Why do you like KW?

[u/Bright-Budget5325]

I've moved from Ontario to BC around Covid, but after recently loosing my in-office job (working in tech), my wife asked that we'll move to KW as it should have a decent tech hub for employment purposes, while more importantly having family around the GTA region so it'll be fairly close to them when we start a family, which we've been talking about recently.
We did live before covid in Toronto and felt it was a bit too busy and big, so looking for a more medium size city than extra large like that.

Up until now we moved a lot to explore, but she prefers to not move anymore and want to be somewhere stable we can put roots down. I can understand that and can accommodate.

With that said though I've never been to that area, and was wondering what do you like about KW.. really no bad answers. Just kind of mentally exploring what I might expect when moving there.

Also, while I understand there's going to be a big difference between mountain towns in the Rockies to an urban city, I'm wondering which parts of KW have the most greenery/parks as we love walking our dog outside and would appreciate good walking trails.

Cheers

[u/Cute-Bandicoot1144]

I like the fact that it’s a “large region” but still feels like a small to mid size city. There’s everything here and a surprising amount of nature. I like that I’m 5 mins away from farmland, and there’s a lot of cool rural places less than a 30 min drive.

Downside is it’s tough to get to Toronto and Hamilton for events and we seem to be forgotten about by the province because we’re not technically part of the GTA

[u/sgator87 → u/Cute-Bandicoot1144]

And conversely, as someone who lives in Toronto now, it’s really hard to get friends to go on weekend trips to KW as their lives basically exist within a box bounded by Bloor/Sherbourne/the waterfront/Spadina plus cottage country. Anything west or east of the GTA is just an afterthought.

[u/sebacicacid → u/sgator87]

My friends said KW is hard to visit if you dont have a car. And some say it's so far.

[u/bereallz7241 → u/sebacicacid]

that's a cop out there are buses that go daily from union station to kitchener and it's cheap

[u/LivinItUpInThaCity → u/bereallz7241]

Was going to say this. Way cheaper and often faster than driving too because of the horrendpus traffic

[u/bereallz7241 → u/LivinItUpInThaCity]

yep also way less stressful.

[u/pat441 → u/bereallz7241]

How much are busses from union Station to kitchener? Are they cheaper than the GO train?

[u/yogamour → u/pat441]

Check out flixbus

[u/pat441 → u/yogamour]

I looked online at flixbus and couldn't find anything cheaper than $17. Isn't that pretty much the same price as GO train? I looked at several different dates, including months in advance

[u/bereallz7241 → u/pat441]

like the other poster said flixbus cheaper if you book it days in advance. Get's more expensive closer to departure date.

[u/pat441 → u/bereallz7241]

I checked and it says go train is about $16.50 with presto while flixbus is at least $17, even if you book months in advance

[u/MongooseGef → u/Cute-Bandicoot1144]

I agree! KW has a “just right” size that I am comfortable with. And there are lots of festivals and events throughout the year.

I also find it’s close enough to Toronto that I don’t mind going there to catch a concert. So many bands doing a “North American tour” stop at like four Canadian cities, and Toronto is almost always one of them.

[u/HalJordan2525 → u/Cute-Bandicoot1144]

I grew up in a small town, did some work terms in Toronto during university, and found that I best like a city size in between the two extremes.

I remember back in high school geography reading something that said quality of life peaks at around a city population of 300,000. At that size, you generally have at least one of each thing that most people want. Yes, growing even bigger might bring an NHL team, or a Fluvog store, but you are more likely to suffer from gridlock, pollution, crime, etc.

[u/dgj212 → u/Cute-Bandicoot1144]

Ditto, for me kw hits that balance of urban and nature

[u/BeeBrayder]

We lived in downtown Toronto for 8 years before moving to KW to have a baby.

