Homes for Sale in Lowertown and Market
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About Lowertown & ByWard Market
With water on three sides, Lowertown is bordered by Sussex Drive and the Ottawa River to the north, the Rideau Canal to the west, Rideau River to the east and Rideau Street to the south.
Historically French Canadian and Irish, the densely populated Lowertown or Basse-Ville as its known, is home to 12,274 (2011 Census) culturally diverse residents. About 25% speak French in this bilingual community. Located centrally and east of downtown, it is the oldest part of Ottawa, first settled in 1826 by labourers and tradesmen when Colonel John By undertook the building of the Rideau Canal.
It's also perhaps the most well-known with its proximity to the commercial ByWard Market. There are over a dozen businesses that have operated in Lowertown for over a century, including the only commercial horse stable in urban Ottawa.
There are quite a number of homes for sale in Lowertown and the ByWard Market, with the majority being in condominium towers for modest budgets to those with deep pockets. The Byward Market neighbourhoods have a mix of high-rise condominium apartments, residential homes and townhomes. You'll find renovated, brand new homes and businesses to heritage homes and neo-Gothic government buildings.
The community and neighbourhood is unique to Ottawa, boasting bars, restaurants, pubs, cafés, nightclubs and Ottawa's largest indoor and outdoor market, with the main Farmer's Market feature. Street vendors sell their wares that range from Quebec-made maple syrup, to handmade jewelry, trinkets, clothing and the freshest produce, picked daily. Tourists flock here because of the walkability from downtown hotels and proximity to outdoor activities and entertainment.
It comes alive particularly at night, when everyone fills the numerous outdoor patios to enjoy a meal or a quick pint. Many students attending the University of Ottawa can be found enjoying the nightlife here. It's a colourful place and one that satisfies all your senses.
Other area attractions like the National Gallery of Canada and St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts inject art and culture into the neighbourhood. Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica - Ottawa's oldest and largest church in Ottawa was last renovated and restored in the late 1990s, can be easily identified with its twin spires and gilded Madonna. Governor General Georges Vanier and Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier were both given state funerals here.
Not to be missed are the abundance of green spaces offered by not one but eight parks, including as its oldest Majors Hill, that stands above the Rideau Canal as it enters the Ottawa River. You can enjoy this beautiful view on foot, or on a patio at the historic Château Laurier Hotel.
There is a community garden, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, an outdoor rink, sports field, tennis court, outdoor wading pool, playstructures, a sledding hill and splash pads. Winterfest is celebrated annually in Lowertown.
With the addition of ongoing construction, traffic congestion can become an issue in the busy, dense downtown. As a result residents find other means to get around other than by car. They bike, walk, take the bus from nearby Rideau Centre transit station hub, or the Light Rail Transit with stops at Parliament, Rideau and uOttawa. It is hoped that the LRT will ease congestion as take-up increases.
Rideau Centre is one of Ottawa's premiere shopping destinations, attracting tourists and serving the Lowertown and Byward communities.
Educational institutions in the area include Canada School of Public Service, École Elémentaire Catholique Sainte-Anne, École Secondaire Publique de la Salle, Gina's College of Advanced Aesthetics, Ottawa School of Art, School of Photographic Arts Ottawa and York Street Public School.
