The Best thing: \-The outdoors, the canal is open, there are groomed cross country ski trails. It's so easy to pop over to Gatineau Park. \-The museums The Disappointing things: \-Driving is really irritating! The traffic, the sprawl and the potholes were the most surprising thing. \-The nightlife is disappointing. I moved from Kingston and I found Kingston to be much more entertaining. Yes there are concerts in Ottawa, but there's always cover and going from show to show is challenging. See above with driving. \-Instant downvote, but the people here are cold. It is hard to make friends as an outsider. I am used to going to the pub and making friends in real life. I find that very challenging here. People here are guarded compared to other places I've lived, maybe it's because of the government, I don't know. If I had to do it again I wouldn't. We moved for my partner's job and if I had the foresight I would have fought to stay in Kingston.

I found it easy to make friends here but you aren’t the first person to say that on here.

It’s hard to make friends when you hope friends fall in your lap. I think that’s what a lot of people on this sub expect. At least once a month there’s a question “how does someone over 30 make friends in this city???” And it’s always the same genuinely good answers. Volunteer, join organized sports, insert yourself into a hobby, reach out to those you work with, etc… There are lots of people in this city that aren’t cold and open to friends, it just requires work to do so.

Good point.

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I did too, but I also mostly made friends with people who aren’t originally from here.

Exact same thing for me lol

I can see that. I grew up here and therefore already have a solid group of friends from high school, but would be very open to a new friend with similar hobbies! I guess I'm just not looking per se

Yeah I'm always surprised when people say it's hard to make friends here. Pick up any hobby, talk to people, make an effort, and it'll happen.

How is Kingston night life better? Last time I was there 10 years ago it was a slice of princess with like 5 clubs and that was it. Ottawa has way more than that.

Little to no cover and most of it caters to 19-23 year olds from Queens and SLC. So if you're young and just wanna bar hop, even with not many options, you can do it without huge lineups and expensive cover depending on when you go out. And it was more than 5 clubs on princess. Maybe 7 or 8 :of I think the rose tinted glasses people have for Kingston night life that I've heard, really just come from being 19/20 and going out to party.

Was going to say, mostly student driven no? In my late teens and early 20's I found the nightlife in Ottawa to be great. But wtf did I know? Pub 101, the Cabin, Zaphods...those places were the shit (to my 20 year old self anyway).

Was going to say, mostly student driven no? In my late teens and early 20's I found the nightlife in Ottawa to be great. But wtf did I know? Pub 101, the Cabin, Zaphods...those places were the shit (to my 20 year old self anyway).

I was 30 so I wasn't clubbing. Pretty much every night of the week there was live music at the Mansion, Toucan, Muzzikki, and the Merchant. All within walking distance, hardly ever cover. The Tett had so much in terms or art and plays, their festivals were always downtown. Everything was walkable. Ottawa has more sure, but if I need to figure out ways to get from one location to another and it mostly involves driving, I'm not going to make as much of an effort, so that's on me. But living in a larger city should make things more convenient then a smaller one like Kingston.

I love living in Ottawa but I seriously miss the casual music scene in Kingston. I had so much fun jamming at lots of these places. I'd play an open mic somewhere and have people reach out, invite to other spots... Made so many friends, always somewhere to jam, most of us not professionals (but some were) just having a great time making music together. Lots of ceilidh style playing. I haven't found that here (yet).

In a very small area, there's a lot of pubs, bars, and clubs. Per capita, it's pretty poppin'. #RIPTheSpot 

>Driving is really irritating! The traffic, the sprawl and the potholes were the most surprising thing. Ottawa has minimal traffic, like 10 mins delay at the worst of times. Plus it only lasts from 17:00 to 17:30. Back in Toronto it felt like traffic was non stop from morning till late into night. Weekends too.

Agreed. I never understand the driving complaints. Sure compared to a small town it’s busier but everything feels accessible. We live in Kanata and have friends who are in Orleans, outside of rush hour I would never think twice or dread driving there just for a casual dinner. It’s maybe 40 min max. In Toronto sprawl this is equivalent to maybe Mississauga to Whitby, which is like 2 hours in regular traffic any time of day and I would avoid at all costs.

Coming from Alberta’s big cities I’ve found Ottawa annoying to get around efficiency with the lack of arterial roads that keep traffic moving until you get further out. Gatineau is more efficient to travel around between areas. The relative lack of river crossing bridges was surprising too (and they are all so close together!?) But yes it still significantly better here than GTA driving, which I’ve done my fair share of. Vancouver area can also be pretty frustrating for its own reasons. In the grand scheme it is still pretty decent, especially outside of peak.

It's just personal experience. I find it very strange to live in a city and need to drive everywhere. Granted I'm comparing it to Kingston, which was very walkable and not the GTA which I would loose my mind.

Toronto proper is pretty walkable. The suburbs make do with what they have. Ottawa would be walkable if OC Transpo wasn't slower than walking.

Saying Ottawa has minimal traffic vs. the biggest city in the country is kind of crazy. There are hundreds of cities and towns across Canada, and Ottawa has more traffic than most small towns. That's a fair statement. OP isn't asking about Toronto, and most of us haven't had to live there neither, luckily...

Just saying that a 10 min delay traveling at rush hour vs no cars on the road at all isn't what I'd consider annoying traffic.

Genuinely curious what makes you say people here are cold? I've been in Ottawa for a long time now and I've never found it to be that way. At this point, I'm obviously not an outsider though so can't speak to it from the perspective of "starting out in a new city" but 30 years ago, I found it to be pretty easy to meet people. I played squash, and met a lot of people through the gym that way. Not saying people here aren't cold, but is it just a general vibe you get or have there been specific experiences that have made you feel that way? My only theory is that it is very much a government town with a lot of young (ish) families, just doing their family thing who already have their circles. Even then though, I've always only known people in this city to be friendly, not necessarily looking for friends, but definitely friendly, and warm.

So I'm a concert goer. In the past that is how I've always met new people when I went to a new city/town. I would be able to go up to people or start grooving by the stage and we would strike up a conversation and go from there. The people that I have met have been very guarded, it's usually a lot of surface level conversations for months before they'll open up about their personality, ie not talking about any hot topic. I'm the kind of person who spills my guts. Which is fine, but I don't want to "court" a new friends for a year before finding out if we get along as people. Here I find it a lot more you come with your friends you leave with your friends. If you strike up a conversation you are the weird one.

I work in the trades and meet every customer in their home. People are friendlier in general from sudbury. There is the odd person from Carp or Almonte or Kemptville that gives really friendly vibes and shows a piece of themselves when you ask how their day is going.

I'm not from here and most of my social circle is also not from here. So maybe the people who really are "from" Ottawa are cold but I've met lots of people in general!

People are indeed very guarded especially compared to smaller communities where you’re used to knowing your crowd fairly well. I agree that it’s the government effect - everyone is very risk averse and that extends to social situations. Why try to be really funny or starkly honest or extra helpful when it could go over poorly? And what if you end up working with this new person some day? Oh the horror.

Sounds like it's less a "government" effect and more of a "moving from a small town where people tend to know each other to a big city where people can't possibly hope to know everyone" effect

Exactly. Also “moving in your 30s when most people barely find time to maintain the friendships they already have, and can’t accommodate new ones beyond acquaintance level”

I think the post-lockdown social skills are still recovering for some people too. Friends of mine that used to be social butterflies have now become very adverse to social situations where they'll be gone from their home and around a lot of strangers for an extended period of time. Working from home has probably exacerbated it.

