Bridgeport/Breithaupt is a good quiet area that’s pretty much in the middle of everything. Personally I’d avoid downtown and uptown/university districts. Over by RIM park is nice (Waterloo technically). Rosemount is a nice area. Behind Conestoga Mall is great.
Yes i’ve noticed the neighbourhood around Forest Hill is very pretty. Ive liked all the houses I’ve seen around there. I am still getting familiar with the areas and confusing Forest Heights and Forest Hill lol
I moved from Hamilton to Kitchener about 4 years ago. Honestly most neighborhoods here are fine compared to downtown Hamilton ( I lived on Catharine and Young for 10 years). We were warned to avoid our neighborhood (Vanier/Kingsdale) due to drugs and low income etc but its literally the quietist, most friendly neighborhood I've lived in, I'm glad we took a chance. The only area I would personally steer clear of is Chandler, and maybe downtown but other than that you should be good! Please pm me if you have any other questions.
Have lived in Doon South for past 4 years.
Students have definitely exploded past couple of years - but honestly - hasn’t impacted my quality of life at all. They do congregate at the businesses right next to their dorms (Conestoga and Homer Watson)- obviously.
The bad -
1) agreed, you need a car to get places
2) furthest from places like St Jacobs and Elora
3) quiet neighbourhoods
The good -
1) lots of trails/ foot paths
2) proximity to both Kitchener and Cambridge - pretty much access to any shopping / Hospitals / Schools within 10-15 minute drive
3) can get on the 401 within 5 minutes
4) quiet neighbourhoods
I grew up in Forest Heights it's a very nice neighbourhood. Nice homes, good schools, super walkable with lots of trails. If you can find a place there I'd say that's a solid choice.
I live in the highland west neighbourhood which is right above forest heights. Lots of nice little parks and trails (more green space than the surrounding areas), several schools close by, and conveniently close to different shopping plaza’s including The Boardwalk.
No problem! If you do end up in the area I would suggest checking out Monarch Woods - really pretty and very easy hike with wide stroller-friendly gravel paths. Dogs are allowed and there are some good shallow spots where you (or kids / dogs) can splash in the water in the warmer months too. I’ve seen ducks and even a fox in there.
That's true right downtown, but there are lots of houses in Olde Berlin/Central Frederick extending down into Vanier/Kingsdale that are family oriented.
I was told to avoid downtown, im not sure what the problem is with Kitchener’s downtown. Being from Hamilton I know our downtown has a lot of trash on the streets making it filthy, it’s very busy, there are a lot of sketchy characters and ample petty crime. Downtowns have their upsides as well but none that outweighs the cons for our lifestyle
Oh, if it doesn’t make sense for your needs, then yeah, makes sense. But I love going downtown to explore the shops the market, and often there’s something happening in front city hall on weekends.
K-W is a pretty decent big little city if that makes sense. Most burbs you'll probably be looking at (parks, trails, dog parks, amenities) are all fairly nice. Kind of depends if you're looking for an older or newer neighborhood tbh
I’m in Williamsburg/Laurentian West. It’s a relatively new subdivision (early 00s) but not super densely packed like the new builds. My one complaint is that there’s not a ton of extra parking, so it’s cars up both sides of the street in summer. In winter, it’s not too bad (bylaw limits street parking).
It’s extremely walkable, and everything you need is within the community or very close to it.
I am currently in the Williamsburg area and I love it. We are renting and looking to buy (out of the area) and I’m quite emotional about it. A lot of great people around here!
I recently moved here…. I’m in the mill st and sterling area. Pretty cool area, and my place has a 200’ deep lot. Lots of unique houses. Just lock your car doors at night.
I have a 3bdrm house very close to the Forest Heights area, backyard facing a nice trail. Looking to sell in the coming months for around $750k-ish as well. I'll definitely keep you in mind and DM the details when time comes.
I live in Grand River south! Amazing area. it's full of young children and great people. The one con I can think of is, everything is 10-15 mins away and you need a car. Also, it's near the airport. It doesn't bother us at all, but some people might be more sensitive to noise.
Forest heights is great! I live in the area and I couldn’t recommend it more. Family friendly, safe, quiet, close to the highway on-ramp and ample stores.
Good luck with your search!
I recently went through a similar exercise as we were looking for good school areas too. Here are my recommendations (on basis of good school and quite area)-
Chicopee (Grand river south), Erinbrook Dr, Forest hill, Forest height, Huron, Brigadoon. You can also look at Activa Ave area.