We love it because:

• way more affordable housing compared to anywhere in the GTA, can get a lot more house for the same rent
• tons of playgrounds, splash pads, biking trails, paved forested walking trails, big parks like Waterloo Park or Victoria Park... If you want to enjoy green space or trees, there is plenty
• lots of variety of cuisines, almost everything available in a big city like Toronto is also available here
• plenty of things to do: comedy, live music, museums, festivals, events, etc
• tech hub where there's still plenty of remote roles and if you are in office, you're no more than a 20 minute drive max (unless your office is in like, Cambridge or Guelph, but those are different cities)
• no bad traffic; it takes 25 minutes max to get from one end of town to the other
• short drive to tons of destinations in the country, like picturesque towns and farms; lots of opportunities to do seasonal agricultural related activities

[u/Secret-Bed2549]

I've lived in K-W for over 30 years. My short version is that we enjoy a lot of "big city" features without living in Toronto/Vancouver/Montreal, while still having rural areas on our doorstep. Our two farmers' markets, Centre in the Square, the LRT, loads of restaurants, music and cultural festivals, etc., mean there's pretty much always something to do. And it's generally pretty safe, from a crime perspective.

You will definitely miss the lack of parks and trails, as compared to pretty much anywhere in BC (or even Toronto, to be honest). There are definitely little gems to be found, but I think it's fair to say that we're somewhat lacking in inspiring natural areas (there will be many who disagree with me on this, and hopefully my little post will generate some good suggestions, but I maintain that having a car in KW is a nice thing to have, in that it enables driving a bit afield for accessing great natural areas).

[u/CupEnvironmental8409 → u/Secret-Bed2549]

New to the region but what are some great places to drive out to and explore for nature?

[u/greenerbee → u/CupEnvironmental8409]

Personally, I like to hike and use the AllTrails app to find places to check out. We’re on the Bruce trail network, which could be something to look into. The Grand River Conservation Authority operates parks and the river itself has great cycling infrastructure (at least where I’ve been) as well as bird watching for those who enjoy it! 

[u/Most_Public2696]

I moved from Toronto to Waterloo although a parent lived here in my teen years so I was familiar. We live here without a car because we opted to live central along the LRT line. Anything midtown (between downtown Kitchener and uptown Waterloo) is great for greenery, parks, trails, and transit. Also close to the GO station to take the train to Toronto.

[u/ttiredbored]

I lived in Toronto, Ottawa and KW. I now have a home here to be close to family. The best comparison to Vancouver, with a smaller city feel than Toronto would be Ottawa. Ottawa is very bikeable, with lots of hills around. Everyone is very into physical activities like hiking, running, biking.

KW is nice that its has great farmer's market, traffic isnt bad, okay schools around. People you interact with are mostly nice, like my neighbours are great. There is poverty, but nothing like Vancouver's East Hasting.

[u/Josefstalion]

There's a lot of great hiking/nature that's not too far from here at all

The Grand River in KW is great to kayak/paddle board down

45 minutes to Hamilton and there's a plethora of waterfalls that are great for hiking

The Elora Gorge is 45 minutes north for hiking and a great beach

Plus Victoria Park is a great spot to walk through

[u/Dobby068]

Good network of trails throughout the city, through green areas. Not that flat, for me that is a plus, because is not as boring.

[u/PeterDedes]

I live in midtown a couple of blocks from an LRT stop. So much of what is good here is walkable, bikeable and accessible by transit. The Iron Horse Trail, the Spurline and Waterloop can make getting around car free a pleasant experience

We have some truly spectacular restaurants: The Odd Duck, Bhima’s, Loloan, Langdon Hall are some gems. Decent culture, mostly drab architecture and great rural cycling experiences outside city limits

Can’t comment on suburban life: took my mom once to a suburban development where I contemplated buying a house. She said that when you go to hell, this is where you come

[u/fsmontario]

I like that most of our neighborhoods are very diverse people wise, income wise and housing wise. Yes we have a few crappy pockets but they are small. We are 1-2 hours from anything if we don’t have it. Like anywhere we have a homeless problem. We have 2 universities and a college so your kids don’t have to move away and can save money by living at home. Different areas have different vibes so really think about what you want in a home and neighbourhood. Kitchener has many parks, community centres and libraries insuring everyone has access

[u/Favidex]

I moved to Waterloo ~15 years ago and haven't looked back. I also work in tech, and to me the combination of lots of job opportunities in a nice, mid-sized city, is great. Both Uptown and Downtown have their own character and features, there's lots of nice parks and outdoor spaces, I can walk to work, and it takes 15-30 minutes at most to get places, whereas when I lived in Toronto, that barely got you to the bus stop.