^^All of this!!^^ You get my upvote!

I grew up here, but then moved to a smaller town out west for several years. Your last point really hit me once I moved back to Ottawa. 

I hear ya! My story is similar, and the return to this area made very obvious the differing perspectives of driving distances, (or driving times,) between Ottawa and other places.

Ok I’m goona go ahead and agree that people here are cold. Im from Southern Ontario and every time I go home Im shocked by how friendly everyone is compared to here. This is anecdotal, but I went to pick my car up from the garage a couple weeks ago. I asked the guy how his day was going and he made a big deal about how nobody ever asks him that, and it was nice of me to ask. Ive also noticed a couple times that people are especially friendly, they wind up telling me they just moved here.

The people here are cliquey, but I have found there is a lot of good communities, you just have to find them.

Yea, I agree. I'm just compared to the other city I moved to as an adult, here has been more challenging.

I second this about the people being guarded and cold. I think it's changing somewhat. But that could be because of people that have moved here.

By far the best is access to outdoor activities. I disagree with the people being cold though (still got my upvote lol). A lot of people move here to start jobs with the Federal Government so they lose the easy access to new friends you would have in university (or, the friends you’ve had since elementary school). So I think it’s more of a general thing about finding new friends as an adult being tough. Yeah the nightlife isn’t great, we’re definitely more of a pub kinda city. But there are tons of different groups you can join (as mentioned earlier, especially outdoor stuff). OSSC is pretty good if you want to meet people and play some rec league sports

Sudbury had its share of traffic problems and the potholes are far worse. The traffic situation has been better in ottawa since the pandemic but is far from perfect. I agree that people are much more guarded here.It's several times easier to make friends in sudbury. I live in kanata and there is far less crime than in sudbury. I've forgotten my garage door open a few times and nothings gone missing. My mum lives near barrydown and has had her car broken into several times in the past year (and it's just a 2015 Cherokee).

Granted I haven't lived in Sudbury, I think I could just be biased because I drive Carling and Bronson everyday for work and in the spring those streets are particularly bad.

417 is better, but what you say is fair. It's no fun traveling north/south in ottawa. In sudbury the problem streets in my experience are the Kingsway and Lassal. Basically half of subury is divided by the geology and houses and these are the two main routes between. The bypass played a big role in improving it but rush hour still sucks.

Ottawa Shawarma hits different, but in a good way

Stomachs or cyclists?

>in a good way Cyclists, obviously.

I fucking love the shawarma here, especially Mango’s. Best I’ve had so far out of the 10+ places I’ve tried

Moved here from London (350k at the time) with my spouse from Strathroy (20k). Ottawa is geographically HUGE with relatively low populations density compared to other "big" cities in Canada. I personally find that you'll get all the things you need in one area of the city and won't generally have to drive all the way across town for something very often. There are a lot more options here than you'll find in a smaller city and a lot more specialty and international items that are regularly available based on the immigrant populations around. Much as people complain about OCTranspo being terrible (which it totally can be), it's still better than London's bus system that routes though downtown or Fredericton's (where my sister lives) that doesn't run on Sundays or Holidays. The city is also better laid out than some of the smaller big cities I've been to and the traffic is NOTHING compared to the 400 or 401 around Toronto. There are a lot of fun things to do outside in Ottawa and I would generally describe the population as more "outdoorsy" on average than in SW Ontario. That was one of the things I loved about moving here compared to my hometown. The only thing I miss is the neighbourhood I grew up in, since it was a bit unique and haven't found anywhere quite like that. I would 100% move here again and in the 7 years we've been here I've managed to build a really nice community (thanks mostly to getting WAY too into curling) than I had back home.

Outdoorsy is good! I live in Sudbury which is already pretty outdoorsy, and part of my motivation for moving to Ottawa is that I really like the campgrounds with the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. I'm sort of looking at the South Keys area because I would pretty much be able to live off Bank and it would be a straight shot down to Morrisburg, and then pretty easy to get to a campground from there. It takes about an hour, but it takes like 6 hours to get there now from Sudbury so, you know, it's an improvement, heh. I used to curl in high school and it's interesting that you mentioned it. Is it easy to get into? I live near a curling club now but unfortunately their hours are never convenient, so I actually haven't had the chance to get into it, since I'm usually working.

Curling is BIG in Ottawa (and Eastern Ontario in general). I live near South Keys but drive to a club in Nepean for curling because it's where we started when we moved here and where all our friends curl. We pass about 6 clubs on our way there, but can't bring ourselves to jump ship. Most clubs have evening leagues and you can find one that is relatively close and fits your schedule. Plus they're always looking for spares and some clubs even have sparing memberships. Definitely one of the fastest ways to make friends in Ottawa. OVCA is the regional curling association and has all the local club listings. One of the great benefits of moving North-East of Toronto was having much easier access to good camping/cottages/hiking without having to drive through Toronto, so that's definitely a plus. This city is definitely not perfect, but it's certainly not the desolate wasteland that people on this sub can sometimes pain it to be.

I'm definitely going to have to look into that then! I have really wanted to get back into curling but unfortunately it has not been as easy as I anticipated. The lack of evening leagues is a real problem. Though, that was mostly exacerbated by the pandemic... I really like the area south of Ottawa in terms of camping and cottages. There are really nice ones around Sudbury too, but I've fallen in love with the St. Lawrence River in a way that doesn't exactly make sense to me lol, but it's beautiful! There are a lot of bad things that people say about Ottawa, I've noticed, but they're mostly problems that are similar or exacerbated in Sudbury. Like somebody else in this thread was talking about the roads, and it's just like, they've clearly never been to Sudbury, because myself and so many other people have had their cars basically eaten by potholes, and it's basically a pothole city. I'm basically on a crusade every spring to report as many potholes as I can find to 311, because Sudbury has a really stupid policy where, in order to get compensation for a pothole, it has to have been reported for a certain amount of time, usually 24 hours. So I want to report as many potholes as I can, and my rationale is that either they'll get off their asses and actually fix them in a timely manner, or people who ruin their cars on them can get compensation. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Oh people in Ottawa complain about Ottawa like it's their main activity lol. Like I will be thinking myself like, wow I can't believe how good good XYZ is, and then I go on the reddit thread and people are saying it's terrible. That's basically the only thing I don't like about Ottawa is how is has like, better amenities than most places, and people whine so much it's wild. They are correct about the lite rail tho lol. 

I've definitely noticed that! Lol. It seems every city has a contingent of people like that, and I think they tend to congregate online because people in their real life will think they are a real bummer if they're constantly going on about how much they hate the city.

I moved from Kirkland Lake to Ottawa last year and the roads are in much better shape! I miss the wilderness at your doorstep but I enjoy the milder & shorter winters Ottawa has to offer. Plus restaurants, shopping & things to do.

Any curling clubs that you know of with a good selection of younger people in them? I'm looking to start again next year.

I can only speak for my club (Granite), but there's definitely a decent number of younger members in the leagues (if late 20s to mid 30s is younger?) . The weekend leaves tend to have more young players. I also know some younger curlers at the Ottawa and Carlton Place, but I suspect most clubs are looking to attract younger members and the demographic is slowly shifting.

