I'm in London, Ontario - now what?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m attending the University of Western Ontario, trying to complete an M.A. in Journalism. In the eight days I’ve been here, I’ve wandered up and down Richmond St., toured campus, sent about six hundred e-mails, toured campus again, and gone grocery shopping three times.

My first impression of London is that there’s a lot of money floating around; most of the twentysomethings I’ve observed drive expensive cars and wear much trendier fashions than this hick boy from the prairies. I’m feeling a bit out of place, to tell the truth. At times this place feels like one giant shopping complex, but that’s probably just because I don’t know the ins and outs of the city yet.

So for anyone who’s stayed or lived here before, do/did you like it? How would you suggest this 24-year-old guy, who likes art and live music and independent films but has hardly any money, spend his free time? Where are the best places to go for a smoky pint? A cup of coffee? Any areas of the city I should watch out for?

2

Where did you move from? That might provide a bit of context helpful in telling you about London.

3

Well, I just moved from Saskatoon, SK, which has a population of about 200,000 and is also a university town.

4

Well, I’m in London too, and though I’m hardly a tour guide, I can give you some tips. This time of year is pretty quiet on the student front, so I can see how you might be bored with the Western campus. There are no ‘smoky’ pints here, as it’s a non-smoking city, but there are plenty of bars and pubs downtown. The patio season is here, so they’ll be packed any summer day that’s remotely nice.

We have a few beaches within driving distance (Port Stanley and Grand Bend).

Victoria Park has a festival for something most weekends in the summer, so those are always fun to check out. The City of London website is great for finding out what’s going on in the City.

William’s and Plantation are two coffee houses downtown.

There’s the Grand Theatre where you can catch some plays. There’s the art gallery too.

Oh! There’s Springbank Park which is a beautiful place to jog/picnic/rollerblade in the summer.

Western is notorious for the ‘rich kids’ on campus. Rest assured there are lots of regular folk that go to UWO too.

5

I grew up in London. I moved away, and came back for graduate studies.

The moneyed, yuppie-loving aspect of London is quite galling. And Western’s country club reputation is deserved. However, please be assured that a great many Londoners do not share these views or values and that you still have many cultural choices.

Should you wish to have trendier fashions at low cost, visit the Value Village store on Wellington Street just north of the 401. Used yuppie clothing, and there is scads of it in London, is available cheaply; and no one will be wiser.

Should you wisely not care about fashion, hang in there and you will certainly meet grounded people. Some of the university bars are nice places to enjoy a pint; and many of the university clubs are good places to meet other grounded people. Good pints can be enjoyed at the Scot’s Corner (downtown Dundas), Old Chicago’s (a decent blues bar), or that new billiards bar on a street behind and half a block north the Ceeps (the home of the Western Billiards club, the name eludes me).

The Ceeps, TJ Baxter’s, Rideout Tavern and the Honest Lawyer can be pleasant but are far more yuppified and honest, grounded folks feel out of place here.

London has some good, low-key restaurants, includign Vietnam (just east of Highbury on Dundas Street), Mykonos (a nice greek restaurant on Adelaide just north of Dundas), a nice sushi place near Oxford and Quebec. More expensive “yuppie” places which do offer good value include Oscar Taylor’s on Richmond and that awesome “world Champion” pizza place at Dundas and Highbury (with a new small branch at the Richmond university gates whcih I’ve never tried).

London has a good underground music scene and this (and non-yuppie sports) are definitely the best environment to meet grounded people – look for venues at various downtown hotels (such as the Embassy) as well as the good club across from the train station which changes its name every few years (beside the excellent Dr. Disc record store, check it out, and they can steer you towards good live music happenings).

The art (non-music) scene in London is not grounded. London has an okay art gallery. The archeological museum, Ska-Na-Doht Indian reservation (30km outside town), Springbank Park are worth a visit. London has some nice summer festivals – especially the folk festival and the rib cook-off.

London lost a very good repetory cinema (the New Yorker) a few years ago. Much missed. The Western Film Club does have some good cultural films at extremely low prices which offer some cultural relief and good value for your dollar.

6

Hey, a Londoner!

And welcome to the University of Wealthy Ontarians’ Golf and Country Club. Be sure to send Paul Davenporche my regards :smiley:

Anyway, I’m doing research for the engineering department for the summer. During the school season there’s lots of stuff to do (mind you, being an engineer, I don’t get out much :rolleyes: ). I’ve never spent a summer here before, so it’ll be interesting to see how things work out. Of course, I’m working full time, so I really only have the weekends for getting bored.

7

I was BORN in London!

