Internet
Apocalypse Gaming
10185 107 st., 780-441-9980, (http://ap-gaming.com). su-th 10am-midnight, f,sa 10am-2am. located one block from the corona lrt station and grant macewan university. has 30 custom designed gaming pcs, high speed internet and gigabit lan, an xbox360 rock band stage, large lounge area for snacks and drinks, retro coin-op arcades tmnt!, regular tournaments and game nights.
Bohemia Cyber Cafe
11012 jasper avenue,780-429-3442, (http://bohemiacafe.ca). m-f 10am-1am, sa 11am-1am, su 11am-midnight.
perception
Central Edmonton is perceived as a very scary place, although don't believe the rumours other than MCCauley, you are pretty much safe. Yes, things happen, but it's about as common as in the suburbs.
In particular some areas/situations may seem sketchy:
Some areas of Jasper Avenue can seem a little dangerous [by perception] and dirty between 103 and 99 St. in the spotlight although it is safe to walk by them without getting hurt or begged at. Rarely does bad stuff happen.
Sometimes, on weekdays during fall and winter after 8PM, the downtown core can seem very quiet and lifeless. Despite the odd quietness, a lot of stuff is still open and should not be something to worry about like a homeless person running out asking you for a money. Not to mention this should not sway your opinion that the core of Edmonton is dead, you gotta let the city sleep sometime and most people want to be at home relaxing after a days work rather than shopping or bar hopping which would happen on Fridays/Weekends/Summer.
where to avoid
Chinatown which is 97th Street between 105 and 107 Avehas a lot of poverty and can be full of beggars after 4PM.
107 Avenue is not a very good place to be. Overall it is okay if you are just driving but it isn't advised as a pedestrian. There are a lot of gang fights and drug dealings in the neighbourhood 105 Avenue in the south, 110 Avenue in the north, 120 St in the west, 97 St in the east. It is also really dirty and full of garbage. It is best avoided. Go south of 105 Ave and you should be fine. On top of that, it is in a new development "Northedge" which is trying to turn around the area into a trendy viable place. Unfortunately, it still isn't safe sometimes 105 Ave can be ok, not until more residents and shop come.
panhandling
At times, mostly downtown, especially during winter, on the weekdays after 6PM or in quiet areas, you may have people ask you for money. They are rarely aggressive. If you are under 19, you will rarely be asked. There are two approaches:
Ignore them
just pretend you didn't hear them and keep walking. Do not look at them.Say no
do it politely with a "No, sorry" as they will usually just say "Alright. Thanks. Have a good day."