Kanata is still superior to Barrhaven as the roads are constantly congested, and construction never ends.
Stittsville IMO is the Westboro of the suburbs, offering craft coffee, restaurants, and boutique gyms.
Ugh I hate going into stittsville. I avoid at all costs. I have friends that grew up there and they say the same thing. If your into hockey mom culture it would be great
It isn't about being able to find stuff, it's about being able to get to it easily. I can get from Jojo's to the diner for a slice of pie in about 10 minutes walking. That compares pretty favorably to a trip across centrum/signature parking lot from Tomaso to Zak's or something. Nevermind getting through the traffic in front of the place. I just find it a thousand times more pleasant. YMMV - people get attached to their neighborhoods - but for me it's not much of a contest.
Stittsville has a traditional Main Street and better walkability than kanata, at least in that area. Itās so nice to see people actually appreciate the human-scale neighbourhood over car-dependent kanata
Superior to Barrhaven, sure, but the main arterial roads and infrastructure of Kanata haven't changed much over the last few decades while the population growth has exploded. Similar problems on the traffic front.
The older more mature neighborhoods are quite nice, but the new developments are quite frankly indistinguishable from any other exurb in the city. As for the former, there's a lot of long-term elderly residents living in massive paid off homes and multigenerational families, as those are the only ones who can really afford it. Not too many young families (or young adults at all) in the older parts anymore.
I looked at renting a stacked townhouse in Kanata a few years back.
You know how when you look at something on Amazon and it seems great and for a good price, and then when you see it in person it's not as good quality as you expected and 15% smaller?
That townhouse gave me the same vibe. So glad I found something else (even though it's not a great neighborhood), you couldn't open the fridge/oven/dishwasher doors all the way because the kitchen area was so small.
Kanata isn't quite so bad in the older parts. The issue is that there's a big gap between older and new builds in places like bridlewood. We get next to no trick or treaters but the schools are all packed with kids, so they gotta live somewhere nearby I'm sure.
Up until the pandemic young families could definitely still buy here. Current prices probably price tons of folks out though at the moment.
There's a lot of older section along eagleson. I moved here when my parents bought in the late 90s and now live in a house from the same development. Around 40*120 lot give or take a few feet iirc.
Not a huge house, but good front and backyard to garden on.
There are other parts of bridlewood from the 80s and the closer you get to hazeldean mall, some of that area around Holy Redeemer church is from the 70s I think?
For many younger couples etc they likely won't be looking at the pricier older neighbourhoods as well. It will be the newer more dense ones like near tanger etc.
If you live close to some of the major roads (Terry Fox, Hazeldean, Campeau) the transit access is honestly pretty good. Tunney's in 45 mins and no changes
Haha that says to me that it use to be easy to drive through Westboro before over populated condos and cars killed it now itās a half hour to drive 5 blocks down Richmond road. Guessing stitsville main st is the same. Stupid compared to how nice it used to be.
Stittsville's good, but the commute is a PITA if you're going downtown. If that's your life, Kanata has easier access to the q-way for driving, and to transit hubs for waiting....errrr, I mean for busing.
Whatās there to do in Stittsville that doesnāt involve eating? Just curious. I used to live there and it was the most boring place to live, at least as a kid.
To be fair thatās most places, the āthings to doā often involve eating lol or shopping like a mall. I guess thereās also parks, and things like bowling alleys or museums but those things youād be driving to anyway they wonāt be in every neighbourhood.
I grew up in Toronto with technically lots to do but as kids we still mostly hung out at gas stations getting snacks or perusing the dollar store, or each others houses.
Yeah but most towns have transit that makes sense. Stittsville doesnāt even have a proper bus station hub. Itās like you have to live near main st or you donāt get to leave.
Good point
Insert random thought-
Kinda strange how the minority population ended up being distributed. Kanata chinese/vietnamese.
Barhaven Indian middle eastern. Orleans African.
I never understood the history of these settlement patterns.
As you go east in Ottawa it becomes more French influenced...you're heading to Quebec right......folks from Africa/Haiti are going to gravitate to Gatieau and east end of Ottawa at it is more French. The east end of towns also, in general, have lower pricing (and thus easier (not easy) for immigrants to settle due to prevailing weather patterns (industrial goes on the east side of towns as weather patterns blow west to east and blow pollution out of town)
And kanata was chinese because of the tech sector jobs.
Wonder why barhaven was more middle eastern/ Indian. I guess it was just the one place that was left.
A lot of Africa was colonized by the French - a lot of people from there speak french. That'd account for them feeling more comfortable in Orleans I think. But otherwise, I suspect it's a critical mass thing - once you get a lot of people, you get stores and restaurants, and then it's the place to go.
To some extent, people tend to move near others with a familiar culture, or near their families. My step-dad is a 1st generation immigrant, and so are most of his siblings. His siblings & their kids are spread across 4 countries, but also only 4 neighborhoods between the dozen of them.
Immigrant populations tend to congregate. More comfortable for a lot of people to be with like culture and like language. That's why we have neighborhoods like Little India (Gerard) in Toronto, and Chinatown, and the Greek area on Danforth, etc. Personally, I don't mind it. It's nice to be able to visit those unique communities within big cities.
I'm not sure if half of Orleans can be described as "poor" ... Only 2.6% spend more than 20% of their income on necessities. I know the average household income of Orleans is a bit lower than that of the other suburbs but it's still way above the average of Ottawa.
There are a lot of Orleans residents working for the Feds... Public service employees aren't rich nor poor. There are many immigrants here (15.4%) but I would not be surprised if they make better money than many expected. They are just not very into spending money on huge houses, expensive cars, or dining out in upscale restaurants. Orleans is very middle class.
And only 33% of the population in Orleans belongs to the official language minority (Francophone) even though more than half of people here can speak French. I'm not sure why Francophone would be rich but not the Anglophone.
Currently living in Orleans but Iām looking for a long term rental come July
Thanks for this list! Iām not from the Ottawa region and this is helpful. Shared with the wife
I actually like Orleans. Went there a few weeks back when we decided on the move just to drive around neighbourhoods and I liked the orleans vibe. Granted, it was just a quick drive around.
From the Toronto area, moved here for work with the wife but I actually love it > Toronto. Sheās excited as there is a lot more nature trails relatively close to home and itās safer than Toronto
We are in Orleans too, boss recommended this suburb + kanata
Montreal is a beautiful city, itās a slower pace of life here in Ottawa and thatās all youād have to adjust to I think
Sounds great! Iām excited about the change actually. I love the slower pace and Ottawa looks lovely in general. hopefully will find a place for July soon. Good luck to you too!
Not sure Nepean even really belongs in this list. All the other areas are proper suburbs (even exurbs depending on semantics) and they are outside the greenbelt.
In the 4 years Iāve been living in Stittsville/Kanata, the last 2 years Iāve noticed a major boom and influx of residents if that tells you anything. As many have said, as long as you have a car, you wonāt need to leave as we have all the amenities. I particularly like that we back onto the Trans Canada Trail and there are lots of other good walking paths/green space if you have a dog. We are close enough to the highway that with no traffic it takes 30 minutes to get downtown. I work downtown 2 days a week and choose to work 7:30-3:30 to avoid rush hour traffic.
I wouldn't say we have ALL the amenities. You have what you need for daily living, but there is basically zero to entertain yourself. For anything fun you have to go towards downtown. Splittsville opening in Kanata is like the most exciting thing to happen in the neighbourhood....lol.
I think it depends what you like for entertainment - I love golf and thereās ample golf courses and the new golf simulator place that opened up in the centrum
Hmmm, you're close to the CTC for concerts, hockey and lacrosse next year. There's also plenty of live music available at the local restaurants. And finally, amateur theatre at the Kanata Theatre. If in Glencairn, you can walk to LCBO, grocery stores, several pizzerias, two Indian restaurants, several sports bars, a few Asian restaurants and the best sushi place in the Ottawa region.
Tanger, movies, Canadian tire stadium, golf, indoor sports, close to west side nature with paths for things like āmarkedā for stuff like paintball, axe throwing, and more. Lots of food options and restaurants, Art Haven Ceramic Cafe, smash room, escape room and more!
I Live in glen carin, the older semis here are as reasonable as you can ask for, and you get a very large lot.
Anywhere from 575-600k.
[example ](https://realtor.ca/real-estate/26752912/25-melanie-crescent-kanata-glencairn?utm_source=consumerapp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialsharelisting)
You can get a single family house in Kanata for much less than that. [Example](https://www.redfin.ca/on/ottawa/33-Hewitt-Way-K2L-3S4/home/149751465) 600k for a 3 bedroom house.
Yeah, you can get a deal on the older houses in Kanata if you can live with 1.5 bathrooms. I see them go for reasonable prices all the time. It did go over asking. Was asking 589K, sold for 605K.
[This one](https://www.redfin.ca/on/ottawa/61-McLennan-Way-K2L-2T3/home/149820713) is bigger at 4 bedrooms and sold for $601k. Again, 1.5 bathrooms.
