ISO: info about living in Guelph, Ontario

[foodfiend]

Hi everyone,
Right now I live in downtown Toronto, but I'm renting. I'm thinking ahead to buying a place, but Toronto is just too expensive. I'd like to move out of the city, preferably somewhere more green and relaxed. I've heard Guelph is quite lovely, and I've visited once. The housing prices are certainly more affordable. Can anyone tell me what it's like to live there? Thanks.

[muriel3002]

Why not live in Cambridge? (Unless of course you have to commute to Toronto - then Cambridge might be a little TOO Far.)

We lived in Cambridge for 11 years, and I loved it! I miss it so much. We lived in West Galt almost of our 11 years - there was a brief time we lived in Kitchener for 1 year, though.

You can see lovely pictures of Cambridge at www.homesincambridge.com (and they are realtors that I can highly recommend, too!). Check out the "About Cambridge" link, too.

Guelph is okay, too. My DD lived there for a year. They are a university town, so like Waterloo, they have a slightly different flavor...

[Sarah]

Are you planning to continue working in Toronto, or are you looking for a new job? Guelph is nice, but you may want to think about proximity to the GO...

[funnybone]

My husband worked in Guelph when we lived in Ontario. It's a University town that has grown leaps and bounds over the years. I'm not sure if you have a car now, but you would most likely need one if you lived there.

Depending on where you work, you may want to consider Burlington. They have great GO service into the city (or used to) and the houses are still less than anything east of there. Of course I haven't lived in the area for 7 years now, so I'm not in touch with the area, except for bi-annual visits. BTW - Oakville is getting a Whole Foods just off Trafalgar Rd. When visiting my parents this summer, we saw the sign at the location. I know Oakville is quite expensive though. I have a friend who is a real estate agent there and the prices are unreal.

[CompassRose]

Guelph is pretty, but they do have that University town schizophrenia going. They also have a bizarre microclimate -- A. and I both think it is COLDER in Guelph than anywhere else in this general area.

A. (who went to U of G) thinks Guelph is mostly stuffy and conservative, even more conservative than KW, which is saying something. They do have well-intentioned environmental policies, though. Housing in Guelph is actually more expensive, generally, than other towns around the region, since it's becoming a noticeable Toronto bedroom community.

And if you do have to commute, that's something to consider with anything out this way: going by car down the 401 to Toronto SUCKS. Sucks rocks through a straw, because this side is terrifically overcrowded and growing by leaps and bounds. I've noticed, coming from KW, that EVERY TIME I've gone in to Toronto recently, at any time of day except the once when it was three in the morning (for an MRI at Princess Margaret), even though I avoid "rush hour", I've been stuck in parking-lot conditions all the way through to Toronto. It is not unusual for a trip to Toronto to take three hours or more now, which was not the case five years ago, at least, not so regularly.

Waterloo in particular I would not recommend, as fallout from the recent RIM thing is reverberating through the town, with repercussions including a near-doubling of taxes.

I have a love-hate relationship with this whole Southern Ontario region, truly. A lot of places round here seem to have all the worst qualities of a largish town AND a very small town. Personally, of all of them, I like Stratford, which is a bit more tolerant of freakiness in general... possibly because of the annual influx of all of those notorious actor freaks. But it is also crazy expensive.

[muriel3002]

Originally posted by funnybone
My husband worked in Guelph when we lived in Ontario. It's a University town that has grown leaps and bounds over the years. I'm not sure if you have a car now, but you would most likely need one if you lived there.

Depending on where you work, you may want to consider Burlington. They have great GO service into the city (or used to) and the houses are still less than anything east of there. Of course I haven't lived in the area for 7 years now, so I'm not in touch with the area, except for bi-annual visits. BTW - Oakville is getting a Whole Foods just off Trafalgar Rd. When visiting my parents this summer, we saw the sign at the location. I know Oakville is quite expensive though. I have a friend who is a real estate agent there and the prices are unreal.

I haven't been to Burlington proper for years, but it has really grown from when I lived there in 1979-83. Wow! The whole place is a buzzing metropolis of gridlock and big box stores. I'm not sure of housing prices, though, but it sure has grown. The field where I used to pick tomatoes to can is now completely paved over and has an Ikea store on it! Progress... who can stop it.


And unfortunately, Cambridge does not have a GO train. You can take VIA Rail from downtown Kitchener, although it might take you 30 minutes to get there from Cambridge. Not sure how convenient it is for commuting.

