Why choose Niagara? So many reasons!
Niagara is such a great place to live, we had trouble keeping a Top 10 list to 10 items.
If you are already a resident of one of Niagara’s 12 municipalities, you’re likely already aware of how great it is to live in this region.
But for those of you contemplating a move to the Niagara real estate market, our Newbigging-Pearson Real Estate Team has tackled the question of why this is such a great place to live. We have come up with a list of the Top 10 reasons why a move to Niagara could be right for you.
Here goes:
- Location, location, location
The Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario lies on the west side of the Niagara River, between lakes Ontario and Erie. From Grimsby to Niagara Falls, we are part of the Golden Horseshoe area, which stretches northwards to Orillia, then southeast to Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and Trenton, then circles back down to include the GTA, and everything in between Toronto and Niagara. The possibilities for day travel are exciting, as Niagarans have access to the QEW, the 400-series highways including the toll highway 407, the border we share with the United States and interstate highways across the border. From here, you really can go anywhere.
- Niagara real estate bargains
Yes, there are still real estate bargains to be had. Niagara is full of them, from tiny fixer-uppers to small family homes, condominium-type homes, townhomes, apartments, rentals and yes, estates, too. In April, 2017, the average price of a home sold in Hamilton-Burlington was $611,090. In Toronto, the average was higher, at $920,791. In Niagara, however, the average sale price for the same period was just $418,950. (Source, CREA stats) You can purchase a larger home, on a larger piece of land, for less money than in other areas of the province.
- Niagara’s microclimate
Protected as we are by the location of the Niagara escarpment and the moderating factors caused by the Great Lakes, Niagara temperatures can be milder in winter and warmer in spring, summer and autumn than the rest of the province. Our microclimate offers opportunities for agriculture (think tender fruit and grapes … and wine … and wineries) and horticultural cultivation that permit a longer, friendlier growing season.
- Small-town feel with world-class services
Niagara’s 12 municipalities are full of areas offering small-town, laid-back living, complemented by world-class services, including shopping (Canada One Factory Outlets; the Pen Centre; Seaway Mall, Fallsview Casino mall and the Outlet Collection at Niagara, in Niagara-on-the-Lake), leisure and entertainment. What we call “rush hour” here amounts to busy streets for a short period of time, not constant streams of traffic, 24/7. Travel across your city or town in minutes; safely ride your bike; walk; use public transit … as many ways as you can imagine of getting around safely actually exist here. Not to mention, our services, like those offered municipally or through Niagara Region, employ local people and show great care for our communities.
- There’s history here
From an unpopulated area visited by indigenous peoples to the region as it exists today, Niagara has seen war, settlements, governments formed, governments merged, and industry come and go. If history is your thing, Niagara’s museums chronicle the events that affected our region, from pre-European settlement through the American Revolutionary War, up to and including the War of 1812-14 and to present times. Old Fort Erie, Fort Niagara and various battle sites and historical re-enactments give locals and visitors an idea of what living here would have been like, in Niagara’s early days.
- Travel and tourism
The beauty of Niagara has offered the opportunity for the province and our municipalities to develop a tourism industry. Our towns and cities offer countless places to stay, from short-term rentals to world-class hotels, all welcoming visitors from Canada and other countries daily. People come for the beauty, and this tourism has led to the development of an industry that supports our visitors with leisure, entertainment and conference facilities. Some of these facilities, like the Scotiabank Centre or the two casinos in Niagara Falls, are among the region’s largest employers. Since people flock to Niagara Falls for its beauty, the provincial government in 1885 created the Niagara Parks Commission, to care for lands abutting the Niagara River. NPC attractions are among some of the most popular in the region.
- What are you doing this weekend?
Residents love getting out and about on a sunny Niagara day. Families love our parks; make a stop at a local farmer’s market; go hiking on the Bruce Trail or kayaking on one of our many creeks or ponds; visit a local conservation area, like Ball’s Falls or Short Hills; enjoy the beauty and majesty of Niagara Falls; go cycling on the Great Circle Route; enjoy sports opportunities that include golf, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey and more, and try their hand at fishing and boating on the Niagara River, Welland River, Lake Erie or Lake Ontario.
- What’s on at ….
Entertainment: It brings people to the region for fun, and Niagara’s entertainment facilities offer us the chance to get out with friends and family to enjoy movies, live theatre, concerts and specialty shows by the hundreds, every year. We have pub bands; carnivals; bandstand concerts; festivals promoting local entertainment; small-show venues and world-class concert halls seating 5,000 or more. Think Meridian Centre, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Scotiabank Centre, Rodman Hall, the Seneca Queen Theatre, the Avalon Theatre at the Fallsview Casino site, and so many others. Niagara is also famous for the Shaw Festival, which takes place May to November every year out of its theatres in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Entertainment venues in the region are also used as conference facilities and are sometimes available for private rental.
- Wineries, wineries and more wineries (and craft breweries, too)
Monthly temperatures in Niagara are similar to those in Bordeaux and Burgundy, in France. The moderating effects of Lakes Ontario and Erie, and the protective influence of the Niagara Escarpment, creates an area of moderate temperatures during spring and summer growing seasons. Our rich and fertile soils and unique microclimate are suitable for growing tender fruit and grapes, making Niagara a prime wine-producing region. Niagara has 13,600 acres under vine. The grape-growing area stretches from Niagara-on-the-Lake in the east to Grimsby in the west. Springing up more recently are craft breweries, where unique blends of beer offer refreshment to thirsty travellers. The Niagara Beer Trail is self guided and shorter than the Niagara Wine Route, but both trails are worth tasting … we mean, visiting.
- Excellence in education
Niagara’s boards of education take teaching our young people seriously. A high percentage of our students move on to post-secondary education, and some of them even stay in the region. Located in St. Catharines, Brock University welcomes a high percentage of local students every year, for programs as varied as education itself. Niagara College, an award-winning institute itself, offers a multitude of programs to students from all over the world, and Niagara, too. Study journalism, television or film production, music, graphic design or the finer culinary arts. Don’t forget the studies of horticulture, agriculture and the science behind the production of wine and beer. With a degree from Brock University or Niagara College, you’ll be an asset to your Niagara community.
- We come from all over the world
One of the nicest things about Niagara is its diversity. Sure, there’s great education, awesome health services, world-class shopping and real-estate bargains, but the fact is, Niagara’s 12 municipalities are made up of real people – our friends, family members, settlers from other nations, other Canadians and indigenous peoples. We practise diverse faiths, speak different languages and have differing cultural habits. Our lifestyles may be different, but our love for Niagara and the way we enjoy living here keep us linked as one, just as the Region links all 12 municipalities.
We are Niagara, and we would love to have you as a neighbour!
Ready to start searching for your Niagara dream home? Reach call our Newbigging-Pearson Real Estate Team at 289-686-1552, or send us a message via our website HERE, on our contact page.
Let’s talk!