Homes for Sale in Sandy Hill
View all MLS Listings in Sandy Hill
About Sandy Hill
The prestigious Sandy Hill gets its name from its many hills and sandy soil. You'll find Rideau Street to the north (including Lowertown and ByWard Market), Highway 417 and the Transitway to the south, Rideau River (and Strathcona Park) to the east, and Rideau Canal to the west.
Sandy Hill North is older with many of its buildings dating from the nineteenth century. Sandy Hill South was largely built after WWII. In the far south Strathcona Heights is densely populated with low-rise apartment buildings of subsidized housing or cooperatives, and was completely redeveloped in the '90s. These cooperatives contributed to the restoration of heritage homes, while winning awards. Below Strathcona Heights, near the Rideau River is Robinson Village, cut off by highways and comprised of low-rise houses and light industrial.
Sandy Hill residents are 50/50 anglophone to francophone with large communities from Somalia, Lebanon and Haiti. Relatively affluent families live near the embassies, and you'll find university students, senior citizens, and new immigrants with more diversified income levels.
There are a many large single-family homes that have been converted to apartments for rent, to serve the large number of university students in the area. It's close to downtown and well-served by LRT stations at the University of Ottawa and Rideau Centre, and the Transitway that passes by uOttawa.
The location is ideal, with leafy, tree-lined streets, near the river and park, and there are 4 or 5 pubs and restaurants in the neighbourhood, as well as a Community Centre.
Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa at 453 Laurier Avenue is the only campus in North America for the Cordon Bleu - a network of culinary arts and hospitality institutes. Aspiring chefs of cuisine or pastry enjoy world-class instruction in a bilingual, historical, student-friendly hub.
Laurier House at 353 Laurier Avenue East is a National Historic Site, formerly the residence of Canadian prime ministers: Sir Wilfred Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. The Victorian home, now a museum, is open to the public for guided tours from May to October.
A popular landmark in Sandy Hill is 15-acre Strathcona Park, named after Lord Strathcona, a Canadian businessman and politician. Situated on the west bank of the Rideau River, it marks Sandy Hill's eastern edge. The site was the first home of Dominion Rifle Range, where soldiers trained for war. To preserve this history, Range Road was named and now is home to a number of embassies, called "Embassy Row", running along the west of the park. Accordingly, you'll often see RCMP patrolling the neighbourhood to maintain the quiet, prestigious setting.
The prominent fountain at the top of Strathcona Park was donated by Lord Strathcona in 1909. In 2015, the Adàwe Crossing bridge was completed to connect Donald Street and Riverain Park in the east with Somerset Street East and Strathcona Park in the west to allow pedestrians and cyclists another route over the Rideau River, and avoiding the busier Cummings Bridge.
If you're looking to buy a home in this area, expect to pay more than average for Ottawa. Note that most older homes have lower basements - some with rubble foundations. There are other known issues with some older homes to consider, like the type of wiring and insulation that may not be up to code, so do your homework with your agent's help. Regardless, it's a renowned area, close to downtown and the Market, and the chance to own a piece of history in an older, more tranquil setting.