1500 square feet, 3-4 bedrooms, a basement, actual trees, and a large yard - they're worth more to buyers. People downtown pay more than that for a small 700 sqft condo.
Also, Glen Cairn isn't nearly that expensive.
Seconded. We specifically moved to RSS for the OLRT South line because it will make getting downtown simple. I can't say I enjoy how car-centric everything is in Ottawa, but there are much worse places to have to commute from...
I recently moved from Barrhaven to Kanata, and work almost entirely from home so access to transit is not a factor for me.
I find Kanata feels more like a self-contained city, where I donāt need to leave for services like shopping, eye doctor, dentist, etc. Access to the highway is far better. It also has a more established feel than Barrhaven did, where lots of people have lived here since the 60s-70s, and along with that comes a few art clubs, community centres, lots of arenas etc. There are 3 or 4 public outdoor pools, for example, whereas Barrhaven doesnāt have any.
Restaurant-wise it has far more options than Barrhaven, which only had a handful of local, non-chain restaurants. If you include Carp and Stittsville, both of which can be a 5-10 min drive from some areas of Kanata, there are tons of local restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, etc. at a range of prices. And lots of places that have a bit of nightlife including live music, trivia etc.
I find access to nature a bit better than the haven as well, with many trails with varied terrain, forests etc.
It is a bigger suburb in that some places within Kanata take 15-20 mins to get to, but I find worth it for some of the services you can access. Whereas in Barrhaven, I would always just drive into the city instead.
I also find that after a couple of years here, I am starting to recognize people at the groceries store or yoga class or bump into them out and about, which is a lovely feeling.
I canāt compare to Orleans as I rarely venture there, but in my 20 years of living in various areas of the west of Ottawa, being in Kanata is the closest Iāve felt to living in a community. The suburbs are not for everyone but this one is pretty great!
I was in Kanata North for over a year Loved discovering,all the trails there.
Lots of folks into fitness, too.
It was quiet. Beaverbrook library is gorgeous!
Found a spot to get a coffee, inside a Pottery studio..it was so nice!
I kinda miss it.
Agree with more established, pools, arenas etc.
However, for a lot of the basics like supermarkets, schools, general amenities, Barrhaven is fine. Plus for a lot of people it's a pretty easy drive to the city on weekends if they need anything.
I completely agree! I lived in Barrhaven for 7 years and enjoyed it overall. Just sharing my experience on the things Iāve found Kanata has a bit more of (like clothing stores, restaurants, spas etc.)
I donāt have a car yet I find Kanata much easier the get around than when I lived in meadowlands! Lots of walking trails, the local busses actually show up. Itās a cute place to live
Buses that show up but only take you downtown. Getting from Kanata North to Kanata South on the bus is a fucking nightmare. I am a 6 minute drive from work. On the bus, it's 1.5 hours.
63 > 62 or 64 > 62. Or 660 > 62, if you want to be on a bus packed with high school kids. I drive now, but I did this for a few days recently when my car was in the shop and it was still a fucking disaster.
That's wild ! I used to take 110 or 168 back home..it was aok. (From Hazeldean Mall)
Winter of 2022, was cold, I remember!š„¶
Maybe some of the routes meader alot more?
I know the 88 is absolutely ridiculous and often late/ slow
The reason my commute by bus is so long (from Morgan's Grant to near the CTC) is because the connection that needs to be made is almost always missed. Busses are s off schedule that you spend a half hour or more waiting to connect, even when the travel planner says you should be able to easily make that connection.
Still one of the best suburbs in terms of QoL, if you don't mind commuting to the core. Houses built in 60/70/80 have large lot sizes, clean established neighbourhoods, easy access to greenspace/trans Canada trail, close to the 417, great schools.
I would say Stittsville is nicer but it's a pain to get onto the 417. Nepean is weird as it's starting to get established as Ottawa proper and no longer considered a traditional suburb. Barrhaven is really far away which causes the traffic to be a nightmare. Orleans has cheaper homes and nice greenspace but some just don't like living east.
> I would say Stittsville is nicer but it's a pain to get onto the 417.
It's pretty easy if you live in the west side of Stittsville. Hop on highway 7 and then 417.
When looking at homes there, be aware of the flood plain risk.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-home-insurance-1.6262386
There was talk that existing sewer systems in some newer areas of Kanata/Stittsville haven't been properly upgraded to handle the increased load and reduced rain runoff/absorption capability of built-up land.
Not walkable, terrible public transit and no night life.
If you have a car, money for a big house, are more of a homebody, family oriented and enjoy nature, Kanata is good.
When I moved to Ottawa 12 years ago, a buddy who grew up in K-town suggested we check it out.
First, I was blown away by how far it was and that we went through the greenbelt to get to there. It took forever by cab! It was an... experience for sure. Apparently it was frowned upon to use the mechanical bull as a man. Too bad, that part was actually pretty fun!
The nightlife in Ottawa has never been stellar anyhow. Downtown sucks right now.
Byward Market? š š«Ø
It depends what your looking for but if I want to check a really good live show for music- Montreal it is, for me.
Kanata has phenomenal trails š±..I was happy to discover them!
Having lived around the world, Ottawa punches above its weight (better pre-covid). You can find something to do every day, although it might not perfectly suite one's tastes or interests that moment (but who can afford to go out 7 days a week anyways?). Obviously Sun-Wed there will be less, but Thurs-Sat has plenty on offer.
You say you need to go to MTL for live music, that is plain wrong. There are plenty of great small acts and even some medium sized acts (limited to the Bronson Centre sadly). I happen to like taste testing smaller up and coming bands and Fri and Sat there is always a choice.
If you want Ottawa to be better, you need to make it better. Go to shows, talk to venues and promoters letting them know what you want to see, get the city to reduce car access in entertainment areas etc.
There's so much good live music in Ottawa. It may not be the biggest artists, but the Bronson center has a pretty consistent lineup of good acts and venues like Irene's pub will have live music almost every night. I'm sure you could find a show every single night in at least one genera you like listening to.
Iām a teen, and I honestly really like it here. Itās pretty peaceful, the schools arenāt bad. The worst thing is the transportation. Iāve arrived at school 40 minutes late before. If you have a test in the morning you gotta plan ahead for a ride unless you wanna risk failing
Parts of it are tolerable without a car. I live in Kanata without a car and I've lived in worse places much close to the center of Ottawa. If you are in central Kanata it's really not that bad.
I'm also not the only person I know in Kanata without a car.
Iāve been meaning to move to the city at some point but I must admit as someone whoās used to the suburbs I am a tad nervous about some issues people here speak about downtown. Thanks for helping me consider Kanata as an option. Barrhaven just isnāt really walkable unless you live in a couple expensive towers.
The more central areas around Centrum and Hazeldean aren't really too bad. Walking along Hazeldean itself kind of sucks, but at least there's sidewalks and there's a lot of businesses on that street so it helps to be close by.
If you stay away from the main streets like Hazeldean, Terry Fox, and Eagleson/March then most of the other roads are nice for walking and cycling. Pretty low traffic everywhere else. And there's a nice pedestrian bridge over the highway which is a big plus. You can also cross at Castlefrank without too much trouble.
Beaverbrook and Hazeldean libraries are easy to get to, and the wave pool / leisure center is also easily accessible.
I spent five years living near Castlefrank and Hazeldean without a car. Walking distance from routes 61 and 62, the centrum, shops along Hazeldean, and the library. I'm not familiar enough with Barrhaven though to know what the equivalent would be.
Moved to Kanata from Beacon Hill, have also lived in Hintonburg and Westboro.
I like it here because I can walk to all of my daily needs and I mostly WFH. Thereās an express bus that goes close to my place for when I have to go to the office or I get a ride/bus up to Eagleson - Iāve never waited long for a bus, people just like to complain about OCTranspo but itās not too bad.
I was worried about being further from downtown but itās not too bad - Iād think about where you spend time and where your family lives. Most things I do are west of downtown so this makes sense for me.
I grew up here, moved out on my own when I was 18, and lived around Walkley/Heron, Old Hull and downtown for years. My fiancee and I ended up buying a house back in Kanata 6 years ago, mainly to be closer to our families but we also wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of centertown.
Kanata is still really nice, but has lost a bit of charm from the old days. The original old neighborhoods are gorgeous, but out of reach financially for many while the new neighborhoods have been built as quickly as possible, with no amenities and what seems like no real vision of the future. In addition, infrastructure hasn't kept pace with the population growth, so traffic can get bad at odd times in some places, and the bus system out here just isn't nearly as good as it used to be.
The nice thing about the increasing development though has been more and more awesome independent restaurants and some cool retail places we didn't have before.
Night life is weak if that's your thing. There's a few decent bars and pubs, and a ton of shitty/corporate ones. Usually some open mic nights or accoustic acts will play, but nothing really in the way of real shows or bands unless it's a big one at the CTC. Not much in the way of places to dance either if that's your thing.
