Ottawa - whats it like?
Aug 23rd 2010, 10:13 am
#16
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 13
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi JB!
Congratulations to you too!!! fantastic news!
Let me know where you will be heading too in terms of residential area!
I understand your nerves, even though we have lived in NS and NB previously I am still nervous to go somewhere new and I love Canada!
Good Luck with your reccie and the move!!!
Nina - thanks for your messages, will take you up on the offer see PM!!!
Congratulations to you too!!! fantastic news!
Let me know where you will be heading too in terms of residential area!
I understand your nerves, even though we have lived in NS and NB previously I am still nervous to go somewhere new and I love Canada!
Good Luck with your reccie and the move!!!
Nina - thanks for your messages, will take you up on the offer see PM!!!
Aug 24th 2010, 1:53 am
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Ottawa, On
Posts: 111
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Congratulations! We moved to Ottawa last February, live downtown and love it. We have three children aged 1,4 and 6...if you want any more info or want to meet for a cup of tea when you have arrived feel free to pm me!
Melanie
Melanie
Aug 24th 2010, 5:39 pm
#18
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Almonte, ON
Posts: 1,061
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
(although I'm not British but miss England lots more than Germany)or just a proper girls night out, guess Justine will be up for that, especially when winter comes x
Aug 24th 2010, 5:41 pm
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Ottawa, On
Posts: 111
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
sounds good to me, although if we wanted a proper 'English style' girls night out we would have to go further than Ottawa....ha ha!! We will make to make do with a quieter night out I think!
Aug 24th 2010, 5:58 pm
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Almonte, ON
Posts: 1,061
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Sooooooooooo looking forward to a night out
Aug 24th 2010, 7:42 pm
#21
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 13
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi Melanie! Thanks for the offer, I would love a cup of tea!!! It would be great to meet you and meet with Nina too.
Girls night out? fantastic!!! Do your hubbys play football? I know my hubby would like to join a group that plays regular...are there any groups like that??
Girls night out? fantastic!!! Do your hubbys play football? I know my hubby would like to join a group that plays regular...are there any groups like that??
Aug 24th 2010, 8:17 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Ottawa, On
Posts: 111
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi Jussie,
Yes my husband plays football. He found it quite hard to get onto a team when we arrived, he said they were quite competitive. He started going to a kick-around on a Sunday afternoon and from there a team was formed. Ironically it is a team full of 'immigrants' like us
He says that there is only 1 Canadian on the team and the rest are Irish, Peruvian, from Central America etc....He really enjoys it and has made some good friends and they often go out to the movies or for beer, when he rolls in at 3.30am! When you get settled I will get my husband to give your husband the details!
Where are you thinking of living in Ottawa and how old are your kids!
Melanie
Yes my husband plays football. He found it quite hard to get onto a team when we arrived, he said they were quite competitive. He started going to a kick-around on a Sunday afternoon and from there a team was formed. Ironically it is a team full of 'immigrants' like us
He says that there is only 1 Canadian on the team and the rest are Irish, Peruvian, from Central America etc....He really enjoys it and has made some good friends and they often go out to the movies or for beer, when he rolls in at 3.30am! When you get settled I will get my husband to give your husband the details!Where are you thinking of living in Ottawa and how old are your kids!
Melanie
Aug 27th 2010, 1:52 am
#23
Reagent
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Orleans, Ottawa
Posts: 101
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi Everyone, just got on here and finding my way around the forum. Started with a search on 'Ottawa' and this thread was near the top, so I'll start here.
My family and I arrived here in September 2007 and have settled in Orleans, the eastern part of Ottawa. My daughter started her Canadian family 2 years ago with another baby to be born in October. It would be great to meet up with people coming over and we would be more than willing to show them around and pass on any information etc.
My family and I arrived here in September 2007 and have settled in Orleans, the eastern part of Ottawa. My daughter started her Canadian family 2 years ago with another baby to be born in October. It would be great to meet up with people coming over and we would be more than willing to show them around and pass on any information etc.
Dec 15th 2010, 9:12 pm
#24
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hello to all,
I'm new to the forum, i'm from montreal looking to move to ottawa, not sure were exactly, i'm single and looking to rent in a quiet and safe neighborhood. I don't drive so i have to use the public/trsp however i love to walk, and would not mind being close to a park or the river.
thank you,
mermaid2b
I'm new to the forum, i'm from montreal looking to move to ottawa, not sure were exactly, i'm single and looking to rent in a quiet and safe neighborhood. I don't drive so i have to use the public/trsp however i love to walk, and would not mind being close to a park or the river.
thank you,
mermaid2b
Dec 15th 2010, 9:20 pm
#25
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi All!