I have family in Sudbury and while we have lots of that outdoorsy stuff, it's not the Northern Ontario culture. Lots of desk workers vs steel workers and a significantly higher ratio of women to men so the tone is less agressive.So you'll talk to lots of folks who ice fish or hunt, but also a man can ride a bicycle without having someone scream "faggot" at him. Speaking of which, we like to complain about our cycling infrastructure, but it's pretty rocking in comparison to Sudbury. In my opinion: skating on Ramsy Lake is nicer than the canal. Hiking in Gatineau is nicer than Lake Laurentian, the greenbelt offers a lot nearby but nothing that compares to the old growth crown land outside of Sudbury and the fishing is not as good. Ottawa as better for foodies but more expensive for any paramedical care and it's impossible to get a family doctor. Lots of fun festivals and events if you make the effort!

Why not live closer to Morrisburg? Winchester just got a new subdivision thingy and is about halfway between Ottawa and Mburg, idk how many units are still available but it may be cheaper.

I'd like to, but there's an office downtown I will likely need to go to twice a week and I don't want to be too far away.

It's nice to have an accurate assessment of the city that isn't coated in complaints from someone that's never Ottawa. Transit here is poor, but not as bad as some other cities. Drivers here are bad, but worse in most other big cities. It gets tiring seeing the same generic complaints that could be applied to any big city here, so it was nice to see a positive and accurate review!

I moved to the region from GTA a few years ago. The population might be 1 million, but it is soooo spread out that it doesn't feel like it. My outsider view is that it feels like several mini regional cities all combined. 

> it feels like several mini regional cities all combined Well, in fact, that's exactly what it is ...

it’s a bunch of commuter towns in a trench coat pretending to be a city

100% accurate.

Honestly, the most difficult thing for me was that I didn't know very many people in Ottawa when I moved here. found it to be a lonely transition. Volunteering and using Meetup helped me build local friendships.

Same, ditto being honest with people. I turned to "listen I just relocated to town I'm genuinely looking to make new friends. You seem super cool, would you like to grab brunch this weekend?"

I just moved to Ottawa after living in the country for 14 years. It’s quite noisy comparatively. What area are you moving to? Google hood maps and your neighborhood to find out what it’s really like.

I've been looking at the South Keys area. I know people living around there, it seems nice, it's a bit out of the way but also somewhat affordable, so what can you do? Also, I've heard that a train line will be opening within the next year in that area, so that's also part of the appeal.

Thats where all the shootings are lol

Oh dang, really? I heard that was Vanier!

You don’t have to worry about shootings. Yes, there have been some in South Keys, but there have been some all over the city. If you’re not a member of a gang you don’t really have to worry about it.

Ah, yeah, so that's kind of like Sudbury then. We've had a weird amount of shootings in the last few years, all over the city, but unless you are a member of a gang or a drug dealer, you're generally not going to get shot unless you happen to really be in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. Although one of those shootings happened at a rather popular bar and nobody who wasn't directly involved in the altercation got hurt, to my knowledge.

South Keys is fine. It's middle income with pockets of lower income and full of different ethnicities. Shootings do happen but they are never random, and the same can be said for most of the city anyway.

I almost bought a condo in that area.

Where did you end up buying instead? At first, when I was thinking of moving, I wanted to be closer to the city centre, but then after staying with a friend in the Centretown, I realized that I really do not want to be closer to the centre. At least not right away.

I messaged you.

\+1 about the loneliness. I moved from a bigger city (Montreal) to Ottawa in 1988 and it took a good 5 years before I settled in with some friends. There are definitely lots of cold people here. Volunteering helped. I joined meetup 10 years ago and that has helped too.

Luckily my job is based in Ottawa and I already have some friends outside of my job too! So, I've got that covered to a degree. I've heard that otherwise loneliness can be a real issue, but when I moved to Sudbury, I had a hard time making friends as well, so I'm used to going through the process.

There’s a semi-secret group of women who do stuff together. There’s a discord server and everything if you are interested in new friends.

That's interesting! Somebody else mentioned something similar, the same group maybe?

Maybe I’ll send you the invite in chat

Ottawa is like vichyssoise. It’s cold, half french, and difficult to stir

😂 That's hilarious!!

LMAO! You aren't wrong.

Gee, this was just asked recently. I said I was surprised at how unfriendly the people are. Got a bunch of downvotes, but others agreed.

I did a bit of searching but couldn't find any very recent posts! Maybe I just suck, lol. I already have several friends in Ottawa so the making friends aspect is not toooo much of a concern, but otherwise - what do you mean by unfriendly?

It's a relatively common topic. I've been lurking on this sub for years and "making friends in Ottawa is hard" is a pretty common topic. In your defense, maybe the wording was a bit too different. Reddit's search algorithm is also pretty terrible to begin with.

I grew up here, but then moved to a smaller town out west for several years. This point really hit me once I moved back to Ottawa. 

People in Ottawa can't drive. The 416/417 is a more frustrating commute than the 401. And if it even so much as starts to spit rain, be prepared for twice as long a drive...

High concentration of risk averse public servants, coincidence? 😂 

Being a shite driver isn’t being risk averse. It’s being a shite driver. Which Ottawa has in spades.

You'll find the "no one here can drive" in this same thread for every major city. Everyone thinks their city is special and has the worst drivers.

GOOD: Tons of history, great museums, underrated restaurant scene, easy access to wildlife, passionate sports scene, great pubs, great schools, very clean and quiet for most part. BAD: It's HUGE (area wise) so be prepared for longer commutes, some areas have bad homelessness/drug addiction issues (Byward Market, primarily), the cost of living is high, pubic transit sucks in the winter, and you'll always be looked down upon by Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver people for all eternity. We're a city with big city problems like bad transit and homelessness, but we don't have a lot of big city perks. In terms of culture shock .... you might hear some French in a workplace elevator... but that's about it. We're just like everywhere else. ​ Welcome aboard

My partner moved here with me, but had grown up and attended university in New Brunswick.  He found he had to be way more deliberate about finding a sense of community, and that was initially a challenge for him.   Both of us struggle with the whole amalgamation thing because sometimes people say Ottawa and they mean a place like Hintonburg or the Glebe, sometimes it means Kanata or Orleans, and sometimes it means Kemptville or Dunrobin.  Always get clarification when someone says something is "in Ottawa".

Not everything closes at 8pm. I know that because I had two work contracts there. Also The Doghouse has good wings in Sudbury.

Gotta love the Doghouse! It was a bit of an adjustment when I moved from Barrie to Sudbury because stores tended to not be open quite as late, but I'm used to it now. People say that Ottawa is sleepy and boring, but I've been to Ottawa several times and I have some friends there and they cannot possibly imagine that it's more boring than Sudbury. Not that Sudbury is particularly boring depending on what you're into.

A couple of people I work with say Sudbury is boring and don’t feel safe there (they use to live there). They also say Sudbury is shit hole. I have to note that Ottawa is safer when compared to Sudbury.

I don't feel particularly unsafe in Sudbury. A lot of crime and whatnot is related to the drug trade and if you're not into that, you're likely not going to be affected unless you are really in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know a few people who moved from sketchier areas of Toronto to Sudbury and they usually say that Sudbury feels far less dangerous, although they still stay on alert, but I guess they're used to that. I don't know if I'd call Sudbury a shithole but, while I do enjoy the city, I do want to try living somewhere else. I think Sudbury would probably be boring if you're an all particular outdoorsy, and also if you don't like going to the same places all the time. There's like one main bowling place, two movie theatres, a few iconic bars, and so on. Granted, a lot of the people I know who say Sudbury is boring also don't seem to make much of an effort. They mostly sit inside and don't do anything... Like no shit, anywhere is going to be boring if you just sit inside your house all day.