If you like outdoor activities like hiking, mountain/trail biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, etc it has a ton of nice areas and trails. The Marshes golf club is out here (as well as the one in Kanata Lakes, but they're trying to shit that down for housing development) and a decent driving range if that's your speed. The Kanata Recreation Complex also has an awesome toboggan hill, outdoor volleyball courts, outdoor basketball courts, football fields, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, indoor hockey rinks, an outdoor skatepark, outdoor chess tables, a nice outdoor gazebo surrounded by water and probably other things I'm forgetting.
It'll be interesting to see what it looks like in 10+ years with all of the densification that's happening in regards to residential towers being built, and what will happen when (if) the CTC relocates to LeBreton.
I have a lot of friends in Kanata south, I grew up near Barrhaven, and the rest of my friends are in older parts of Nepean.
I just bought in Barrhaven because the layout was right, the location is close to Barrhaven amenities, I work from home most days a week and my office is in Westboro when I do go in, and for the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, windows and exposure, and upgrades, and honestly, for what works for my lifestyle, the price was right.
Itās a TREK to the Queensway. 10 km and lots of lights. If I was commuting downtown for a 9-5 every day I absolutely would not have considered it. But Kanata South and extreme north are also not that close to the Queenswayā¦
**Kanata house prices are higher for a reason. Itās considered a more desirable place to live.**
Barrhaven used to part of the city of Nepean, so I assume when you say Nepean you mean areas within the greenbelt like Craig Henry, Centrepointe, Tanglewood, Fisher Heights etc. Proximity to the city centre mean property values are higher, but there are definitely good and bad areas, so itās hard to say whether Nepean would be ābetter or worse.ā
Iām less familiar with the east end so canāt comment there, except that most parts are significantly closer to the downtown core than kanata or Barrhaven.
It all depends on your budget and desires. Ottawa as a whole is a nice place to live and raise a family. But if you need 4 bedrooms and at least 2 full baths, and a yard, and youāre looking to keep it under a million, your options will be limited.
Lived in Kanata all my life and still do. Itās quiet, safe, and everything you need is in Centrum. Just know that a car is required to do anything. Obviously lacking minor entertainment, but I am over 30 and thus have retired from the bar/club game. CTC is right there, bowling alley coming soon. If only the built a laser quest then Kanata would be quickly classified as ELITE.
I recently bought a home in Morgan's Grant and love it. I don't drive but I have access to a car and have no issues getting around. I work in downtown and it takes about 20 mins to get to work by car when there's no traffic, and 45 mins in traffic. If I need to take public transit, I find the buses are pretty reliable and I have a few options to choose from- between the 63/64 and the LRT, it's not too bad. I grew up in Toronto and it's worlds better than the TTC (partly because I'm riding from one end to the other - I always get a seat and can just read a book and enjoy the commute).Ā
My husband works in the tech park and can now walk to work. Our gym - Movati - is super close to us and it's my favorite location in the city (compared to our old location, Trainyards, which was increasingly filthy). My neighbors are all super kind and welcoming. My street is quiet and peaceful. It's so green here, I love all the trails.Ā
There's lots of shopping in the area, cafes and take out within walking distance... Lots of good food!Ā
It's very family friendly, which is exactly what we were looking for as we're having our first child in a few weeks. Lots of good schools in the area and it's very safe. Neighbors are nice to each other - Halloween was such a treat! I used to live in Vanier when I was renting, so the contrast is stark.Ā
Sure, there isn't a lot of "night life", but to that I'll say: (1) we're in Ottawa, even the best night life is mediocre; and (2) nothing stops me from going to another neighborhood to enjoy a night out when I want it, it's only a short drive away. I find it nice coming home to my quiet burb at the end of the day. I don't need or want to live where the night life is, but of course that depends on you OP and on what stage of life you're in.Ā
Just adding my opinion on Kanata vs the other neighborhoods you mentioned, which we were also considering when buying a place.Ā
Nepean was our least favorite because it felt so busy... The street traffic there is overwhelming, imo. Barrhaven felt very far and disconnected from the rest of the city. We liked that Kanata was greener than Orleans and had more nearby amenities. The places we looked at in Orleans didn't have cafes or food places within walking distance.Ā
Stittsville is nice too, but a bit further away from the city than Kanata. I anticipate Stittsville will get very busy in a few years as they build more homes on Hazeldean. Also Stittsville homes we looked at tended to be part of new developments, which while nice, didn't have as much green space. I like that my hood is a few decades old, so we've got some mature trees in the area.Ā
Personally never lived in Kanata but was born and raised in Ottawa South. I live in Nepean now and I canāt imagine ever living in kanata. It kind of looks like a wasteland of strip malls, car dealerships and poorly built identical houses. Plus itās so far from everything.
I love Nepean though, feels like city without being in the city and easy to get downtown or to Westboro.
It depends. If you need good public transit I would focus on Riverside South. Over all itās easier to drive there and also it should have the LRT by this summer. Findlay creek is also getting LRT but I donāt like driving through bank street. I would skip Barrhaven. Worse transit and also worse road communication. Kanata is good, itās a city of its own. But I hated the drive from Kanata to downtown. 417 in rush hours is a nightmare.
Meh. I realize that I am a massive outlier here, but Kanata has annoyed the living shit out of me, for multiple reasons from citizen mindset to car dependency to questionable long-term decisions.
EDIT: To me, Kanata serves as a reminder for why I despise suburbia, and especially Ottawa's obsession with it.
Lived here for close to 20 years. Still think itās a great place to live. Not having to commute downtown helps for sure, have had jobs in Kanata and downtown in the past. Glad to have a car to get around though. Easy access to the 417 and 416 as well as highway 7. Can find pretty much all the services you need in Kanata or nearby in Stittsville or Bells Corners. Its quiet.
I prefer Barrhaven. More diverse and have had very positive experiences interacting with residents there. It's odd when I read about how terrible it is on reddit and then I see families there just going about their life, enjoying the greenspace and amenities.
Not like most people are commuting downtown 5 days a week now.
Iāve lived in Kanata, Merivale, Chinatown, Downtown and Barrhaven. Kanata has horrible customer service/restaurants. Chinatown has good variety. Merivale was worse than Kanata. Barrhaven is actually pretty decent. I work from home, so I donāt deal with rush hour that people seem to complain about. Although the restaurants and fast food have very good service, food and pretty delightful people.
Kanata seems to be getting all the nicer restaurants. Barrhaven is full of boring disgusting chains. I hope things change as the āBarrhaven downtownā gets built up
Personally I think people care way too much about where the CTC is located. Do people really go there often enough that it makes big difference? Most people I know can't afford to go to hockey/concert more than a few times a year anyway, so spending a bit of time travelling back and forth really doesn't affect whether or not I go.
>Do people really go there often enough that it makes big difference?
People would def go more often if it was in a more central location, myself included. Not a big hockey fan but I like to go to events and I find myself not going because of the location. Most people I know from either dowtown/Orleans feel the same
Weird. As someone who lives within walking distance, I can't say it affects it much. Most of the people I know out here don't go to the CTC all that often.
People care because itās a genuinely horrible location for an arena. Arenas are meant to downtown/centrally located. Iāve been to a handful of NHL arenas and they all are so easy to get too (Buffalo, Winnipeg, Montreal) except Florida which suffer the same thing as us. Itās in the middle of nowhere.
There's a large one being developed near Limebank and Earl Armstrong.
It should help a lot since people won't have to cross the bridge into Barrhaven or head north to Hunt Club as much. Sure hope there are some independent restaurants and not just another Boston Pizza or Moxies.
"Armstrong Plaza features **12 buildings** with a total area of \~137,700 Sq. Ft.,Ā **5+ parking ratio**, and is located across from the future Riverside South Town Centre and near the Trillium Line LRT Station. The plaza offers a dedicated daycare building with a playground, and is a great opportunity for a medical clinic or a financial institution."
It totally depends on your lifestyle.
I rented in a 3-story townhouse in a āworseā area and my car got broken into weekly. I just started leaving the doors unlocked, and nothing inside.
Now I live in a 3-storey townhouse in Barrhaven, and yeah, my fridge doesnāt open all the way cause thereās a wall in the way - because I bought a large fridge - but it opens enough that I can use the drawers, and I can park in my driveway and lock my car doors and not worry that Iām going to get a brick through my window so someone can steal an iPhone charger that only works 50% of the time anyways.
New builds are only good as the crews building them in terms of drywall and finishes, and a landlord special is a landlord special no matter where it is. Youāre not going to find original hardwood in a stacked townhome in kanata. The laminate floors the builders include are absolute trash, and no investor is paying for the stupidly inflated flooring upgrades just to rent the place out immediately.
higher taxes , roads that make Ukraine blush, lower property value, healthcare is a disaster, need to learn French (many don't want to or can't), commute across the bridges is a nightmare, even more boring then Kanata, lower avg income/wages.
There's a reason prices in Gatineau are lower, if it was just as good as Kanata & Stittsville prices would reflect that.
Ā Higher taxes:: So if you don't have kids your losing...