My husband is currently being recruited by a company in Ottawa. We are living in the UK at present but have previously lived in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
We would like to make an informed decision about a move to Ottawa, so would really like to hear from anyone who has lived/or is living there please.
Would like to know about:
*Schools
*Neighbourhoods - nice family neighbourhoods
*Realtors
*Weather
*Sports clubs etc
*Bugs
*Pros/cons
*helpful websites
Look forward to hearing from you!
Thankyou!
We are a family of 5 with 3 children under the age of 10 years.
My husband is currently being recruited by a company in Ottawa. We are living in the UK at present but have previously lived in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
We would like to make an informed decision about a move to Ottawa, so would really like to hear from anyone who has lived/or is living there please.
Would like to know about:
*Schools
*Neighbourhoods - nice family neighbourhoods
*Realtors
*Weather
*Sports clubs etc
*Bugs
*Pros/cons
*helpful websites
Look forward to hearing from you!
Thankyou!
We are a family of 5 with 3 children under the age of 10 years.
http://www.ottawaliving.ca/index.php
Dec 16th 2010, 9:21 pm
#26
Reagent
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Orleans, Ottawa
Posts: 101
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hello to all,
I'm new to the forum, i'm from montreal looking to move to ottawa, not sure were exactly, i'm single and looking to rent in a quiet and safe neighborhood. I don't drive so i have to use the public/trsp however i love to walk, and would not mind being close to a park or the river.
thank you,
mermaid2b
I'm new to the forum, i'm from montreal looking to move to ottawa, not sure were exactly, i'm single and looking to rent in a quiet and safe neighborhood. I don't drive so i have to use the public/trsp however i love to walk, and would not mind being close to a park or the river.
thank you,
mermaid2b
http://www.247apartments.com/rentals/ontario/ottawa.asp
Dec 16th 2010, 11:36 pm
#27
Soulless bureaucrat
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 361
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hello to all,
I'm new to the forum, i'm from montreal looking to move to ottawa, not sure were exactly, i'm single and looking to rent in a quiet and safe neighborhood. I don't drive so i have to use the public/trsp however i love to walk, and would not mind being close to a park or the river.
thank you,
mermaid2b
I'm new to the forum, i'm from montreal looking to move to ottawa, not sure were exactly, i'm single and looking to rent in a quiet and safe neighborhood. I don't drive so i have to use the public/trsp however i love to walk, and would not mind being close to a park or the river.
thank you,
mermaid2b
Presumably you'll want to live in or close to downtown if you don't drive, and if you're single and renting that would definitely be my recommendation. I'd avoid the outer burbs like Kanata or Orleans if you don't need a four bed house at a reasonable price.
You might want to consider:
- Byward market area - pricier, central, can be a little rough around the edges at night
- Centretown - less pricey, but a bit sketchier. I'd definitely move there over Vanier though. Area on mapquest would be north of the Queensway (417) probably until Somerset. Lots and lots of condo buildings of all kinds
- Glebe - pricey to buy but some reasonable rents, nice area. South of Queensway, bordered by the Canal and Bronson Ave. Fair amount of students
- Sandy Hill - close to downtown, nice housing
- Westboro - nice, pricer than some of the others
- Hintonburg - bit sketchier, cheaper, gentrifying
- Chinatown/Little Italy areas around Somerset and Preston St.
You'll have easy access to the River/Canal from all of these pretty much, good transit links, bars, restaurants etc.
I saw the usual comment on here about Ottawa being dull from someone who doesn't live here. Just to say, I don't find it dull and there's plenty to do including some great restaurants, bars, arts, access to nature, and all the usual stuff you'd find in a city of around 1 million people.
As a former Londoner with one of the world's great cities at my fingertips, my take on this is that 95% of your life is spent doing the day to day stuff. And I was in my twenties/early thirties.
My experience in London is that mostly you go from home to job, go out to bars and restaurants every so often, see friends, see the odd film and very occasionally do something cool that you couldn't do anywhere else (Tate Modern, great club, gig etc). Of course, if you're an extreme socializer/clubber/culture vulture/gourmet you'd get a lot more out of it I'm sure.
If you're used to living in downtown Montreal and have that kind of lifestyle, you might well find Ottawa a little lacking in excitement.
You will find plenty of refugee Montrealers though - Anglos who don't have great French and find their job opportunities limited in their home town, Francos who come for the plentiful and well-paid bilingual public service jobs and so on. I even know people who commuten from Montreal, god help them.
Welcome to the city, good luck with your search!