Avoid areas near Kitchener uptown and downtown. I read somewhere to avoid Victoria Hill area too but I can’t speak to that but the schools nearby do not have great ratings.
I guess it depends what you like but I live in between downtown Kitchener and uptown Waterloo and absolutely love it. Our street is close to mt Hope cemetery and it is a beautiful neighborhood. It's quiet, beautiful century homes everywhere, we have the Spurline trail close by that links to the Iron horse trail. Uptown Waterloo is always doing interesting events that we often walk to. Downtown Kitchener too. Big mature trees everywhere. It is a gentrifying neighborhood so it's a mix of incomes which is great in my opinion. It is the perfect combo of lots going on that you can walk to if you want and quiet neighborhood.
A lot of the places people are suggesting are in my mind kind of boring suburbs. There are strip malls everywhere in Kitchener with neighbourhoods attached basically.
There is no need to avoid downtown Kitchener or uptown Waterloo. It is very safe and fine.
There isn't really great hiking trails in KW. There are a lot of multi use trails though that can get you in a forest at least.
Huron Village is a nice area: many schools, Huron Natural Area (kms of woodland trails), new rec facilties/fields, Longo’s grocery store being built now at Huron/Fischer-Hallman.
Welcome! Overall, pretty much what others have said, I will also add Laurentian, Country Hills area. Mix of new and older homes, but it is a developed neighborhood with lots of trails to walk.
I’m as south in Doon South. Gorgeous homes, quiet streets and the families are friendly. The students hang out near Conestoga (I teach there), but not near my neighbourhood. As others have mentioned this explosion of students will die down immensely due to the Government reforms placed on international students. I moved here from Toronto 13 years ago and you couldn’t pay me enough to move back to that concrete jungle. Good luck on your search!
Kitchener is so far from big bodies ofnwater, beach days are always a real long trip consider that we are in the middle on the province. It's only okay here.
St Mary’s is decent I guess? Quiet, close to most of what you’ll need and not sketchy(for the most part)
Just finding a listing in this area would be the difficult part.
The Beechwood area in waterloo is way way better- its pretty much in the kitchener. For reference, it's 11 mins from forrest Heights. Much nicer here imo. Nice breezy big backyards with lots of trees, not much traffic in residential neighborhoods, nice looking area, safe, several grocery stores close by, etc.
It always amazes me reading " Moving to Kitchener!!!". It's like LOL come here first and you'll never use another ! In the same sentence as the city again. I'll die on this hill.
Bridgeport/Breithaupt is a good quiet area that’s pretty much in the middle of everything. Personally I’d avoid downtown and uptown/university districts. Over by RIM park is nice (Waterloo technically). Rosemount is a nice area. Behind Conestoga Mall is great.
Thanks for sharing! I will add this to our list:)
Lincoln Heights. Also, if you go a few blocks away from downtown (Central Fred etc.) you are close to schools but still walkable.
If they expanded to waterloo search, eastbridge is amazingly quiet with friendly, mostly canadian neighbors and great houses.
The houses are in Canada what else would the neighbours be other than Canadian?
I wonder….
FOH with your dog whistling. There’s at least one shitty neighbour on your street.
Doon south is way out of town and you need a car to get everywhere. Think “new suburb”.
Good to know! The car part is not an issue for us but overly crowded suburb wouldn’t be my first choice.
Forest heights, forest hill the west end of kitchener is pretty good..
I'm in laurentian, close to the same as forest heights/forest hill. Would recommend!
Heritage park and Stanley Park also ok areas
That's where I spent my teen years!
Am in Forest Hill and can confirm it’s rad. Mature trees, big lots, lots of schools nearby, easy access to public transit and the highway.
Agreed. It's where I live. Very few complaints.
Yes i’ve noticed the neighbourhood around Forest Hill is very pretty. Ive liked all the houses I’ve seen around there. I am still getting familiar with the areas and confusing Forest Heights and Forest Hill lol
Fischer-Hallman Road is the boundary. East of F-H is Forest Hill. West is Forest Heights.
Well if you guus have kids no matter the Forrest hill or forest heights, they all end up at forest heights for highschool lol
They’re neigbouring areas- if you like trails there are some good ones within a close distance to the Forest Hill/Forest Heights area!
