Oink

Are you just simply describing the whole country?

ultrarunner

You are indeed right....I have done that trip a number of times myself day and night....jump onto hwy 7 and just take it all the way down. A lot of new subdivisions along that way too

dbd33

But why? Why would you want to spend two or three hours a day getting from Kitchener to Guelph and back again when you could just live in Guelph?

(It's not the case, btw, that I think that isn't an easy commute because I'd fear getting lost but because it's agonisingly slow due to traffic congestion).

orly

That far end of Edinburgh Rd S (where your Carrington house is) is a good area. Pretty good location for getting to everything important. Quick drive onto Gordon and you can head north to the Downtown (5 minutes) or head south and you'll be soon out of Guelph and into the more rural bits before Highway 401 if you're going somewhere else. It's also just a few minutes from Stone Rd where the main mall in Guelph is. University is near by so there will be a lot of students in the area but that's life in Guelph. Has 120,000 residents and then another 20,000 students so they have to live somewhere. I've never seen students causing much hassle though. It's usually all very civilised. Might have actually looked at renting a house on that very street last year but it didn't pan out. From memory the house was pretty standard townhouse. Reasonably modern, OK sized rooms. Smallish yard with not much privacy. I'd expect a lot of the housing in that area would be similar.

To be honest Guelph is good. The only "iffy" areas I've seen are around Willow/Edinburgh. Some suspect characters there. The whole family sitting on the porch with shopping carts and dogs running around type feel. I think dbd33 was alluding to similar in one of his replies.

The North end of Guelph is a bit cheaper and has more industrial areas. The area immediately around downtown seems to have the most "character" streets as it's the older part of town. The rest is the usual throw it up quick townhouse type developments. All nice of course but it's up to you to decide what you like.

Overall I really like living here. There are a lot worse places you could wind up that's for sure. I'd ignore the person who replied first. They moved to BC. If I moved to BC I'd probably be quite bitter too lol.

jossie

Why would I be bitter? I live in an amazing part of Canada surrounded by sandy beaches, vineyards & ski hills. I love it here. Certainly not bitter - just trying to prevent someone from making a bad decision.

Oink

Wild horses couldn't make me live in an isolated place like the little towns in the Okanagan area. It has such a harsh climate. I wouldn't want people to go there thinking is was anything other than small town north America with some fresh water lakes, crap wineries and meth addiction.

segs

Alright alright…
Thanks guys
No need for fisty cuffs

We've been to Guelph (and Kitchener and Milton and Cambridge) a few times in the process of job hunting, we've looked around a bit and hopefully renting before buying will prevent any regrets
We chose Guelph because we found good jobs (my job) there with colleagues who are very supportive
My husband will be working in Kitchener though- so it may broaden out where we end up buying , but I certainly don't want to commute anymore
Currently he walks to work 5 minutes away while I drive from Norwich to the Norfolk countryside to work 45 minutes away
You lot have been very helpful with your replies
I have more than enough to go on for now
Thank you

Novocastrian

But if the wild horses succeeded in dragging you there, you could just shoot them and take a selfie grinning at the corpses.

jossie

Harsh climate? what are you talking about? The South Okanagan has the mildest climate in Canada hence the vineyards. People come here to retire because of the mild climate. Summers are hot and dry and winters are short and mild.

jossie

I am assuming you would eat the Horse meat though? Seeing how it is considered a delicacy in Europe and given that you like to pretend you are sophisticated and intellectual and all that.

jossie

I don't think Guelph was placed in this survey:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/01...n_1187321.html

Oink

It's very very hot and parched in the summer and very cold in the winter. I know someone who sold his house in N. Vancouver to move to a place called Vernon because it was so much cheaper. He was so isolated he committed suicide because he couldn't afford to move back. People live there I get that, but unless you're old and poor or you have the misfortune of being from there, you wouldn't choose it.

Novocastrian

Oh, yes. Horse meat is perfectly acceptable. It's just that I prefer it without the buckshot.

jossie

Very cold? the south Okanagan is known for the extremely mild winters. People were still golfing in Penticton a couple of weeks ago and by mid March people will be back out golfing and waterskiing on the lake. People come from all over to vacation here because of the beautiful lakes, wineries and ski resorts and the great climate. You have no idea. As for bringing your friends suicide into the equation I am confused. Are you saying that Vernon was so depressing that it drove him to suicide? As for old and poor? Not really the type of retirees that move here.

R I C H

It's cold compared to the coast though, isn't it?

10 out of the first 15 days of this Dec were sub zero in Penticton. Crappy temperatures for playing golf I'd have thought. There were overnight sub zero temperatures by the middle of October.

Penticton GCC closed the course for the winter at the end of Nov, so I think you're stretching the truth a little.


Vernon's not exactly got much to offer if you're used to a city like Vancouver. It's a pretty dull place.