Dundas Village

[radioheadmike]

Anyone lives in Dundas Village or knows someone that lives there? I am looking for opinions on this area. pros/cons.

I have driven through this area and I am really considering moving there in the near future.

Check out these listings -

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=12527224&PidKey=-704432918

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=12323573&PidKey=-1896259709

Here are some nice shots of the area -

http://www.downtowndundas.ca/#|0|0|3|13|0|0

 

[RC8]

I know a couple of people who live there or visit fairly regularly. Apparently it's the perfect little Ontario exurban town - where most of its inhabitants commute to Hamilton or Toronto for work.

There's essentially nothing in terms of food, drinks, or urban amenities (probably more than in the likes of Richmond Hill, though). Very car-oriented. Safe for kids. Main street in decent shape with token local offerings here and there.

Nice if you need to be close to McMaster or Hamilton.

 

[UserNameToronto]

I know a couple of people who live there or visit fairly regularly. Apparently it's the perfect little Ontario exurban town - where most of its inhabitants commute to Hamilton or Toronto for work.

There's essentially nothing in terms of food, drinks, or urban amenities (probably more than in the likes of Richmond Hill, though). Very car-oriented. Safe for kids. Main street in decent shape with token local offerings here and there.

Nice if you need to be close to McMaster or Hamilton.

+1. Lived there for 4 months as a student in 2007.

I can understand the appeal of Dundas for commuters who have a family. You can buy amazing Victorian houses for next to nothing, and it is a very pretty town. I sense it must have been very wealthy around 1900, then stagnated, which preserved its charm.

As a young professional, Dundas holds no appeal for me because of the reasons RC8 mentioned. If I were to move to the Hamilton area, I've buy 2 Victorians downtown Hamilton (near Hess) for $200k apeice. Reno one, rent out the other. If you're into urban living, Dundas is the opposite of that.

 

[radioheadmike]

As much as I love downtown Hamilton and see the many potentials in the future, I just don't think it would be the best place to raise children at the moment. Commuting might be difficult but if you can work from home, it would be perfect.

Dundas has a very "family" vibe to it and it is surrounded by parks and trees.

 

[RC8]

I lived here as a little child (in the tall building to the very right - upper one):

The elevator would break down often, so my grandmother would take me down the stairs to a local Pizzeria where we had the most incredible pizza ever (I still think so to this day). Sometimes I would take the subway with my mother or my grandmother and we'd walk through different parks and places. The buildings in the pic were in much better condition back then.

While I understand perfectly why people would like to raise a family in places like Dundas, I think more North Americans raising their children in the city would also be a wonderful thing. As a kid it's so awesome to be able to just go for a walk with a family member and stop at your local chocolate store, bakery, etc.

Dundas, Burlington, and Oakville are good in that you can still walk or bike with kids to main streets where some of these experiences can be had. Mississauga and Richmond Hill not so much.

 

[radioheadmike]

I lived here as a little child (in the tall building to the very right - upper one):

The elevator would break down often, so my grandmother would take me down the stairs to a local Pizzeria where we had the most incredible pizza ever (I still think so to this day). Sometimes I would take the subway with my mother or my grandmother and we'd walk through different parks and places. The buildings in the pic were in much better condition back then.

While I understand perfectly why people would like to raise a family in places like Dundas, I think more North Americans raising their children in the city would also be a wonderful thing. As a kid it's so awesome to be able to just go for a walk with a family member and stop at your local chocolate store, bakery, etc.

Dundas, Burlington, and Oakville are good in that you can still walk or bike with kids to main streets where some of these experiences can be had. Mississauga and Richmond Hill not so much.

Thanks for sharing. Where is this located?

 

[RC8]

Caracas, Venezuela. Though my family are not Venezuelan themselves and we've long moved on.

I think it's important to highlight that children growing up in apartment buildings and denser communities can have an absolutely amazing childhood. Suburbs confer many benefits, but if you live in North America you already know what those are It was quite a culture shock for me here to see people moving so far away from their jobs to raise a family.