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I am an American moving to Ottawa from the US this fall. I will be attending graduate school at Carleton University. I had some questions regarding potential neighborhoods to live in/look at for the ideal things for me. I will be bringing my car, so I can either drive myself, walk, or take public transit to and from Carleton.
It will just be myself.
I want a neighborhood with young adults, not necessarily college students, as I am older than a typical grad student, but not retirees or families.
Somewhat an active nightlife would be cool, but nothing too crazy - again - not a college nightlife, but more chill bars, coffee shops, etc.
Something with reasonable rental prices for apartments. I know the cost of living in Ottawa is higher than where I currently live in the States, and since I will be a grad student, I won't be able to work FT, but I will have funding and be working PT as permitted my study visa.
I am more left-leaning ideological-wise, but I understand from researching that Conservatives in Canada are not like Conservatives in the States - the CCP, as I understand it, is more left-leaning than the Republican party in the states, so that probably won't be an issue.
I am also interested in safe neighborhoods crime-wise, though doing some research on Ottawa, crime appears to be pretty low so that probably won't be an issue.
As a classical musician, I love the arts - so being close to a music/arts/ballet/theatre/museum district would be cool, but again I'll have a car, take public transit, and/or walk to these things.
Farmer's markets, organic/non-GMO grocery stores, and local restaurants would be great to have within walking distance.
That's pretty much it. I appreciate any neighborhood suggestions to check out that might fit some of what I'm looking for!
The area around Elgin Street also would be a good choice.
Slightly further out to the west of downtown along Wellington St. West and Richmond Rd. (Hintonburg, Mechanicsville and Westboro) would probably fit the bill too.
Of course these are all popular areas and so are among the most expensive parts of Ottawa to live in.
Though Mechanicsville and Hintonburg are more recently gentrified so there are probably more deals to the found there than in Westboro, Elgin St. or the Glebe (as mentioned by porterjack).
Another area you might want to look at is Old Ottawa South which across the bridge from the Glebe. It's also very close to Carleton University.
Ottawa has fairly low crime by US standards, and in these areas it's even lower than the Ottawa average.
Canadians don't segregate too much in terms of political views. Pretty much anywhere within the city will be fairly "liberal".
You have to get pretty far out beyond the actual suburbs into exurban and rural areas to find places that are more conservative, and even so that's not always a given. Plus the brand of conservatism in Canada (at least in this area) is somewhat different from the US brand.
The "hipster belt" in Ottawa IMO follows the route from Somerset Street West as far west as it turns into Wellington Street West. North/south streets along that route include Bank Street, Bronson, Booth, Preston Street (Little Italy), Parkdale Avenue, and if you continue west you will go into Richmond Road and the Westboro Neighbourhood (more expensive, similar to Glebe and Centretown near downtown Ottawa).
You have another alternative, to find an apartment in Sandy Hill, the U of Ottawa student "ghetto" just east of downtown.
Cheap rents are basically to be found within the core of the city, inside the Greenbelt of park land and multi-user paths.
The "hipster belt" in Ottawa IMO follows the route from Somerset Street West as far west as it turns into Wellington Street West. North/south streets along that route include Bank Street, Bronson, Booth, Preston Street (Little Italy), Parkdale Avenue, and if you continue west you will go into Richmond Road and the Westboro Neighbourhood (more expensive, similar to Glebe and Centretown near downtown Ottawa).
You have another alternative, to find an apartment in Sandy Hill, the U of Ottawa student "ghetto" just east of downtown.
Cheap rents are basically to be found within the core of the city, inside the Greenbelt of park land and multi-user paths.
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