Author Archive

20 Best Neighbourhoods: Five great options for first-time home buyers

By Laura Byrne Paquet

First-timers, I assume, are concerned mainly about price. If a neighbourhood offers lots of housing close to or under the average February 2012 sale price, that caught my attention. But price doesn’t mean merely the price of the house. If it’s a steal but it’s so far out that you have to spend hundreds of dollars a month on gas just to get to work and the grocery store, it’s a bit of a false economy. So I also took into account such variables as car use and nearby amenities.

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  |  June 11, 2012 at 11:00 am

Twenty Best Neighbourhoods 2012

By Laura Byrne Paquet | Photograph by Dwayne Brown

20 Best Neighbourhoods 2012

The Glebe

So you’re looking to buy a house. Good on ya. keep the economy rolling and all that. But you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by location choices. This neighbourhood has great schools but not much in the way of shopping. That one has great nightlife, but you’re a bit worried about crime. Then there’s the area where the prices are reasonable, but the commute — not so much.

So you check with your friends and family, but they’re not much help. Sure, they’re happy to extol the virtues of their own ’hood. The only problem is, they have kids and you don’t, or their budget runs to champagne and caviar, while yours is more of a beer and pizza thing.

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  |  June 6, 2012 at 4:49 pm

20 Best Neighbourhoods: Hot real estate picks aimed at the family demographic

By Laura Byrne Paquet | Photograph by Dwayne Brown | Statistical graphics by
Aesthetic Intelligence

20 Best Neighbourhoods: Families

Old Ottawa South

For families, my main focuses were good schools and community services. Neighbourhoods with arenas, pools, community centres, parks, a library branch, and other kid-friendly facilities scored highly here. Reasonably priced single-family houses also factored into the mix — I suspect most families of four aren’t interested in squeezing into a 600-square-foot apartment. When you’re paying for braces and hockey school, it never hurts to save a bit of money on gas, so I’ve also noted the percentage of people in each neighbourhood who go to work by private vehicle (the rest walk, cycle, or take transit).

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  |  June 4, 2012 at 9:30 am

20 Best Neighbourhoods: Appealing to the DINKs

By Laura Byrne Paquet | Photograph by Dwayne Brown | Statistical graphics
by Aesthetic Intelligence

Best Neighbourhoods: DINKs

ByWard Market: If you dream of living in a city that never sleeps, this is as close as you’ll get in O-town

DINKs were possibly the hardest group to classify. For every couple sans kids that fits the yuppie paradigm — lattes, yoga, art galleries, and posh restaurants — there are countless others who would rather be hiking, woodworking, or watching the complete works of Jim Carrey on DVD than at the symphony. For the purposes of this article, I focused on central neighbourhoods where DINKs’ extra disposable income could buy easy access to urban pleasures — even if they rarely take advantage of them.

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  |  May 28, 2012 at 10:10 am

20 Best Neighbourhoods: Cost is no issue

By Laura Byrne Paquet | Photograph by Dwayne Brown | Statistical graphics by
Aesthetic Intelligence

Best Neighbourhoods: Cost is no issue

Alta Vista

For the cost-is-no-issue crowd, I tried to find a range of neighbourhoods — urban, suburban, and semi-rural — where money might not buy you happiness but could score you original Tiffany chandeliers, an indoor saltwater pool, or floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a Gatsby-like estate. Heritage house, mid-century modern pad, or 21st-century McMansion: there’s something for everyone in this category, as long as you have a million or more to spare. I assumed most folks in this crowd have kids. Heck, they can certainly afford them.

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  |  May 22, 2012 at 12:00 pm

BEST OF SUMMER: 16 must-try rural adventures

Ottawa Magazine‘s Summer Edition includes a 25-page Outside Guide. But there’s still so much going on around here that we’ve found more to include. From boating to spa retreats to cycling adventures, 16 more ways to get the most out of the summer.

BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET
MESS ABOUT IN BOATS

Tour marshland by pedal boat at Éco-Odyssée.

Éco-Odyssée
Taking his cue from the local beavers, former Gatineau Park animal conservation officer Michel Leclair transformed 70 acres of marshland outside Wakefield into a water labyrinth with 6.4 kilometres of meandering canals, which visitors can explore by pedal boat. Groups of at least six can also book guided dawn and twilight trips on a pontoon boat. The award-winning attraction, which opened in 2008, recently added a canoe route and a two-kilometre hiking trail. 52, ch. des Sources, Wakefield, 819-459-2551, www.eco-odyssee.ca.

Jenda Paddlesports
Don’t own a kayak? Your canoe sprang a leak? Don’t worry — you can still get out on the water by renting a boat from Jenda Paddlesports in Osgoode. They’ll even throw in PFDs, paddles, a safety kit, and the gear to attach the watercraft to your car. The Rideau River is a short drive away. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 5426 Dalmeny Rd., Osgoode, 613-826-0922, www.jenda.com.

  |  June 4, 2011 at 10:00 am