Winnipeg's Exchange District

The Exchange District of Winnipeg is the nicest, savviest part of town and, rooted by the Mondragon cooperative cafe and bookstore at 91 Albert St., would qualify as quality in most anyone's books.

The Exchange District features curvy, close knit streets and late-19th/early-20th century medium-story buildings. Its little pocket park is the hub of the summertime Fringe play festival. On a midsummer's eve, it's great to sit at a sidewalk table at the park's side, noshing on apertifs and drinks at the French restaurant Oui. (For winter, Oui needs to put a fireplace and/or cozier lighting in its almost-atmospheric, tiny side bar. Very frustratingly, somehow, no Winnipeg pub, bar or bistro-- with the exception of South Osborne's convivial 7 1/4 --has stumbled upon the importance of a cozy atmosphere in winter.)


Mondragon cafe is a smart, sociable treasure, located upstairs from the expensive-but-righteous Natural Cycle bicycle co-op.
Cinamatheque at 100 Arthur Street shows indie films and documentaries on a tiny screen in a tiny but clean and comfortable room inside a glorious, spacious building (Artspace).
There's a nice but expensive mid-century modern used furniture (and indie clothing) store to window shop in, Hooper's, 70 Albert Street. On Main, there's a fun junk store filled with small, wall-mountable taxidermy.
On Adelaide, Canadian Footwear serves up dear, sensible, Euro footwear.
Blufish sushi restaurant offers a pleasant, modern-ish atmosphere and the decadent B.E.N.
Toad Hall Toys supplies bountiful, quality diversions to der kinder at 54 Arthur.
Public entertainment is provided by the Manitoba Museum of regional natural and cultural history (Its 1970s-era graphics are pure, undiluted, inspirational fabulousness. Preserve them, O Jebus.), and its planetarium (190 Rupert Avenue), as well as the Centennial concert hall at 555 Main Street.
The Exchange is not too far off the Red River-side strolling and bike path.

There are local art galleries, professional offices, discos for the 20-year-olds to flash-mate in, and way too many trop cher clothing, purse and haberdashery stores for discretionary-income-infused fashion victims. Some of the buildings that are really lovely have government offices filled with cardboard boxes and paperwork. Go inside and check out the architecture. It brings me no small amount of comfort to know that somewhere out there, public employees--usually relegated to demeaning, windowless cubicle caverns--have halfway conducive digs.

However, because Winnipeg's such a dirty sprawl whore, the compact Exchange is way under-utilized.