Moving to Ottawa

[flar]

I'm moving to Ottawa in the next few weeks. I'll be looking to rent something with three bedrooms.

Good areas?
Areas to avoid?
Is it realistic for a non French speaker to live in Gatineau?
What are rents like?
Anything else I should know?

[m0nkyman]

Where in Ottawa are you working... cause that would affect where I'd suggest you look for housing.

[flar]

Originally Posted by m0nkyman

Where in Ottawa are you working... cause that would affect where I'd suggest you look for housing.

Downtown Hull (if that's what you call it), not far from the Museum of Civilization.

[kwoldtimer]

Flar: It will be great to have you join us. I have enjoyed your excellent photo threads on the Hamilton site and will be watching to see what you do with "Oddawa" (you may as well learn now!).

[rodionx]

If you want to walk to work occasionally, then Hull, Centretown (including Chinatown), or the Market area would do, as long as you're nearish one of the bridges. The only sketchy areas in that range would be the section of the Market that borders King Edward, and maybe the core parts of Hull. Parts of Chinatown, especially around Booth street are, ummm, roachy. The most salubrious neighbourhood in this range is the Golden Triangle, which is the area between Elgin and the Canal.

The rents are probably similar to what they are in Hamilton - perhaps a bit more. Check kijiji to get a rough idea. Cheapest rents will be in Hull, but beware: what the landlord giveth, the Quebec government taketh away. The next cheapest neighbourhood would probably be Chinatown.

The core part of Ottawa is very walkable, so the best way to look for an apartment is just to walk around until you find an area you like, and then look for For Rent signs.

[ajldub]

Flar go for the Market, you won't be disappointed. Oh yeah please don't forget to pack your camera...

The ultimate photographic showdown in 2009: Flar, dispossessed Hamiltonian, launched across Ontario in pursuit of new subject matter for his lense, and in the other corner Harls, hometown favourite and longtime photographic chronicler of the Nation's Capital, now facing adversity for the title of Ottawa's premier photographer. Who will prevail? No one can tell, but it is going to be a visually stunning year on SSP to be sure...

[Ottawade]

Finding a 3-bedroom place might be difficult, but Centertown is a great neighborhood. Rent is around $1000 for a 1 bedroom these days

[flar]

Thanks for the input guys.

Looks like it will be tough to find a 3 bedroom I can afford in the central areas. My wife also insists on having a washer and dryer (can't argue with that). There are tons of listings to go through, but it looks like we should find something somewhat central. It would be nice to walk to work, but as long as I can use public transit I'll be fine.

Of course I'll be bringing my camera to Ottawa, can't wait to start exploring a new city.

[hackunion]

My roommate and I are moving out of our 2 bedroom Centretown apartment (O'Connor & Lisgar) at the end of April. We pay $1200 a month. I need to start looking for another place too...

[waterloowarrior]

Maybe try the West end.. Westboro, Hintonberg, Hampton Park. There is good transit access in the area. Some of my friends have lived in the Melrose Ave area, not sure about the prices.

Maybe try 'Ottawa East' (east side of the canal near the 417 and mail street)... a few of my friends with small families live in the neighbourhood and enjoy it.

[harls]

Hey Flar that's awesome - welcome to town!

Myself I moved from Montreal 3 years ago (almost to the day, actually) and I found an old matchstick house for rent in Hull. It was $750 a month 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath.. I could walk to work in 30 mins (downtown Ottawa west end), or ride my bike in 10. Don't believe the things you hear about Hull.. if you find a nice quiet street like I did it was great.. could use more trees though.

Is it realistic for a non French speaker to live in Gatineau?

Right now I live in Aylmer (west end of Gatineau) and actually here I hear more English than I did in Montreal. You could probably get by very easily not knowing French, but it doesn't hurt to try. As for distance to your work, it usually takes about 25 minutes or less by the bus, and there are a lot of them. Not trying to sell you on Quebec, but it's a great experience (and rodinox is right, the tax man will take more from your pay, but if you have kids, 7 dollar a day day care can't be beat).

We looked at Ottawa when we were moving here, but my wife works at the hospital in Hull and changing car insurance, licenses, health cards and all that crap didn't make much sense at the time. I've lived in 4 provinces and I know what a hassle it can be... still have my old Ontario license from when I lived in Toronto.

PM me if you want to know more about town and what it's like to move here.

ajldub, my pics look like shit compared to Flar's.. not even in the same league!

