Northwood, Oshawa Neighbourhood Guide: Enterprising Industry

Northwood neighbourhood is a mostly industrial rural area with some pockets of residential subdivisions. The neighbourhood is situated in the northeast section of Oshawa and is bordered by Taunton Rd. West to the south, the Oshawa Creek to east, the Oshawa-Whitby border to the west, and Hwy. 407 to the north.

This neighbourhood is a hub for the industrial sector given its close proximity to major highways, and residents who reside here enjoy the close proximity to Ontario Tech University and Durham College. Residents can enjoy nearby dining and shopping options on Simcoe Road, and the combination of educational, shopping, and dining venues makes this an attractive neighbourhood for families and young professionals.

Northwood’s history dates back to the 1790s, when this neighbourhood was originally part of Whitby Township. As its name suggests, Northwood refers to the northern location of the neighbourhood and the vast, wooded ravine areas that surround the homes and businesses located here.

The Northwood neighbourhood is a largely industrial setting with many of the business parks situated in the southern point of the neighbourhood. It is mostly an unbuilt rural area with farm homes, and there are also various subdivisions in the neighbourhood. The Bickle subdivision was built in the 1960s, consisting of ranch-style bungalows and split-level homes. In the 2000s, development continued in the area with larger, detached homes.

The business parks in this neighbourhood are a hub for a variety of industries, including transportation, warehousing, distribution, and logistics companies given the area’s close proximity to major highways.

Thornton Industrial Park and Northwood Business Park are landmark industrial parks in this neighbourhood that are several hundred acres in size. They are a popular destination for industry headquarters since the business parks are just minutes from Highways 401, 407, East 412, and 418, and close to the Oshawa Executive Airport.

These sites also offer convenient access to multiple US border crossings into New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. Additionally, the St. Lawrence Seaway via the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority provides access to world markets for Oshawa-based businesses.

With Oshawa’s booming population growth and healthy labour market, many companies are drawn to Northwood’s business parks.

If you enjoy artistic attractions, the Oshawa Art Association has been holding an annual Fall Art Festival near Camp Samac since 1981. The artwork adorns the grounds at the camp and is open to the public. This mecca of paintings will appeal to artists and art lovers alike. In the spring, the association also hosts another public art show, Spring Art Festival, on the grounds of the camp, showcasing the paintings of 70 artists of varying genres.

Residents living in Northwood live within close proximity to the vibrant downtown shopping district on Simcoe Street South. This area offers plenty of shopping amenities, including clothing boutiques, specialty stores, pharmacies, and grocery markets.

Urban Market Picks and Social Hall is an innovative alternative to big box grocery stores, and is situated on Simcoe Street North, close to the Northwood neighbourhood. The store highlights fresh local produce and is stocked with locally-made items like jams, spreads, housewares, craft beer, wine, meats, cheeses, and more. There is even a second level mezzanine, which provides a spot for locals to socialize. 

If you’re looking for a bite to eat while shopping, the area behind the store will soon feature a Food Truck Alley, and the owner is hoping that they’ll have permanent food trucks on this site to offer dining options for shoppers on the go.

Oshawa’s own Mandarin Restaurant is located in the Northwoods neighbourhood on Airport Boulevard. This chain restaurant has a well-deserved reputation for serving delicious Asian food with a famous buffet that includes crab legs.

During the week, the restaurant offers a Small Eats menu, offering sumptuous dishes reasonably priced from $1.99 to $5.99. On the weekends, the buffet features a wide variety of creative menu items including Thai mango salad, peel and eat shrimp, chow mein, black pepper steak, and Peking style pork, among many other succulent dishes. Kids under four eat free and older children receive 50% off, making the Mandarin a favourite for weekend family get-togethers.

Families living in the Northwood neighbourhood will enjoy the convenience of having a neighbourhood park nestled within the subdivisions. Summerglen Park provides a relaxing spot for afternoon fun, including a small playground and sports fields, and visitors can enjoy the shade under the park’s gazebo.

The Delpark Homes Centre, formerly known as The Legend Centre, is situated on nearby Harmony Road, and was designed by Barry-Bryan Associates and Roger Hughes Partners Architects. It is approximately 200,000 square feet and has an impressive four NHL-sized ice pads, a leisure pool and lazy river, water slides, whirlpools, a therapy pool, fitness centre, food concessions, outdoor sports field, skateboard park, a playground, basketball court, library, and child-care services.

This recreational complex features all of the sporting and recreational conveniences you could ever dream of. From relaxing in a leisure pool to taking a yoga class at the fitness centre, the Delpark Centre is a life force in this neighbourhood.

Northwood is approximately 60 kilometres east of Toronto and a 50-minute drive. It is easily reached by taking Highway 401 and 407, and the Oshawa GO Station offers commuters a convenient way to get to the downtown core. 

Northwood is a thriving hub for international and local businesses serving local, cross-border, and world markets. The industries that are headquartered here are attracted to the vast network of highways and close proximity to US border crossings.

However, this neighbourhood also features an attractive array of larger detached homes built in the 2000s. Families who make their home in Northwood appreciate the close proximity to the Ontario Tech University and Durham College.

With a combination of business and residential real estate, Northwood is an ideal destination for enterprising industries or families, who enjoy the range of educational, recreational, and shopping venues nearby.