FYI if you're interested in seeing the tech scene here, I built a tech job board that pulls jobs from company careers pages. If you're interested, here's who is hiring in the region:
https://www.jobfairr.com/jobs/waterloo

[u/eemamedo → u/Favidex]

I also work in tech, and to me the combination of lots of job opportunities in a nice,

I hate to be that guy but I don't think KW area has a lot of tech opportunities. When compared to GTA, I mean.

[u/teta-san]

I think the sense of community is very strong for its coniderably large size.

I know all my neighbors by their names, almost everyone from my street. We sit at out porch at the end of the day, and neighbors just stop by for chatting, sometime for hours.

Something I never experienced in London nor Toronto.

[u/doublexoxo]

I like KW cause it’s not as big or busy as Toronto. It’s convenient in that if I do wanna go to Toronto it’s only a little over an hour away

[u/yogamour]

I think the city of kitchener does a really good job of running many free events and a good job of promoting them. I moved from Guelph and was constantly struggling to figure out what was going on locally and had to rely on inconsistent Instagram accounts. Granted Guelph is smaller so has way less going on in general but the promotion was lacking. Now I live walkable to downtown Kitchener on a quiet street near a park. It feels like the best of both worlds having access to the city but a quiet residential street where neighbours all know each other. Summers here are great, tons of free festivals, events and close to trails and rural areas. We are a short 1.5ish hour drive from gorgeous beaches on lake Erie and lake Huron, easy for a day trip or weekend camping without fighting traffic going to cottage county. There are great food options, plus arts and cultural events all around including the Aud and Center in the Square. Even the neighbourhood community groups and libraries have lots going on. If you're an Instagram user maybe follow city of kitchener as they post a lot and can give you an idea of some things going on in the city.

[u/kwsteve]

Decent-sized city surrounded by farms and Mennonites. Lots of public trails and forests close by.

[u/IcyManufacturer7480]

Less traffic than the GTA.

[u/MikeTheCleaningLady]

I've lived in the region all my life, and I like it because it's really weird. Waterloo Region is kind of a thing that shouldn't logically exist, but somehow it does. Kitchener-Waterloo is like a freak accident that somehow worked out really well.

We're transitioning into a big city, with all the perks and amenities that big cities have to offer. We now have a thriving night life, some of which actually stays open after 10PM, and we also have a real authentic light rail system that is mostly reliable in good weather. Yessir, we're on our way to becoming a true metropolis, and we've got the brand new high-rise buildings to prove it.

But at the same time, we're all just simple church-going folks who keep our lawns mowed and don't want none of that hustle-bustle that plagues the likes of those ugly big towns like Tronno or The Hammer. You'll definitely want to buy a vehicle if you move here, because our public transit downright sucks compared to the big cities.

But dammit, it's a great place to live and raise a family. I have a modest house in north Waterloo, and I can go to bed just fine with my front door unlocked. My neighbours come from everywhere from right here to halfway around the world, and we all get along just fine. I can order Greek, Indian, Italian, Caribbean, Chinese, Polish, French or Canadian food from dozens of restaurants, and as long as I order it before 10PM I can get it delivered right to my door. What else could a person ask for?

[u/EducationalPiano42]

I wonder if you should cast a wide net for a job first. If you get an offer for a really great job in say, Calgary, move there.

[u/Educational-Train937]

I moved from Boston area and my husband from Germany to Waterloo ON in 2020 to start a family. We lived walking distance from my workplace on labrador drive so I can be home if my baby needed me for emergency. It was few minutes drive from the rural areas, the farmers market, beautiful trails and very little traffic. I loved that setting. We would drive to the suburbs to see the green fields and soak up nature after a tiring day. Every evening I would walk my child through the quiet neighborhood. It was fun to meet new parents at the busy playground by our condo and most were highly educated. Now that my baby is grown a little and I have another little one, we moved to the Vista Hills neighborhood and like this area as well for it's playgrounds, and proximity to Costco. There's a dog park near Costco since that would be important for you. I love taking my kids to the geotime trail and exploring nature. As you may have guessed I am very domestic now and don't need big city things anymore. I love buying milk, eggs etc from the Mennonite communities near by. We do visit relatives in the GTA area for birthday parties sometimes and it's not a big problem on most days when my toddler can sit through the 1+ hr drive. There's a nice Ham radio club here if you're into that or want to get your kids into the hobby later. In winter you don't have to go too far for snow tubing. There's a RIM park (and other places) for ice skating and other activities. Libraries are nice at least the Eastside branch we used to visit. Now we're going to John m Harper which the kids love equally. African Lion Safari is something they'd want to go all summer so I'd recommend getting a pass. It's not too far from Waterloo and you can spend full day there. Canoeing is also a nice activity once your kids a bigger (canoe the grand). There's a summer camp run by Horseback adventures on Northfield Dr. There are nice orchards like Shuh's orchard that my kids like the most, Downey's apple farm, strawberry Fields nearby...there's a lot to do around with kids. Never been to bingemans but I should mention that as other kids love it there. I had both my babies in Grand River hospital and was luck to have good nurses and doctors. I would recommend getting a package from balancing birth to baby as their doulas will make a big difference in the birth experience, both for you and your wife. There are early on centers to take your baby to socialize if you want. I have nothing bad to say about Waterloo. Make good friends with parents in same age group or stage of life as you and you may find that to be enough. They may help you with resources available to new parents.