Dec 17th 2010, 10:57 am
#28
Slob
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Ottineau
Posts: 6,342
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi there
Presumably you'll want to live in or close to downtown if you don't drive, and if you're single and renting that would definitely be my recommendation. I'd avoid the outer burbs like Kanata or Orleans if you don't need a four bed house at a reasonable price.
You might want to consider:
- Byward market area - pricier, central, can be a little rough around the edges at night
- Centretown - less pricey, but a bit sketchier. I'd definitely move there over Vanier though. Area on mapquest would be north of the Queensway (417) probably until Somerset. Lots and lots of condo buildings of all kinds
- Glebe - pricey to buy but some reasonable rents, nice area. South of Queensway, bordered by the Canal and Bronson Ave. Fair amount of students
- Sandy Hill - close to downtown, nice housing
- Westboro - nice, pricer than some of the others
- Hintonburg - bit sketchier, cheaper, gentrifying
- Chinatown/Little Italy areas around Somerset and Preston St.
You'll have easy access to the River/Canal from all of these pretty much, good transit links, bars, restaurants etc.
I saw the usual comment on here about Ottawa being dull from someone who doesn't live here. Just to say, I don't find it dull and there's plenty to do including some great restaurants, bars, arts, access to nature, and all the usual stuff you'd find in a city of around 1 million people.
As a former Londoner with one of the world's great cities at my fingertips, my take on this is that 95% of your life is spent doing the day to day stuff. And I was in my twenties/early thirties.
My experience in London is that mostly you go from home to job, go out to bars and restaurants every so often, see friends, see the odd film and very occasionally do something cool that you couldn't do anywhere else (Tate Modern, great club, gig etc). Of course, if you're an extreme socializer/clubber/culture vulture/gourmet you'd get a lot more out of it I'm sure.
If you're used to living in downtown Montreal and have that kind of lifestyle, you might well find Ottawa a little lacking in excitement.
You will find plenty of refugee Montrealers though - Anglos who don't have great French and find their job opportunities limited in their home town, Francos who come for the plentiful and well-paid bilingual public service jobs and so on. I even know people who commuten from Montreal, god help them.
Welcome to the city, good luck with your search!
Presumably you'll want to live in or close to downtown if you don't drive, and if you're single and renting that would definitely be my recommendation. I'd avoid the outer burbs like Kanata or Orleans if you don't need a four bed house at a reasonable price.
You might want to consider:
- Byward market area - pricier, central, can be a little rough around the edges at night
- Centretown - less pricey, but a bit sketchier. I'd definitely move there over Vanier though. Area on mapquest would be north of the Queensway (417) probably until Somerset. Lots and lots of condo buildings of all kinds
- Glebe - pricey to buy but some reasonable rents, nice area. South of Queensway, bordered by the Canal and Bronson Ave. Fair amount of students
- Sandy Hill - close to downtown, nice housing
- Westboro - nice, pricer than some of the others
- Hintonburg - bit sketchier, cheaper, gentrifying
- Chinatown/Little Italy areas around Somerset and Preston St.
You'll have easy access to the River/Canal from all of these pretty much, good transit links, bars, restaurants etc.
I saw the usual comment on here about Ottawa being dull from someone who doesn't live here. Just to say, I don't find it dull and there's plenty to do including some great restaurants, bars, arts, access to nature, and all the usual stuff you'd find in a city of around 1 million people.
As a former Londoner with one of the world's great cities at my fingertips, my take on this is that 95% of your life is spent doing the day to day stuff. And I was in my twenties/early thirties.
My experience in London is that mostly you go from home to job, go out to bars and restaurants every so often, see friends, see the odd film and very occasionally do something cool that you couldn't do anywhere else (Tate Modern, great club, gig etc). Of course, if you're an extreme socializer/clubber/culture vulture/gourmet you'd get a lot more out of it I'm sure.
If you're used to living in downtown Montreal and have that kind of lifestyle, you might well find Ottawa a little lacking in excitement.
You will find plenty of refugee Montrealers though - Anglos who don't have great French and find their job opportunities limited in their home town, Francos who come for the plentiful and well-paid bilingual public service jobs and so on. I even know people who commuten from Montreal, god help them.
Welcome to the city, good luck with your search!
And I know of a bar where you can sup a pint while gazing across the river. It's the only such place here that I am aware of.
Dec 17th 2010, 12:03 pm
#29
Seasoned Maritimer
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick CA
Posts: 8,309
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Upon visiting for a few days we liked Ottawa and if my work took me there, we wouldn't have any qualms in moving there.
Last edited by Tangram; Dec 17th 2010 at 12:54 pm.
Dec 17th 2010, 12:47 pm
#30
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 487
Re: Ottawa - whats it like?
