Edmonton Makes the List...Again & Again!

As Edmonton continues to grow in all facets, the world takes note!

By Emil Tiedemann

Every other week it seems as though there's yet another praise-worthy list Edmonton has popped up on, affirming our humble hometown's advancements in everything from food to finances. There's been so much love for #yeg over the last few years alone actually that it's hard to keep up with it all, and so I've decided to save y'all the time and effort by listing the lists right here in one spot! 
 

The world shows love for #yeg! Photo by Mike Isaak. 

If you're like me, you've always known that Edmonton's been a pretty amazing place to call home, but there's just no denying that over the last several years Edmonton has blossomed and evolved into a place that folks from around the world have started to take notice of. 

How could they not, though! I mean, it's all around us. It's Ice District and Rogers Place. It's the new Royal Alberta Museum. It's LRT expansion. It's the new funicular. It's the epic Blatchford Project plans. It's the ongoing airport development. It's the new Walterdale and the lit-up High Level. It's the under construction Stanley A. Milner Library. It's our rising tech, tourism, and "pot" sectors. It's the countless new and exciting restaurants, shops, and cafes. It's Connor McDavid and the new Oilers. It's the Esks and the Grey Cup. It's Crashed Ice and the Ice Castle. It's the year-round festivals and live theatre. It's the A-list concerts and indie music scene. It's our proximity to the majestic Rockies. But maybe most of all, it's the people, our brand new attitude, and our unabating embrace of everything Edmonton!

And before I start rambling on about how we're also home to the country's #1 NHL player (McDavid), #1 CFL player (Mike Reilly), and #1 university footballer (Ed Ilnicki), or that we were recently praised by The New York Times for our burgeoning theatre scene, or how we've become Canada's fastest-growing major city, let me stop right there and get to these lists we've become accustomed to making. Since 2011, here are some of those rankings:
 

A shot of Edmonton's new Walterdale Bridge by Jeff Wallace.

- Top 18 Cities to Visit in 2018 by Expedia.ca (January 2018)

"Edmonton is that cool kid in a leather jacket hanging out with a garage band instead of going to prom. It might not always get the spotlight...but it turns out that everyone would rather hang out with Edmonton than anyone else."

- The Best Places to Travel in 2018 (#8) by WestJet magazine (January 2018) (shared with Calgary)

"Both Edmonton and Calgary have been making big investments in infrastructure and the arts, resulting in exciting openings and development."

- 50 Best Places to Travel in 2018 by Travel + Leisure magazine (December 2017)

"As Canada's token middle child, Edmonton has long gotten short shrift amid its glitzier sisters (we're looking at you, Toronto and Vancouver). But no longer."

- Trending Destinations (#3) by Airbnb (December 2017)

"In North America, destinations within driving distance of the Canadian Rockies, including Fernie and Kelowna and the 'urban hub' of Edmonton, are attracting a growing number of guests."

Edmonton saw a 284% rise in Airbnb interest for 2018!

- Top 100 World's Best Cities 2018 (#60) by Resonance Consultancy (November 2017)

"A recent downtown revival has now catapulted the city into the 'urban renewal' conversation that has been happening on other North American industry cities."

- 11 Underrated World Cities You Have to Visit for the Food by Thrillist Travel (October 2017)

"A smorgasbord of gustatory adventure in North America's northernmost metropolis."

- Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada (Bar Clementine at #5, Cafe Linnea at #6, Alder Room at #10) by enRoute magazine (October 2017) 

"Edmonton felt like a different city than the one I'd visited on my four previous tours...the cocktail scene has always been strong, and there's clearly a passion for creating art on the plate, too."

Bar Clementine (11957 Jasper Avenue).

- Top 20 Open Cities of Canada (#1) by The Public Sector Digest (October 2017/2016/2015)

"For the third year in a row, the City of Edmonton has been named Canada's most open city...Edmonton continues to lead Canadian cities into uncharted open data waters, exploring new approaches to old problems and finding innovative ways to build community engagement in its open data program."

- World's 8 Most Romantic Cities (#8) by MSN Lifestyle (June 2017)

"Edmonton surprised us at every turn. It's hip and fun with a really young vibe, but it doesn't stop there. It's 100% romantic, from its breathtaking sunsets to its fancy hotels."

- The Best Places to Visit in June (#6) by Conde Nast Traveler magazine (May 2017)

"The northern lights or Aurora Borealis are regularly visible year-round in Alberta's capital - "Aurura Watch" even issues an alert to subscribers when the chances to view them are high."

The Aurara Borealis over Edmonton. Photo by Mike Isaak.

- Top 7 Most Intelligent Communities in the World by The Intelligent Community Forum (February 2017)

"To create a new economy on top of the oil-driven present, Edmonton has built the infrastructure of the new century and engaged its institutions in translating that infrastructure into a new source of prosperity." 

- 17 Most Beautiful Museums Around the World (Art Gallery of Alberta) by Curbed (February 2017) 

"The public art gallery in downtown Edmonton has a collection of over 6,000 works of contemporary art, but its most striking feature is the unusual building."

- Canada's Best Places for Business 2016 (#2) by Profit Guide (July 2016)

"The provincial capital is one of the fastest-growing big cities in the country, and a huge downtown development makes it all the more attractive."

A rendering of the upcoming Ice District in downtown Edmonton.

- The 14 Top Cities for Pizza (#8) by Conde Nast Traveler magazine (April 2016)

"In an era when artisanal and hipster pizzerias are all the rage, the old-school joints still rule up north in Edmonton."

- 26 Reasons Why Edmonton Might Be the Next Great Canadian City* by The Loop (July 2015) 

"We're going to take a guess and say that Edmonton probably isn't near the top of your bucket list, but it's starting to look like it should be."

- Best Summer Trips 2015 by National Geographic magazine (May 2015)

"Edmonton is welcoming the world this summer. The Festival City is hosting a series of international events, including the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. 
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The 39th annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival is August 9-12, 2018.

- 23 Bakeries Around the World You Need to Eat at Before You Die (Duchess Bake Shop/#4) by BuzzFeed (April 2015)

"Arguably the best bakery in Canada, the Duchess has a philosophy of using 'no mixes, no preservatives, and no shortcuts.'"

- World Cities Quality of Life Index (#3) by Numbeo (December 2012)
Numbeo started these international rankings in 2012, and Edmonton has made the list also in 2013 (#6), 2014 (#10), 2015 (#27), 2016 (#48), and 2017 (#73).

- Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America (Jacek Chocolate) by Dessert Professional magazine (October 2011)

"It's not about size, it's about quality."

Jacek Chocolate Couture of Edmonton & Sherwood Park.

*not exactly a rankings list, but whatever!

And one last thing before I let you get back to your Netflix...