The Niagara Region has everything. Great location, beautiful weather, small-town feel, and world-class services.Niagara has grown in popularity among homebuyers looking to downsize, relocate away from the city, or find their dream home.
Niagara is more than just its horseshoe-shaped falls; it’s a thriving community with fantastic restaurants, world-class sports facilities, cool independent businesses, and some truly outstanding wineries.
You can free up capital for your retirement plan and lower your maintenance costs by downsizing into a townhome. With a larger budget, you can also be more selective about the community in which you want to live. A great place should have world-class healthcare options, plenty of recreation and entertainment, and be part of a strong community where you can make fast friends who share your interests. Let’s find out the best reasons to move to Niagara region now.
Reasons of Moving to Niagara Region Now
Here are our top 7 reasons why we believe Niagara is on its way to becoming the go-to destination for Torontonians looking to escape the city.
Healthcare
Niagara is home to world-class healthcare facilities newly organised under the Niagara Health System, a multi-site hospital organisation that provides the region’s 450,000 residents across 12 municipalities.
The hospitals involved are spread now across the peninsula in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland, Port Colborne, and Fort Erie, so they can be reached from anywhere in the region. These locations have immediate care facilities as well as medical specialists.
In addition to these locations, the region is home to a number of family physicians and walk-in clinics to meet your healthcare needs.
Great Businesses
Shopping locally is easy in Niagara, which has a mix of historic buildings, shops catering to the region’s tourism industry, and excellent dining options. Business owners fleeing Toronto’s high-rent commercial landscape are increasingly finding refuge in Niagara, bringing innovative ideas and amazing food.
Torontonians who remember a time before everything was condos will enjoy shopping in downtown St. Catharines, where new restaurants and shops have given the city a trendy feel, as well as bringing new life to the worn-but-charming turn-of-the-century streetscape.
When it comes to dining, the city will not disappoint. Niagara restaurants make the most of local produce because they have easy access to some of the most fertile agricultural land in the country.
Wine Country
The peninsula’s unique mild climate and the mineral-rich soil of the Niagara Escarpment have combined to make it Canada’s largest area for vine cultivation. There is plenty for wine lovers to explore against a beautiful backdrop as Ontario’s number one source of wine.
The Vintages at Four Mile Creek, a Blythwood Homes community in Niagara-on-the-village Lake of St. Davids, is right next to the Five Rose Winery and the Ravine Estates Winery, putting some of Ontario’s finest vintages right at your front door.
Feel of Small Town
The region is made up of 12 municipalities, including the regional centre of St. Catharines, the tourist destination Niagara Falls, historic towns such as Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie, and numerous smaller towns and villages such as St. Davids, Crystal Beach, and Ridgeway.
There are numerous wonderful neighbourhoods where you can enjoy breathtaking scenery and live just steps from natural beauty. The Oaks in Ridgeway is just minutes from the beach and Lake Erie’s shores.
There are numerous advantages to living in a smaller community. The traffic is better, the communities are safer and more closely knit, and it’s easier to get around whether you’re driving, biking, walking, or taking public transportation.
Art and Culture
The region has a vibrant cultural scene that includes live theatre, museums, orchestras, art galleries, and other attractions. The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake is the crown jewel of live theatre, running from April to October (and frequently featuring seasonal shows in November and December) across three venues. In downtown Ridgeway, just a short walk from The Oaks, you’ll also find community art galleries like The Sanctuary.
Tourist
The Peninsula attracts 12 million visitors from around the world each year, from the Falls to the Shaw Festival. You don’t have to be a tourist to appreciate the attractions. There’s always something to do, whether it’s the natural parks, the Welland Canal, the wineries, or the entertainment.
Of course, if you’re not into tourist attractions, you can easily avoid the crowds by taking the road less travelled. Niagara has plenty of room for everyone, and it won’t be difficult to discover your local secrets.
The 101 wineries in Niagara produce some seriously good Chardonnays, Gamays, and Pinot Noirs. Producers range from organic-loving hippies (Southbrook Vineyards) to Bay Street power brokers (Tawse). If wine isn’t your thing, Niagara is undergoing a craft brewing boom, with the addition of small-batch distilleries, breweries, cideries, and meaderies.
Conclusion
The City of Niagara Falls, as dream-fulfilling as it is, is not for everyone — let’s just say it’s not the best place for young people whose personalities and ideals are still developing, and who would be better served by living in a place that fosters creativity, entrepreneurship, extracurricular education, worldliness, and other such ideals.
That being said, it is an ideal place for the very young, their parents, those looking for a quieter life, and those in their retirement years.
