McKellar Heights/Glabar Park; Carlington; Riverview;
When you’re new to a city and looking to buy a home, it can feel daunting to know where to begin in your search for your new neighbourhood. Where to start? Which areas will appeal to you and which can you afford?
In my 30 years in real estate, I’ve found that even longtime Ottawa-area residents who are looking to move don’t always know all of their city’s communities, the amenities that those neighbourhoods offer or why those areas might be a perfect fit for what they’re looking for.
Of course, one of the things that my team and I do is to help clients focus their search. Once we’ve chatted about the kind of neighbourhood that appeals to you and your price range, I can suggest areas that we think would be a good fit.
We can also travel to different areas of the city to help you get a feeling for the neighbourhoods.
Still, it helps to have at least some idea of the city’s different communities and what you can expect to pay in those areas. That’s why I’ve started writing a series of neighbourhood overviews, with a few basic details about the areas, their amenities and recent average prices in those communities.
Today, in my second column in the series, I look at the neighbourhoods of McKellar Park/Glabar Heights and Carlington in west Ottawa and Riverview Park in southeast Ottawa.
McKellar Heights/Glabar Park
Residents here enjoy a green and leafy neighbourhood in west Ottawa, marked by large, handsomely landscaped lots and mature trees, but within about a four-minute drive west to Carlingwood Shopping Centre and its many conveniences.
These two communities are bordered on the north by Carling Avenue, the west by Fairlawn Avenue, the south by the Queensway, and on the east by Clyde Avenue.
Schools in or near this area include Notre Dame High School and the Hillel Academy School. The Carlingwood Branch of the Ottawa Public Library is conveniently located on Woodroffe Avenue near Carlingwood Shopping Centre.
Other amenities include the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, which presents community activities and has a fitness centre (open to all).
With the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and the Ottawa River paths a short distance away, there are also lovely routes for cyclists, runners and walkers. With the Queensway just minutes away to the south, cross-city travel is convenient.
Property Prices and Sales: According to figures from the Ottawa Real Estate Board, from Jan. 1 of this year to late September, 34 units sold in this neighbourhood. That included 25 detached homes, five town and semi-detached homes and four condominium units. The average sale price for non-condominium units was $474, 670. The average sale price for condo units was $276, 025.
My Listings: At the time of this column (September, 2014) my listings include a beautiful and expansive executive house on Dunlevie Avenue. An executive ranch-style bungalow on a landscaped, oversized llot that is a gardener’s dream, it includes an in-ground pool in the back yard, four bedrooms, two fireplaces and a spectacular solarium that looks out to the back yard and pool.
To read more about this property, you can visit the “Current Listings” section of my website.
Carlington
This established neighbourhood, west of the Experimental Farm and south of Carling Avenue, was built up largely following the Second World War in response to a housing shortage, to provide housing for thousands of returning veterans and their families.
Though there are some houses from before 1945 as well, many houses in this neighbourhood were built after the war, using a simple, similar plan that included two bedrooms and a peaked roof. Given the housing shortage at the time, many families who lived here were thrilled to have the houses, even though the homes might seem modest in size by today’s new suburban houses. In many cases, the families lived in these homes for years, raised children there and cared for the homes lovingly, in some cases renovating and expanding them with additional rooms. Some of these homes have been demolished in recent years and replaced by newly built houses.
The area is bounded by Carling Avenue on the north, Maitland Avenue on the west, Fisher Avenue on the east and Kingston Avenue/Caldwell Avenue on the south.
Nearby amenities and attractions include Dow’s Lake, the Westgate Shopping Centre and the busy mini-malls along Merivale Road to the south.
In a 2013 feature on city neighbourhoods, Ottawa Magazine included the eastern section of Carlington as among the “Best Neighbourhood Enclaves” in west Ottawa. The writers said “the sector between Fisher and Merivale maintains its historic shape, its peaceful character, and its adorably small scale.”
There are several parks in the area. They include Alexander Park, on Silver Street. Alexander Park includes a basketball court, soccer fields, an outdoor wading pool, swing sets, and, during the winter months, an outdoor rink. The park is also the site of the Alexander Community Centre, which hosts a variety of activites, and an annual family fun day organized by the Carlington Community Association, on the Victoria Day weekend.
Another park is Carlington Park, on Clyde Avenue. This large park includes five baseball diamonds and Carlington Hill, a city-approved snow-sledding hill that is popular with families.
Schools in this area include W.E. Gowling Public School on Anna Avenue and St. Elizabeth Catholic School on Coldrey Avenue. A good source of information about the community is the website of the Carlington Community Association, at www.carlingtoncommunity.org
Property Sales and Prices: Between Jan. 1 and late September of this year, 47 units sold in Carlington. None of these were condos. There were 34 detached houses and 13 town and semi-detached homes. The average sale price for detached houses was $389,714. The average sale price for town and semi-detached homes was $314,530.
Riverview Park
This established neighbourhood is named for its location adjacent to the Rideau River, southeast of Ottawa’s downtown area. The community is bordered on the west by the river, on the north by Industrial Avenue, on the east by St. Laurent Boulevard and on the south by Smyth Road.
The proximity of the river and pathways make for a lovely area for walkers, runners and cyclists, and residents can enjoy several parks. But residents are still close to the shopping at Ottawa’s Train Yards Shopping Centre and, slightly north, the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, as well as the many stores and fast-food restaurants to be found along St. Laurent Boulevard.
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa General Hospital are both in the neighbourhood. The Elmvale Shopping Centre has a branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Schools in this area include Vincent Massey Public School, a private Montessori school, a French-language elementary school (Lycée Claudel) and a French Catholic High School (Franco Cité).
A good source of information about the community is the Riverview Park Community Association website, at http://rpca.wordpress.com/
Property Sales and Prices: Between January 1, 2014 and late September, 85 units sold in this neighbourhood, including 20 detached homes, 39 condos and 26 town and semi-detached homes. The average sale price for non-condominium units was $395,639. The average sale price for condo units was $300,261.
If you are interested in looking for a new home in these or other areas of the city, feel free to contact me through my website, www.nancybenson.com or through my office at 613-788-2556.
Comments(0)