Are you moving, or soon to be moving, to the Ottawa area and aren’t sure where you would prefer to live? Ottawa has been ranked as the No. 1 place to live among all medium and large Canadian cities, according to Money Sense Magazine, and we’re here to help you find your perfect neighbourhood match.

Items to contemplate when starting your home search are:
1. How long will you consider an acceptable daily commute?
2. Will you be open to using the transit system or will you be looking to drive?
3. Are you looking for an active nightlife scene or a quieter one?
4. Will you want to be close to good schools for your children?

If you are looking for more cultural activities, shorter commutes, boutique shopping, an active day or nightlife, restaurants, walkability, great transit access, great school accessibility and premium finishes then you are most likely going to want to look at the following areas: Hintonburg, Centretown, Westboro, The Glebe, Chinatown/Little Italy, The Byward Market, and New Edinburgh. The important thing to remember with these trendier areas however, is that parking can be hard to find, homes in these areas are generally more expensive and noise at night or on weekends is a possibility. Due to the popularity of this area and higher housing prices, a smaller condo is generally the most affordable housing option to be found.

If the areas above seem to check off most of your interests, but you are looking for a quieter atmosphere and are willing to deal with a bit more of a commute, then consider the following neighborhoods: Hunt Club, Carlingwood, Overbrook. For the most part, these neighbourhoods have housing in a more accessible price range and are not too far away. Other neighbourhoods that offer affordability are Vanier, South Keys/Greenboro, Lowertown, and Bayshore.

If you prefer lower crime, larger lots, quieter neighbourhoods and cheaper real estate prices then you are most likely better off to look at homes outside of the downtown core. Neighbourhoods that fit these criteria are: Kanata, Barrhaven, Riverside South and Orleans. While homes in these areas produce a longer commute time, most also offer newer developments with great value which means that you won’t need to think about renovating for a while.

Last but not least, if you are looking to enjoy the peaceful serenity of the country and don’t mind a long commute to downtown, we suggest looking at neighborhoods such as Stittsville, Richmond, Manotick, Greely, Metcalfe, Carlsbad Springs, Embrun, Cumberland and Rockland.

We hope this helps narrow down your future neighbourhood! If you have questions, learn more by contacting us at 613-288-2455.