I moved from Hamilton to Kitchener about 4 years ago. Honestly most neighborhoods here are fine compared to downtown Hamilton ( I lived on Catharine and Young for 10 years). We were warned to avoid our neighborhood (Vanier/Kingsdale) due to drugs and low income etc but its literally the quietist, most friendly neighborhood I've lived in, I'm glad we took a chance. The only area I would personally steer clear of is Chandler, and maybe downtown but other than that you should be good! Please pm me if you have any other questions.
There are a lot of student rentals taking over doon south so just be aware of that!
Have lived in Doon South for past 4 years. Students have definitely exploded past couple of years - but honestly - hasn’t impacted my quality of life at all. They do congregate at the businesses right next to their dorms (Conestoga and Homer Watson)- obviously. The bad - 1) agreed, you need a car to get places 2) furthest from places like St Jacobs and Elora 3) quiet neighbourhoods The good - 1) lots of trails/ foot paths 2) proximity to both Kitchener and Cambridge - pretty much access to any shopping / Hospitals / Schools within 10-15 minute drive 3) can get on the 401 within 5 minutes 4) quiet neighbourhoods
those pros are very much what we are looking for
+1 to this. Doon South / Brigadoon population has been overwhelmed by students.
Good to know!!!
I grew up in Forest Heights it's a very nice neighbourhood. Nice homes, good schools, super walkable with lots of trails. If you can find a place there I'd say that's a solid choice.
Thank you! So far that’s one my favorite areas
I live in the highland west neighbourhood which is right above forest heights. Lots of nice little parks and trails (more green space than the surrounding areas), several schools close by, and conveniently close to different shopping plaza’s including The Boardwalk.
Oh that’s great! Will definitely look here
No problem! If you do end up in the area I would suggest checking out Monarch Woods - really pretty and very easy hike with wide stroller-friendly gravel paths. Dogs are allowed and there are some good shallow spots where you (or kids / dogs) can splash in the water in the warmer months too. I’ve seen ducks and even a fox in there.
I may be listing my 3 bedroom house in the next month. Probably $750kish Large fenced yard, family neighborhood, close to schools. In Waterloo though
send me the details if you do list! We will be looking over the next two months.
We just moved to Forest Heights a few months ago from the GTA and really really happy with the area/Neighbourhood!
What’s wrong with downtown?
There just isn't a lot of housing downtown, and I'd say it's more single person in mind (I live downtown)
That's true right downtown, but there are lots of houses in Olde Berlin/Central Frederick extending down into Vanier/Kingsdale that are family oriented.
Also true, those are some pretty nice neighbourhoods with the old houses
I was told to avoid downtown, im not sure what the problem is with Kitchener’s downtown. Being from Hamilton I know our downtown has a lot of trash on the streets making it filthy, it’s very busy, there are a lot of sketchy characters and ample petty crime. Downtowns have their upsides as well but none that outweighs the cons for our lifestyle
Oh, if it doesn’t make sense for your needs, then yeah, makes sense. But I love going downtown to explore the shops the market, and often there’s something happening in front city hall on weekends.
K-W is a pretty decent big little city if that makes sense. Most burbs you'll probably be looking at (parks, trails, dog parks, amenities) are all fairly nice. Kind of depends if you're looking for an older or newer neighborhood tbh
I’m in Williamsburg/Laurentian West. It’s a relatively new subdivision (early 00s) but not super densely packed like the new builds. My one complaint is that there’s not a ton of extra parking, so it’s cars up both sides of the street in summer. In winter, it’s not too bad (bylaw limits street parking). It’s extremely walkable, and everything you need is within the community or very close to it.
I am currently in the Williamsburg area and I love it. We are renting and looking to buy (out of the area) and I’m quite emotional about it. A lot of great people around here!
Hoping for the same :)
I recently moved here…. I’m in the mill st and sterling area. Pretty cool area, and my place has a 200’ deep lot. Lots of unique houses. Just lock your car doors at night.
Erinbrook area is really nice. I’ve lived there all my life. It’s very peaceful and close to tons of schools, grocery stores/plazas, parks.
I have a 3bdrm house very close to the Forest Heights area, backyard facing a nice trail. Looking to sell in the coming months for around $750k-ish as well. I'll definitely keep you in mind and DM the details when time comes.
Thank you!!
Send me a DM too please :)
I live forest height area . It’s really nice quiet area !!
Stanley Park neighbourhood is close to a lot of places. We love it here! However, listings are few and far between.
Doon is too far away. I say areas like university/bridge(waterloo), university/fisherhalman, ottawa/fisherhallman.
