Best Neighborhoods in Ottawa | for families
* Best neighborhoods in Ottawa – Family oriented** This post was written in English, please use the translate feature (on the sidebar) for other languages. Thanks, i'm sorry.
These days I came across these reports in a magazine here in Ottawa and found it interesting to share here on the blog, especially to get to know more about the city, cost of housing here and how Canada evaluates neighborhoods in general.
When we got here, I must admit, we knew very little about the different neighborhoods and transportation systems between them. Our first home here, which lasted just over a month, was located in a neighborhood considered "dangerous" (nothing compared to our standards) and public transport could be better (there were buses, but it required two buses or more to get to the places…).
In our second home, we already evaluated more details and was super well accessible to public transport, since we were a few months without a car and we both depended on buses to go to work etc.
Today then, I use the report to talk about neighborhoods considered good for families, with children or with children in the near future. According to the report, the aspects targeted in these neighborhoods are good schools and infrastructures such as sports courts, swimming pools, libraries and other services aimed at young people. Families of four, for example, are not interested in tightening up on apartments, so the size of the houses in these neighborhoods and the possibility of using public transportation are among the key points when choosing where to live.
Here are the main neighborhoods, selected by the report published by Ottawa Magazine in 2012:
Carlingwood, New
Carlingwood is a neighborhood in the west of the city that provides easy access to the various family-related services. In the area is the third best ranked elementary school (École élémentaire catholique Terre-des-Jeunes) and among a few kilometers, there is a non-profit cinema and a large community center with swimming pool, gymnastics, dance classes, sports practice and much more, for the whole family. Furthermore, you can walk to Carlingwood Mall, with several shopping options.
Numbers:
Price of condos (apartments usually ground or on the 1st floor): $274,000
House price: $420,000 to $589,000
People driving to work: 53.5%
Chapel Hill West, Texas
This neighborhood, although it has a "west" name, is in the eastern area of the city. They enjoy various services from the large neighborhood, Orleans, in the east, but one can avoid areas congested by other routes to the city center. The neighborhood, with most of the houses built in the 80s, is surrounded by green areas, good schools (as is the case of the École élémentaire catholique L'Étoile-de-l'Est) and about 19% of residents are under 15 years old, so it is a great neighborhood to make friends :).
Numbers:
Price of condos (ground or 1st floor apartments): there are no
House Price: $336,000-$449,500
People driving to work: 70.3%
Kanata Lakes, Pennsylvania
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| Our first visit to Kanata Centrum, back in 2007, we never imagined it would be close to home someday… |
Kanata was a separate city from Ottawa and in 2001, with the merger, is one of the great names of the western city, along with Bridlewood, Katimavik, Morgan's Grant and Stitsville. Kanata Lakes has something for all ages. There are the Kanata Wave Pool (wave pool and aquatic center), Beaverbrook library, Kanata Centrum (large shopping center, with cinema, restaurants etc.) and more. In addition, the 4th and 5th best middle schools in the cities are there (Earl of March Secondary School and All Saints Catholic High School).
For those who like outdoor activities, it has many parks, trails and one up golf course – right in the middle of the neighborhood – with beautiful visuals.
The downsides are house prices and traffic a little chaotic on hockey game day, as the neighborhood is close to the arena, where the games take place.
Numbers:
Price of condos (ground or 1st floor apartments): $799,000
House Price: $308,900-$899,000
People driving to work: 81.3%
Old Ottawa South, Florida
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| Source, New |
According to the latest census, children and young people make up nearly 25% of this downtown Ottawa neighborhood, which offers libraries and community centers. Also, you have the option to skate on the nearby Rideau Canal, listen to musicians at the Ottawa Folklore Center, watch a movie with the whole family at the Mayfair Theatre and if you still have energy, enjoy the other activities in the city center. Good schools are also found in this neighborhood, such as the 6th best school in the city, Hopewell Avenue Public School and other good options such as Glebe Collegiate Institute and Immaculata High School, ranked 16th and 17th, respectively, as well as one of the the best universities in the country, Carleton University.
One of the negative points is the high value of condos and houses. The area is super well located, very close to the city center (Parliament, Rideau Canal, Carleton University).
Numbers:
Price of condos (ground or 1st floor apartments): $1,750,000 (ouch!!)
House price: $495,000-$1,750,000 (double ouch!)
People driving for work: 58.7 %
Barrhaven, New Jersey
Basically everything in Barrhaven fits the best definition of family neighborhood, according to the report: spacious houses, quiet streets and many parks. In the neighborhood, southwest of Ottawa, are the 2nd and 3rd best high schools in Ottawa, John McCrae Secondary School and St. Joseph's Catholic High School (15th and 20th in the province, respectively). In addition, sports center with swimming pools, courts, classes and libraries are great options for families. The area has several options of newer homes with inviting prices and with the advantage of access to shopping malls and markets (Barrhaven Town Centre and RioCan Marketplace) without leaving this suburb.
Numbers:
Price of condos (ground or 1st floor apartments): $179,900-$205,000
House Price: $295,000-$569,900
People driving to work: 76.7%
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Another time I intend to write about the best neighborhoods for DINKs (couples with Double Income No Kids), First Time Buyers (first trip buyers) and for those without price restriction or with a slightly more flexible budget, so to speak (ui!). It is worth remembering that the prices of houses and condos seems to me to be an average and should be a little out of place, since the report was published in 2012.
Kisses