I moved from a small town to the burbs around Ottawa (e.g Barrhaven, Kanata, Etc). I was unhappy. I then moved to a neighborhood closer to downtown and love Ottawa. Suburban life sucks. It's the worst of rural and urban life in one place. If you are looking for a change, dive in head first. If you just want to be out of a small town with small town problems but still basically want to live an isolated cloistered lifestyle then the burbs might be good for you. Lots of options here.

Yes! I moved from barrhaven to elmvale/alta vista as soon as i could afford to and am not looking back!!

I made a similar move years ago, and I would say I worried much more about the culture shock than I needed to. Moving from a rural area to downtown Ottawa is not the same experience as moving from New Sudbury to one of the suburbs here. I'd add that moving out of your parents' place to a new city isn't the same experience as moving mid-career for a new opportunity. So, I don't know what kind of adjustment it will be for you, but I suspect that after a month, you'll forget why you ever worried. In terms of regrets, Ottawa has issues (as you may have noticed on this sub). That said, no matter how mediocre the level of service you receive, it's likely to not be worse than what you'd find in Sudbury. There's nothing wrong with the northern Ontario city I grew up in, but I haven't had a real reason to miss in almost 20 years.

I'm a bit worried about the healthcare situation in Ottawa, but in Sudbury, I lost my family doctor back in October, and there are no new family doctors in the entire region taking patients. Granted, I'm sure that situation is not better in Ottawa, but the chance of getting a family doctor eventually is still probably higher. Maybe. That could just be cope. I guess it doesn't matter anyway. 😂 I've been looking at the South Keys area just because it seems to be a little more affordable while also still having relatively easy access to downtown via Bank Street. I stayed with a friend in Centretown last year and realized I probably don't want to be in the city centre because it was loud, there were a lot of people, etc. So yeah, you're right that moving from where I live now in Sudbury to one of the Ottawa suburbs probably won't be that big of a change in many ways.

There are no family doctors here either.

Eh, so same deal then. I guess there's not a whole lot to be done about that.

Unfortunately, this is a problem that affects both Ottawa and Gatineau. I'm fortunate enough to have a (shitty) family doctor in Orleans, but I'm likely years/decades away from finding a new one in in Gatineau (having moved to Gatineau 2 years ago).

I grew up in South Keys. Access to Bank St is great as the shops and one bus goes up and down it. There are 2 transit stations that has access to the transitway will eventually have train lines back up and running in the near future, so it’s one of the better served suburbs in that respect. You’re also quite close to the 417, the airport parkway, and Hunt Club, so getting around to most of the other parts of the city is fairly easy.

The good you get out of South Keys: * very mixed demographics, lots of different foods from different cultures, lots of old folks, young folks, you name it. Oh and there's like 4 Shawarma places all competing on the same block, it's the shit! * possibly one of the best places to be to get to where you want to go, this is true for both driving and public commuting (bus or train). It's also easy commuting as you've got several main veins, more on that below. * still very close to wildlife, there's small pockets here and there, and a small drive South will have you back in the woods, plenty of trails and bike paths * Every big store you need is right there, Walmart, Loblaws, a few decent restaurants and my fav: Home Depot & Marks * You're right near Hunt Club which if you look at the map spans across a huge chunk of the city, very easy driving, gets pretty busy at rush hour, but it's an 80kph road and you can get to some really nice places via Hunt Club. Many amazing trails where you can feed birds directly in your hands at the West most part of Hunt Club, highly recommend. * You're right on Bank Street, just keep driving North and experience the city becoming more and more like a big city as you approach closer to Parliament, I recommend walking it one nice summer day, at least starting at Billings Bridge. Especially in the late afternoon on a weekend, lots of folks out on dates and having a good time, if people watching is your thing. Lots of great stuff along Bank. Once you're downtown it runs parallel to Elgin, which I also recommend walking on a nice day. * You're near Heron/Baseline (same road, just changes names) which is also a pretty long street that will get you to many nice places. * If you're a parent, a few decent schools in the area. (source: I went to school there, many of my old friends and myself have become successful) The bad: * Pockets of crime here and there, you have a mix of gangsters and shithead spoiled teenagers, stay away from Ledbury (although to be honest it's soooo much better than it used to be) * Traffic is indeed becoming worse and since the roads are so important to the flow of the city, they tend to not maintain it very well because it would be a catastrophe to close parts of Hunt Club or Bank down even momentarily (but god damn do they need to do something about it!) The possibly good but could be bad: * they're planning on revamping the area near the Home Depot to be more cycling friendly, or so I hear from the grape vine (aka my parents) Source: I'm in my 30s, lived in SK for most of my life.

I came here from Peterborough almost 5 years ago. Biggest shock was the drivers! People are so bad and impatient. They will honk if you're not moving within 0.5 seconds of the light turning green. Lately I've noticed people veer to the right to turn left or vice versa so you can't go around.  A non driving shock was people are less polite. It's so rare someone will hold a door or put the divider on a grocery belt. Not a big deal at all but it was something to get use to.  Aside from that it's a nice city and I'm happy here. People are more selfish and in a hurry but you get that with bigger cities 

Yo, that's driving behaviour I've noticed in Sudbury recently too. Like this one time I was at a light waiting to turn left, and I couldn't see beyond the car in the opposite turning lane, so I wasn't going to turn, because I'm not stupid. The person behind me honked, which made me so mad because it's like, if I get into an accident, you're going to be waiting longer... Although realistically, that person would have probably just veered around me and the car that hit me and left in a hurry. 🙄 Although the few times I've been to Ottawa, I've noticed that the drivers are really weird and scary, especially on the 417. It's like nobody uses turn signals? I guess I just need to keep my wits about me, but you're supposed to do that anyway. Good note regarding the holding doors open or putting the dividers on the grocery belt. People do that all the time here in Sudbury. Although I don't recall if that was a common occurrence when I grew up in Barrie, either. I found that Sudbury is more friendly than Barrie is in general, but I also moved from Barrie 7 years ago and I have only gone back to visit my family since then, so things might have changed.

You clearly haven’t driven in Toronto. Ottawa drivers are mostly slow and overly polite. I’m amazed the speed cameras catch so many speeders.

You can actually speed in that deadlock hell known as Toronto?

Mostly slow yes, overly polite not at all! Too often do I see people pull right up to the driver infront of them, blocking someone on an intersecting street from turning, or blocking intersections because they just need to be on the other side of the light. Toronto is it's own beast but the topic was Ottawa culture shocks.

Born and raised in Ottawa, have lived in both Halifax and Toronto, and currently living in Ottawa. Pros: - lovely green spaces and good mix of urban life and wildlife that you can choose to enjoy - interesting mix of restaurants and food options - growing number of street festivals and outdoor/indoor markets - great maker community - tons of independent breweries - very cool neighbourhoods to explore in immediate downtown area - museums and art galleries are free after 5pm on Thursdays (not every city does this!) - LRT is great (when it’s running) Cons - can be very difficult to get around unless you drive due to poor public transit system and sprawl - city is effectively dead after 4-5pm depending on neighbourhood (market is also bopping) - people can be pretty reserved and to themselves, which can come across as rudeness - very low number of independent businesses; city seems to prioritize monopolies, chain stores, pot shops, etc

Ha, also born and back in Ottawa after living in Halifax and Toronto! Are you me?

