city! Folklarama, Folk Fest, Dauphin Country Fest (Manitoba so it totally still counts), Phantompaloza, Festival du Voyageur, Jazz Fest, Comedy Fest, Nuit Blanche. I'm at the point where when in doubt there is some kind of fest going on at any given time.
25. Our winters may get colder than Mars, and our summer's may get hotter than imaginable, but it's home.
No comments:
Post a Comment