Beyond City Limits: Life in Ottawa’s Suburbs: Part 1: East of Ottawa

Beyond City Limits: Life in Ottawa’s Suburbs

Part 1: East of Ottawa

The East of Ottawa has always been a popular place for families to settle. There is so much to do in the area that you never really need to leave it to find exactly what you are looking for. There are four areas in the East that are currently booming:

Blackburn Hamlet - average resale price $261,162

Chapel Hill - average resale price $405,422

Convent Glen North - average resale price $292,571

Avalon - average resale price $351,124

Blackburn Hamlet is a very special part of Ottawa since it is surrounded by Greenbelt, and definitely won’t be getting much bigger. This community is perfect for people who are looking for that small town feel without being too far out of the city. What’s really great about Blackburn is the mature feel of the small ‘hamlet’. It has mature trees, large lots and a pedestrian friendly layout. Houses here generally sell very quickly, within three weeks, since it is such an exclusive area.

Chapel Hill is very close to Blackburn Hamlet, but has a very different feel. Houses are generally newer in this community; dating from the 1990’s onward. People shopping in this area are generally looking for newer & larger single family homes. The Chapel Hill area also features mature trees, many parks and great schools. Chapel Hill is a great place for families and since it is in Orleans, has many great amenities nearby such as recreation complexes, movie theatres and libraries. If you love Orleans, but find Avalon is too ‘new’ and far out for your tastes, Chapel Hill is the answer.

Convent Glen North is a lovely mish mash community within Orleans. It features everything from condos to large four bedroom homes. Many homebuyers love the Convent Glen area since they can move within the same neighbourhood as their needs and budgets change and grow. This part of Orleans is also covered with parks & amazing trails, including the bike trail along the Ottawa river which takes you right down to parliament! Another hidden treasure in Convent Glen (well maybe not so hidden) is Taffy Lane! Every year the residents of Taffy Lane decorate their homes beautifully during the Christmas holidays. People come from all over the city to drive by and see the amazing array of decorations.

Avalon, as the sign at the entrance states, is a “perfectly planned community”. It will eventually hold over 3,500 houses. What’s great about this area is the ability for homebuyers to have their ideal homes built. Some really nice features of the community are the central squares (circles really). These are small parks within roundabouts; they feature parks and a great place to let your pets and kids run around. Even though this community is less than six years old, it already has a very active lifestyle with elementary schools and a brand new community centre.

And there you have it folks, the East of Ottawa is still expanding and full of many hidden gems and great family friendly communities. Many people think of the East of Ottawa as a sleepy government employee community, but as all of the expansion along Innes has proven, it is much more than that. In the East you can find that new development you're craving or that small town feel, if that’s more your speed. The above four communities are not the only gems the East of Ottawa has to offer, you can also find many other flourishing neighbourhoods such as: Fallingbrook, Orleans Wood, Chatelaine Village, Queenswood Heights, Springridge and Bradley Estates. I think it’s safe to say that the East really does, have it all!

(This blog post references the May 2011 issue of Ottawa Magazine)