Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

I started out wondering if anyone had ended up in Oshawa, mistaking it for Ottawa...you know, how some people have flown to Sydney NS instead of Australia. :lol:

I've never seen anything nice said about Oshawa. But then I can think of a few places in Canada regularly portrayed as being a dump and those who actually live there have a completely different experience altogether.

All the usual stuff like expanses of concrete, the bland large roads lined with big box stores...we all need them and they're everywhere, so it's not necessarily a bad thing, so long as there's something else.

I did a bit of google street-viewing. The Downtown looks like it's not changed in 50 years. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it just looks functional. I didn't see anywhere like you might see in Oakville or Cobourg or some other places dotted around the lake, where you could sit and watch the world go by.

There was a nice grassy area by the water where you could get to, sit, look at the water and go home again, seemingly nothing there, not even an ice cream van.

So is there any redeeming quality about Oshawa?

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

It's South Oshawa that doesn't have a great reputation. North Oshawa is pretty nice. Bigger, newer houses, nice parks, good shopping. Oshawa has an art gallery, a few museums (automotive, military, historic houses) and a decent waterfront. However "select city parks" now have needle disposal facilities, which says a lot about the area. If you want to go even further north, Port Perry is lovely, but would be a long commute to Toronto if that's where you worked.

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

Well, I am probably not the best person to answer as only passed through during the xmas break. But my initial impression was sheesh, the shopping lot I stopped at every store was closed except for the bank. I mean closed as closed, not just shut for the day, which was midday.

For how close it is to Toronto, it was a shock. I would/could not recommend it. It could be better in other parts, but looking at the people stopping to us the cash point at the bank, I doubt it.

Since my experience, is only for about hour but first impressions!

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

Pretty much this in my opinion.

The GO station has become increasingly busy and it's now hard to find a parking space in spite of overspill lots. There's so much new building going on there ald along the 401 corridor and not such great quality builds I've heard.

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

So where is the dividing line then?

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

If I had to move to Oshawa, I'd want to live north of Taunton Road, somewhere between Wilson and Courtice road.

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

Yes, it's not Scarborough or Belleville! :p

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

I found a dozen nice pics of things in Belleville in seconds that I can't find in Oshawa. :confused:

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

The Botanical Gardens are pretty in the summer, and kind of an unexpected find in Oshawa. But it's downtown adjacent which is not a bonus feature.

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

Nice looking park :thumbup:

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

Belleville's a nice place to visit, but to live there it's a little too far from major towns (other than than Kingston) unless you're prepared for a long commute. And I found commuting from Scarborough to Mississauga for work bad enough outside of rush hour.

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

But at a pop. of 50,000 it's big enough for most to live and work in surely.

Sure you might want something more but unless you are either somewhere like Toronto or 90 mins by train, you have to travel some distance anyway. While some may consider this a bad thing you could actually be in that situation in most of Canada, couldn't you?

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

There are more opportunities for both my wife and I to work in Toronto or Ottawa when we return.

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

I was on the GO train one time, and as we were coming into Oshawa....the conductor was making the announcement over the PA....

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the beautiful 'shawaa" yout last stop on this GO train service." everyone just looked at each other and laughed! It was a very funny moment! Even people that live there joke about it. :lol:

Re: Oshawa - does it get an unfair reputation?
 

I don't doubt it. It's a generalisation, I know, but a lot of Brits come to Canada "in demand" better qualified, more experienced, higher expectations etc etc and seek those better/different opportunities.

Most other people are satisfied with the construction, retail, education, government, hospitality, bank, medical setting, office, jobs that are almost everywhere and that's what they do.

Belleville looks like somewhere that delivers that. I'm not so sure about Oshawa. :unsure: