jandro

This poster didn't like Windsor apparently but he was writing 10 years ago.

If it was me I'd take the Somerset countryside.

MarylandNed

It would be helpful if you actually cited specific misinformation.

geoff52

Having lived in both Uk (three decades) and Canada (nearly 3 decades), I love living in Canada, but at the same time people underestimate what UK has to offer.

Stinkypup

Really? I looked up the stats and it doesn't beat the Okanagan heat wise- thankfully we are cooler in the North of the valley- what tends to throw a spanner in your argument is that Windsor is the most humid of anywhere and has the most thunderstorm days...- I prefer heat which is nice and dry. I thought that you were in Colchester anyhow

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ne...r-cities/52023

Siouxie

.
Where you live sounds lovely - so perhaps rather than negativity aimed at other posters (I'm not sure what misinformation you are referring to), you could give some suggestions on where the OP might look at to live? I'm sure they would appreciate 1st hand knowledge of the area.

cheeky_monkey

Windsor was on the list of potential places to live when i moved to Canada and i spent some time there in 2007 the same time as this post roughly..having visited the area i quickly concluded although housing was cheap and there were some very nice areas..it was never a viable option work wise for me so i ended up in Alberta.

scrubbedexpat133

We are currently in the process of moving to Windsor from New Brunswick.

I have been to Windsor a few times and I really like the place. I can understand how its not for everyone and some of the information that you will get will be out of date. The City is currently undergoing a renaissance. The unemployment levels are now half what they were a few years ago. There has been some major investment in the car plants over the last couple of years. The house prices there are going up at a rate of knots. Our realtor says that its because of the unemployment and the area is now catching up to where it should be. Windsor is a safe city and has low crime rates compared most Canadian cities. The climate is mild compared to most of Canada and the snowfall much lower than most of the country. About 1/3 of what we get here in NB. There are plenty of nice places within a short drive of Windsor. If you decide to live in the City itself then the further East you go generally the nicer it is. Having a major US City close by is also appealing to us. Throw in being halfway between Chicago and Toronto there is an enormous amount on offer within a four hour drive.

daveincolchester

Living in an area which is disparaged by a few posters and disagreeing with them is not negativity.

The above post makes some of my points.

I'm not a fan of Leamington, but if a person is seriously thinking about relocating to this area, Kingsville and Amherstburg should be considered.

To the poster who thought I lived in Colchester, I actually live in Colchester South which is in SW Ontario, south of Windsor (and Detroit) but I thought Daveincolchester would be good enough for a board name.

bathexpats

Thanks again for the useful information to those that provided it.

Leamington is one of the first places we stumbled across on our research and ticks a fair few boxes. I'm pleased there are some people who live in the surrounding areas of Windsor who have a positive outlook on it.

Nothing is set in stone, I just wanted some more information on Windsor as an area to commute to from quieter places on the outskirts.

As for why we want to move, why does anyone want to move to Canada? I could give you a fairly comprehensive list but if you would like one? When you have spent 15 months being in the process of applying and spent approximately £6,000 along the way, you have to be fairly sure you have a keen sense to go.

canbritdenise

Hi, we live in Kingsville. Came in 04 and have stayed.
lovely small comunity, although getting busier every year.
Husband works in windsor, which takes half hour,(give or take) property is cheap, but there seems to be a sellers market, so prices are rising fast. great properties with water views, we live otherside of road so i can hear it lol. let me know if i can help with any questions.

bathexpats

Thank you, sent a private message

manningl

Hello! Sorry I'm late to this post but I only ever check this site every now and then.

I have lived in the Windsor area since 2010 so unlike some on this thread can tell you from first hand experience exactly what you need to know

I love the summers here and the winters I can deal with because I know the summer will be a scorcher!

The big positive for me is being able to get to the border within 15mins and to be in downtown Detroit. I could write a whole book on the benefits of having the US so close. #1 being the price of goods most people in Canada pay for things. Its extortionate most of the time. Crossing back with items has never been a problem and I cross on a weekly basis and never have to pay duty unless I bring back a crazy amount.

