I'm moving to Ottawa, Canada. What are some nice neighborhoods/areas to look for apartments?

Question

And also, which areas to avoid.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Welcome to Ottawa! While I live in the South Keys area, it is a nice area and well serviced by both transit and amenities like grocery stores, restaurants and the like.

Really, almost anywhere in the city is a good place although areas like Vanier do not have a good reputation. Places closer to downtown, including Byward Market, are lovely but hideously expensive! Your best bet would be to find a place that is well served by our fabulous transit. Fortunately, most of the city is. I also agree with CuriousD when he suggests avoiding places like Kanata, Orleans and Barrhaven only because those areas tend to have more in the way of single family dwellings or townhouses than apartments.

Answer 2

Welcome to Ottawa!  I'm currently in Nepean.  There are lots of apartments in Ottawa.  Are you a student?  If so, Carleton U, Ottawa U, Algonquin College?  or?  If you're a student at Carleton U, somewhere near Dow's Lake, or along Meadowlands would be good.  There are many apartment buildings there.  For Ottawa U, something closer to downtown might be a bit better  - but it really depends on location, as downtown can be really expensive.  Plus, the public transit is great!  haha.  Algonquin college I would say more towards the southwest - try Nepean, or nearer to Carling.  Those general areas should help.  If you're looking at a few places, and curious about the transit system and where you can go from there, try the OC Transpo website.  It has maps, etc.  Also, there is a travel planner on the site which allows you to input info for where you want to go and from where, and it gives you the route and length of time.  Might come in handy when you are comparing apartments.  Good Luck!

Answer 3

I live just south of Ottawa, welcome to my part of the world. I am a country girl

Answer 4

Welcome to Ottawa!  I live in Westboro - it is the "up and coming" area in town.  I assume you are a student and you will be renting? In the downtown area you have the Market with a few high rises or Sandyhill (the main student living area for Ottawa U).  The Elgin street area is another good area.  Unless you have a car or don't mind long bus rides, avoid the suburbs like Orleans, Kanata and Barhaven.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Hi there! Seems like you've already gotten a really warm welcome from everyone else, but I'll add to that: Welcome! I really love Ottawa, and depending on your style and interests, there are a number of different places to look for apartments.

My first question is, what kind of a apartment do you want? If you like mid to high-rises, I would suggest Lincoln Fields, Riverside, Carlingwood, and the Bayshore area (in that order), as well as the Byward market area (which is incredibly pricey, but very beautiful).

If you want to live in a rented home, or a level of a rented home, Craig Henry and the Woodroffe area both offer lovely homes/duplex for rent at a reasonable price. From there, your next level up is the Glebe, which is wonderful, but over priced, old, and filled with Carleton students. Westboro, as someone else mentioned is still considered up and coming, though I'd argue that a lot of yuppies already live in this area--also referred to as Dovercourt (once you get south of Westboro). It's where I live right now, and I am completely content here. You'll pay quite a hefty fee to live in this area though, because it's so close to bike paths and to a really healthy lifestyle (there's a handful of yoga centres within two blocks of my place). If you're looking for something like this, but don't want to pay a arm and a leg (I'm paying $1100 for a 2 bedroom, with washer and dryer, cable, internet and everything but hydro), parts of Hintonburg are safe and up and coming. Other regions of the neighbourhood are not so much, but it's something you learn to judge for yourself. Little Italy is very much the same in this regard

Generally speaking, areas I would tell you to stay away from are Vanier, Bayshore, Britannia, Chinatown, Bank Street north of Catherine (south of Catherine is the Glebe, quite nice), Kanata/Barrhaven (unless you love the idea of suburbia)...I think that's it. The areas mentioned previously are pretty good for buses, as is most of the city, except for suburbia, such as Bell's Corners, Craig Henry, Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven (also known as Far-haven to the locals).

My best advice to you: Look on kijiji.ca or craigslist.org for apartments in ottawa based on your price range, and search by list. Then you'll have a better idea of what you're getting into.

Also, generally speaking, the centre of the city and to the west (until you get to Britannia) is the nicest part of town, in my mind.

Good luck! Happy hunting (Also, it seems everyone here moves in August. I think it's because of all the students who live in Ottawa).

Answer 6

I have lived here 40 years in various locales of Ottawa in at least several communities.  

You don't indicate where you are coming from or why you are moving here which is a huge factor of where you coose - or if you speak multiple languages.  The Ottawa West end tends to be more Anglaphone, The East more Francaphone.  

The highest density of Apartment buildings in Ottawa are along the Ottawa River Parkway.  They are spread out and not cramped.  

Bayshore has another grouping of apartments but they are into a smaller density of space and is getting a bad reputation.  Vanier also is not high on good reputation.

Mechanicsville is getting cleaned up which borders Westboro.  They are two different worlds like crossing the tracks so to speak.  Upscale and downscale is very diverse in this area.  Lots of shops, big box, mom and pop and antique and browsing stores as well as an array of foods.

The byward market and downtown core is very expensive.

Lincoln Fields/Lincoln Heights area is very lovely if you like outdoor bike paths, walks, runs, rollerblading, greenspace and water close by. The Ottawa River borders the entire Parkway at Lincoln Fields and runs into the downtown core separating Quebec from Ontario.

Lincoln Heights (sometimes goes by Lincoln Fields) is a direct corrider for the OC transit service that will get you anywhere you have to go including colleges, universities, Government Hubs (Tunney's Pasture and Holland Cross).

It is close to all ammenities (restaurants, movie theatre in Bayshore, shopping, medi centres, if you don't have a doctor you will need this as your prime resort to being seen and aided).  Lincoln Heights is at a major crossroad of Richmond Rd. and Carling Avenue.  It is very close to the 417 if you drive but the Parkway downtown is more scenic and traffic flow is better.  The Parkway is a main access for OC transit to get to downtown, the Airport, University Of Ottawa).  Off the Parkway there is other bus transportation also.

The Ottawa Hospital (previously The Civic Hospital) is not far and neither is the Queensway Carleton Hospital which you would be closer to.

You will find big box stores (IKEA, Chapters, Pay Less Shoes, Leon's) in the area off Pinecrest and Richmond Rd, just off the 417 as well as mom and pop shops and big box stores in Bayshore and Brittannia Plaza.  All within a very short distance.

If you like a beach close by that you can bike and picnic at there is the Brittania Beach and Westboro Beach on the parkway.  Both are accessible by the Ottawa Parkway bikepaths from Lincoln Heights.

Most of the high tech firms are in the West End between Bell's Corners and Kanata.  Further West than Lincoln Fields.

Nepean Housing also offers market value rent as well as subsidized rent.  They have nice town homes starting from $780. and up and are tucked back off the main roadways near Algonquin College in the West End.  My daughter is renting a 3 bedroom for under $1000.00 and sharing with 3 others.  That may be another option.  Nepean Housing advertises in the Ottawa Home Renters Guide but they don't advertise their company name, just their areas. So you will have to look under Dufferin Court.  That is one of their many properties.  

This should give you some research details to plan your move.