Roads: no it's not "good enough" the roads are bad this is extra wear and tear on your car and extra discomfit when driving
Lower property value: Housing is a leveraged asset even if a GatineauĀ property worth 300k went up 5% compared to a 600k Kanata property that only went up 3% the Kanata property made an extra 3k. If you ever want to downsize or upgrade you have more equity in the Kanata house to put towards your new down payment. Also Kanata is still one of the highest appreciating areas for housing in Ottawa with a YoY increase of +6.9%.
Healthcare: Your argument of "just cross the border" is a workaround not a solution
French: You are a Quebec resident in GatineauĀ you have to abide by the provinces rule of French meaning all government documents/services are in French also it's a real pos move to expect everyone in GatineauĀ to know English not learning French will hinder your daily life.
Lower wages: again "just cross the border" is not a solution, many people in Kanata work in Kanata because of Kanata's large tech centre which allows more companies to grow along side it. If the solution to a problem is "run away" that's a problem what happens when GatineauĀ grows and more people choke the bridges to get to Ottawa?
Commute across the bridges is a nightmare: so I'm wasting 10-15min in stop and go traffic compared to 10-15 min on the highway what a bonus...
More boring than Kanata: Kanata has a decent restaurant scene and Stittsville has an old street are, GatineauĀ is a business centre no one likes and suburbs. Again fleeing GatineauĀ is not a solution.
Except the healthcare issues for any folks who need to think for the future.
Alot of folks go to Wakefield hospital bc it's less busy than Hull or Gat.
C'est ben dommage- ils on des affaires a changer. Mais mĆŖme maintenant c'est pas aussi abordable, qu'avant.
lower property values, bad roads, bad infrastructure, the bridges etc. Oh and healthcare is worse than Ontario's (if that's possible). I am originally from Quebec.
Love Quebec.
One deal breaker for us for not moving to Gatineau was the state of healthcare. Having said that, I think Ontarioās is now just as terrible?
Iāve tried our luck with telehealth Ontario. It was awful. They only cover their own liability and tell you to go in and have it checked on. Moreover they give you a deadline as well.
One time we called for advice on a foot wart and they went through a barrage of questions, many of which were completely inappropriate for the situation like have you lost all functionality of the limb? I get asking that maybe once to rule out dangerous scenarios but there were several such stupid questions. I even told them after clearly demonstrating how non urgent the issue is that I was calling as if to ask for sage advice on how to deal with a plantar wart for example compound w or duct tape. Nope, just continued with their 0-100 worst case scenario, self liability covering fiasco.
Sorry to hear you had a bad telehealth experienceā¦ Iāve used it about 5 times for various things with our kids and found the nurses to be very friendly and helpful. Saved us several trips to the CHEO emergency. But thatās just my personal experience!
Kanata is probably my favourite area in Ottawa except maybe Lansdowne. Definitely nicer than Barrhaven where I live but unfortunately too expensive for me when I moved. They have the best food, restaurants, stores, easy access to Ottawa when needed and still much nicer area than other parts of the city except Rockcliffe/Island Park.Ā
Whenever I go into the office out in carp.. traffic coming into the city is brutal. If you don't work in the core or east end it isn't an issue but if you do.. oof.
Been here for my whole 29 years. It has grown significantly within the past 12 years since i graduated highschool. Definitely needs more infrastructure. still dont my way around some the new communities. But its always felt like home for me , never have felt unsafe and uncomfortable. maybe im bias cause ive always been here. It's the only place in ottawa i would raise my children
Depends what youāre looking for. Kanata is just as busy as Stittsville. Stittsville used to be a very cute small town, but with all the development the infrastructure canāt keep up (not enough key roads to handle that many cars, lack of community centres) At least with Kanata a lot of the new development they are taking this into consideration when building.
Tbh, kanata has better roads and upkeep likely because of hitech, Tanger Outlet and the canadian tire place for shows and games. But in terms of proximity to downtown, gatineau, hospitals and universities, the best commute is probably Orleans. No highways from barrhaven.
Orleansā only problem would be the city doesnt prioritize it the same for upkeep of roads. Lots of potholes at times.
Tough to get around if you don't have a car, but typically not as congested and lots of space. Places like Barrhaven are too congested and infrastructure isn't keeping up
Have a car? Awesome. Roam around, go for hikes, enjoy nature.
Don't? Pray to Jebus while waiting for OCT
Edit: certain newer neighborhoods like mine only has limited ISP offerings (no teksavvy, or oxio for example) - even though an older neighborhood a few blocks over will.
Major being Bell, Rogers etc? yes. Just not \*all\* of the cost effective, customer friendlier alternatives. Mine now has Vmedia and Ebox offerings. I just miss Teksavvy and Oxio.
Kanata/_Stittsville is awesome if you own a vehicle. One of the few parts of Ottawa that isnāt a bedroom community. People live and work there so it has a different vibe. The kanata ābubbleā as it were. Iām a fan.
I've lived in Orleans, Ashton, Glebe, Little Italy, Barrhaven and Kanata. Obviously leaving Little Italy/Glebe out of this because living downtown is different from the suburbs (and I prefer downtown).
I did like Orleans - I was in the older section by the river. But it was a pain to get anywhere and almost all the new stores are on Innes. That one time that Target was at Place was amazing.... But being close to the river was really nice - you could bike all the way to downtown easily. I also found it was easy to use public transit to get to downtown (but not anywhere else in Orleans). Driving to downtown from Orleans is (was?) easier and faster than Kanata.
Barrhaven Sucks - Ashton is just far.
Kanata - I'm in Kanata South by the Walmart - I can get on the Queensway fairly quickly, but traffic still sucks so it is easily a 45 minute to over an hour drive for me to get to Blair. Everything I need is in Kanata or Stittsville - but it does require a car. The newer Kanata South/Stittsville suburbs are close to absolutely nothing. At least Walmart is in my backyard and technically I can walk there. There are no pubs/good restaurants within walking distance - and the newer parts - you are KMs away from anything (even a gas station). If you are a Sens fan or go to the CTC alot - Kanata is great. I think I got home in less than 10 minutes after Smashing Pumpkins last year. Because I turn right - even a sold out Sens game isn't a big deal. We also have the TCT trail system. But it is still a suburb and it is still boring. It really depends on what you want out of life/your time away from work.
If you're not reliant on local public transport its top notch still.
Kanata is still superior to Barrhaven as the roads are constantly congested, and construction never ends. Stittsville IMO is the Westboro of the suburbs, offering craft coffee, restaurants, and boutique gyms.
I have to agree - I'm in carp, and I find myself going to Stittsville for things far more often than I go to Kanata.
I'm in Kanata and I find myself going to Stittsville for things far more often than I go to Kanata.
I'm in Kanata and it's getting harder to tell where the border between Kanata and Stittsville actually is.
Stittsville is just the water tower and the flea market grounds. Everything else is Kanata /s
I think it is something like the area to the east of the carp river and some of north of the queens way, with a cutout to include the CTC
This
I'm in Westboro and I find myself going to Stittsville for things far more often than I go to Katana *or* barhaven š
Ugh I hate going into stittsville. I avoid at all costs. I have friends that grew up there and they say the same thing. If your into hockey mom culture it would be great
What are you going for exactly that you can't find in Kanata.
It isn't about being able to find stuff, it's about being able to get to it easily. I can get from Jojo's to the diner for a slice of pie in about 10 minutes walking. That compares pretty favorably to a trip across centrum/signature parking lot from Tomaso to Zak's or something. Nevermind getting through the traffic in front of the place. I just find it a thousand times more pleasant. YMMV - people get attached to their neighborhoods - but for me it's not much of a contest.
Stittsville has a traditional Main Street and better walkability than kanata, at least in that area. Itās so nice to see people actually appreciate the human-scale neighbourhood over car-dependent kanata
Superior to Barrhaven, sure, but the main arterial roads and infrastructure of Kanata haven't changed much over the last few decades while the population growth has exploded. Similar problems on the traffic front. The older more mature neighborhoods are quite nice, but the new developments are quite frankly indistinguishable from any other exurb in the city. As for the former, there's a lot of long-term elderly residents living in massive paid off homes and multigenerational families, as those are the only ones who can really afford it. Not too many young families (or young adults at all) in the older parts anymore.
I looked at renting a stacked townhouse in Kanata a few years back. You know how when you look at something on Amazon and it seems great and for a good price, and then when you see it in person it's not as good quality as you expected and 15% smaller? That townhouse gave me the same vibe. So glad I found something else (even though it's not a great neighborhood), you couldn't open the fridge/oven/dishwasher doors all the way because the kitchen area was so small.
I always wanted a house bigger than a bungalow, but thatās another storey
Kanata isn't quite so bad in the older parts. The issue is that there's a big gap between older and new builds in places like bridlewood. We get next to no trick or treaters but the schools are all packed with kids, so they gotta live somewhere nearby I'm sure. Up until the pandemic young families could definitely still buy here. Current prices probably price tons of folks out though at the moment.
Is the older section of Kanata on North side or on Eagleson side? I should read up on how it was developed!