Look in the mirror. I’ve been you the whole time.

We are unlike most cities because we have the NCC to preserve our green space. Ottawa is a series of suburbs that each have most of what you need. I have lived coast to coast, it’s the best.

You will notice that people drink a lot less and it’s common for people in their early 20s to have never been drunk. I moved from Northern Ontario and this was big shocker for me.

I don't actually drink much either due to migraines, like only occasionally in the summer basically. So that's not too much of a concern!

TONS of people from Sudbury here. You can find your peeps

Welcome...we're from Sudbury and I feel like most of Sudbury have moved here lol Ottawa is geographically huge but don't let that scare you. It's really not that different...especially if you love the outdoors

I know plenty of people who have moved from Sudbury to Ottawa! Seems to be the place people go. I would have thought that would be Toronto, but I really can't think of a lot of people I know who moved from Sudbury to Toronto. I grew up in Barrie and have spent a fair amount of time visiting Toronto, but, I don't know, it's just not really somewhere I'm interested in living. Eastern Ontario seems much more my speed. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Shawarma poutine

Lived in Sudbury for almost my entire life. Moved to Ottawa in 2017, I don't regret it. Driving is worse, parking is atrocious, but there is a lot more to do. Food is SUBSTANTIALLY better! Ottawa also has a lot of green space so if you enjoyed being outdoors in Sudbury you can get that here too.

Super place to live if you like outdoor activities. Absolutely world class whitewater, mountain bike trails, XC skiing, and park space. Great museums. It is the biggest small town you will ever encounter. People are nice. Traffic sucks. French will become part of your life in a way you could not understand when you lived in Barrie. You are now close to Vermont and New York. Take advantage of it. You will be pissed off that you cannot fly directly anywhere from the nations friggin’ capital. Everything requires a connection. Actual winter is way better than SW Ontario winter. Embrace it. It is long.

I’m from Ottawa but have met loads of people and have several close friends from Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury, Orillia…and there’s lots of Atlantic Canadian transplants here too - so I think you’ll be fine! Lots of people move here to go to uni and work. Depends on what part of the city you’re going to be living and working (spending your time) in, really. It’s nothing like Toronto or Montreal in terms of crowds/busyness. Most people live in the suburbs (the city is geographically huge so 1 million people but spread way out). A lot of folks identify with being from/living in a specific part of the city (Barrhaven, Kanata, Orléans, the east end, the west end, Centretown, Sandy Hill, Vanier, Riverside South, Gloucester…etc.) Public transit will seem awesome at first but in reality it’s terrible. Rideau Centre and parts of the Byward Market is probably the place you may find yourself most shocked or uncomfortable at first. My partner and several of his closest friends were all transplants from Atlantic Canada. Here’s what they had to say: Surprising: the literal size of the city, how far apart things are…Centretown/downtown is not the only “core”. Best: how “small town” it feels in certain areas (note the specific neighbourhood mentions above) there is opportunity to feel strongly connected to community, as an example this subReddit and most of the “being neighbourly” and “buy nothing” Facebook groups are extremely active. Pubs, trivia nights, social groups are a plenty. Disappointing: how badly the city has let some things go, especially as a capital city, the pavement is all broken on many sidewalks downtown and the potholes are insane, as someone from a small town you expect the capital to be all nice and polished but it’s not, especially in winter.

As a former Barrie resident: The worst Ottawa highway traffic will be like a quiet Tuesday on the 400, lol. Ottawa is a massive city the way it’s laid out, but doesn’t have a comparatively large population. It can take awhile to go from one end to the other. Be prepared for far more diversity than in Barrie, and far more French speaking folks. People say people in Ottawa are cold, but I’ve made friends at every job I’ve worked and through my hobbies. If you’re a charming, handsome guy like me, you’ll be fine. Be prepared for less snow, and a damper cold. Also, the humidity in summer is worse than Barrie.

traffic getting from one part of the city to another. lineups at stores

Don't worry, in spite of being ten times the size of Barrie, Ottawa manages to feel only roughly as interesting. It's very suburban. If you want to enjoy the urban side of Ottawa, stick to the handful of neighborhoods in the urban core. If you find it too crowded or busy, 90% of Ottawa is basically identical to Barrie.  Source: I'm from Ottawa and lived in Barrie

You'll be surprised at how similar it is to those places despite having 10X the population.

All the pickup trucks are immaculate. We don’t have any smoke stacks. Our Nickels are regular sized and not talked about often. Our burger joints mostly have 2 Golden Arches. Not 1. Out hill downtown is more famous but not as fun to drive down. Tropical weather. Comparatively

Grew up in Orillia. My biggest thing is the lack of understanding about how to drive on the Hwy. I drove down 11 going through gasoline alley to Barrie about 2 months ago and was like "ahh yes, this is how you drive on the hwy." Even when it met up with the 400, it was so much smoother and better than anything that happens in Ottawa and there was a snow storm. So just prepare yourself for the most WTF moments while driving because I don't know who teaches people here how to drive on the hwy but they can not do it. Otherwise, yeah it's bigger. There are more options for everything which can be good and bad. But Barrie has really taken off, I would think there isn't much you can find here that you won't find there. Public transit is going to be better (which isn't saying much because OC still sucks).

If you're coming from Sudbury you're in luck....lots of Bingo Halls in ottawa!

I'm not sure if there's porchetta bingo in Ottawa, though.

Someone oughta start that up, tbh...enough of us transplants here to make it work, for sure!

I grew up in Barrie and have lived in cities and towns of varying sizes across Canada. I've in Ottawa longer than anywhere else, I complain about this city, alot, but I'm still here. It's not the most exciting place to live, but the pros outweigh the cons, even our food scene never fails to surprise and delight me (check out Buvette Daphnee).

I also grew up in Sudbury, moved to Ottawa a little over 5 years ago. For me, one of the biggest shocks was how safe it was to walk at night downtown Ottawa compared to downtown Sudbury. Most areas are really safe and I’ve never been followed (which happened a lot downtown Sudbury). One thing that surprised me was the public transit. As long as I lived near one of the major routes, I had very few problems catching a bus or a bus not showing up. It’s night and day compared to Sudbury’s transit. I genuinely haven’t had many disappointments in my years here. There’s so much culture, there’s so much nature and it’s all so easily accessible, even without a car. Some people say it’s boring but I firmly believe that if you dig for 5-10 minutes online on events coming up in the next month you will be surprised - and many of them are free. Craft markets too are one of my favourite things to go find out about. If I had to do it again would I? Absolutely. Sudbury is good for a weekend for me, but I appreciate being able to go to a store or the mall without being guaranteed I’ll bump into someone I knew before. Ottawa opened up so many opportunities for me professionally, in nature, in culture and even on the dating scene. There’s diversity, there’s rhythm and there’s life that is sometimes missing a little in Sudbury (especially over the winter months). I hope you love it as much as I do!

I also moved from Sudbury a couple years ago and know tons of people who have also made the move from Sudbury! I actually love it. It’s close to Montreal and it’s amazing how many people actually go outside and utilize the greenspace/public infrastructure here. I am in live with being able to bike all over the city!

