Ottawa Neighbourhoods

Ottawa neighbourhoods are of little interest to children growing up in Ottawa, as I did so many decades ago.

The neighbourhood where I and my siblings grew up was, and still is, known as Overbrook. Among other memories that surface about the Ottawa ‘hood where I grew up was the huge swamp that used to exist where the St. Laurent Shopping Mall now stands.

For folks wanting to move into the Ottawa area from afar, knowing a little bit about the Ottawa neighbourhoods they are considering will probably come in useful. This is a page in progress and more Ottawa neighbourhoods will be added, in alphabetical order, as the information is researched or received.

Chinatown

Chinatown is one of our Ottawa neighbourhoods and promotes itself as a multicultural village with an Asian flavour. Pictured below is the “main gate” to Ottawa’s Chinatown.

Photo credit: http://somersetcpc.com

While not strictly relegated to this specific area, Chinatown is recognized as spanning Somerset Street between Rochester and Bay Streets in downtown Ottawa.

Visitors will enjoy the variety of Chinese and Asian restaurants, shops and people in the Chinatown area.

Much information about this Ottawa neighbourhood can be obtained from the Chinatown business improvement area association: http://ottawachinatown.ca

Overbrook

The Overbrook boundaries are the neighbourhoods of Vanier  –  known as Eastview when I was growing up there and then became the City of Vanier –  to the north, St. Laurent Boulevard to the east, to the west the Overbrook boundary is the Rideau River, and the southern boundary for me was always Coventry Road.

Overbrook boasts Queen Mary Street Public School, educating children from Kindergarten through Grade 6. The school is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. For more information on Queen Mary Street Public School visit: http://www.queenmarystreetps.ocdsb.ca.

More information about Overbrook is available from the community association: http://overbrook.ca/

 The Glebe

As you head southbound from the Parliament Hill (Wellington Street)  on Bank Street, in downtown Ottawa, about one mile south (1.6 km) you will travel under the 417 highway overpass. As you exit, you are in The Glebe.

The border to the east and south is the Rideau Canal, and to the west the Glebe ends at Dow’s Lake.

Landsdowne Park is located in the Glebe, and for years sports aficionados have visited Frank Clair Stadium to enjoy professional and university level football. Pro football may be coming back to the park. Former professional football teams were the Renegades and the Ottawa Roughriders.

Lovely older and refurbished homes enrich the Glebe, with some low rise apartments off  the main thoroughfares,.

Bank Street bisects the Glebe and is a shopping destination in Ottawa.

The Glebe has a strong neighbourhood association. Much information about activities in the Glebe is available through them: http://www.gnag.ca

If I have missed your Ottawa neighbourhood… sorry. I just haven’t got there yet. If you want your neighbourhood fast-tracked, use the comment box to send detailed information and I will add it to the page.