Ottawa is a great city to live in, and there is always lots to see and do. But where exactly is the best place to rent an Ottawa apartment? The truth is that there is no simple answer – there are great available apartments for rent all around Ottawa, so you’ll want to refine your search based on a number of criteria. Ask yourself important questions, like:
- Where am I working?
- What is my transportation situation?
- What do I enjoy doing in my spare time?
- What are my apartment living priorities?
TRANSPORTATION IN OTTAWA
If you look at a map, you’ll see that Ottawa is an East/West city, connected for the most part by the 417 and 174 highways. These highways jam up less than the highways in bigger cities like Toronto, but around rush hour there are a few bottlenecks if you’re heading into downtown Ottawa for work. If you do own a car, don’t forget to look into parking in your area!
For public transportation, the O-train/LRT connects the city east to west. If you do rely on public transportation, take a look at the OC Transpo website for bus routes around the apartments you’re thinking of renting.
OTTAWA APARTMENT LIVING AROUND TOWN
At District Realty, we’ve divided our available apartments for rent into four geographical sections: downtown, east, west, and south. Each of these parts of the city have their own unique attributes, advantages, and disadvantages.
If you’re in any downtown Ottawa apartments, you’re obviously right in the heart of the city. You’re close to all sorts of great attractions like Parliament and the National Art Gallery. But you’re also close to great eating and great shopping. And unlike most of Ottawa, you’ll find almost everything you need and more within walking distance, with no need to drive or take the bus.
If you live in East Ottawa apartments, you’ll be close to several shopping malls, including St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Place D’Orleans. And you’ll no doubt be nearby one of the many convenient mini-malls sprouting up around the city.
West Ottawa apartments are near the Bayshore Shopping Centre. The west end of Ottawa also has several trendy neighbourhoods like Westboro, where you’ll find lots of small shops and boutiques. West Ottawa also has the Canadian Tire Centre, which, along with every Senators home game, also puts on world-class concerts and other events.
Because Ottawa is primarily an east/west City, South Ottawa apartments are uniquely located. But transportation is no problem because of bus routes and OC Transpo’s O-Train, which quickly connects Greenboro Station to Bayview station. The two main shopping centres in South Ottawa are the South Keys Shopping Centre and Billings Bridge Plaza. You’ll also find Carleton University in South Ottawa.
With so much to see and do, choosing where to find an apartment in Ottawa can be a tough choice. However, just keep in mind what your needs are and what you really want in an apartment. Don’t worry: your dream Ottawa apartment is out there!