Black Friday shopping I got waved straight through with over $800 worth of electronics The border guards are only interested in alcohol and tobacco and I am not the only the person who will tell you this. Gas is around 20-30% cheaper plus we have been shopping @Kroger and regularly get 30 cents of a gallon. Last week I got 50 cents of a gallon!

Housing was dirt cheap when I got here so much so I bought quite a few and rent them out - its all I do now. It's still fairly cheap when you compare it to other parts of Canada or the UK even but prices have gone through the roof recently.

Being able to shop @HomeDepot.com Amazon.com and so on instead of the .ca version puts a big grin on my face. I have a UPS US mailbox too for when I can't do store delivery.

I live in a small town called LaSalle which I really like - I did live right in Windsor for the first couple of years and would have stayed if I could have found the right property. In my opinion LaSalle is the best area due to the schools, the town itself, proximity to the border, the city and everywhere else. Amherstburg is breathtaking lots of homes on the water there check out Boblo Island. Tecumseh, Belle River and Lakeshore are also great places in my opinion.

If you want to ask me anything please feel free to PM me I know a few other expats G77 being 1 of them I know someone mentioned him in a previous post.

Oh and welcome

Curlew

Lived in Windsor for three years. Loved it. Cheap to rent or buy. Close to Detroit for "culture", nice waterfront area, and Walkerville is a nice place for pubs and shops. Ojibway Municipal park is one of the most biodiverse in all of North America (but Windsor Council in their wisdom are building box stores next to it). Close to Point Pelee and Pelee Island. Short drive to Cedar Point, Ohio, if you like rollercoasters. Just 4 hours to Chicago for a long weekend. Good local airport. Superb craft breweries. Amherstberg is a nice visit, 25 minutes drive away.

Negative - public transport between towns are non-existent save VIA rail (or Greyhound bus). It's far from everywhere else in Canada! Downtown is a bit ratty and suffers from US youth overspill due to different age-limits for public alcohol consumption. Drug and alcohol abuse a bit of an issue. "West-of-the-Ambassador bridge" dodgy, having said that - some bars in Sandwich are great.

bathexpats

Thanks for the positive input to those who had sensible things to contribute.

My wife and I arrived in Canada and had our documentation signed and stamped and are officially canadian residents. Wed did very very well with our house sale, and it's given us a massive cushion to come out here for several months and explore each place thorough before making a final decision.

With the help of TrustedHouseSitters.com we have had some great experiences of seeing what everyday life has been like living in certain places looking after someones dog or cat. It's given us a good flavor of what living in a particular place is like.

At present we are in Vancouver (weather is obviously milder here than out East) and are enjoying a penthouse view out of a software company owners posh apartment over BC Place. It's been very helpful, and in the first week taught us we can't live in the mix of a major city. Also we are extremely priced out of buying a home here.

Next we are onto Vancouver Island with a house sit in Sooke looking after a cat, and then Victoria for a week. From there we are going to Winnipeg having ruled out places like Kelowna, Kamloops, Calgary, Regina. After there we have a long house sit in Collingwood Ontario, and I have also managed to track down a long lost 1st cousin once removed (40 years my senior) living in Owen Sound Ontario who emigrated there in the 80's. From there we will explore New Brunswick briefly and then Nova Scotia, before flying home to collect the last of our belongings, and our dog before moving back. We have plenty of time to find somewhere to live when we get back.

Looking forward still to exploring the areas between London, ON and Windsor, ON a bit more thoroughly.

Oink

Welcome to Vancouver. It's cold but nice and sunny today. While there's not much to do in the city in winter, you should try to check out an important cultural Canadian event, Wing Wednesday. There are quite a few bars that will not only feature this, but will combine it with discounted lager between the hours of 3pm - 6pm. It's a must on any tourist's list of dos.

Added to note: As you're in a major Canadian city, there may be some places that will offer Taco Tuesdays, so that's an extra bonus.