Should i live in ottawa

Thinking about moving away from your hometown? Here are our Recommendations for Long Distance Moves. Read our complete reviews and request free quotes to make an informed decision. Every year, thousands of student moves in and out Ottawa to study at the famous UOttawa. If it is your first year moving to the city and you are wondering what neighbourhood to move to.

We are done the research for you! Vanier has historically also been known as the French neighborhood and has a population of 16, people. Vanier is a great neighborhood for students as it offers a number of ways to get around the neighborhood. The journey takes minutes if travelling by car and minutes if travelling via bus. The neighborhood offers and provides a variety of choices of malls, retail shops, bars and eateries.

Vanier is also the famous site for the urban Maple Sugar Festival that is held in spring. The neighborhood features student-friendly locations for recreation as well and this is why it becomes even a better choice for living. You may have already read about Byward Market above; Sandy Hill is situated in walking distance to this. Hence, residents of Sandy Hill can take advantages of stores and services provided by Byward Market. Several historic churches are found here some of which are St.

Clement Catholic, St. Since it is located near downtown, it has excellent public transportation and many schools to assist its residential families. In fact, throughout the year many former residents are moving out and leasing this house to students.

Below are two other areas that may fit your lifestyle! In the early s, this are used to be a rural community which was sprinkled with various farms; however, a major transition came about during the s when a popular Canadian Store called Mountain Equipment Co-op arrived in this area. After this, multiple retailers established their brands here along with various pubs and coffee shops. Now, Westboro is known as one of the trendiest neighbourhoods to exist.

Fashion is heavily available in the streets of this neighbourhood where everything from local necklaces to sports gear to menswear can be found in attractive shops. We can assure you that whether something in this area appeals to you or not, the food definitely will.

Westboro is home to everything from food trucks to lavish dining experiences. It serves everything from gourmet burgers, fresh rolls to sushi and macaroons; there is a diversity for food here which is an attraction itself.

During summers, people can enjoy water activities and fascinating sunsets at the Westboro Beach and enjoy festivals such as the Fuse Street Festival, which turns the district into one with live, entertaining music.

During the winters, winter trails are established where skiers and fat-bikers enjoy the snowy route. This is the place where everyone can enjoy the urban lifestyle at its best.

We all know that once you move from Ontario to Quebec , rents increase rapidly. This is why Gatineau is the cheapest option for you. Gatineau is a city towards the western side of Quebec with a population of , Bus transportations are regular throughout the week for anyone who wants to travel to Ontario.

There are multiple attractions of this area, which include the Museum of History for those, interested in the historical significance of the district. Spring and Fall are ideal times to picnic or hike in local parks, Gatineau Park on the Quebec side being a well known example. Ottawa is a safe, clean and welcoming city, but does have an above average, yet still affordable, cost of living.

Again, this depends on preference, number of people, and certain criteria. However, cheaper housing can be found, largely due to the presence of local universities. Household utilities — internet, electricity, refuse — are often included in the rent.

Groceries and eating out, however, can be expensive more expensive for people living in Ottawa. Living in Ottawa means that you will setting up base in a clean and green city. The Rideau Canal runs throughout the city, offering beautiful and scenic trails, walkways, running paths and bike lanes all the way through.

The canal is a major tourist attraction, as well as a place to go for people living in Ottawa. Many Ottawa natives enjoy a healthy lifestyle, and can be seen jogging, cycling, or skating at all hours of the day. Living in Ottawa means living in the heart of Canadian political life. Ottawa is the capital city and centre of government. Many of its citizens work with the government in the civil service, and many bars and restaurants are known for having a political clientele.

Ottawa is officially a bilingual city, and many of its services — including all civil services, some educational services, and many tourist services — are offered in both English and French.

Living in Ottawa is made easy for anglophones and francophones alike. French can be heard spoken on the streets, and many cafes and bars have a definite French feel. English is understood by nearly all of the population, so although an attempt at French would be welcome in certain places, it is not necessary.