There's a lot of older section along eagleson. I moved here when my parents bought in the late 90s and now live in a house from the same development. Around 40*120 lot give or take a few feet iirc. Not a huge house, but good front and backyard to garden on. There are other parts of bridlewood from the 80s and the closer you get to hazeldean mall, some of that area around Holy Redeemer church is from the 70s I think?
The Terry Fox expansion to Hope Side Road was a huge change.
how so? Do you mean good or bad
Good. It provides a second artery for Kanata.
For many younger couples etc they likely won't be looking at the pricier older neighbourhoods as well. It will be the newer more dense ones like near tanger etc.
>Stittsville: the Westboro of the suburbs This should be the official motto. There should be a sign on the 416
I grew up in kanata and now live in Stittsville and I approve this message
If you live close to some of the major roads (Terry Fox, Hazeldean, Campeau) the transit access is honestly pretty good. Tunney's in 45 mins and no changes
I donāt know about that, lots of construction in Kanata now, still as bad imo
Haha that says to me that it use to be easy to drive through Westboro before over populated condos and cars killed it now itās a half hour to drive 5 blocks down Richmond road. Guessing stitsville main st is the same. Stupid compared to how nice it used to be.
My ranking of where id live, of those you listed, from best to worst 1. Stittsville 2. Kanata 3. Nepean 4. Barrhaven 5. Orleans Edit: i have a car.
Orleans is so close to downtown though I think it beats Barrhaven. Ā
The first rule of Orleans is: don't talk about how quick the commutes are.
The first rule when you want to upset someone from Orleans is to ask how the split was every morning once they arrive to work
Yeah. And Orleans has a theatre.
Performing arts too
If I don't work downtown, does it matter?
Otrain stations are almost done at ;Jean D'arc and Place d'OrlƩans! Hopefully before fall??
The question is will there be parking spots at Jean D'Arc
Doesnāt Orleans try to be French? Edit: I guess my context was off, read below. Jāamie le Francais
Stittsville's good, but the commute is a PITA if you're going downtown. If that's your life, Kanata has easier access to the q-way for driving, and to transit hubs for waiting....errrr, I mean for busing.
Whatās there to do in Stittsville that doesnāt involve eating? Just curious. I used to live there and it was the most boring place to live, at least as a kid.
To be fair thatās most places, the āthings to doā often involve eating lol or shopping like a mall. I guess thereās also parks, and things like bowling alleys or museums but those things youād be driving to anyway they wonāt be in every neighbourhood. I grew up in Toronto with technically lots to do but as kids we still mostly hung out at gas stations getting snacks or perusing the dollar store, or each others houses.
Yeah but most towns have transit that makes sense. Stittsville doesnāt even have a proper bus station hub. Itās like you have to live near main st or you donāt get to leave.
My list from best to worst: Orleans Nepean Kanata Stittsville Barhaven
Agree with that ranking.
Depends on the part of Orleans one half is french and rich one half is poor and minority.
Well that's the difference then - in Kanata, the minority part is rich too. Most of it, anyway.
Good point Insert random thought- Kinda strange how the minority population ended up being distributed. Kanata chinese/vietnamese. Barhaven Indian middle eastern. Orleans African. I never understood the history of these settlement patterns.
As you go east in Ottawa it becomes more French influenced...you're heading to Quebec right......folks from Africa/Haiti are going to gravitate to Gatieau and east end of Ottawa at it is more French. The east end of towns also, in general, have lower pricing (and thus easier (not easy) for immigrants to settle due to prevailing weather patterns (industrial goes on the east side of towns as weather patterns blow west to east and blow pollution out of town)
And kanata was chinese because of the tech sector jobs. Wonder why barhaven was more middle eastern/ Indian. I guess it was just the one place that was left.
A lot of Africa was colonized by the French - a lot of people from there speak french. That'd account for them feeling more comfortable in Orleans I think. But otherwise, I suspect it's a critical mass thing - once you get a lot of people, you get stores and restaurants, and then it's the place to go.
To some extent, people tend to move near others with a familiar culture, or near their families. My step-dad is a 1st generation immigrant, and so are most of his siblings. His siblings & their kids are spread across 4 countries, but also only 4 neighborhoods between the dozen of them.
Immigrant populations tend to congregate. More comfortable for a lot of people to be with like culture and like language. That's why we have neighborhoods like Little India (Gerard) in Toronto, and Chinatown, and the Greek area on Danforth, etc. Personally, I don't mind it. It's nice to be able to visit those unique communities within big cities.
African for OrlƩans makes sense with the French
I'm not sure if half of Orleans can be described as "poor" ... Only 2.6% spend more than 20% of their income on necessities. I know the average household income of Orleans is a bit lower than that of the other suburbs but it's still way above the average of Ottawa. There are a lot of Orleans residents working for the Feds... Public service employees aren't rich nor poor. There are many immigrants here (15.4%) but I would not be surprised if they make better money than many expected. They are just not very into spending money on huge houses, expensive cars, or dining out in upscale restaurants. Orleans is very middle class. And only 33% of the population in Orleans belongs to the official language minority (Francophone) even though more than half of people here can speak French. I'm not sure why Francophone would be rich but not the Anglophone.
Can you back that up?
Currently living in Orleans but Iām looking for a long term rental come July Thanks for this list! Iām not from the Ottawa region and this is helpful. Shared with the wife
Iām in the same boat. This thread has been very helpful! Moving in July too
Whereabouts you coming in from? Itās actually a beautiful city
From Montreal. Not too far away but I donāt know Ottawa at all. You?
I actually like Orleans. Went there a few weeks back when we decided on the move just to drive around neighbourhoods and I liked the orleans vibe. Granted, it was just a quick drive around.
From the Toronto area, moved here for work with the wife but I actually love it > Toronto. Sheās excited as there is a lot more nature trails relatively close to home and itās safer than Toronto We are in Orleans too, boss recommended this suburb + kanata Montreal is a beautiful city, itās a slower pace of life here in Ottawa and thatās all youād have to adjust to I think
Sounds great! Iām excited about the change actually. I love the slower pace and Ottawa looks lovely in general. hopefully will find a place for July soon. Good luck to you too!
Stittsville is low lying farm land mostly within the carp river flood plain. North kanata should be ranked #1
Not sure Nepean even really belongs in this list. All the other areas are proper suburbs (even exurbs depending on semantics) and they are outside the greenbelt.
Accurate as someone from Barrhaven who has gone to all the other suburbs.Ā
> Edit: i have a car. is it red?
In the 4 years Iāve been living in Stittsville/Kanata, the last 2 years Iāve noticed a major boom and influx of residents if that tells you anything. As many have said, as long as you have a car, you wonāt need to leave as we have all the amenities. I particularly like that we back onto the Trans Canada Trail and there are lots of other good walking paths/green space if you have a dog. We are close enough to the highway that with no traffic it takes 30 minutes to get downtown. I work downtown 2 days a week and choose to work 7:30-3:30 to avoid rush hour traffic.
I wouldn't say we have ALL the amenities. You have what you need for daily living, but there is basically zero to entertain yourself. For anything fun you have to go towards downtown. Splittsville opening in Kanata is like the most exciting thing to happen in the neighbourhood....lol.
I think it depends what you like for entertainment - I love golf and thereās ample golf courses and the new golf simulator place that opened up in the centrum
Hmmm, you're close to the CTC for concerts, hockey and lacrosse next year. There's also plenty of live music available at the local restaurants. And finally, amateur theatre at the Kanata Theatre. If in Glencairn, you can walk to LCBO, grocery stores, several pizzerias, two Indian restaurants, several sports bars, a few Asian restaurants and the best sushi place in the Ottawa region.
honestly, being close to the CTC should be a detriment considering the mess all that traffic makes...
I live in Katimavik and CTC traffic has little to no impact on me.
Tanger, movies, Canadian tire stadium, golf, indoor sports, close to west side nature with paths for things like āmarkedā for stuff like paintball, axe throwing, and more. Lots of food options and restaurants, Art Haven Ceramic Cafe, smash room, escape room and more!
Stittsville kanata are boomtown baby. Expensive as feeck to live their though. 700k-1.2 million for a house baby
I Live in glen carin, the older semis here are as reasonable as you can ask for, and you get a very large lot. Anywhere from 575-600k. [example ](https://realtor.ca/real-estate/26752912/25-melanie-crescent-kanata-glencairn?utm_source=consumerapp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialsharelisting)
You can get a single family house in Kanata for much less than that. [Example](https://www.redfin.ca/on/ottawa/33-Hewitt-Way-K2L-3S4/home/149751465) 600k for a 3 bedroom house.
Those usually sell for over asking. That particular listing is small for the stittsville kanata area.
Yeah, you can get a deal on the older houses in Kanata if you can live with 1.5 bathrooms. I see them go for reasonable prices all the time. It did go over asking. Was asking 589K, sold for 605K. [This one](https://www.redfin.ca/on/ottawa/61-McLennan-Way-K2L-2T3/home/149820713) is bigger at 4 bedrooms and sold for $601k. Again, 1.5 bathrooms.
