"The ShanMonster's Fredericton Page: Everything But" Fredericton by ShanMonster

Fredericton Travel Guide: 223 reviews and 328 photos

The ShanMonster's Fredericton Page: Everything But - Fredericton

Fredericton is just an itty-bitty city, but it's a pretty itty-bitty city. It's a university/government town nestled in the middle of dairy country. Once upon a time, it used to be called the City of Stately Elms, but when Dutch Elm disease swept through, most of the elms had to be cut down. Regardless, the city is still full of beautiful oaks, maples, sycamores, willows, spruce, firs, locust trees, and pines, and there are a few spots where those magnificent elms sweep the clouds from the skies like upturned brooms.

Fredericton does not have a dramatic skyline. Because of the sandstone composition of the ground downtown, buildings cannot be made over about eight or ten stories. If they were any taller, they would begin to fall over, and then we'd be the next Pisa.

Since the buildings tend to be so short and the trees so tall, much of the city looks more like a well-manicured forest than an urban centre. Beautification projects are common, and every year, thousands of tulips are planted in city green areas. Fredericton has also won the nation's annual cleanest city contests for many years.

The University of New Brunswick campus is located in Fredericton. The architecture is primarily Georgian in style, and ivy-covered red brick buildings dot the campus. Further up the hill is the Saint Thomas University campus with its Catholic-themed architecture. The main pedestrian thoroughfare is in the shape of a cross with a halo. Although I am not at all a spiritual person, I do appreciate the religious aesthetics.

Fredericton is a very artsy kind of place, and boasts many small art galleries, including artist-run collectives like Gallery Connexion (located in the basement of the Justice Building). The Beaverbrook Art Gallery contains a less-than-modest collection of artwork by master painters, including an enormous painting by Salvador Dali. Across the street from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is the Fredericton Playhouse, home of Theatre New Brunswick. You can catch performances by acting troupes, dance companies, or Fredericton High School's theatre group.

If you're not into art, there are all sorts of bars where you can go to have a few drinks and catch some live entertainment. The music scene is thriving in Fredericton, and you can hear everything from DIY punk gigs to downhome fiddle to djembe drumming to classical violin.

There are also numerous martial arts dojos. You can study various forms of karate-do, tae kwon do, judo, ju jitsu, hapkido, t'ai chi chu'an, kung fu, aikido, etcetera during your stay.

Also, make sure you take a stroll through Odell Park, the old Fredericton cemetary (it's a great place to feed pigeons!), or maybe even the lesser-known Fredericton Botanic Gardens. You might see some squirrels, foxes, owls, deer, or even something more exotic. When I worked in the botanic gardens, I heard and found sign of a lynx....

  • Intro Written Sep 10, 2002
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Reviews (7)

Check out the Fredericton... - Fredericton Check out the Fredericton... Off The Beaten Path (1)

Check out the Fredericton Botanic Gardens at the top corner of Odell Park. It is relatively unknown to tourists and is a... more travel advice

Yummy British pub food Restaurants (2)

If you have some time to kill (the service is a bit slow), you really ought to go to the Snooty Fox. The food is really... more travel advice

Although Fredericton is a very... Warnings and Dangers (2)

Although Fredericton is a very conservative city (because of the government aspect), it is also quite gay-friendly... more travel advice

Boyce Farmer's Market Things to Do (1)

Every Saturday morning, beginning way too early for people to be awake, a boisterous farmer's market is held. Of special... more travel advice

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