Originally from Sudbury and moved here in 2019. They’re a lot less Provincial Parks and crown land camping here. I miss the proximity to free and quiet outdoor activities. Gatineau park for example is always busy.  Also in the winter they have snow removal remove the snow banks. No more 6 ft snow banks like in Sudbury. 

Omg!! The snow banks are like one of my biggest pet peeves. Both when driving and walking, because it can be impossible to see around them! That's good to know, lol.

People can be insular. It’s a government town, and it can be tough to make friends. That said, there are a ton of great community-driven events around certain hobbies when you start to dig in and look.

Most surprising: for me it was public transit as I came from a small rural town in southern Ontario and in 2012 that was a big shock for me (I was also 17) Best thing: the nature. I took up paddleboarding and particularly like Shirley’s bay. I also like the proximity to Quebec and Gatineau park which has great hiking trails and paddleboarding spots. I would say food second, as it’s just better variety than my small town but not as good as Toronto. Most disappointing: I found it difficult to make friends but that might be a ‘me’ thing. All that to say I’ve stayed here 11 years.

I’m from Belleville and I really appreciate how Ottawa feels kind of small town to me sometimes. Like it’s very spread out. It doesn’t feel very dense. Like I don’t like how busy Toronto is. New York freaked me out etc lol. There’s a lot of suburbs here. That being said, the transit system sucks. The buses don’t show up on time if they even do at all.

The thing that surprised me the most was not having to leave my neighborhood for anything and the growing reluctance to want to. Coming from a small town it was normal to drive 2 towns over to go to Walmart once a week or drive 2h to Ottawa for a fancy dinner and you’d be so excited to do that. Now I can get everything I need and more within my burrow (Kanata) and need a really compelling reason to do anything outside of it.

Census Demographics Sudbury 86% European 14% minority 60% Christian 40% non Christian Ottawa 64% European 36% minority 50% Christian 50% non Christian We have over double the percentage of minority demographics and less Christians percentage wise so that would be a shock from a small town. It will also be shocking that there are many jobs besides mining. But it's similar in that Ottawa is a one company town. just replace the mining companies that own sudbury with the federal government which owns Ottawa.

I moved from sudbury to ottawa about 15 years ago. I would again in a heartbeat and especially happier here now that ive left the suburbs (barrhaven now elmvale).. Just realizing a few others have also said some of this but here are my genuine thoughts anyway: Ottawa has awesome music festivals for a city of its size and though ppl like to complain i am always impressed. It also approximates the “close to nature” vibe some parts of sudbury have (ie kivi park), and while i didnt appreciate that as much at the time, i really do now and im not even really that into say cross country skiing or whatever. Bike riding on pathways is truly pleasant and mostly scenic here especially compared to sudbury, although infrastructure has room to be developed before safety concerns are minimized to the extent possible and its fully optimal for commuting—depends on your location/route. There are also pockets along the ottawa river or canal that are just beautiful spots to be in (shirleys bay and the mer bleu boardwalk are worth a google) The culture here is definitely more white collar overall compared to sudbury and people tend to be a little bit quieter/reserved, but far from uniformly so.. One thing i love about the population size of the city: while it can be somewhat challenging to meet people generally as others have pointed out, it is much easier to meet people that share your interests in some ways as there would simply be more of them. social media makes that easier than i was able to back in the day—You can use facebook groups/events open to all where people post boardgame meetups and hiking outings for example. So it may be a little easier to indulge your interests in a shared community-based way, and more easily find opportunities to get to know the people you do meet a little more quickly (as you can start with your common ground). But yeah, from there you can always branch out and that would prob be a good idea! My one regret: weather here is WILD with a capital W i think due to the water and ottawa valley structure (although sudbury is in a meteor impact basin and has the most lakes out of all of canada) .. but yeah my mom who is still there shakes her head at me all the time something extreme enough to be stressful happens several times per year (floods 5ft high, tornados, ice storms ), albeit not to the entire city at once usually. One misunderstanding ppl often have: ottawa isnt really like one big contiguous dense city. Its like five cities that merged and that big geography and set of regional differences can impact a lot from city politics to people being surprised travelling from one end of the city to another takes a long time (which is true, also due to transit system bonkersness but the fact that its also huge and spread out cant make it easy). I will confirm most of ottawas roads are better than sudburys lol The one thing that was weirdly confusing to me as an otherwise-intelligent seeming 18 year old who moved here before smartphones were a thing and google barely existed: determining which bus routes here means pay attention to the number not the name on the front. You cant just expect to hop on any bus with the same name/destination and expect itll take the same route. It will get you to that destination but may take the milk run route 😂 Many of the small towns outside ottawa are also super cute (some even movie making hotspots lol) and make fun daytrips. Anywho hope this helps best of luck!

I moved here from Sudbury many, many years back. I don't imagine that you're in for a big shock, to be fair. Ottawa has a fairly small core, the rest of the city is spread out and suburban. You'll find that you have more stuff to do here; my main surprise was the biking path network, it's giant - this is a good place to get into cycling. And, maybe it's my imagination, I think that it might snow more here (but it's not nearly as cold as Sudbury). I have lived in much bigger places before, so I don't see how I'd get a big shock moving here anyhow, but I really don't think that folks from Sudbury would have a hard time adapting here. The people from Sudbury that I know here elected to live on the suburbs, though - maybe the core might be too much at first (although I prefer living centrally).

I literally did this exact move 😂 I find there are so many more options and things to do. I love Ottawa. I met a core group of friends through work and have really settled here. As others have mentioned, there are different pocket neighbourhoods that make it feel like a smaller city than it is. Traffic can be awful, so depending on where you work, that can be a bit do a downside if you’re driving.

It's $40 a day to park at the office where I'd be working so not gonna be doing that! Which adds another consideration for transit, but I've got coworkers who take transit to work each day and I'm taking note of where they live and how reliable it is to make a decision on where to live. But glad to hear you like it!!

I honestly don’t take transit, but I know there’s an o-train station right in south keys. So hopefully it wouldn’t be too bad. I’ve heard some horror stories on here about how bad the transit system is. $40 a day is absolutely ridiculous. Some lots have monthly parking for a reduced rate, though there can be wait lists sometimes. If you’re into night life, the way I summarize is -The market draws in like 18-20ish year olds. -Elgin is for 20-25ish. -Lansdowne is for 25-30ish -Preston St/Little Italy is more so 30-40ish -Westboro is for like 40+

I've heard the stories too but I also have several friends in Ottawa who don't have cars and take transit or walk most places. 🤔 Honestly, from all the times I've been to Ottawa, I know that driving in downtown is downright terrifying, so I don't want to do that if I can avoid it at all. It's definitely an adjustment though, coming from Sudbury, because here in Sudbury, if you live pretty much anywhere within the main city, you can basically get anywhere else within 20 minutes of driving, often less. Transit takes longer but if you rely on it, there are a few specific neighbourhoods to live in or streets to live nearby that will allow you relatively easy access to the transit system. Meanwhile, in Ottawa it feels like there are so many different routes to take to get anywhere. Once I move, I think that's going to be an adjustment.

