Prince Rupert might be a small neighbourhood, but it has plenty going on. Think tree-lined streets, parks and playgrounds, locally roasted coffee, great food, convenient shopping, and even an aviation museum. Yes, an actual aviation museum.
It's also where we're building Wello One, our first project. So we thought we'd give this little corner of Edmonton a proper introduction.
Tucked just north of downtown Edmonton, Prince Rupert is close to NAIT, MacEwan University, the Royal Alexandra Hospital and plenty of places worth exploring on foot. Curious about what it's like to live here? Let's take a neighbourhood tour.
1. Parks, Playgrounds and a Little Zucchini
For a relatively small neighbourhood, Prince Rupert has a pretty generous collection of green spaces.
Prince Rupert Park, along 113 Avenue, is a handy spot for a stroll, fresh air or an impromptu game of catch. Nearby, Conway Farrell Park offers another little pocket of green space.
Over on 113 Street, Airway Park has sports fields and playground space, and is home to the Prince Rupert Community League. Have a four-legged housemate? There's also designated off-leash space along portions of 119 Street.
If growing things is more your style, check out Rupert's Roots Community Garden. It's a place to grow food, meet neighbours and potentially discover you've planted far too much zucchini.
The Prince Rupert Community League also organizes local activities and events. A good way to get to know the people down the street!
2. Good Coffee, Good Food and Local Favourites
Every neighbourhood needs a great coffee spot. Prince Rupert has a particularly good one.
Rogue Wave Coffee, is a specialty coffee roastery and café serving espresso, rotating pour-over coffees and baked treats. Fair warning: you might develop surprisingly strong opinions about coffee beans.
When lunchtime rolls around, Pho Hoan Pasteur on Kingsway serves Vietnamese favourites, including pho, vermicelli bowls and rice dishes. Just the thing when you're craving a big bowl of something delicious.
For a casual afternoon with friends, head toward Blatchford and visit The Growlery Beer Co. on Airport Road. This local craft brewery has a relaxed taproom and a rotating selection of beers.
Great coffee in the morning, pho for lunch and a local brew with friends? Not a bad day in the neighbourhood.
3. Everyday Errands, Made Easy
Nobody gets particularly excited about buying dish soap. But being able to pick it up close to home? Pretty great.
The Real Canadian Superstore on Kingsway makes grocery shopping manageable on foot for much of the neighbourhood. There's also Canadian Tire nearby for household essentials, hardware and those mysterious little things you suddenly need when you move.
A little farther along Kingsway, Kingsway Mall has shops, restaurants, services and a Walmart Supercentre with groceries and a pharmacy.
Not every errand will be a five-minute stroll, but having so many everyday essentials nearby is a definite perk.
4. Recreation Beyond Your Backyard
Looking to get moving? There's more than one way to work up a sweat around here.
Central Lions Recreation Centre has a fitness centre and gymnasium, with opportunities for badminton, pickleball and other activities during public hours.
Across Kingsway, the growing Blatchford neighbourhood offers walking paths, gathering spaces and a little inspiration for urban explorers. Littlewood Park has a playground, community gardens, a warming hut and a seasonal outdoor skating rink. It's named after pilot Margaret Littlewood, who flew and taught flying at the former Blatchford Field. There's also public art celebrating the area's aviation history. It's a fun place to explore while watching one of Edmonton's newest neighbourhoods take shape.
5. Little Legs, Big Adventures
Got kiddos in the mix? Between Airway Park, Prince Rupert Park and Littlewood Park, there are plenty of places to run around, play and hopefully burn off some of that seemingly endless energy.
For younger kiddos, there are childcare options right in the neighbourhood, including Prince Rupert Childcare & OSC, Motherhood Childcare & OSC and Mighty Learners Daycare & OSC. Check with each centre for programs and availability.
While Prince Rupert doesn't have a school within the neighbourhood itself, there are several options in surrounding communities, including:
Inglewood School — a public elementary school offering Kindergarten to Grade 6, west of Prince Rupert.
St. Catherine Catholic Elementary/Junior High School — offering Kindergarten to Grade 9, southeast of the neighbourhood.
Spruce Avenue School — a public junior high school offering Grades 7 to 9, east of Kingsway.
School attendance areas and programs vary, so families can use the Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools school finders to explore options for their address.
And with community league activities, playgrounds and plenty of nearby places to explore, there's lots of opportunity for little neighbours to make new friends, too.
6. Planes, Markets and Other Neighbourhood Surprises
Here's something you might not expect to find on a neighbourhood walk: more than 30 historic aircraft.
The Alberta Aviation Museum sits along Kingsway in a former Second World War hangar, with aircraft exhibits, flight simulators and plenty of aviation history. You don't need to be an airplane enthusiast to appreciate standing next to one.
A little farther west, Edmonton's 124 Street district is packed with independent restaurants, cafés, boutiques and art galleries. During market season, the 124 Grand Market adds food trucks, music and local makers to the mix on Thursday evenings.
And here's some trivia for your next dinner party: Prince Rupert was once home to a golf course! The Hudson's Bay Company operated Prince Rupert Golf Course from 1930 to 1951, before the area became the residential neighbourhood we know today.
Golf courses, airplanes, art galleries. This neighbourhood has range.
7. Getting Around Edmonton
Prince Rupert's central location makes it a convenient home base, whether you're walking, biking, taking transit or driving.
Prefer getting around on two wheels? The City of Edmonton's bike maps show cycling routes and shared pathways across the city, making it easy to plan your next ride (or your next coffee stop).
Bus routes along Kingsway and 111 Avenue connect the neighbourhood to surrounding areas, while two nearby Metro Line LRT stations offer connections across the city:
NAIT/Blatchford Market Station connects to NAIT and the wider LRT network.
Kingsway/Royal Alex Station provides connections toward the Royal Alexandra Hospital, MacEwan University and downtown.
Depending on where you live in Prince Rupert, the LRT stations may be a longer walk or a short bus ride away.
With NAIT, MacEwan University and the Royal Alexandra Hospital nearby, it's a particularly handy location for students, healthcare workers and anyone who wants to be close to central Edmonton.
And for trips farther afield, Kingsway and 111 Avenue make it easy to head in just about any direction.
8. A Neighbourhood Made for Getting to Know
What we like about Prince Rupert is the mix. Quiet residential streets, great local businesses, green spaces and plenty of reasons to get out and explore.
A coffee run can turn into a neighbourhood stroll. An afternoon walk might end at a brewery. And a quick grocery trip? Well, that might actually stay a quick grocery trip. It's exactly the kind of neighbourhood we had in mind for Wello One.
We're creating homes where friends and soon-to-be friends can live comfortably together, with private bedrooms and bathrooms, welcoming shared spaces, and a neighbourhood full of things to discover. Because a good home is about more than what happens inside its walls.
Could you see yourself calling Prince Rupert home? Get to know Wello Living and join our waitlist to hear more about Wello One.
A little neighbourhood note: Neighbourhoods are always evolving! Businesses, services and amenities may change over time. We'll do our best to keep this guide up to date as Prince Rupert grows and changes, but it's always worth double-checking the details before heading out.