Dr_Paprika missed another major music venue (er, assuming it’s still there). “Call the Office” I’ve seen many great bands there before they made it big, such as The Tea Party and Lowest of the Low opened for them.

The New Yorker cinema is horrendously missed as Dr. Pap said. At one time London had it’s own Second City too. :frowning: (Miss it.) There is a movie theatre that plays “art house” type stuff these days though. I’ll have to call Mom_Crayons and ask her. They have cheap nights (or matinees) too.

The music festivals in Victoria Park are well worth the visit (Home County Folk Fest, Sunfest etc.) Again, there are people that are soon to become famous. I saw Loreena McKennitt way back when she was just “that Stratford woman with the harp”. The Balloon Fest is much cooler than you’d expect.

Sandra Shamas is at the Grand right now (I saw her last weekend, but I dunno if she’s still there). You’re also barely a hour from Stratford for the play season (I think a very hefty portion of the entire national endowment fund for the arts goes straight to Stratford.) Stratford is worth the trip.

If you think “wow, this town looks rich and conservative” you sorta right and sorta wrong. Demographically, London is like an hourglass. Years ago they had the most millionaires per capita. So what there is now is a large upper class, a miniscule middle class and then a large “working poor” class. Polictically, they can be downright weird. This is the city that had a “Straight Pride” to “protest” Gay Pride – in true London fashion it remained totally peaceful. Though the anti-abortion folks who picket “Take Back the Night” tend to piss epople off a LOT.

Though it’s a trendy restaurant, do NOT eat at Garlic’s (next to the Grand Theatre). I have been in their kitchen. I repeat, do NOT eat at Garlic’s; I have been in their kitchen.

CHRW (U. of Wstern’s radio station, 94.9 FM) is your best friend. It is cuturally diverse and you will know the next best thing before anyone else. “Scene Magazine” will help let you know what’s going on in town.

Go to Resevoir Park. It’s small, but beautiful. One of my favourite places ever. It’s not far from Springbank Park. It’s on Commissioners. Go up Wonderland, turn right on Commissioners, and keep your eyes open for the gates.

In September (usually around Labor Day) they have the Western Fair at (surprise!) the Western Fair Grounds. They have the agricultural stuff, but also tend to bring in major all-Canadian bands (like Blue Rodeo or something) and they have the midway rides, ferris wheels, cotton candy, all that jazz.

I think there’s an Imax Theatre at the fairgrounds too, but they were just building it when I moved away, so I dunno what’s going on with that.

Hm. I’ll post more as I think of it.

P.S. You can visit me in Toronto anytime!

8

Oo! I forgot to tell you. If you go to the Western Fair, enter the raffle for the bull. I’ve been trying every year to win that great big cow!

You have a choice: Take the bull as is – “Moo!”, or take the bull in butchered form (need a BIG freezer), or take the cash value. I’ve been trying to bring home a bull to put in Mom_Crayons backyard for years!

9

I was born in London and grew up around London. THe major tip I can give you is to tell you that at the Galleria Mall (Wellington street and York I think) there is Rainbow cinemas. IT’s 2.50 on Matinees and 4.00 every other time. The movies are about a month old but every once in a while they play an independant movie. It’s a good theatre.

Oh, there is a good bar at the coven garden Market on King Street called Chancey Smiths. They’ve got tons of good imported beer on tap and really good food.

10

Yep, the Imax theatre is cool. And if you show up towards the end of a film’s run, the admission price is discounted.

Rainbow Cinemas is definitely a gem; I go quite a bit. And there’s Western Film, which shows movies for $2.00 every tuesday. Towards the end of August there’s also an EXCELLENT airshow, if you’re into that sort of thing (I am).

Oh, and David Bowie is playing at the John Labatt Centre tonight. I really wanted to go but the tickets were just so expensive :mad:
(PS. You haven’t toured campus until you’ve thoroughly mapped out the tunnel system.)

11

That’s the place! Coulnd’t remember the name without asking Mom_Crayons.

Are most of the stores in the Galleria still closed? (Oh, building that thing was such a big mistake.)

Is teh Fanshawe Pioneer Village still up and running?

Is Wally World still running?

In the winter there is a ski-hill out in the Byron end of town. I think it’s called Boler Mountain. Don’t laugh at it, there aren’t any real hills or mountains around, so that’s the best you’ll be able to have.

There’s also East Park in the east of of the city (as the name implies). They have water slides, go carts, mini-golf and real golf. I think tennis courts too, but it’ been years since I’ve been there.

There’s a place called Circle R Ranch that has horseback riding – but that might just be for kids. It was popular for birthday parties and summer camp.