[funnybone]

Originally posted by muriel3002


I haven't been to Burlington proper for years, but it has really grown from when I lived there in 1979-83. Wow! The whole place is a buzzing metropolis of gridlock and big box stores.

We lived there from '88 to '97 and it has grown even more SINCE we moved. My BIL and SIL still live there as well as some other friends.

[muriel3002]

Originally posted by funnybone


We lived there from '88 to '97 and it has grown even more SINCE we moved. My BIL and SIL still live there as well as some other friends.

My BIL & SIL live there too now. In a McMansion on a golf course off of Appleby Line.

[kima]

I hope you don't mind me reading this thread :o :o . I have nothing to contribute because I have only been to Hamilton once for my DH's art show there. I know nothing about southnern (or northern) Ontario so I am learning here.
Makes me realize how much of this great country I want to see....carry on!
Best of luck finding a place that suits you foodfiend. (and if house prices look crazy there check out Victoria!!!):(

[CompassRose]

Hi, kima! You and me both... I feel so deprived, I've never been further west than Lake Superior. My sister is living in Whitehorse right now, and regularly visits BC -- she keeps telling me she's going to send me and A. a plane ticket so we can come to the West Coast, and insisting that as soon as we see it, we won't go back.

On the topic of Burlington and Oakvile, they seem nightmarish to me. Miles and miles of enormous, overpriced houses on parade, each with its two square feet of "yard". And the big box stores, oh yeah.

But I guess that's the truth... the idea these days is "wherever you go, there you are." Perish the thought that one should ever be out of quick driving distance of a Montana's, a Chapters, or a Gap outlet store. Fech.

[kima]

You must come out west Compass Rose- you would love it!!!!
And I must get back east- I have wanted to see the Maritimes forever.....and Ontario too of course!:) :)

[foodfiend]

Actually I would love to move out to West! I lived in Vancouver for a while and have visited Victoria. I esp. love Victoria -- it's so green and the air is always fresh...
But back to reality -- I don't have the $$$ to buy something out there, and I have ties here in Ontario. Burlington seems to be popping up on this thread, but I was considering Guelph because I wanted an area with a strong sense of community. As well, the thought of living in a university town appeals to me (apart from the beer parties etc.). Friends tell me there are a number of artists who live in Guelph.
I'm not at all familiar with Cambridge. Maybe I should check it out.

[Natasha]

When were you last in Guelph? I agree that it is nice, but think if you haven't seen it recently you might want to have another look, as it really has grown and continues to grow. I know others on the thread have made the same comment but just thought I'd add my .02.

Also, I agree with the comments about commuting. If you have flex hours, and/or can work at home, or are considering having a job near Guelph, it's one thing, but if you have, say, a 9-5 office job in Toronto proper, I personally wouldn't move to Guelph. Not a chance.

CR, I share your love/hate relationship with this general area. Having grown up in a suburb of Toronto, I cannot BELIEVE how quickly it's all mushroomed. It's insane, isn't it? Also scary as the growth is not stopping any time soon. That said, I live in a house with, oh, about 1.7 sq. feet of yard and happen to love it, so guess I shouldn't say anything ;) Someday I'll move to the country country, instead of almost country, but only if there IS any country country left once all this growth stops :rolleyes:

I remember when I was a kid growing up in suburban Toronto, it took us FIVE minutes to get into the country on Sunday drives. Don't want to think how long it would take to get to the country from there now. And I'm not that old - I'm not talking 50 years ago ;)

But I'll stop rambling. Lily, good luck and keep us posted! :)

Natasha

[muriel3002]

Cambridge is a different community than Guelph, that's for sure, but not in a bad way. Once you get away from the highway, Hespeler Road, and the proliferation of big box stores, you can get the flavor of the city. If you go north, you'll be in Hespeler. The bad thing about Hespeler is their water tastes bad. Water on the other side of the highway tastes better - that puts you in the Galt and Preston areas of Cambridge.

There's still quite a bit of parks (Shades Mill, etc.) in Cambridge where you can be out of the city. The area along the river in downtown Galt is absolutely beautiful for walks and such! The library is a really good, and the Y, too! You're not too far from the St. Jacobs area, which has the bonus of a great farmer's market and some Mennonite country flavor. Also, nice shopping in downtown St. Jacobs. As you head south out of Cambridge, you can drive along the river. There is a great trail system to follow too! We used to take nice hikes along the Grand River, and it's especially beautiful in the fall and spring! I wish I could tell you how much I loved Cambridge, but you're probably getting the hint.

