Poppy Barley calls Edmonton home. In some ways, it’s an unlikely place for a footwear company.Edmonton is the largest northernmost metropolis with a population over 1 million people. To the west, the Rocky Mountains inspire and to the east, thousands of miles of prairie tundra. Our city is rugged, original and beautiful. It’s a city of risk-takers; making starting anything – even a footwear company – seem normal. I take the view that I could live anywhere in world, and I choose Edmonton because I love the city. (I've even got the official "Still In Edmonton" sticker plastered on my laptop!) Recently, I worked with Edmonton Tourism and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to host a video about Edmonton in the winter. The video is a mix of the places locals love and landmarks/institutions of Edmonton. As we're all staying home for the holidays, we decided that our Wanderer post should be about our favourite places to shop and eat all within wandering distance of the Poppy Barley office. And before you read on, check out Where Edmonton's "West On Whyte" guide (thanks for including Poppy Barley!).
Drink & Eat


Shop
Silk Road Spice Merchant (10818 82 Ave. NW) - Pictured. After you've stocked up on cookbooks at Knifewear, head next store to Silk Road Spice Merchant to find exotic, high-quality spices and salts. You can shop by cuisine - Vietnamese, Greek, French, Moroccan, etc. - or by spice type. And the selection of bitters for cocktails is impressive. Kent of Inglewood (10816-82 Ave. NW) If shaving gear, axes or beard care is your thing, then hustle yourself to Kent of Inglewood, Canada’s best shave shop. Justine and I once spent an entire NYC trip in search on Geo.F.Trumper Sandalwood Skin Food for Justine’s husband, only to discover it was readily available 50 feet from our office in Edmonton. Not in Edmonton? They ship straight across North America. Bamboo Ballroom (8206 104 St. NW) Bamboo Ballroom sells the coolest brands, vintage clothes and accessories. Mostly, we love Bamboo for stocking our favourite Alberta brands - Camp Brand Goods, KIMDER and Suka.