Taking a stroll along Sparks Street or Wellington Street in front of the Parliament building can be breathtaking, and make sure to enjoy the free tour of Parliament to see a panoramic view of Ottawa and Gatineau, the city across the river in Quebec.

Ottawa was originally an Irish and French settlement, and this influence can be seen today. There are many Irish names and Irish establishments. Ottawa is a tourist attraction in itself, and the Byward Market and Elgin Street areas make sure to cater to this audience. The hustle and bustle of Byward Market, where many fine restaurants can be found. Ottawa has its own Little Italy and Chinatown areas, so fans of either of those cuisines should head there for tasty delights.

Both are affordable and scrumptious. Local cuisine worth a try includes poutine, a French Canadian dish of chips fries , cheese curds, and gravy. Calorie counters should avoid a beavertail, an Ottawa dessert worth writing home about. Though not renowned for its nightlife, going out in Ottawa is fun and relaxed. With some of the best international cuisine on offer in Canada, food had to get a look-in. Toronto is also a hotspot for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Startups, in particular, can enjoy readily available workforces, while the city itself already boasts of job opportunities across technology and pharmaceutical firms, to name a few.

A comprehensive report by The Economist Intelligence Unit even went as far as to say that Toronto ranked 1 as the safest city spot in North America.

The high living costs are, by far, the worst thing about Toronto life. In fact, with a population density of around 2. So, if green spaces are a pressing reason for your move, you might well want to look elsewhere. As we could have perhaps guessed going into this battle, there is no one clear city winner for Canadian expats across the board. In reality, the living opportunities offered by both Ottawa and Toronto are so varied that this can come down to nothing more than personal taste.

From an affordability and natural beauty point of view, Ottawa can seem like a no-brainer. However, limited job opportunities and a potential lack of entertainment could still see this off the cards for many. By comparison, the scope of careers and opportunities that Toronto boasts can catch many an eye, though it is vital to take those high living costs into account.

It might be a smaller city than other cities in Canada, but since Ottawa is the capital of the country and a government city, jobs are much easier to come by. You have a greater chance of finding a job here than in the vast majority of other cities in Canada, with there being a lot of focus placed on getting people back into work and lowering the unemployment rate as much as possible.

While the number of jobs available is, on average, decreasing across the country, the opposite is true for Ottawa , with the unemployment rate being the lowest and most stable it has been for several years. A quick Google image search will show you just how beautiful this city is; with a combination of the Ottawa River, the lush greenery that wraps itself around the city lines, and the delightful Gothic architecture, it is certainly a beautiful place to live!

To make it even better, and accentuate its true beauty, keeping the city clean is important to both the residents and the government officials, so rarely will you find a corner of the city that is strewn in rubbish or leaves a bad taste in your mouth; it is a real positive to live in a place where you feel like people actually care about the upkeep of the city.

Due to the abundance of varying nature and different landscapes in Ottawa, there are a whole host of different activities you can experience while living there. If you like hiking then around the city there are about 90 miles worth of hiking trails for you to get stuck into, the landscape that goes around the city is extremely diverse in its topography and animals, meaning you get the city life while always being close to nature.

Ottawa also has several parks that you can enjoy such as Omega Park and Gatineau Park, where no matter what the season is, the lakes, the cliff faces and the spectrum of color contained within them will always give you something to take your breath away. As a bonus, there are parkways that are intended for cyclists only, whether you are a serious biker or a family, there are enough trails available to suit everyone. Finally, Ottawa has caves that you can explore, and high adrenaline activities such a bungee jumping and skydiving — for a small city, they certainly pack as much fun in as possible.

Fortunately, Ottawa has some of the best university education available in the country, with the highest number of residents per capita who have completed a PhD. Given the statistics, it is undeniable that Ottawa takes education very seriously, and the high graduation rates from the two universities and both colleges, show that it is a fantastic place to be to get a good quality education.