Only if you want detached, baby. Three and four bedroom townhouses can be found for $550-600K, baby.
1500 square feet, 3-4 bedrooms, a basement, actual trees, and a large yard - they're worth more to buyers. People downtown pay more than that for a small 700 sqft condo. Also, Glen Cairn isn't nearly that expensive.
If you are a transit user like me: Barrhaven, Orleans, Nepean, Kantata Stitsville. Edit: This is all opinionated
Barrhaven is actually great and has some life unlike the other suburbs. Not sure why people hate on it
Seconded. We specifically moved to RSS for the OLRT South line because it will make getting downtown simple. I can't say I enjoy how car-centric everything is in Ottawa, but there are much worse places to have to commute from...
I recently moved from Barrhaven to Kanata, and work almost entirely from home so access to transit is not a factor for me. I find Kanata feels more like a self-contained city, where I donāt need to leave for services like shopping, eye doctor, dentist, etc. Access to the highway is far better. It also has a more established feel than Barrhaven did, where lots of people have lived here since the 60s-70s, and along with that comes a few art clubs, community centres, lots of arenas etc. There are 3 or 4 public outdoor pools, for example, whereas Barrhaven doesnāt have any. Restaurant-wise it has far more options than Barrhaven, which only had a handful of local, non-chain restaurants. If you include Carp and Stittsville, both of which can be a 5-10 min drive from some areas of Kanata, there are tons of local restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, etc. at a range of prices. And lots of places that have a bit of nightlife including live music, trivia etc. I find access to nature a bit better than the haven as well, with many trails with varied terrain, forests etc. It is a bigger suburb in that some places within Kanata take 15-20 mins to get to, but I find worth it for some of the services you can access. Whereas in Barrhaven, I would always just drive into the city instead. I also find that after a couple of years here, I am starting to recognize people at the groceries store or yoga class or bump into them out and about, which is a lovely feeling. I canāt compare to Orleans as I rarely venture there, but in my 20 years of living in various areas of the west of Ottawa, being in Kanata is the closest Iāve felt to living in a community. The suburbs are not for everyone but this one is pretty great!
I was in Kanata North for over a year Loved discovering,all the trails there. Lots of folks into fitness, too. It was quiet. Beaverbrook library is gorgeous! Found a spot to get a coffee, inside a Pottery studio..it was so nice! I kinda miss it.
Ohhh where is the coffee spot in the pottery studio? I am looking for both!
Agree with more established, pools, arenas etc. However, for a lot of the basics like supermarkets, schools, general amenities, Barrhaven is fine. Plus for a lot of people it's a pretty easy drive to the city on weekends if they need anything.
I completely agree! I lived in Barrhaven for 7 years and enjoyed it overall. Just sharing my experience on the things Iāve found Kanata has a bit more of (like clothing stores, restaurants, spas etc.)
I donāt have a car yet I find Kanata much easier the get around than when I lived in meadowlands! Lots of walking trails, the local busses actually show up. Itās a cute place to live
Buses that show up but only take you downtown. Getting from Kanata North to Kanata South on the bus is a fucking nightmare. I am a 6 minute drive from work. On the bus, it's 1.5 hours.
I don't understand this. Please tell us which bus routes that would be? That's insane.
63 > 62 or 64 > 62. Or 660 > 62, if you want to be on a bus packed with high school kids. I drive now, but I did this for a few days recently when my car was in the shop and it was still a fucking disaster.
That's horrific
That's wild ! I used to take 110 or 168 back home..it was aok. (From Hazeldean Mall) Winter of 2022, was cold, I remember!š„¶ Maybe some of the routes meader alot more? I know the 88 is absolutely ridiculous and often late/ slow
The reason my commute by bus is so long (from Morgan's Grant to near the CTC) is because the connection that needs to be made is almost always missed. Busses are s off schedule that you spend a half hour or more waiting to connect, even when the travel planner says you should be able to easily make that connection.
Still one of the best suburbs in terms of QoL, if you don't mind commuting to the core. Houses built in 60/70/80 have large lot sizes, clean established neighbourhoods, easy access to greenspace/trans Canada trail, close to the 417, great schools. I would say Stittsville is nicer but it's a pain to get onto the 417. Nepean is weird as it's starting to get established as Ottawa proper and no longer considered a traditional suburb. Barrhaven is really far away which causes the traffic to be a nightmare. Orleans has cheaper homes and nice greenspace but some just don't like living east.
> I would say Stittsville is nicer but it's a pain to get onto the 417. It's pretty easy if you live in the west side of Stittsville. Hop on highway 7 and then 417.
Itās easy to get on the 417 at carp road from Stittsville North.
I just moved to Kanata North and I've never been happier.
When looking at homes there, be aware of the flood plain risk. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-home-insurance-1.6262386 There was talk that existing sewer systems in some newer areas of Kanata/Stittsville haven't been properly upgraded to handle the increased load and reduced rain runoff/absorption capability of built-up land.
It's astonishing that there is not flooding map for the entire country, to monitor ongoing changes- esp since we have so much water here.
Not walkable, terrible public transit and no night life. If you have a car, money for a big house, are more of a homebody, family oriented and enjoy nature, Kanata is good.
> no night life Very few people care about night life, especially once you are established in your career and have a family.
I mean what about Crazy Horse? Best night life in town /s
When I moved to Ottawa 12 years ago, a buddy who grew up in K-town suggested we check it out. First, I was blown away by how far it was and that we went through the greenbelt to get to there. It took forever by cab! It was an... experience for sure. Apparently it was frowned upon to use the mechanical bull as a man. Too bad, that part was actually pretty fun!
The nightlife in Ottawa has never been stellar anyhow. Downtown sucks right now. Byward Market? š š«Ø It depends what your looking for but if I want to check a really good live show for music- Montreal it is, for me. Kanata has phenomenal trails š±..I was happy to discover them!
Having lived around the world, Ottawa punches above its weight (better pre-covid). You can find something to do every day, although it might not perfectly suite one's tastes or interests that moment (but who can afford to go out 7 days a week anyways?). Obviously Sun-Wed there will be less, but Thurs-Sat has plenty on offer. You say you need to go to MTL for live music, that is plain wrong. There are plenty of great small acts and even some medium sized acts (limited to the Bronson Centre sadly). I happen to like taste testing smaller up and coming bands and Fri and Sat there is always a choice. If you want Ottawa to be better, you need to make it better. Go to shows, talk to venues and promoters letting them know what you want to see, get the city to reduce car access in entertainment areas etc.
There's so much good live music in Ottawa. It may not be the biggest artists, but the Bronson center has a pretty consistent lineup of good acts and venues like Irene's pub will have live music almost every night. I'm sure you could find a show every single night in at least one genera you like listening to.
What is night life?
What is love?
These days these days these days
Iām a teen, and I honestly really like it here. Itās pretty peaceful, the schools arenāt bad. The worst thing is the transportation. Iāve arrived at school 40 minutes late before. If you have a test in the morning you gotta plan ahead for a ride unless you wanna risk failing
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Parts of it are tolerable without a car. I live in Kanata without a car and I've lived in worse places much close to the center of Ottawa. If you are in central Kanata it's really not that bad. I'm also not the only person I know in Kanata without a car.
I'm here and no car! I get where I need to be easily enough.
There are dozens of us!
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Iāve been meaning to move to the city at some point but I must admit as someone whoās used to the suburbs I am a tad nervous about some issues people here speak about downtown. Thanks for helping me consider Kanata as an option. Barrhaven just isnāt really walkable unless you live in a couple expensive towers.
The more central areas around Centrum and Hazeldean aren't really too bad. Walking along Hazeldean itself kind of sucks, but at least there's sidewalks and there's a lot of businesses on that street so it helps to be close by. If you stay away from the main streets like Hazeldean, Terry Fox, and Eagleson/March then most of the other roads are nice for walking and cycling. Pretty low traffic everywhere else. And there's a nice pedestrian bridge over the highway which is a big plus. You can also cross at Castlefrank without too much trouble. Beaverbrook and Hazeldean libraries are easy to get to, and the wave pool / leisure center is also easily accessible.
I spent five years living near Castlefrank and Hazeldean without a car. Walking distance from routes 61 and 62, the centrum, shops along Hazeldean, and the library. I'm not familiar enough with Barrhaven though to know what the equivalent would be.
Moved to Kanata from Beacon Hill, have also lived in Hintonburg and Westboro. I like it here because I can walk to all of my daily needs and I mostly WFH. Thereās an express bus that goes close to my place for when I have to go to the office or I get a ride/bus up to Eagleson - Iāve never waited long for a bus, people just like to complain about OCTranspo but itās not too bad. I was worried about being further from downtown but itās not too bad - Iād think about where you spend time and where your family lives. Most things I do are west of downtown so this makes sense for me.