There’s a Laser Quest place downtown near the big sports place. (Right by the Old Chicago blues bar someone already mentioned.)

12

I haven’t been there in 8 months or so but yes. They built a rather nice library which takes up a lot of place but if you’re looking to do some shopping, Galleria is definately NOT the place.

yup

It certainly is, I haven’t been in a few years but I know someone who works there and I know she hopes it opens this season.

13

Anybody?

Hey there, another long time Londoner here, came for the University (From Toronto) and never went back.

You have so arrived at the best time. I live within walking distance of Victoria Park the site of most of the cities summer festivals. And there are many, some have already been mentioned.

But my all time favorite is SUNFEST, food and live bands from all over the world. Japanese Drummers, African Dancers, Tuvan Throat singers, and that was just last year! Indian onion balls for lunch, vietnamese fresh rolls for breakfast, I’m drooling now, I’ll have to stop. Oh, yeah, and Food Of The Gods, cold fruit on a stick dipped in chocolate wonderful on a hot afternoon. And of course, there is always the beer tent if that’s what you crave.

Fancy a smokey pint with the real folk do ya? Try Sue’s Blues on Dundas St, or the St. Regis (though I like to reserve that spot for Sunday morning when you’ve been up all night).

If by pint, you meant Guinness try Chaucer’s for the Brit/Euro pub taste.

And then later in the summer comes the Fringe Festival, dude, you’re gonna love it.

Probably right up until the snow comes.
Seriously though, I’m thinking London Dope Fest.

[No, I’m not calling it London, Ontario Dopefest. Piss on them, if they all turn up at Buckingham Palace that’s their problem the wankers!]

14

Oooh, that’s right! The library moved there! How could I forget.

My friend worked for an architecture firm that was hired to turn the old Eaton’s store into a giant telemarketing centre. He said that they ran into problems because the telemarketing company wanted to cram more people in there than what would be allowed by law (fire codes or person per square foot or something).

I have no idea what came of that. Anyone know if there’s a giant telemarketing centre there?

15

“Call The Office” was the club I mentioned next to Dr. Disc, but when I was last in London I believe they had changed their name to “The Promised Land”. I hope they changed it back.

The Grand Theatre does have some excellent plays in a pretentious atmosphere. The Western Gilbert and Sullivan Society does some good work too.

London and Western both have good libraries, though I preferred the old Central Library to the Galleria version.

Sunfest is cool. East Park Gardens is okay. Circle R Ranch was a great place to go in grade school to ski and play that bizarre game where you are given lives and assigned to be a herbivore, omnivore, disease, etc. and run around in the woods.

London is a nice place to roller blade, especially from the university to Springbank.

16

Oh yeah, and David Bowie is playing at the John Labatt Centre this very evening.

How’s that?

17

Sorry, but I just have to respond.

My younger brother divorced his seventh wife to marry his eighth…a woman he met on the internet while he was still married. She is from London, Ontario.

They live there now.

Trust me, you do not want to meet my brother.

However, the pictures I have seen from them lead me to believe it is not the worst place in the world to live - other than the weather.

Sorry for the slight hijack, and have a great London Dopefest!

18

The Bowler Bump. A very nice froup of folks run an adult racing program there. There is a clubhouse, a chairlift and a Tbar, but there is no hill.

Yup, no hill. Worst three winters I ever spent.

Richard Culpeper
Past member, Canadian National Ski Team, Telemark Division

(I won’t get into the canoe club immediately downstream of the sewer treatment plant discharge.)

19

Lest I appear too harsh on the Forest CIty, it has some lovely gladed rollerblading/biking/walking trails along the north, south and main branches of the Thames.

Outside of town there are some fine beaches with excellent bird watching opportunities on the various points jutting into Lake Erie.

20

Well, it looks like I won’t be spending the next eleven months pouting in the campus computer lab after all. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I’m really looking forward to checking out Call the Office - I would have seen Andy Stochansky play there last night, were it not for a sudden thunderstorm interfering with my umbrella-free plans. And I wandered around Dundas Ave. today and stumbled into the Covent Garden Market (I think that was what it was called) where I bought some avocados and a delicious loaf of pesto bread.

CHRW also seems pretty cool; it skews to a slightly younger demographic than the community radio station in Saskatoon, but I’m still thinking of trying to get a show there nevertheless. And I’ll have to check out Dr. Disc next time I need music.

And I think I might be in love with the Attic Bookstore downtown. Or at least with the girl behind the counter. :wink:

Finally, I think a LondonDope would be a smashing idea.