Move to Ottawa - it’s the best place to live (in Canada)
If you’re looking to move to North America, and cannot decide where to live, may I suggest my city, Ottawa?
Ottawa is the recent winner in a survey of 123 Canadian cities and ranks in the number one spot of a top ten list conducted by Money Sense magazine. Canadian Business Online provides a breakdown of some facts about Ottawa that make it so grand.
Instead of rattling on about the fact that Ottawa is the capital of Canada, that it is a city that manages to balance both a big city and small town feel, I’ll list some facts that make Ottawa pretty great in my books:
- Low crime rate (compared to other Canadian cities that were in the running), which makes me feel reasonably safe should I have to walk home one night.
- Plenty of bike paths, which I’m noticing more and more as I go on my walks. Almost all major streets have a bike lane and there are plenty of paths away from busy streets for cycling and walking enthusiasts.
- Public transportation here isn’t bad: although the bus fare is higher here than in most cities, the service seems to extend out into more and more of the city every day, especially with all the building developments springing up (so you feel like you can see the results of the fare increases, at least).
- There is a lot to do if you enjoy cultural activities: museums and galleries to visit, plenty of restaurants of different ethnicities to try, clubs that cater to those who prefer latin music, and it’s easy to find programs and courses to appeal to your creative side. There is always something going on.
- Homes aren’t too expensive. I hope to buy a home in the near future and for a single person with a decent job, it’s actually possible!
However, the winters are cold and the summers can be hot and humid but there is nothing like spring and fall to make you forget any unpleasantness brought on by the weather.
To learn more, please read the following:

May 6th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
[...] Ottawa has been voted the best place in Canada to live. Is it because the Senators beat the Devils to move on to the Eastern Conference finals? In another series where one team was just better, the Senators showed how good they were. Heatley and Spezza led the team, with Ray Emery backing them up. There’s no question that they are going to be a dominant team for a while. But can they beat Buffalo? [...]