This is an ever-expanding indie local’s guide to Edmonton, Alberta, for folks who don’t wanna see what everyone else sees in Edmonton. It’s not the kind of thing you’d find in a hotel lobby, and that’s the point!
I’m an artist and designer who travels often—and I’ve always wished more cities had local-knowledge websites like this. I used to make hand-drawn maps of Edmonton for visiting friends full of exactly that: the good coffee, the weird art, the surprising views, the truly great sandwiches.
This guide celebrates the simple things Edmonton does best: outdoor sculptures, flea markets, the Mall (you know the one), dive bars, fancy bars, legendary retail, low-key patios, and those small, strange details you only notice if you’re paying attention.
Edmonton is Fine started as a crowdsourced paper map in 2017, made after Lonely Planet basically told the world not to bother visiting Edmonton. Rude! The locals knew better—and their recommendations filled every inch of that first print run.
This site isn’t comprehensive, and it's not trying to be. It’s a personal archive of what makes this place quietly great, from a long-time local's perspective.
Vikki Wiercinski is an artist and designer who grew up in Edmonton and did all her adulting here too. She ran a beloved craft fair, studied (and later taught) at the U of A, made public art, and walked the same river valley stairs more times than she can count. Once, she biked home across the High Level while the northern lights crackled overhead. That kind of Edmonton life. These days, she splits her time between Edmonton and Calgary—and this project keeps the Edmonton part of her story going strong.