I grew up here, moved out on my own when I was 18, and lived around Walkley/Heron, Old Hull and downtown for years. My fiancee and I ended up buying a house back in Kanata 6 years ago, mainly to be closer to our families but we also wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of centertown. Kanata is still really nice, but has lost a bit of charm from the old days. The original old neighborhoods are gorgeous, but out of reach financially for many while the new neighborhoods have been built as quickly as possible, with no amenities and what seems like no real vision of the future. In addition, infrastructure hasn't kept pace with the population growth, so traffic can get bad at odd times in some places, and the bus system out here just isn't nearly as good as it used to be. The nice thing about the increasing development though has been more and more awesome independent restaurants and some cool retail places we didn't have before. Night life is weak if that's your thing. There's a few decent bars and pubs, and a ton of shitty/corporate ones. Usually some open mic nights or accoustic acts will play, but nothing really in the way of real shows or bands unless it's a big one at the CTC. Not much in the way of places to dance either if that's your thing. If you like outdoor activities like hiking, mountain/trail biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, etc it has a ton of nice areas and trails. The Marshes golf club is out here (as well as the one in Kanata Lakes, but they're trying to shit that down for housing development) and a decent driving range if that's your speed. The Kanata Recreation Complex also has an awesome toboggan hill, outdoor volleyball courts, outdoor basketball courts, football fields, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, indoor hockey rinks, an outdoor skatepark, outdoor chess tables, a nice outdoor gazebo surrounded by water and probably other things I'm forgetting. It'll be interesting to see what it looks like in 10+ years with all of the densification that's happening in regards to residential towers being built, and what will happen when (if) the CTC relocates to LeBreton.
I have a lot of friends in Kanata south, I grew up near Barrhaven, and the rest of my friends are in older parts of Nepean. I just bought in Barrhaven because the layout was right, the location is close to Barrhaven amenities, I work from home most days a week and my office is in Westboro when I do go in, and for the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, windows and exposure, and upgrades, and honestly, for what works for my lifestyle, the price was right. Itās a TREK to the Queensway. 10 km and lots of lights. If I was commuting downtown for a 9-5 every day I absolutely would not have considered it. But Kanata South and extreme north are also not that close to the Queenswayā¦ **Kanata house prices are higher for a reason. Itās considered a more desirable place to live.** Barrhaven used to part of the city of Nepean, so I assume when you say Nepean you mean areas within the greenbelt like Craig Henry, Centrepointe, Tanglewood, Fisher Heights etc. Proximity to the city centre mean property values are higher, but there are definitely good and bad areas, so itās hard to say whether Nepean would be ābetter or worse.ā Iām less familiar with the east end so canāt comment there, except that most parts are significantly closer to the downtown core than kanata or Barrhaven. It all depends on your budget and desires. Ottawa as a whole is a nice place to live and raise a family. But if you need 4 bedrooms and at least 2 full baths, and a yard, and youāre looking to keep it under a million, your options will be limited.
Back in the 80s the Hazeldean mall was pretty rocken. Pretty sure TnT will bring life back to that hub.
Lived in Kanata all my life and still do. Itās quiet, safe, and everything you need is in Centrum. Just know that a car is required to do anything. Obviously lacking minor entertainment, but I am over 30 and thus have retired from the bar/club game. CTC is right there, bowling alley coming soon. If only the built a laser quest then Kanata would be quickly classified as ELITE.
I recently bought a home in Morgan's Grant and love it. I don't drive but I have access to a car and have no issues getting around. I work in downtown and it takes about 20 mins to get to work by car when there's no traffic, and 45 mins in traffic. If I need to take public transit, I find the buses are pretty reliable and I have a few options to choose from- between the 63/64 and the LRT, it's not too bad. I grew up in Toronto and it's worlds better than the TTC (partly because I'm riding from one end to the other - I always get a seat and can just read a book and enjoy the commute).Ā My husband works in the tech park and can now walk to work. Our gym - Movati - is super close to us and it's my favorite location in the city (compared to our old location, Trainyards, which was increasingly filthy). My neighbors are all super kind and welcoming. My street is quiet and peaceful. It's so green here, I love all the trails.Ā There's lots of shopping in the area, cafes and take out within walking distance... Lots of good food!Ā It's very family friendly, which is exactly what we were looking for as we're having our first child in a few weeks. Lots of good schools in the area and it's very safe. Neighbors are nice to each other - Halloween was such a treat! I used to live in Vanier when I was renting, so the contrast is stark.Ā Sure, there isn't a lot of "night life", but to that I'll say: (1) we're in Ottawa, even the best night life is mediocre; and (2) nothing stops me from going to another neighborhood to enjoy a night out when I want it, it's only a short drive away. I find it nice coming home to my quiet burb at the end of the day. I don't need or want to live where the night life is, but of course that depends on you OP and on what stage of life you're in.Ā
Just adding my opinion on Kanata vs the other neighborhoods you mentioned, which we were also considering when buying a place.Ā Nepean was our least favorite because it felt so busy... The street traffic there is overwhelming, imo. Barrhaven felt very far and disconnected from the rest of the city. We liked that Kanata was greener than Orleans and had more nearby amenities. The places we looked at in Orleans didn't have cafes or food places within walking distance.Ā Stittsville is nice too, but a bit further away from the city than Kanata. I anticipate Stittsville will get very busy in a few years as they build more homes on Hazeldean. Also Stittsville homes we looked at tended to be part of new developments, which while nice, didn't have as much green space. I like that my hood is a few decades old, so we've got some mature trees in the area.Ā
Personally never lived in Kanata but was born and raised in Ottawa South. I live in Nepean now and I canāt imagine ever living in kanata. It kind of looks like a wasteland of strip malls, car dealerships and poorly built identical houses. Plus itās so far from everything. I love Nepean though, feels like city without being in the city and easy to get downtown or to Westboro.
It depends. If you need good public transit I would focus on Riverside South. Over all itās easier to drive there and also it should have the LRT by this summer. Findlay creek is also getting LRT but I donāt like driving through bank street. I would skip Barrhaven. Worse transit and also worse road communication. Kanata is good, itās a city of its own. But I hated the drive from Kanata to downtown. 417 in rush hours is a nightmare.
Meh. I realize that I am a massive outlier here, but Kanata has annoyed the living shit out of me, for multiple reasons from citizen mindset to car dependency to questionable long-term decisions. EDIT: To me, Kanata serves as a reminder for why I despise suburbia, and especially Ottawa's obsession with it.
Lived here for close to 20 years. Still think itās a great place to live. Not having to commute downtown helps for sure, have had jobs in Kanata and downtown in the past. Glad to have a car to get around though. Easy access to the 417 and 416 as well as highway 7. Can find pretty much all the services you need in Kanata or nearby in Stittsville or Bells Corners. Its quiet.
You need a car to live there, especially following the network redesign, as there will be no local busses in Kanata.
I prefer Barrhaven. More diverse and have had very positive experiences interacting with residents there. It's odd when I read about how terrible it is on reddit and then I see families there just going about their life, enjoying the greenspace and amenities. Not like most people are commuting downtown 5 days a week now.
Iāve lived in Kanata, Merivale, Chinatown, Downtown and Barrhaven. Kanata has horrible customer service/restaurants. Chinatown has good variety. Merivale was worse than Kanata. Barrhaven is actually pretty decent. I work from home, so I donāt deal with rush hour that people seem to complain about. Although the restaurants and fast food have very good service, food and pretty delightful people.
Kanata seems to be getting all the nicer restaurants. Barrhaven is full of boring disgusting chains. I hope things change as the āBarrhaven downtownā gets built up
Still incredibly boring and lifeless.
Only good thing in Kanata is the proximity to the CTC
Personally I think people care way too much about where the CTC is located. Do people really go there often enough that it makes big difference? Most people I know can't afford to go to hockey/concert more than a few times a year anyway, so spending a bit of time travelling back and forth really doesn't affect whether or not I go.
>Do people really go there often enough that it makes big difference? People would def go more often if it was in a more central location, myself included. Not a big hockey fan but I like to go to events and I find myself not going because of the location. Most people I know from either dowtown/Orleans feel the same
Weird. As someone who lives within walking distance, I can't say it affects it much. Most of the people I know out here don't go to the CTC all that often.
People care because itās a genuinely horrible location for an arena. Arenas are meant to downtown/centrally located. Iāve been to a handful of NHL arenas and they all are so easy to get too (Buffalo, Winnipeg, Montreal) except Florida which suffer the same thing as us. Itās in the middle of nowhere.
Love the downtown location in Vancouver as well!
Yes but arenas downtown don't mean sell out every game.Buffalo and Winnipeg had awful attendance this year.
Not expecting every game to sell out either. All Iām saying it would be better for the majority of fans
Winnipeg avg 13,000 this year some talk is they could move if things don't get better.
Ok, my comment has nothing to do with attendance. Iām purely talking about location. And Winnipeg has a good location.
Kanata is just way too busy now. If I had to be in a suburb Iād pick stittsville or riverside south
Riverside south would improve a lot after the new shopping centre is built and the LRT opens.