[Davis137]

Look for apartments or entire houses for rent in Hintonburg, Mechanicsville, and Wellington Village...they are very easily accessable by bus, and you can get to work pretty cheap and fast too. My wife and I live in Hintonburg, and though it's not as nice or upscale as other parts of the city, it's starting to become an in-demand neighbourhood, close to ammenities (with more on the way sometime soon), and is less expensive. If you wanna find it online, look at maps of Ottawa, and look for "Tunney's Pasture", as Hintonburg borders the south side of this gov't complex, as well as south east of it. We're located westward, outside the downtown, but certainly closer to work than the suburbs.

BTW, LOVE your photo posts on Hamilton...I was born there, and raised in Brantford/Dundas/Hamilton, so I know that area pretty well.

Good luck to you with O-town...

[Aylmer]

Originally Posted by flar

I'm moving to Ottawa in the next few weeks. I'll be looking to rent something with three bedrooms.

Good areas?
Areas to avoid?
Is it realistic for a non French speaker to live in Gatineau?
What are rents like?
Anything else I should know?

Try anything inside the Greenbelt.
Not really.
Yes, but don't go too far into the countryside.
Dunno.
Don't eat yellow snow.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by flar

Thanks for the input guys.

Looks like it will be tough to find a 3 bedroom I can afford in the central areas. My wife also insists on having a washer and dryer (can't argue with that). There are tons of listings to go through, but it looks like we should find something somewhat central. It would be nice to walk to work, but as long as I can use public transit I'll be fine.

Of course I'll be bringing my camera to Ottawa, can't wait to start exploring a new city.

Getting to the Museum of Civilization from Ottawa on public transport can be inconvenient. Depending on your income you are looking at a few hundred dollars more in income tax if you live in Quebec, but the lower rents will make up for this.

This will allow you to find out the tax difference based on your exact income:

http://www.taxtips.ca/calculators/taxcalculator.htm

http://www.taxtips.ca/calculators/qctaxcalc.htm

If you have kids you will also want to consider schools, which can be an issue in Hull and also lots of the "transitioning" neighbourhoods (e.g. Lowertown, Vanier) .

Ottawa elementary school rankings are here:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/20...ngs/index.html

[Mille Sabords]

Welcome Flar! Good to have you here, and like many others who've discovered Hamilton through your lens I look forward to your shots of O.T.

I have a buddy who recently went through a similar search, moving from Fargo ND. to Ottawa (!!) and he ended up renting a 3 bedroom + den townhouse in New Edinburgh. He and his GF are both employed so the rent of $1700 wasn't too much of a strain for the area they scored.

Not far from my place at Stewart & Nelson (Sandy Hill) there is a 3-bedroom place for rent: 160 Stewart and it goes for $2150 a month, laundry in basement shared with one or two other units I think. Check that MLS site too though, you never know.

What otehrs have said is good advice: Market, Hintonburg, downtown Hull, and look for townhouses not just apartments, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Let us know when you're in town.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords

Not far from my place at Stewart & Nelson (Sandy Hill) there is a 3-bedroom place for rent: 160 Stewart and it goes for $2150 a month, laundry in basement shared with one or two other units I think.

Shit that's expensive. Almost 3x as much as my place. Location, location!

[flar]

So Hintonburg is not too bad? Some people were telling me to avoid that area (and Mechanicsville). I get the feeling they are older areas. Maybe they're people who like suburban style neighbourhoods?

I'll have to see for myself, I hope to make a whirlwind hunting trip to Ottawa later this week.

[Ottawade]

Taking the thread off topic: I've been thinking a photo tour might be a good way to have an SSP Ottawa meet. Give spring a few weeks and flar making his way here all the right conditions seem to be coming together...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by flar

So Hintonburg is not too bad? Some people were telling me to avoid that area (and Mechanicsville). I get the feeling they are older areas. Maybe they're people who like suburban style neighbourhoods?

I'll have to see for myself, I hope to make a whirlwind hunting trip to Ottawa later this week.

These are traditionally poorer working-class areas that are gentrifying. They are not all the way there but for the most part are coming along nicely.

Much better areas than downtown Hull on the Gatineau side, where only a few streets (near Laurier and the museum and west across the Ruisseau de la Brasserie) can really be called gentrified.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

If you have kids you will also want to consider schools, which can be an issue in Hull and also lots of the "transitioning" neighbourhoods (e.g. Lowertown, Vanier) .

Most Hull schools are not iffy, except perhaps for the elementary one right downtown which is École Notre-Dame on Papineau.

Most other schools are like your average school anywhere, including the two or three English ones that are located in Hull.

Not aware of Flar’s background but note that in order to send kids to English school in Quebec one of the two parents has to have gone to school in English in Canada, or the kid (or a sibling) has to have already started school in English in Canada.