Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Checking out beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake I was recently chatting with a realtor friend of mine from out of town, as I regularly do. Since she had only ever visited here, she asked me what I loved the most about living in Niagara. Now, a ton of people have asked me this question and instead of going to the same old answer, I thought about it a bit deeper this time around. It’s too easy to say you love where you live, wherever you are but, if you really stop and think of the why, I’ll bet you’ll come up with some surprising reasons. I did. It’s like you know why, but when you have to articulate it to someone who doesn’t live in your area, you can kind of surprise yourself if you just take time to think a little deeper about it.
I let my brain think back to all the experiences I’ve had in Niagara in the last 40 years or so. Places I’ve worked, parties I went to, my routine bike ride route, the first place I drove my first car to…which was McDonald’s on Lundy’s Lane by the way. That’s right-17 years old, first car I ever owned and at 10pm one night I realized I could just get in the car and go get a Big Mac. So I did! I thought about special moments like attending a friend’s wedding or a loved ones funeral. All the new stores and restaurants that pop up from time to time all over the region. A friend would call me raving about this new restaurant in St. Catharines. Or I’d admire a colleague's sweater and she’d tell me she bought it at a new clothing store in Port Dalhousie.
Right then it dawned on me and I just blurted out to my real estate buddy “I love it here because it’s so easy to live here!”
Personally here are my top five reasons why it is very easy to live, work and play in Niagara:
1. We have everything we need and we all use the whole region.
Using the entire region seemed very foreign to her. She wondered why I would go to a restaurant in St. Catharines if I lived in Niagara Falls. Short answer: because it’s only 20 minutes away and the food is fresh and amazing! Niagara residents don’t give it a second thought, do we? You live in Welland, but your favourite garden centre is in Grimsby. You live in Thorold, but you come to Niagara on the Lake to hike in the gorge. I live in Niagara Falls, but routinely drive to downtown St. Catharines because I love the vibe.
2. We’re close to the American border and Buffalo International Airport.
Nothing against Pearson International Mississauga, but yup, Buffalo is right there. A real estate friend of mine flew into Buffalo from Florida in early April 2024 to come and stay with me for a couple nights for the eclipse event. She made it from Buffalo International to my home in north Niagara Falls in less than thirty minutes! That would have easily been 1.5 hours from Pearson International. We also have a great airport in Hamilton as well! Being close to the border has more advantages than just being close to the airport. It’s great for companies to attract talent, and it’s just plain fun to be able to cross the border for a show, shopping and dinner.
3. We offer quaint country life AND exciting city life
Make no mistake, we are a full service region offering an amazing array of professional services and entertainment and 
we’re just as sophisticated as any urban area. At the same time, you can hop in your car, drive 20-30 minutes, often less, and find yourself in the middle of seemingly nowhere. All of a sudden it’s quiet and you feel like you’re the only one for miles. You can push your kayak in the water and just be alone, 20 minutes from the city centre! If you went there blindfolded you’d have no idea how close to a full service city you were. When I have a hectic day, that’s exactly what I do. It’s amazing to drive up the Niagara Parkway, find a parking spot, walk a little bit and then just sit on a blanket and read in silence. It’s perfect.
4. One new hospital, one coming and more and more services for our aging population
The state of the art St. Catharines Hospital joined the landscape in 2013. When it opened, it meant Niagara residents no 
longer had to go out of town for a number of different treatments. I myself had a CT scan there in 2014. I remember it was Easter Sunday at 10pm. Construction began for a new South Niagara Falls Hospital in 2023 at the corner of Montrose Road and Lyons Creek Road. It’s supposed to be opening in the Summer of 2028. There are also a number of brand new gorgeous retirement communities that have been built. Namely Elgin Falls and Chapel Heights in Niagara Falls. Also Grand Canal in Welland. I also see and hear about all kinds of events for our baby boomers and aging population, and none of them involve bingo ;) I’m talking about fun and exciting events and shows. We know how to take care of our folks here.
5. A lot of cultural options for food, art, socialising and events.
I love this one because yes, we have many different cultures represented in Niagara. I have had more than one client of different backgrounds ask me if they’ll “fit in” in Niagara. My answer is always yes. We have a number of groups here that offer events and socialising for those of the same background. One that comes to mind as I write this is our Filipino community. I recently had a client moving here from the Toronto area, a lovely single woman in her 50’s who specifically asked me if there were any other Filipinos in Niagara that she could connect with. I smiled and enthusiastically said “absolutely”! I gave her some contacts and let her know of the amazing festival they put on. Here’s a link to highlights from the 2022 Annual Niagara Fiesta Extravaganza. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO1ypZK-pzA&t=1s
There are also different European and South Asian etc events. It’s really great to see people from all backgrounds attending these events and festivals across the region.
In a nutshell, Niagara is a beautiful, attractive place to live and work. When there is an economic shift, like the covid19 pandemic for example, we have a strong history of recovering quickly as well. The people that make up our individual communities are second to none and support each other. We just keep getting better. I can’t wait to see what the next five years and further have in store for the next generation.
If you want more information about Niagara, maybe just a recommendation to a good picnic area, a fancy or not fancy but still good restaurant, or you need a service provider here, just reach out.
