Halifax: A Love-Hate Relationship
Hey everyone! I used to really want to be a travel writer, mostly just for the travelling though, not really because of the writing. Here's how I feel about Halifax, which is fast becoming home. :)
My feelings for the city of Halifax are very mixed. I suppose a bit of background is in order first, however.
My parents and I lived on PEI, which is pretty much the middle of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I adore PEI, but conversations on that will take forever, so it must wait for another day. Anywho, after several years of quiet, safe, aged, dull PEI, I wanted something a little more fast-paced and interesting. I needed a city.
Halifax is only about 3 hours, give or take, from my parents' home, so I figured it was a safe choice. It's sizable, but has the feel of a small town, with the amenities of a big city. My family already went there a few times a year, so I knew that I would certainly be okay living there.
Then we had to pick the school, of course. My dad took me to all the school tours, we went to Dalhousie, Saint Mary's, and Mount Saint Vincent. Dal was my dad's favourite (and mine, but to a lesser extent), so here we are, about two years later. I've been in Hali for a year and a half now, and I have learned a lot about the city. For the most part, I'll talk about three main aspects that I consider to be the most important: Weather, People, Shopping
Weather:
For starters, it rains all the time. I'm talking three or four days a week. If it goes five straight days without raining, it's a lucky time for everyone. If you plan on coming, bring an umbrella or two. I've gone through two since the start of this school year. Halifax is directly on the water, pretty much right at sea level, so the air is very moist and humid. I didn't really notice this until very recently, but now that I do, I find it very obviously noticeable. It gets very cold, but there's no snow. For instance, it snowed all morning, but the snow is already melted away. It's simply not the right conditions. The only thing that really bothers me about this is that my long, thick, curly hair simply does not agree with this weather, and I have to use a lot more product, and do a lot more heat treating, to make it look like I want.
People:
As far as Halifax goes, it is a university town. This means that there is a lot of bars and clubs, especially downtown, as well as a generally younger presence. I feel like everyone here is very polite and trusting, and there is a real sense of community. There's also a strong environmental advocacy presence in the city, mostly because, generally speaking, younger people are more likely to vote to the left, and be more activism-aware. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but it does add to the diversity of the city. Speaking of diversity, there's people from (nearly) literally every country here, so even if you have lived in Canada your whole life, you can learn something new about a different culture. Also, allegedly Halifax is one of Canada's most dangerous cities as far as crime is concerned. There's a few spots in town that I'd probably avoid, but for the most part, we've (my friends and I) never had any problems. The usual rules apply though...don't walk alone at night on the unlit streets, be aware of your surroundings, and all that stuff.
Shopping:
As far as shopping goes, Halifax is pretty much the New York City of the Maritimes. If you're from Toronto or Vancouver, it's just average, but compared to St. John's or Charlottetown, the shopping is out of this world. In addition to two big-box malls in the area (one in Hali, one across the bridge in Dartmouth), there are numerous little stores that cater to pretty much whatever you need. I could name off a thousand. My personal favourites that I highly recommend are The Ikebana Shop and Freak Lunchbox.
The Ikebana Shop is a Japanese shop that also specialises in Ikebana, or Japanese Flower Art. It's run by a nice family, who are so helpful that it's ridiculous. When you go inside, they immediately rush to help you. They also sell books on traditional Japanese art (in English) as well as Bento boxes, different lunchtime accessories, and soaps and cleansers, among many other things. It's different every time I go in, but it's great each time. They're open 6 days a week, located on Quinpool Road. It's never very busy, so stop by at any time :)
Freak Lunchbox is a candy store that trumps all candy stores.They sell every type of candy you can think of, plus some I've never been able to find anywhere else. they also sell multiple kinds of novelty objects, including everything from board games to bacon toothpaste. The staff are fun and friendly, and always happy to help. i went in a few weeks ago to get something for my boyfriend's birthday, and they helped me find the perfect thing. Be warned though, this store is very small, and is usually very busy, especially in the summer and around holidays, so if you'd like to visit, I highly recommend going on an off-peak time. It's located on Barrington Street, right downtown.