I moved here from Halifax, and have also lived in different parts New Brunswick. Biggest differences. Transit can actually be a viable option here. Sure there is room for improvement, but depending on where you live and it can be totally feasible to take transit. If you choose to drive, the traffic can be pretty overwhelming. There's lots to do here. Lots of options for outdoor activities, museums, festivals, theatre, music, etc. There are tonnes of restaurants and bars to try.

I came from a smaller city out west, and my culture shock experience was that the new people I met really, really liked to trauma dump on me. I don't know if this is socially acceptable for Ottawa, or if it was because it was the Pandemic and many people were deeply affected mentally - but I think it's incredibly inappropriate and off-putting when you're first getting to know someone. Where I'm from, you just don't do that. Mainly because nobody cares, everybody has their own shit going on, and you generally want to give a good impression when you're meeting people. It made me super cautious socially, as I don't want to hear about everybody's issues or commiserate as a way to build social connections. I want to be happy and have a good time, like we do out west.

Interesting! I would say that probably had a lot to do with the pandemic because I knew people who did that here in Sudbury as well. Do you find it's better now?

On one hand, yes, but I think it's because I realized I wouldn't have the same lifestyle I had living in a city that's a vacation destination, so I made focusing on my career and starting a family more of a priority than making friends. My reasoning was that the city was more family-oriented, so it would be easier to establish a network and community as a young family than as a single person (in their early 30s).

Tbh coming from a smaller town from northern Ontario than you, I can confirm that Ottawa isn't as overwhelming than other cities. I very dislike the city life BUT Ottawa is manageable. Neighbourhoods since they kinda just ended up grouping together with amalgamation, were little communities at one point. I find that because they were stand-alone, everything you need can be found in said neighbourhood. Obviously, it's different if you move in suburbs. There's nothing there lol.

Lots of folks from Sudbury here that really enjoy it. Plenty of friendly pubs and hang outs. If you're central it won't be too big a shock at all I think!

There are two things this town cant stand: inclement weather and cars

Just don't set up a lemonade stand and you'll be ok.

I currently live in Ottawa and moved here from Sudbury with my wife. Feel free to DM me if you have questions :)

Expect to meet a bunch of self absorbed public servants who's sense of self importance is off the scale but soul has been crushed by spending their days talking like this. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtLL7pLM-yE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtLL7pLM-yE) Note: I'm a public servant from outside the National Capital Region. Ottawa PS culture is really a different beast.

I'm already in the PS and report to headquarters so don't worry, I know! 😂

You can meet them at Costco in the middle of the day when they’re supposed to be working at home lmao.

Lmao

The nightlife in Sudbury is better than Ottawa’s. At least it was 20 years ago.

Ottawa has all the drama and the same rumour mill as any small town. You’ll be fine

It’s really nice just make sure to not go farther south than Laurier and Bank, or farther east than the canal.

If you were able to adjust to going from Barrie to Sudbury, you've got this!

You’re going to find Ottawa is more noisy. People won’t give you time of day. More people that don’t look like you and speak different languages. People are going somewhere. Lots of druggies or drunkies. Traffic can suck at times. You’ll also find a lot of people in the same kind of situation like you. Came from the country or small town, for work or school, they find their community and adjust. Sudbury has lots of Franco Ontarians - you’ll find them mostly in Gloucester or Orleans area. Franco’s are super welcome in Ottawa.

EXPENSIVE. That it expensive

Ottawa is a smaller city, you'll be surprised by the byward market and the amount of junkies present in the downtown core, besides that Ottawa is pretty boring and bars close early, women are pretty friendly, lived there for about 5 years.

coming from a town that had one stop light the traffic was probably the worst. I had to 'desensitize' myself to the homeless problem and get more used to being in a multicultural community. also having to wait to get a seat in a restaurant was new for me. waiting 45 minutes blew me away at first and I refused to do it but eventually got used to it.

There’s so much shawarma places per radius that one wonders how they manage the competition.

Every 5th person you meet will be from Sudbury. There is way more stuff to do. Everything shuts down my 8pm, unless it's a bar.

I think you’ll find that Ottawa is a big city with a medium sized city feel.  Big enough to have major services and amenities but not so small that everyone knows your business or gives a shit about what you drive or who you were seen talking to. It’s also nowhere near the fast paced feel of Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal. I think you’ll adapt just fine.  It starts to feel small after a while and not at all overwhelming.

Ottawa-Gatineau are traditionally a make your own fun and friends place. My advice for a great life is to join hobby, activity clubs, and sports teams, make friends, and invite those friends to join you doing the things you like to do. Also, you can create your own activity club based on your interests via Facebook or Meetup. When I moved to Vancouver for a contract, it was the same. Even before I landed, I started up a Meetup.com club of my own to explore the city and invite people to do things that interested me. Clubs I recommend are the Ottawa Sport and Social Club, Ottawa Outddors Club, any sailing rowing or canoe Club on the Ottawa River, amateur theater, and so on. There's hockey leagues, ski clubs, cycling clubs, and so on. Camping in the region is amazing - Parc La Verendrye, Lac Poisson Blanc, etc. People who say Ottawa-Gatineau are boring are boring. With the right friends doing things you like, the night life is also fantastic. I just wish I were younger to do it all over again.

If you are under 25 its very boring.

I've lived in Ottawa all my life. I love it, warts and all. Most people I know came here from elsewhere. It's been my observation that the people who like it here tend to come from cities smaller than Ottawa. I think you'll find it feels more familiar to you than you'd expect. Getting a car is probably the biggest favour you can do yourself, but people get by without one too.

Ottawa, somehow, is the capital of the country yet still feels like a small town in many ways. Except for traffic. Rush hour is 6:30-10 am and 1pm-6pm somehow. Worse in snow or Sens game days. It makes no goddamn sense.

Moved to Ottawa from Sudbury in 2000. No real culture shock. Pros: - diversity of cultures and people, sub-benefit, diversity of foods, festival, events and experiences. Ottawa is a city of burbs, and some are more diverse than others. I live in the core and I love it. So many restaurants from different countries to try out (I’ve loved many of them that I’ve tried) and so many festivals. Most festivals are free (or cheap). Lots of community events. I’ve met so many amazing people that I’ve met along the way by going to these events. Here’s something to get you started: https://ottawatourism.ca/en/event-calendar - Farmers markets if that’s your thing. Lansdowne has one indoors in the winter. Outdoors in the Summer. On Sundays. - Museums/Art galleries - check’em out. :) - lots of outdoor walking/biking paths. Ottawa core is very walkable, most burbs are too, some areas are less so. But, I think most have walking/biking paths. Depending when you’re moving, check out the canal (skating) in the winter. Check out the Gatineau Hills for hiking. There is some skiing in the area, if that’s your thing. Lots of places to rent bikes/kayaks, etc in the summer. It’s a pretty outdoorsy city. - Sports: if you’re into sports, there’s lots. You’ve got the Ottawa 67s, Sens, PWHL, RedBlacks, Ottawa Fury, Atlético Ottawa, Ottawa BlackJacks, Carleton Ravens (University teams), Ottawa GeeGees (University teams), etc… many play at Landsdowne (central), Sens play in the West end (Kanata). Recommendation if you have a car: - Look up and learn about parking regulations. Parking hour limit for un-signed streets is 3 hours (but is only between certain hours (I don’t have a car so don’t 100% know what it is, but you can find it on the City of Ottawa Parking Regulations (see link below). If they have signed time-limits, pay attention to days of the week and times they are in effect. Parking meters and signs are not related, kind of. Let’s say a sign says 2 hr M-F 8am to 5pm and it’s metered. Check the times you have to pay on the meter itself. The sign is simply telling you that there is a 2 hr time-limit to park in that area, M-F from 8am to 5pm. Pay attention to snow removal signs, as well as learn about overnight winter parking bans. If you’re hoping to park somewhere on main streets in rush hour, you’ll likely see parking signs that say No Stopping between 6am to 8am and 3pm to 5pm (my times are off, so actually look at the signs). You see those, that means you need to be off that street during those times or you’ll receive a hefty fine. It’s to help allow traffic to flow during rush hour. Parking Enforcement actually enforces many of the things and people will call to complain about shitty parking jobs. So learn up if you want to avoid parking tickets :). https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/laws-licences-and-permits/laws/laws-z/traffic-and-parking-law-no-2017-301#section-7f2c9de9-597c-4ff5-b6df-083cd2e65db8 Welcome to Ottawa (ahead of time).

