New Price Smart, Kingsway & Knight

As annoyed as John and I both are that King Edward Village totally spoils the view as one drives over the hill northbound on Knight Street at about 38th, the actual neighbourhood imprint of the development at street-level is really quite a plus. It doesn't completely make up for the insult to our collective "view corridor" aesthetic, but we also realize that it creates a village environment that is actually good for the whole city on both ecological and convenience levels. But harumph, eh?

So the consumer aspect of this post is our first visit to the new location of Price Smart, a Save-on Foods attempt to compete head-on with Superstore. And the good news is that this store is very much needed in the area, it seems to have a big assortment of well-priced produce, frozen foods and kitchen staples, and the store even offers free parking -- an increasingly rare freebie these days. (Parking entrance is eastbound off Knight Street, just south of Kingsway.)

We were particularly impressed with the large variety of bulk food items on offer. I was also able to buy a perfect avocado (another rarity, lately), albeit at a rather inflated price.

The development boasts a much-needed branch of the VPL, a TD Canada Trust branch, and other handy stores yet to come.