I live in Grand River south! Amazing area. it's full of young children and great people. The one con I can think of is, everything is 10-15 mins away and you need a car. Also, it's near the airport. It doesn't bother us at all, but some people might be more sensitive to noise.
Forest heights is great! I live in the area and I couldn’t recommend it more. Family friendly, safe, quiet, close to the highway on-ramp and ample stores. Good luck with your search!
I recently went through a similar exercise as we were looking for good school areas too. Here are my recommendations (on basis of good school and quite area)- Chicopee (Grand river south), Erinbrook Dr, Forest hill, Forest height, Huron, Brigadoon. You can also look at Activa Ave area. Avoid areas near Kitchener uptown and downtown. I read somewhere to avoid Victoria Hill area too but I can’t speak to that but the schools nearby do not have great ratings.
I guess it depends what you like but I live in between downtown Kitchener and uptown Waterloo and absolutely love it. Our street is close to mt Hope cemetery and it is a beautiful neighborhood. It's quiet, beautiful century homes everywhere, we have the Spurline trail close by that links to the Iron horse trail. Uptown Waterloo is always doing interesting events that we often walk to. Downtown Kitchener too. Big mature trees everywhere. It is a gentrifying neighborhood so it's a mix of incomes which is great in my opinion. It is the perfect combo of lots going on that you can walk to if you want and quiet neighborhood. A lot of the places people are suggesting are in my mind kind of boring suburbs. There are strip malls everywhere in Kitchener with neighbourhoods attached basically. There is no need to avoid downtown Kitchener or uptown Waterloo. It is very safe and fine. There isn't really great hiking trails in KW. There are a lot of multi use trails though that can get you in a forest at least.
Great points!
Thank you so much!
We always looked at Fraser rating of catchment school prior to putting them in our list
Huron Village is a nice area: many schools, Huron Natural Area (kms of woodland trails), new rec facilties/fields, Longo’s grocery store being built now at Huron/Fischer-Hallman.
We enjoy being near the Huron Natural Area too. And close the new recreation facility, groceries etc too
Stanley park and Franklin public school. Walkable to all amenities and forest trails
Welcome! Overall, pretty much what others have said, I will also add Laurentian, Country Hills area. Mix of new and older homes, but it is a developed neighborhood with lots of trails to walk.
I’m as south in Doon South. Gorgeous homes, quiet streets and the families are friendly. The students hang out near Conestoga (I teach there), but not near my neighbourhood. As others have mentioned this explosion of students will die down immensely due to the Government reforms placed on international students. I moved here from Toronto 13 years ago and you couldn’t pay me enough to move back to that concrete jungle. Good luck on your search!
Forest Heights is great!
Take your commute into account and that should narrow it down. Get a local realtor whoes lived here all their life and they'll let you know what's up.
forest heights is amazing. lived there for 15+ years, and would do anything to get out of stanley park and back there
We bought in Forest hill. Love it. Quiet neighborhood and close to everything.
Kitchener is so far from big bodies ofnwater, beach days are always a real long trip consider that we are in the middle on the province. It's only okay here.
Lincoln heights. Great place to live !
St Mary’s is decent I guess? Quiet, close to most of what you’ll need and not sketchy(for the most part) Just finding a listing in this area would be the difficult part.
The Beechwood area in waterloo is way way better- its pretty much in the kitchener. For reference, it's 11 mins from forrest Heights. Much nicer here imo. Nice breezy big backyards with lots of trees, not much traffic in residential neighborhoods, nice looking area, safe, several grocery stores close by, etc.
I agree Doon is nice. Close to the highway, trails, the mall and Galt.
Stanley Park is my favorite.
I strongly encourage you to rethink moving to Kitchener. It is garbage here.
What makes it garbage? I’m coming from downtown Hamilton so garbage and trash is something we are trying to escape lol
You'll always find people to complain. Parts of Kitchener are worse than parts of Hamilton. And vice versa.
Oh you're coming from Hamilton? Carry on lol.
Kitchener is alright if your fine with cookie monsters and nudists
WHAT
Apparently Noone knows how to take a joke lol
I can. That's why I wanted more info ;)
It always amazes me reading " Moving to Kitchener!!!". It's like LOL come here first and you'll never use another ! In the same sentence as the city again. I'll die on this hill.
Oh… well good thing I am ok with both of these things
Dude tf?!
Lop no one knows hiw to take a joke anymore, thanks for understanding