11-06-2015, 04:23 PM
(11-06-2015, 02:31 PM)MidTowner Wrote:(11-06-2015, 10:25 AM)Andy Wrote: ..Maybe not so much at Mill/Courtland since that area isn't built up much. I'm expecting the Cedar Hill area to gentrify fairly quickly though. As well as the area around the hopsital...
Out of curiosity, what do you specifically see happening in these neighbourhoods? I know that Cedar Hill is known regionally as being a lower-income area, but I would say both of those areas have a real mix of people, and in both (it seems to me) there are some affluent people already. I wouldn't characterize either neighbourhood as particularly poor, particularly dangerous, particularly rundown. What would "gentrification" in those areas seem like to you?
Cedar hill has a lot of social services in the area. I think having the men's hostel and these services have led to the housing values being cheap for their proximity to downtown. It's got a bad rap, I agree. It's not completely rundown or shady, but a lot of the rental properties aren't completing taken care of. I was trying to convince my wife to buy a house in that area, but it just doesn't feel safe to walk around at night. I think this is bound to change because of the location to downtown. Also Victoria park is within walking distance.
For Mill/Courtland, it's not rundown per-se, but it's certainly not an atractive area. Ottawa/Courtland/Mill are fairly busy streets that split up the neighbourhood. And there's simply nothing around or worth walking to. The neighbourhoods aren't the oldest so you don't have that appeal either.
I'm not an expert on gentrification, but this is just my impression. I feel I'm the target demographic for the first phases of gentrification. I want to live near transit, bike/walk to work, and I can deal with "sketchiness". But Mill/Courtland area had no appeal for me, while Cedar Hill did.