Homes For Sale in Oshawa

Transportation

Shopping, Food and Nightlife

Greenery & Character

Why live in Oshawa?

Oshawa has lots to offer residents. First, as one of Toronto’s outer suburbs, you will benefit from all of the perks of suburban living. Larger homes, easier driving access, and plenty of family-oriented events, activities, and recreational programs can be found in Oshawa. Plus, Oshawa has a fascinating indigenous history and plenty of culture. It is known for being a hub of sports and entertainment, with a number of community centres, theatres (like Durham Live Theatre and Oshawa Little Theatre), restaurants, and bars for locals to enjoy. The GTA city is also home to its own hockey team, the Oshawa Generals, and also has its own lacrosse, rugby, basketball, and football teams. Meanwhile, some of Oshawa’s top attractions for people of all ages include the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm, the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens, the Oshawa Museum, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, and the Canadian Automotive Museum. Festivals hosted by the city each year include Greenfield Film Festive, Gay Cinematheque of Oshawa, and Cinefest Canada. Further, if you like getting outside, you can also take advantage of Oshawa’s prime location on Lake Ontario and the many walks available via the Waterfront Trail (this is a trail that stretches all the way from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Brockville). Speaking of the outdoors, residents of Oshawa get to enjoy the city’s many beaches and parks, including Lakeview Beach Park, Lakefront West Park, Renaissance Park, and Memorial Park. On top of all of this, Oshawa residents benefit from excellent healthcare, education, and public transit infrastructure, including access to Metrolinx’s GO Transit system.

Quality and diversity of education in Oshawa

The Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board operate 137 and 51 schools in the Durham Region, of which Oshawa is a part. A few public secondary and elementary schools in Oshawa include Maxwell Heights Secondary School, Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School, Clara Hughes Public School, and Glen Street Public School. There are also several Montessori and private educational institutions to choose from, such as Blaisdale Montessori - Oshawa Campus, Blyth Academy in nearby Whitby, and Columbus Private School. Finally, Oshawa residents won’t have to go far if they decide to pursue post-secondary school. Trent University Durham GTA, Durham College, and Ontario Tech University are all located in or around Oshawa. Meanwhile, Oshawa students can also choose to attend any of the esteemed universities or colleges located in the City of Toronto and other Greater Toronto Area suburbs, including the top-ranked University of Toronto, George Brown College, York University, Seneca College, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Humber College, Sheridan College, Toronto Film School, and the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD).

Most populous cities in Oshawa

Some of the largest neighbourhoods in Oshawa include North Oshawa, Windfields, Samac, Donvean, Lakeview Park, Raglan, Northglen, Central Oshawa, Taunton, and Kedron. It is also worth noting that Oshawa as a whole is the most populous city in the Durham Region, with a population of just over 175,000 residents. A few of the other cities and townships that make up Durham, include Whitby, Ajax, Clarington, and Brock.

Quality of infrastructure for Oshawa

Oshawa is well-served by local, regional, domestic, and international transportation options. For instance, Oshawa residents can enjoy a number of public local bus routes operated by Durham Region Transit. There are also GO Transit buses and train routes that connect Oshawa with Toronto Union Station in under an hour, as well as other parts of the Greater Toronto Area. Oshawa also has its own Via Rail station, which makes train travel possible throughout Ontario to Quebec, and beyond. Oshawa also has its own municipal airport, Oshawa Executive Airport. It is a hub for Air Nunavut. That said, Canada’s largest airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport is roughly 45 minutes away by car. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport also facilitates international travel and is located in downtown Toronto, meaning it can be easily accessed via public transit from Oshawa. Meanwhile, if you are driving, Oshawa is well positioned within the GTA. You have Highway 401 and Highway 407 at your fingertips, as well as Highways 412 and 418. Lastly, when it comes to healthcare, Lakeridge Health Oshawa is the largest healthcare facility in the area. But there are a number of smaller clinics, as well as several other hospitals in the Durham Region and Toronto, including Lakeridge Health Whitby, Lakeridge Health Ajax and Pickering, Toronto General Hospital, North York General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Humber River Hospital, and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Safety and security for Oshawa

Oshawa is policed by the Durham Regional Police Service. That said, Oshawa has low crime rates and a low risk of natural disasters, which makes it a safe place to call home. Emergency services can be accessed 24/7 by calling 9-1-1.

Oshawa property market

The Oshawa property market is on the rise. As is the case with most parts of the Greater Toronto Area, Oshawa has been growing fast and is a popular spot to buy a home in Toronto. That said, it still remains one of the more affordable GTA cities. This makes now a great time to buy a home in Oshawa, whether you’re looking for an investment property or a new place to live for your family. Some of the types of properties that you can expect to find in Oshawa include townhomes, semi-detached homes, bungalows, detached homes, and two and three-storey homes. However, apartments and condos are becoming increasingly popular.

Standard of living in Oshawa

The standard of living in Oshawa is high. Not only is it surrounded by nature, but it is only a short commute from downtown Toronto, is well-served by public transit, and is still relatively affordable, which is largely unheard of in Toronto. If you don’t believe us though, just consider the fact that Toronto, which includes Oshawa, was recently ranked as the ninth most liveable city in the world in The Global Liveability Index 2023’s Liveability Report. This clearly speaks to the quality of life Oshawa residents enjoy.

Something wonderful about Oshawa

Oshawa has a fascinating indigenous history that goes back hundreds if not thousands of years and begins with the Wendat First Nation, who first settled on what we now know as Grandview and MacLeod sites in Oshawa. Archeological evidence that was uncovered at these sites proves the presence of the ancestral Wendat peoples as far back as 1400-1450 A.D. At the time, the Wendat’s territory is believed to have extended along the north shore of Lake Ontario, all the way from the Rouge River to Prince Edward County. Both the MacLeod and Grandview sites were discovered by accident in 1967 and 1993, respectively. The Ontario Archaeological Society has confirmed that there was once a village at the MacLeod site, while Archaeological Services Inc. excavated remains of a similar, though much larger village, at the Grandview site. In fact, the remains that were unearthed showed evidence of a Wendat village, approximately 0.78 hectares in size. Further research shows that the village in question was once made up of 12 longhouses, featuring 11,000 artifacts, 3 garbage pits, and 11 outdoor activity areas.