Old Strathcona is Edmonton's most animated neighbourhood — a district south of the river valley along Whyte Avenue (82 Avenue) and the surrounding streets, with a concentration of independent restaurants, cafés, bars, vintage shops, and theatres that the rest of the city largely lacks. It was originally the town of Strathcona before Edmonton absorbed it in 1912, and the Victorian commercial architecture along Whyte Avenue gives it a street character distinct from the downtown core.
The neighbourhood is walkable and densely packed. A good afternoon involves wandering from the Garneau Theatre at the north end, down 109 Street, east along Whyte Avenue with stops for coffee and browsing, and ending up near the Fringe Theatre complex or one of the bars that line the avenue. Evenings are livelier — the area has Edmonton's best concentration of live music venues and is the centre of the city's nightlife.
In August, Old Strathcona becomes the venue for the Edmonton Fringe Festival, which takes over the streets and transforms the neighbourhood entirely. The rest of the year it is simply the best part of the city for anyone arriving without a fixed plan.