Guelph, Ontario, Canada

[gringainmexico]

I am looking for advice on housing....for myself, husband and son. Should we live in on-campus Family housing or look elsewhere? What is the cost of living like? Any other info would be appreciated!

[madhousefluent]

I didn't live in Guelph, but a neighbouring city, Waterloo...can't answer as to their residence situation, but I can tell you that the cost of living is pretty low for SW Ontario, and it's a really beautiful area.

[willmpioneer]

I am looking for advice on housing....for myself, husband and son. Should we live in on-campus Family housing or look elsewhere? What is the cost of living like? Any other info would be appreciated!

Guelph is a great city. I've only walked through the on-campus family housing once, but found that it was quite nice compared to such housing at others universities (it has a playground, it's near a little forest, etc). I'd have to know how much they are charging for family housing to compare, but compared to the residency fees I know they get for shared student dwellings, off-campus housing is generally the much cheaper option. It is nice to not feel sectioned off from the rest of the community, but at the same time the family housing would automatically put you into a community of other grad students, and their partners and children.

I lived in the downtown area in a 2 1/2 bedroom upper floor of a Victorian house (with a yard that backed onto the river) for 750 a month - which is probably cheaper than you'll find, but such gems do exist. My sister lives with her son and partner in a similarly priced house/apartment not too far from downtown. The difficult thing in getting nice, roomy, inexpensive places when you live out-of-town is that they don't always advertise in the paper or post on craigslist: they just put a little sign in the window. If the university is charging over $1200 a month for housing, it is probably worth your while looking elsewhere.

I'd recommend living in the downtown area. Areas to avoid: the Willow area. A neighborhood called "the Ward" (historically a working-class Italian neighborhood) used to have a reputation for being a bit worndown and unsafe, but is now fairly vibrant and populated mostly by students, musicians, and elderly homeowners. It is one of the cheapest neighborhoods to find a house for rent. There are a couple of streets in the ward that have a bad rep, but Guelph is overall very safe. In 2009, Statistics Canada named Guelph "Canada's Safest City." There are many parks and elementary schools in the downtown area, and the university is only a few minutes away.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

[gringainmexico]

Thank you both for your input and very valuable info! The University is charging just under $1000 for a two bedroom including hydro and hot water so I think we will probably go that route, at least when we first arrive.

Willm do you happen to know of any good places to get deals on furniture? Also, do you know of a shuttle or bus of some sort that goes from Buffalo, NY (where we will be flying in to) to Guelph?

[willmpioneer]

Thank you both for your input and very valuable info! The University is charging just under $1000 for a two bedroom including hydro and hot water so I think we will probably go that route, at least when we first arrive.

Willm do you happen to know of any good places to get deals on furniture? Also, do you know of a shuttle or bus of some sort that goes from Buffalo, NY (where we will be flying in to) to Guelph?

I don't know of any bus that goes directly from Buffalo to Guelph. Guelph has a Greyhound bus station (and I think they now have the commuter train line called Go Train), but it may be that to get there you will have to go all the way to Toronto to transfer to a bus that goes to Guelph.

If you are looking for second-hand furniture, there is a Value Village thrift store that has cheap used furniture, though it isn't always in the best condition. There used to be a couple of second hand furniture places downtown, but that aren't around anymore and I can't really think of anywhere to buy furniture in the downtown area. There is a smaller store near downtown called Attic Treasures which sells nice consignment furniture, but because it is consignment it is often antique and not cheap (though sometimes cheaper than buying new).

For deals on new furniture: Guelph doesn't have an Ikea but it does have a Walmart where you can find cheap tables, desks, etc. There is a large furniture showroom called Uncle Joe's not too far from campus. It has many signs claiming the lowest prices (I can't attest to that since I've never been inside) and it also holds furniture auctions to get rid of stock. I would imagine they deliver.

If you move-in when the weather is still warm and you have a car, there are usually many yard sales around town on Saturday mornings, which is the way to find very inexpensive kitchen table sets, etc, but isn't the most convenient way to shop.

The University of Guelph website The Cannon is a place for student-related classifieds, including furniture, housing, car pool arrangements. etc,

Link to the site:

http://www.thecannon.ca/

And here students post furniture they are selling, usually things that have not been used very much and are good deals:

http://www.thecannon.ca/classifieds/furniture

Good luck!

[lil_gazpacho]

Hey all, 

Just looking for anyone who might have experience living in Guelph, Ontario and can provide any tips on housing? My partner and I have 2 dogs so we need somewhere that is pet friendly and either $1600 + utilities or $1800 inclusive. It seems like its a hard place to find somewhere to live so any experience would be appreciated!