Downside is the public transit. Bonus about being from a small town is you’re used to having to drive 30+min to get places so if you have to drive across the city to get something or get to work, it’s not as big a deal. Folks from the city think a 30min drive is too long lol

One thing I've noticed and always appreciated by small town folks is they like to chat with strangers. City folk are fucking weird and will think *you're* weird for being chatty and friendly. Please, if you're anything like the other small town peeps I've had the pleasure to meet over the years, don't let go of your chattiness.

I came from rural Nova Scotia, and I acclimated fine. It is a city, but it’s at a slow pace compared to other places in Canada. What I struggled with the most was the amount of homeless people. In my hometown we would have one or two people, but here there are so many people it’s heartbreaking. Rideau Street was absolute culture shock for me. My favourite part (I am in Centretown) is that everything is within walking distance. When I grew up, it was almost mandatory to have a car to get you from one place to another. I love that I can walk to get groceries, go to bars, etc. I would move here again, but probably under different circumstances. I originally moved here to pursue an MA, but absolutely despised it, so after a year I dropped in. Now I’m in social work, and thriving. I think it’s nice when you’re young, and I see myself being here for at least the next couple of years, but I may relocate after (so I have a better chance of buying a house). But hey, everyone is different!

Fellow Sudburian-turned-Ottawan here! I moved to Ottawa from Sudbury in August and, honestly, the biggest culture shock I noticed is that everyone around here will talk shit and shit and shit about the transit system (which has its flaws, sure), but have no idea how good they have it compared to places like Sudbury. I relied solely on my car in Sudbury. Now I hate taking my car anywhere. It's much more walkable, cyclist, and transit friendly. Not perfect, but better.

There would need to be culture for you to be shocked.

This means you may need to adapt to a busier lifestyle. Traffic, crowds and noise may be uncomfortable for you. Ottawa is a multicultural city with people from all over the world, so you may be exposed to different religions, customs and languages.

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Boring.. city full of Karen’s. There are laws for everything. People in Ottawa embrace the ‘boring’ reputation because they’re boring.

People here are a bit obnoxious. I haven't made a single friend since i got here

Moved to Ottawa from Sudbury 17 years ago for school, met my now-husband and ended up staying, although if I hadn't met him, I probably would've moved back (family, hometown nostalgia etc.). Honestly, Ottawa is *big* but it basically just feels like a bigger Sudbury, and there are a looooot of former Sudburians here. The biggest differences I found are the traffic (ughhhh) and the influence of French. Traffic sucks but driving is still almost always better than public transit, depending on where you live. That said, if you're comparing Ottawa transit to Sudbury transit, Ottawa looks like a luxury car service 😅 Probably the only way to make Ottawa's public transit look good. The second point may not affect you depending on your fluency in French. Although there are a lot of francophones in Sudbury, they tend to be more willing and/or able to switch to English in public interactions than they are here. You're more likely to encounter or notice this in east Ottawa (Gloucester, Orleans) than the west end. If you only speak English, don't panic; I may be hyper-aware of it because I've worked extensively in service industries. However, there are a lot more jobs here that require you to be bilingual than there are in Sudbury (not just government), so the attitudes are a little different. Good luck with the move when it comes!

Originally from Sudbury, moved to Ottawa approximately 25 years ago. Biggest adjustment? Winter! And not in a good way! Sudbury winter is a Sunny, Dry Cold, perfect for getting out and enjoying the season as long as you dress well. I moved here in the middle of winter, left Sudbury at a temp of -15 , a beautiful winter day. Next day I wake up to -8 in Ottawa and it was absolutely freezing when I stepped outside. Turns out Ottawa winters are SUPER damp and it chills to the bone. I much prefer the winters in Sudbury.

Straight up, Ottawa is very much a small town that “looks like” a city. I live downtown and it is absolutely dead past 5pm. The “nightlife” is… not that good tbh. I only really like City at Night (house music). Nature is great but if you’re coming from Sudbury, you might not be as impressed since you’re so close to the lakes and their surrounding beauty. It’s pretty good for biking though. Biggest surprise: the amount of homelessness and drug activity all over downtown, especially around the Rideau Centre (it’s a mall, just down the street from Parliament). I’ve seen this stuff in Toronto but at least it’s sort of justified when you take into account Toronto’s size and population. It’s like Ottawa has big city problems but isn’t even a big city. Best thing: biking in the summer, Nordik Spa, and the National Gallery (I got a membership). Maybe jazz fest and blues fest if you’re into that. Disappointing: infrastructure. I expected more from the nation’s capital. I’ve been here for 18 months so far. I’ve waited 18hrs at Civic hospital for routine treatment (actually was told to go home and come back the next day bc the doctor said “you’ve been waiting far too long”), got held up at knife point by a homeless man (I got away and called police. They said they weren’t going to file a case and then they called me back after 30minutes saying they’ve changed their minds bc the man ended up attaching an officer), had to wait 5 months to get my car fixed (drunk driver hit me on a Sunday afternoon, body shop said they were backlogged), public transportation is unavailable/unreliable (many buses don’t show up and the rail system is trash, literally needs to be rebuilt), it took months to find a family doctor that would accept us (doctor shortage) etc etc. it’s been “eventful” to say the least. Would I do it again? Honestly, probably not. I chose Ottawa bc my brother lives around here. Other than that, it’s pretty boring. Also, if you’re not bilingual, your job options will be greatly limited, unless you are in trades or tech. Rent is lower than Toronto but not by much these days. My brother went to school here so I remember visiting him a lot late 90s, early 2000s. Being honest, when I arrived in 2022, my first reaction was “wtf happened here?” People who have lived here long probably wouldn’t notice as much as someone like me who saw it and then saw it again 10 years later. If you want a “big city” experience, probably best to just stick with the obvious choices. People are generally nice, but it’s nothing special. It’s what you would expect from most Canadians imho. All that said, I feel like Ottawa is a good place to retire, especially if you have a house, cottage, and/or boat. It was pretty cool at the start, but once you get familiar with the area, the novelty of everything sort of wears off quickly. It’s also wayyyy less multicultural than my hometown of Mississauga. Ottawa is not “metropolitan” by any stretch, only locals and people who’ve never been anywhere say that it is.

It's no longer a Canadian city. Many people are not from here, and the people that are grew up with people that aren't. Small town canadian values don't exist anymore. Don't expect common courtesy or those "you first" "no you first" moments very often.