Hi there
Presumably you'll want to live in or close to downtown if you don't drive, and if you're single and renting that would definitely be my recommendation. I'd avoid the outer burbs like Kanata or Orleans if you don't need a four bed house at a reasonable price.
You might want to consider:
- Byward market area - pricier, central, can be a little rough around the edges at night
- Centretown - less pricey, but a bit sketchier. I'd definitely move there over Vanier though. Area on mapquest would be north of the Queensway (417) probably until Somerset. Lots and lots of condo buildings of all kinds
- Glebe - pricey to buy but some reasonable rents, nice area. South of Queensway, bordered by the Canal and Bronson Ave. Fair amount of students
- Sandy Hill - close to downtown, nice housing
- Westboro - nice, pricer than some of the others
- Hintonburg - bit sketchier, cheaper, gentrifying
- Chinatown/Little Italy areas around Somerset and Preston St.
You'll have easy access to the River/Canal from all of these pretty much, good transit links, bars, restaurants etc.
I saw the usual comment on here about Ottawa being dull from someone who doesn't live here. Just to say, I don't find it dull and there's plenty to do including some great restaurants, bars, arts, access to nature, and all the usual stuff you'd find in a city of around 1 million people.
As a former Londoner with one of the world's great cities at my fingertips, my take on this is that 95% of your life is spent doing the day to day stuff. And I was in my twenties/early thirties.
My experience in London is that mostly you go from home to job, go out to bars and restaurants every so often, see friends, see the odd film and very occasionally do something cool that you couldn't do anywhere else (Tate Modern, great club, gig etc). Of course, if you're an extreme socializer/clubber/culture vulture/gourmet you'd get a lot more out of it I'm sure.
If you're used to living in downtown Montreal and have that kind of lifestyle, you might well find Ottawa a little lacking in excitement.
You will find plenty of refugee Montrealers though - Anglos who don't have great French and find their job opportunities limited in their home town, Francos who come for the plentiful and well-paid bilingual public service jobs and so on. I even know people who commuten from Montreal, god help them.
Welcome to the city, good luck with your search!
Presumably you'll want to live in or close to downtown if you don't drive, and if you're single and renting that would definitely be my recommendation. I'd avoid the outer burbs like Kanata or Orleans if you don't need a four bed house at a reasonable price.
You might want to consider:
- Byward market area - pricier, central, can be a little rough around the edges at night
- Centretown - less pricey, but a bit sketchier. I'd definitely move there over Vanier though. Area on mapquest would be north of the Queensway (417) probably until Somerset. Lots and lots of condo buildings of all kinds
- Glebe - pricey to buy but some reasonable rents, nice area. South of Queensway, bordered by the Canal and Bronson Ave. Fair amount of students
- Sandy Hill - close to downtown, nice housing
- Westboro - nice, pricer than some of the others
- Hintonburg - bit sketchier, cheaper, gentrifying
- Chinatown/Little Italy areas around Somerset and Preston St.
You'll have easy access to the River/Canal from all of these pretty much, good transit links, bars, restaurants etc.
I saw the usual comment on here about Ottawa being dull from someone who doesn't live here. Just to say, I don't find it dull and there's plenty to do including some great restaurants, bars, arts, access to nature, and all the usual stuff you'd find in a city of around 1 million people.
As a former Londoner with one of the world's great cities at my fingertips, my take on this is that 95% of your life is spent doing the day to day stuff. And I was in my twenties/early thirties.
My experience in London is that mostly you go from home to job, go out to bars and restaurants every so often, see friends, see the odd film and very occasionally do something cool that you couldn't do anywhere else (Tate Modern, great club, gig etc). Of course, if you're an extreme socializer/clubber/culture vulture/gourmet you'd get a lot more out of it I'm sure.
If you're used to living in downtown Montreal and have that kind of lifestyle, you might well find Ottawa a little lacking in excitement.
You will find plenty of refugee Montrealers though - Anglos who don't have great French and find their job opportunities limited in their home town, Francos who come for the plentiful and well-paid bilingual public service jobs and so on. I even know people who commuten from Montreal, god help them.
Welcome to the city, good luck with your search!
I agree with Lemonfish, good post. We've been here nearly 4 years now and love it in all its seasons.
The best place to bring up kids. Lots to do. However, because of the low crime and polite people it does lack an edginess to it that the bigger cities may have. However, having lived in numerous Cities over the world and countries that are perceived to be amazing, I wouldn't swap it for any of them.
I do my Christmas shopping in Syracuse across the border and we spend New Years in New York City only 6 hours drive.
I'm hearing so many English accents now when I'm out and about I think the secret is now out about this fabulous City.