St Catharines is the largest city in the Niagara region, and it has many excellent neighbourhoods for every lifestyle. Today, I’m going to focus on the South end, which is home to Brock University. Even though the area has plenty of housing for students, there are some lovely neighbourhoods for families with school-aged children and for people who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle during the day and attend cultural events or dine out in the evenings. The architecture in the area is unique with homes ranging from start of the century grandeur to 1960s modernist.
The escarpment is dotted with the beautiful neighbourhoods of Burleigh Hill, Glenridge, Secord Woods, and Barbican Heights, while the Carolinian forest within and surrounding the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve offers its beauty and lush vegetation to the region. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the 12 Mile Creek trails are great for biking, walking or running, and the St. Catharines Golf Club is nearby. Burgoyne Woods has a leash-free dog park where canine lovers meet to watch their pooches play, while they catch up on local happenings.
Everything is within walking distance in the South including the Pen Centre shopping mall which offers stores for every taste, the South-end also offers some incredible places to enjoy a meal or a drink.
Residents in the South End also have the opportunity to attend concerts, readings and toga parties held at Brock University, established in 1964. The city of St Catharines has a strong arts and culture scene and hosts several summer festivals. Inhabitants from all over the city enjoy visiting the farmer’s market held downtown three times a week where they can choose from the lovely fresh produce brought in from the fertile rural areas of Niagara. For those who enjoy road day trips into the country, they can be assured that during the summer months they will come across many roadside stalls where they can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables directly from local farmers.
There are some world-class wineries to visit in the surrounding district where wine estates offer tastings and fine restaurants. The grapes of the area are unique because of the cooler climate when compared with other wine growing regions of the world. Toronto is only 111km away and a mere 19 km drive leads to the Niagara Falls and the border with the U.S.
The locks at the Welland canal are a popular option for visitors and locals during the summer months. One of the world’s greatest engineering feats assists cargo ships to cross the escarpment on this magnificent stairway of water.
Meanwhile, the average price for a home in St. Catharines sits at approximately $420,000, holding its spot somewhere in the middle of all the Niagara cities. The Niagara region had a few years of higher demand with predictions that there will be a slow down over the next two years, but there is still a high interest in the region because of work opportunities and its schools. Anyone who is looking for an investment opportunity needs look no further than the South End where student rentals can help supplement a pension or build onto a future retirement plan.