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For the out-of towners coming to Ottawa I would recommend the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Old Ottawa East, Hintonburg or Westboro.  These are all walkable neighbourhoods close to cafés, patios, and grocery stores ( I can't overstate how much of a huge plus it is to not depend on a car/bus for groceries!) In the glebe/OOS you're close to the canal and Dow's lake for winter skating, festivals and summer running/cycling paths/kayaking.  You're close to Lansdowne park which in non-COVID times has football games/soccer games/music festivals/beer markets/yoga in the park and markets almost every weekend of the summer.   Yes, these are way more expensive than living beside the hospital but if you rent a room in a home or go in on a place with other med students it can be affordable. 

The question you have to ask yourself is: are you the type of person who will spend 99.9% of your time inside the school (in which case rolling out of bed to go to class is pretty sweet!)  or will you also be studying from home/ a café?  Do you intend to do other activities outside of school?   If so, I wouldn't recommend living in the neighbourhood by the hospital.  There's nothing there and Smyth is practically a highway when it comes to traffic.  

There is a lot to be said about your living environment  and how that plays into your quality of life/mental health.  As someone who has lived in Ottawa for many years, I find those who arrive here and live in uninteresting/unwalkable areas have a much harder time adjusting and those who choose a more vibrant area end up loving it.  If you can come here before making a decision I would at the very least take a walk around the different neighbourhoods.  There are pros and cons to each.

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30 minutes ago, HighAltitudeMedicine said:

For the out-of towners coming to Ottawa I would recommend the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Old Ottawa East, Hintonburg or Westboro.  These are all walkable neighbourhoods close to cafés, patios, and grocery stores ( I can't overstate how much of a huge plus it is to not depend on a car/bus for groceries!) In the glebe/OOS you're close to the canal and Dow's lake for winter skating, festivals and summer running/cycling paths/kayaking.  You're close to Lansdowne park which in non-COVID times has football games/soccer games/music festivals/beer markets/yoga in the park and markets almost every weekend of the summer.   Yes, these are way more expensive than living beside the hospital but if you rent a room in a home or go in on a place with other med students it can be affordable. 

The question you have to ask yourself is: are you the type of person who will spend 99.9% of your time inside the school (in which case rolling out of bed to go to class is pretty sweet!)  or will you also be studying from home/ a café?  Do you intend to do other activities outside of school?   If so, I wouldn't recommend living in the neighbourhood by the hospital.  There's nothing there and Smyth is practically a highway when it comes to traffic.  

There is a lot to be said about your living environment  and how that plays into your quality of life/mental health.  As someone who has lived in Ottawa for many years, I find those who arrive here and live in uninteresting/unwalkable areas have a much harder time adjusting and those who choose a more vibrant area end up loving it.  If you can come here before making a decision I would at the very least take a walk around the different neighbourhoods.  There are pros and cons to each.

The place I signed is downtown in Sandy Hill near the campus shuttle since I don't drive *yet* and prefer a bit livelier neighborhood. But I'll defs keep the other areas in mind once I get myself a car :D

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3 minutes ago, DrOtter said:

The place I signed is downtown in Sandy Hill near the campus shuttle since I don't drive *yet* and prefer a bit livelier neighborhood. But I'll defs keep the other areas in mind once I get myself a car :D

Sandy Hill can be really nice too!  The shuttle campus shuttle is convenient too.  The only reason I didn't put Sandy Hill on there is that it is a bit of a student ghetto ( read: loud). You also have to be more careful of "slum landlords" that take advantage of the student population.    Neighbourhoods like the Glebe and Old Ottawa South have students too since it's right near Carleton but it is more of a mix of families, young professionals, professors as well so it is not as loud.  But Sandy Hill can also be really nice and it's close to the market and right downtown which is pretty great.   One pro-tip if you're really into researching areas is to contact the Community Association for the neighbourhood. They'll be quick to tell you the good and the bad of the area and what to avoid. 

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On 6/26/2020 at 10:48 AM, DrOtter said:

The place I signed is downtown in Sandy Hill near the campus shuttle since I don't drive *yet* and prefer a bit livelier neighborhood. But I'll defs keep the other areas in mind once I get myself a car :D

I caved so I'm next to the hospital lol. So you down to host some socials/parties? :P

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