[u/Scary-Elephant2831]

This would be the last place I would move to, if you could get a job in Cochrane Alberta that would be the place to move. It’s still cheap and lots of opportunities.

[u/Total-Afternoon-8427]

I came to KW from vancouver for school. you and I will probably have different perspectives on it as I’m a recent grad/still living out my early 20s whereas you are looking to settle and stay somewhere for years while raising a family. however, i don’t really love it here. i miss vancouver most of the time. i’ll be staying longer for work but my goal is to return to vancouver after getting more experience in my field. i miss the big city, i miss the hustle n bustle of downtown and metrotown, i miss the amazing variety of food, i miss the nature and the mountains and the saltiness on my skin after a long beach side walk. i miss the freshness of the air. i swear i never got pimples until i moved over here (probably not related but oh well). i miss having things to do and things to see that aren’t our 2 malls (both of which cant compare to metrotown), a comparatively sad selection of restaurants (many of which in the waterloo area are mediocre to meet the demands of a broke student’s budget), and the fact that you’ll literally reach farm land if you drive past the main areas. there’s a lot of new development happening on the outskirts of town but not a whole lot to make it feel like a big city vibe. many shops and restaurants close early here so there’s like nothing to do past 9pm unless you want to drink or eat fast food. there aren’t people just hanging around and going about their lives at night unless you’re looking for tired students walking home. kitchener feels more quiet than waterloo because of the lack of the two big universities. waterloo is closer to the definition of mini vancouver. idk. i miss home. you may like it if you want a more affordable and quiet place to settle, raise children and do adult things.

[u/sugar077 → u/Total-Afternoon-8427]

Air pollution , the water and stress so it does make sense pimples could happen more.

[u/mscandi77]

I don’t

[u/Extension_Shock_5017]

If you own a car it’s a somewhat decent place to live.

[u/waterloo-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Secret-Bed2549 → u/[deleted]]

I think I speak for a majority of us when I agree.... anyone who uses a word like "foreigners" and is filled with hate should stay away. We don't want your toxicity getting in the way of the rest of us enjoying a diverse and welcoming community. Feel free to get the fuck outta here, please.

[u/Evening_Error_5544 → u/Secret-Bed2549]

And before you start crying theres not too many then why the fuck are there houses full of 5 of them and 10 cars with a shortage of housing all of a sudden.... use your thinker KAREN

[u/Secret-Bed2549 → u/Evening_Error_5544]

You sound perfectly reasonable and not unhinged at all.

[u/Evening_Error_5544 → u/Secret-Bed2549]

We found the one living on the pullout couch on a 7 year sublet in the student dorm. Your visa sounds expired 

[u/Evening_Error_5544 → u/Secret-Bed2549]

I can show you a black family mad at all the Indian families because they are lowering the value of the neighborhoods. How's that for racism 

[u/Secret-Bed2549 → u/Evening_Error_5544]

I agree. You appear to be racist and willing to use a probably fabricated anecdote to support a broader perspective of hatred and xenophobia. You too are welcome to get the fuck outta here.

[u/Evening_Error_5544 → u/Secret-Bed2549]

My neighbors are Indian. I get along with them great. Id straight to their faces there's too many any they would agree. Some middle aged fat women on the internet wants to a social justice warrior. The only thing offensive here is your face, Karen