Neighbourhood Spotlight: Sandy Hill

Photos by Anne Dion

Light Rail on the horizon, here at Ottawa Life we’ve decided to start a series where we break down each of Ottawa’s neighbourhoods. We’re profiling each area by price, transportation, and lifestyle. Whether you’re a young professional or a family-making nest-builder, we’re giving you the details on every corner of our city.

These statistics were found at neighbourhoodstudy.ca, and viewit.ca, and kijiji.ca. Ottawa Neighbourhood Study (ONS) is based at the Centre for Research and Education in Community Services (CRECS) at the University of Ottawa.

If you or your company would like to participate in our neighbourhood breakdown, let us know by emailing anne@ottawalife.com 

This week’s spotlight: Sandy Hill

Sandy Hill is the most densely residential pocket in downtown Ottawa, and is ideal for mobility, entertainment, and quiet. In a way, it’s less about what’s in Sandy Hill, and more about what’s accessible nearby — the businesses, entertainment, and nightlife of the ByWard Market, Rideau’s major shopping centre, and the University of Ottawa.

The average monthly price to rent a 2 bedroom in Sandy Hill is $1,500, and approximately $900 monthly for a studio apartment. The average price of a house or condo is $700,000.

Like most downtown areas, Sandy Hill has access to the central hubs of Ottawa transportation. Walking distance to both the Rideau and uOttawa stops of the Light Rail’s Confederation Line as well as major OCTranspo stations such as Rideau and Mackenzie King, residents of Sandy Hill are ideally placed when it comes to mobility. The area also has more houses with driveways and condo buildings with parking garages than most areas downtown, making the neighbourhood a friendly one for car-owners.

Ottawa’s opinion on the beauty of one of its oldest and most residential downtown neighbourhoods is somewhat controversial. However many new projects go up in the area, Sandy Hill remains an exceptionally old neighbourhood peppered with green spaces, big trees, and beautiful churches. Residents also enjoy quiet streets, thanks to how insulated the neighbourhood pocket is.

As Sandy Hill is right beside the uOttawa campus, the area is a favourite for students. This can mean parties on the day of the Panda Game, but it also means the neighbourhood is far from boring — streets like Laurier, Somerset, and King Edward are packed with restaurants, bars, and cafes. Cafe Nostalgica, is a pub associated with the Graduate Students Association of the University of Ottawa, and is located on the outskirts of campus.

The pub’s menu is vegan/vegetarian/gluten free friendly, and is an ideal haunt for any day of the week. With 27 local beers on tap, a great patio, and events like poetry slams and EDM jams almost every night, Cafe Nostalgica is an awesome time for students and Sandy Hill residents alike. What’s more, after the kitchen closes at 9pm, the pub serves it’s late-night pizza ‘till 2am! 

Look out for next week’s Spotlight on the ByWard Market!