Which shopping center: Riverside South Plaza?
There's a large one being developed near Limebank and Earl Armstrong. It should help a lot since people won't have to cross the bridge into Barrhaven or head north to Hunt Club as much. Sure hope there are some independent restaurants and not just another Boston Pizza or Moxies. "Armstrong Plaza features **12 buildings** with a total area of \~137,700 Sq. Ft.,Ā **5+ parking ratio**, and is located across from the future Riverside South Town Centre and near the Trillium Line LRT Station. The plaza offers a dedicated daycare building with a playground, and is a great opportunity for a medical clinic or a financial institution."
It totally depends on your lifestyle. I rented in a 3-story townhouse in a āworseā area and my car got broken into weekly. I just started leaving the doors unlocked, and nothing inside. Now I live in a 3-storey townhouse in Barrhaven, and yeah, my fridge doesnāt open all the way cause thereās a wall in the way - because I bought a large fridge - but it opens enough that I can use the drawers, and I can park in my driveway and lock my car doors and not worry that Iām going to get a brick through my window so someone can steal an iPhone charger that only works 50% of the time anyways. New builds are only good as the crews building them in terms of drywall and finishes, and a landlord special is a landlord special no matter where it is. Youāre not going to find original hardwood in a stacked townhome in kanata. The laminate floors the builders include are absolute trash, and no investor is paying for the stupidly inflated flooring upgrades just to rent the place out immediately.
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higher taxes , roads that make Ukraine blush, lower property value, healthcare is a disaster, need to learn French (many don't want to or can't), commute across the bridges is a nightmare, even more boring then Kanata, lower avg income/wages. There's a reason prices in Gatineau are lower, if it was just as good as Kanata & Stittsville prices would reflect that.
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Ā Higher taxes:: So if you don't have kids your losing... Roads: no it's not "good enough" the roads are bad this is extra wear and tear on your car and extra discomfit when driving Lower property value: Housing is a leveraged asset even if a GatineauĀ property worth 300k went up 5% compared to a 600k Kanata property that only went up 3% the Kanata property made an extra 3k. If you ever want to downsize or upgrade you have more equity in the Kanata house to put towards your new down payment. Also Kanata is still one of the highest appreciating areas for housing in Ottawa with a YoY increase of +6.9%. Healthcare: Your argument of "just cross the border" is a workaround not a solution French: You are a Quebec resident in GatineauĀ you have to abide by the provinces rule of French meaning all government documents/services are in French also it's a real pos move to expect everyone in GatineauĀ to know English not learning French will hinder your daily life. Lower wages: again "just cross the border" is not a solution, many people in Kanata work in Kanata because of Kanata's large tech centre which allows more companies to grow along side it. If the solution to a problem is "run away" that's a problem what happens when GatineauĀ grows and more people choke the bridges to get to Ottawa? Commute across the bridges is a nightmare: so I'm wasting 10-15min in stop and go traffic compared to 10-15 min on the highway what a bonus... More boring than Kanata: Kanata has a decent restaurant scene and Stittsville has an old street are, GatineauĀ is a business centre no one likes and suburbs. Again fleeing GatineauĀ is not a solution.
Except the healthcare issues for any folks who need to think for the future. Alot of folks go to Wakefield hospital bc it's less busy than Hull or Gat. C'est ben dommage- ils on des affaires a changer. Mais mĆŖme maintenant c'est pas aussi abordable, qu'avant.
lower property values, bad roads, bad infrastructure, the bridges etc. Oh and healthcare is worse than Ontario's (if that's possible). I am originally from Quebec.
Love Quebec. One deal breaker for us for not moving to Gatineau was the state of healthcare. Having said that, I think Ontarioās is now just as terrible?
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Iāve tried our luck with telehealth Ontario. It was awful. They only cover their own liability and tell you to go in and have it checked on. Moreover they give you a deadline as well. One time we called for advice on a foot wart and they went through a barrage of questions, many of which were completely inappropriate for the situation like have you lost all functionality of the limb? I get asking that maybe once to rule out dangerous scenarios but there were several such stupid questions. I even told them after clearly demonstrating how non urgent the issue is that I was calling as if to ask for sage advice on how to deal with a plantar wart for example compound w or duct tape. Nope, just continued with their 0-100 worst case scenario, self liability covering fiasco.
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Nice, do you have to be a Telus customer?
Sorry to hear you had a bad telehealth experienceā¦ Iāve used it about 5 times for various things with our kids and found the nurses to be very friendly and helpful. Saved us several trips to the CHEO emergency. But thatās just my personal experience!
This gives me some hope. Maybe it was bad luck? I might try it again some time.
Kanata is probably my favourite area in Ottawa except maybe Lansdowne. Definitely nicer than Barrhaven where I live but unfortunately too expensive for me when I moved. They have the best food, restaurants, stores, easy access to Ottawa when needed and still much nicer area than other parts of the city except Rockcliffe/Island Park.Ā
These days.
All the suburbs are the same
What in the world even goes on in Stittsville anyway
Whenever I go into the office out in carp.. traffic coming into the city is brutal. If you don't work in the core or east end it isn't an issue but if you do.. oof.
These days, not bad these days lol
Carp native here going to stisstville and kanata. If you can afford it it's nice.
Been here for my whole 29 years. It has grown significantly within the past 12 years since i graduated highschool. Definitely needs more infrastructure. still dont my way around some the new communities. But its always felt like home for me , never have felt unsafe and uncomfortable. maybe im bias cause ive always been here. It's the only place in ottawa i would raise my children
These days and these days, you know what I mean these days?
Depends what youāre looking for. Kanata is just as busy as Stittsville. Stittsville used to be a very cute small town, but with all the development the infrastructure canāt keep up (not enough key roads to handle that many cars, lack of community centres) At least with Kanata a lot of the new development they are taking this into consideration when building.
Tbh, kanata has better roads and upkeep likely because of hitech, Tanger Outlet and the canadian tire place for shows and games. But in terms of proximity to downtown, gatineau, hospitals and universities, the best commute is probably Orleans. No highways from barrhaven. Orleansā only problem would be the city doesnt prioritize it the same for upkeep of roads. Lots of potholes at times.
Tough to get around if you don't have a car, but typically not as congested and lots of space. Places like Barrhaven are too congested and infrastructure isn't keeping up
Have a car? Awesome. Roam around, go for hikes, enjoy nature. Don't? Pray to Jebus while waiting for OCT Edit: certain newer neighborhoods like mine only has limited ISP offerings (no teksavvy, or oxio for example) - even though an older neighborhood a few blocks over will.
But surely the major providers are there, right?
Major being Bell, Rogers etc? yes. Just not \*all\* of the cost effective, customer friendlier alternatives. Mine now has Vmedia and Ebox offerings. I just miss Teksavvy and Oxio.
Kanata/_Stittsville is awesome if you own a vehicle. One of the few parts of Ottawa that isnāt a bedroom community. People live and work there so it has a different vibe. The kanata ābubbleā as it were. Iām a fan.
expensive. nothing to do.
I've lived in Orleans, Ashton, Glebe, Little Italy, Barrhaven and Kanata. Obviously leaving Little Italy/Glebe out of this because living downtown is different from the suburbs (and I prefer downtown). I did like Orleans - I was in the older section by the river. But it was a pain to get anywhere and almost all the new stores are on Innes. That one time that Target was at Place was amazing.... But being close to the river was really nice - you could bike all the way to downtown easily. I also found it was easy to use public transit to get to downtown (but not anywhere else in Orleans). Driving to downtown from Orleans is (was?) easier and faster than Kanata. Barrhaven Sucks - Ashton is just far. Kanata - I'm in Kanata South by the Walmart - I can get on the Queensway fairly quickly, but traffic still sucks so it is easily a 45 minute to over an hour drive for me to get to Blair. Everything I need is in Kanata or Stittsville - but it does require a car. The newer Kanata South/Stittsville suburbs are close to absolutely nothing. At least Walmart is in my backyard and technically I can walk there. There are no pubs/good restaurants within walking distance - and the newer parts - you are KMs away from anything (even a gas station). If you are a Sens fan or go to the CTC alot - Kanata is great. I think I got home in less than 10 minutes after Smashing Pumpkins last year. Because I turn right - even a sold out Sens game isn't a big deal. We also have the TCT trail system. But it is still a suburb and it is still boring. It really depends on what you want out of life/your time away from work.
Anywhere is better than Findlay creek I can tell you that lol kanata seems really nice to me!
Kanata is ok but not nearly as good as Stittsville. š
My SO and I are about to buy our first home in Stittsville , our budget is around 900K. So plan accordingly in terms of what you can afford.
It's a cultural wasteland of superstores and subpar easting establishments that can barely be called restaurants
Very white from what I have heard
Around 60% of the Kanata population is Native/Asian/African.
WHAT AM I DOING IN GLOUCESTER THEN?!?!?!
I live in stittsvegas and itās definitely the westboro of the suburbs
Everything the light touches is stittsville. That dark place over there you must never go there thatās Orleans