Moving to Halifax

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Nilan8888

The bigger letdown of where I was at though, was that the lease was strictly year-to-year. No option of going month to month after 1 year. But I don't think that's normal for Halifax: usually it's month to month after a year passes.

I know when I rented (up to the late '90s) in 2 large south-end buildings, it was a yearly lease auto-renewed forever. Three months notice to quit required before lease renewal. A real PITA.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by J_Murphy

So is your opinion that paying $1500/month for something decent on the peninsula is impossible? Ideally I would like 3 bedrooms but could make 2 work just to get started.

You can DEFINITELY get something decent for that on the peninsula. It's definitely a renters' market right now, and prices are pretty reasonable. But there's not really any point getting all these conflicting opinions since it's so easy to research it online.

I'd recommend just visiting padmapper.com and searching for yourself. I just did a search for two and three-bedroom apartments between $1,000 and $1,600 per month. There are dozens for rent right now.

Here's a $1,200 two-bedroom, including most utilities, in a reasonably high-end condo building in the North End.

Three-bedroom apartments are a bit tougher, but they're out there too. Here's a very central, very decent-looking three-bedroom for $1,550 (utilities not included). Here's another for $1,400, most utilities included.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

You can DEFINITELY get something decent for that on the peninsula. It's definitely a renters' market right now, and prices are pretty reasonable. But there's not really any point getting all these conflicting opinions since it's so easy to research it online.

I'd recommend just visiting padmapper.com and searching for yourself. I just did a search for two and three-bedroom apartments between $1,000 and $1,600 per month. There are dozens for rent right now.

Here's a $1,200 two-bedroom, including most utilities, in a reasonably high-end condo building in the North End.

Three-bedroom apartments are a bit tougher, but they're out there too. Here's a very central, very decent-looking three-bedroom for $1,550 (utilities not included). Here's another for $1,400, most utilities included.

Very helpful. Thanks

[OldDartmouthMark]

I'd like to echo the sentiment of coming for a visit and spend some time driving around, checking out the area. If you can get an idea of where you might find work, try driving some commuting routes at rush hour, keeping in mind that at this time of year traffic is the lightest it will ever get. As soon as school is back in, the morning/evening traffic doubles or triples in some areas.

The best is to experience it for yourself as we will each have our own likes and dislikes. For example, I grew up in downtown Dartmouth, and feel that it is a great place to live whereas the "BLT" area does nothing for me. However, if you were working in the Lakeside Industrial Park, for example, then DT Dartmouth wouldn't make much sense. So you have to find what feels right for you and what would work with your situation.

Line up some properties you'd like to check out online before you visit, to use your time efficiently. Try to get a feel for where/how you'd like to live here, by looking around and spending time there. Park the car and walk the neighborhood, you'll have a much better idea looking at it that way. Trust your gut instinct on it.

Not a bad idea to check out Halifax's crime map while you're at it http://maps.halifax.ca/crimemapping/.

Ask the locals (us) opinions if you have any questions regarding any aspect of the area. We may not all agree, but I'm sure whatever information you can get will be helpful.

Best of luck to you!

[Dmajackson]

I recommend the West-End. If you're looking for a house and not a condo then you'll likely have to go west of Robie Street.

This apartment is across from a great park, within walking distance of groceries, HSC, and the Forum. It's an easy bike ride to downtown or major employment areas like Stadacona and Irving.