I have so many things I could say about this city, but really, all that matters is that I love it. it's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun, and I'm happy to live here :)
My feelings for the city of Halifax are very mixed. I suppose a bit of background is in order first, however.
My parents and I lived on PEI, which is pretty much the middle of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I adore PEI, but conversations on that will take forever, so it must wait for another day. Anywho, after several years of quiet, safe, aged, dull PEI, I wanted something a little more fast-paced and interesting. I needed a city.
Halifax is only about 3 hours, give or take, from my parents' home, so I figured it was a safe choice. It's sizable, but has the feel of a small town, with the amenities of a big city. My family already went there a few times a year, so I knew that I would certainly be okay living there.
Then we had to pick the school, of course. My dad took me to all the school tours, we went to Dalhousie, Saint Mary's, and Mount Saint Vincent. Dal was my dad's favourite (and mine, but to a lesser extent), so here we are, about two years later. I've been in Hali for a year and a half now, and I have learned a lot about the city. For the most part, I'll talk about three main aspects that I consider to be the most important: Weather, People, Shopping
Weather:
For starters, it rains all the time. I'm talking three or four days a week. If it goes five straight days without raining, it's a lucky time for everyone. If you plan on coming, bring an umbrella or two. I've gone through two since the start of this school year. Halifax is directly on the water, pretty much right at sea level, so the air is very moist and humid. I didn't really notice this until very recently, but now that I do, I find it very obviously noticeable. It gets very cold, but there's no snow. For instance, it snowed all morning, but the snow is already melted away. It's simply not the right conditions. The only thing that really bothers me about this is that my long, thick, curly hair simply does not agree with this weather, and I have to use a lot more product, and do a lot more heat treating, to make it look like I want.
People:
As far as Halifax goes, it is a university town. This means that there is a lot of bars and clubs, especially downtown, as well as a generally younger presence. I feel like everyone here is very polite and trusting, and there is a real sense of community. There's also a strong environmental advocacy presence in the city, mostly because, generally speaking, younger people are more likely to vote to the left, and be more activism-aware. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but it does add to the diversity of the city. Speaking of diversity, there's people from (nearly) literally every country here, so even if you have lived in Canada your whole life, you can learn something new about a different culture. Also, allegedly Halifax is one of Canada's most dangerous cities as far as crime is concerned. There's a few spots in town that I'd probably avoid, but for the most part, we've (my friends and I) never had any problems. The usual rules apply though...don't walk alone at night on the unlit streets, be aware of your surroundings, and all that stuff.
Shopping:
As far as shopping goes, Halifax is pretty much the New York City of the Maritimes. If you're from Toronto or Vancouver, it's just average, but compared to St. John's or Charlottetown, the shopping is out of this world. In addition to two big-box malls in the area (one in Hali, one across the bridge in Dartmouth), there are numerous little stores that cater to pretty much whatever you need. I could name off a thousand. My personal favourites that I highly recommend are The Ikebana Shop and Freak Lunchbox.
The Ikebana Shop is a Japanese shop that also specialises in Ikebana, or Japanese Flower Art. It's run by a nice family, who are so helpful that it's ridiculous. When you go inside, they immediately rush to help you. They also sell books on traditional Japanese art (in English) as well as Bento boxes, different lunchtime accessories, and soaps and cleansers, among many other things. It's different every time I go in, but it's great each time. They're open 6 days a week, located on Quinpool Road. It's never very busy, so stop by at any time :)
Freak Lunchbox is a candy store that trumps all candy stores.They sell every type of candy you can think of, plus some I've never been able to find anywhere else. they also sell multiple kinds of novelty objects, including everything from board games to bacon toothpaste. The staff are fun and friendly, and always happy to help. i went in a few weeks ago to get something for my boyfriend's birthday, and they helped me find the perfect thing. Be warned though, this store is very small, and is usually very busy, especially in the summer and around holidays, so if you'd like to visit, I highly recommend going on an off-peak time. It's located on Barrington Street, right downtown.
I have so many things I could say about this city, but really, all that matters is that I love it. it's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun, and I'm happy to live here :)