Along Hwy. 8, heading towards Hamilton, you're immediately in the country - apple orchards and Christmas tree farms if you're into that sort of stuff.

If I could move back, I would. However, our lives are on a different path that is providing more job security and career advancement than we could have gotten in Cambridge. Also, Cambridge tends to get a milder winter than its neighbors - Guelph (yes, unusually cold and a rougher winter), K-W (more snow than Cambridge).

[Sarah]

I'll be the dissenter...

I hate Cambridge. I don't live there, but to get north from where I am to K/W or Guelph, there is no way around it. It's a pain because you have to go through the middle of it, no matter what. My .02, FWIW.

Lily, you haven't told us a couple of things. Are you keeping your job in TO, or are you looking for something new? Will you have a car? Guelph or Cambridge require transportation other than your feet. They're pretty spread out.

How big a place do you want to live? Guelph/Cambridge/ K/W are all growing like mad, and house prices are growing with them. Are you interested in instabox living, or something older?

[CompassRose]

I don't like downtown Cambridge, especially the bits around Highway 8 -- I think they're kind of nasty and skanky.

Blair is really pretty though.

There's also Hamilton area -- again, not most of the city proper (yeuch! It doesn't smell so bad now that half the industrial stuff is closed -- instead, it is distinctly on the Skid Row trail, and has that effluvium of poverty and desperation.) The Mountain is okay, I suppose. But there's Dundas/Ancaster, and the smaller towns up there on the Escarpment, like Greensville. Very sweet, and with the advantage that GO does run from Hamilton.

There again, you'd be running into a bit of priceyness (specially Ancaster area, which is insane) but it's still not so out of reach as the heart of Toronto.

"Instabox." Hee!

[foodfiend]

As for questions about me:
I currently work as a freelance editor. I work on-site, but hope to work from home someday. If I move out of the city, I'll get a car. I don't look forward to the prospect of 3 hours of traffic each day, so I'd try to find work outside Toronto.
Yes, this is a big lifestyle change, but that's what I want and why I'm looking far in advance.

[muriel3002]

Originally posted by Sarah
I'll be the dissenter...

I hate Cambridge. I don't live there, but to get north from where I am to K/W or Guelph, there is no way around it. It's a pain because you have to go through the middle of it, no matter what. My .02, FWIW.

Lily, you haven't told us a couple of things. Are you keeping your job in TO, or are you looking for something new? Will you have a car? Guelph or Cambridge require transportation other than your feet. They're pretty spread out.

How big a place do you want to live? Guelph/Cambridge/ K/W are all growing like mad, and house prices are growing with them. Are you interested in instabox living, or something older?

Ah, but there are ways around it - without having to go through Hespeler Rd. or Townline Rd. And nicer ways, too.

We always took Blair Rd. to Fountain, then to Homer Watson. But we lived on that side of town. There's also Cedar/Concession (the Galt street with that name), which takes you out the way to Ayr, but then if you turn on (I can't remember the name of the road, but I can see it in my mind - it has an old schoolhouse on the corner), that will take you to Fountain/Homer Watson. I'm not really that familiar with getting "around" Cambridge from the east side, though, but I know that their is a way.

[Sarah]

It's Roseville (the school you refer to). I often go the Ayr road. I'm coming from Brantford.
24 is a nightmare, because people don't seem to realize that passing on a turn is a bad plan. The rest of the back routes are now becoming so overused that they're not back routes anymore. I've seen more and more OPP setting up camp (not that I can blame them...) If I lived up there, I think I wouldn't want to be in Cambridge. But that's just me.

[muriel3002]

Originally posted by Sarah
It's Roseville (the school you refer to). I often go the Ayr road. I'm coming from Brantford.
24 is a nightmare, because people don't seem to realize that passing on a turn is a bad plan. The rest of the back routes are now becoming so overused that they're not back routes anymore. I've seen more and more OPP setting up camp (not that I can blame them...) If I lived up there, I think I wouldn't want to be in Cambridge. But that's just me.

I've only been gone 2 years and eeow! Now I'm not sure I want to go back.

What about the route on the west side of Grand - coming into Cambridge? I can't remember if this was any good or not....

[Sarah]

Up to Glen Morris and then East River Road to West River Road.

That's not bad either. It depends where you're going. Old Cheese Factory Road isn't bad if you're headed for Guelph.

I think the thing for me with Cambridge is the fact that all of these towns have grown together that Cambridge is sprawling. And that's what I don't like. Like I said, it's just me :D