Author Topic: Any thoughts on Cambridge (ON) (Read 8406 times)

quadzilla · « **on:** October 20, 2014, 05:14:01 pm »

We are thinking about moving to Cambridge for work reasons. Did a quick tour of the city, came home with more questions than answers. Anybody live there or use to live there?

We currently live in the Upper Beaches (Toronto) and love our area. We walk to get our groceries, independent coffee shop, gym, lake and take transit to work. Not having to drive our car is a big plus for us.

While looking at Cambridge it felt like a car was needed in most places.

Any opinions?

rrocket · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2014, 06:59:10 pm »

Quote from: quadzilla on October 20, 2014, 05:14:01 pm

We are thinking about moving to Cambridge for work reasons. Did a quick tour of the city, came home with more questions than answers. Anybody live there or use to live there?

We currently live in the Upper Beaches (Toronto) and love our area. We walk to get our groceries, independent coffee shop, gym, lake and take transit to work. Not having to drive our car is a big plus for us.

While looking at Cambridge it felt like a car was needed in most places.

Any opinions?

I used to work there...but didn't live there. It's not far from Kitchener/Waterloo. Maybe those peeps will chime in.

tpl · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2014, 07:47:06 pm »

Close to Guelph as well.

Cambridge seems sort of wrong to me. All these bits and pieces of a town that only exists because highway 24 runs through it. But then it IS made up of Cambridge, Galt and Hespeler. It also merges seamlessly into Kitchener at the north end.

Personally I'd stay in the 'Upper Beach' if I was there already.

Weels · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2014, 07:54:52 pm »

tpl just beat me to it... Cambridge was made up of 3 separate communities (Cambridge, Galt, Hespeler) which were amalgamated around the mid 1970's IIRC.
Because of that, it still has a disconnected feel to it & I don't really care for it. An old buddy used to live in the Dundas/Main St area (Chalmers St) which is a nicer area of older homes.
I think that was the old Galt area.

I prefer Guelph, but Cambridge housing prices are cheaper though.

quadzilla · « **Reply #4 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:02:09 pm »

Gee 0-3 so far, not good.

Thought about checking out Kitchener for a place to live since its so close but that means driving to work. Of course is there a difference if you have to drive 15 minutes from Kitchener or the other side of Cambridge.

$:-\$

Snowman · « **Reply #5 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:10:33 pm »

Buying or ranting?

pi314 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:15:27 pm »

Is it a major career advancement opportunity? Certainly a huge lifestyle change.

tpl · « **Reply #7 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:21:41 pm »

Quote from: quadzilla on October 20, 2014, 09:02:09 pm

Gee 0-3 so far, not good.

Thought about checking out Kitchener for a place to live since its so close but that means driving to work. Of course is there a difference if you have to drive 15 minutes from Kitchener or the other side of Cambridge.

$:-\$

Guelph is only 20 minutes or so from Cambridge...depending on which part of Cambridge and you can do it without driving on the 401. Guelph with its big Uni and competent city government works well. G has been just one place since the 1850s

Personally ( not mrs tpl) I'd rather be back in Cabbagetown. I find these places far too quiet for my taste. I am a city boy all the way through

quadzilla · « **Reply #8 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:29:56 pm »

Quote from: Snowman on October 20, 2014, 09:10:33 pm

Buying or ranting?

Being a new job and new city we would rent first to figure out if we like it and the job. Also to figure out where we would like to live if we stayed.

Quote from: pi314 on October 20, 2014, 09:15:27 pm

Is it a major career advancement opportunity? Certainly a huge lifestyle change.

Significant advancement. Funny thing is we don't take advantage of everything TO has to offer us. Our lives are pretty simple. During the week we go to the gym, cycle and walk around our neighborhood. Weekends we usually go out of town to hike/bike/backpack/camp. Besides my friends here the thing I would miss most is my cycling training routes which are right out my front door and amazing.

Quote from: tpl on October 20, 2014, 09:21:41 pm

Guelph is only 20 minutes or so from Cambridge...depending on which part of Cambridge and you can do it without driving on the 401. Guelph with its big Uni and competent city government works well. G has been just one place since the 1850s

Personally ( not mrs tpl) I'd rather be back in Cabbagetown. I find these places far too quiet for my taste. I am a city boy all the way through

Then that bring us back to driving to/from work. While 20 minutes isn't horrible time (Mrs does 45-60 mins on subway now) it would be nice to be able to walk or bike to work again. Plus we are trying to not become a two car family.

Railton · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:33:46 pm »

Quote from: quadzilla on October 20, 2014, 05:14:01 pm

We are thinking about moving to Cambridge for work reasons. Did a quick tour of the city, came home with more questions than answers. Anybody live there or use to live there?

We currently live in the Upper Beaches (Toronto) and love our area. We walk to get our groceries, independent coffee shop, gym, lake and take transit to work. Not having to drive our car is a big plus for us.

While looking at Cambridge it felt like a car was needed in most places.

Any opinions?

Who's work? Only reason I ask is that there is not many places to choose from if the job goes sour.
Yes, have lived there briefly in another life. Was commuting back into Etobicoke to work at the time. Did not care for the commute in 1984 and I'm sure it's worse now. then, 7:00 AM on the 401 and you couldn't pass anyone. Bumper to bumper.
However, I like Cambridge and it's slow, laid back an easy going charm. A great Fall area town and close enough to everything sports minded. Decent Chinese food with bean sprouts in the egg rolls, none of that cabbage shat. I am partial to the Victoria Park area - try to locate on Wentworth or nearby vicinity.
Railton

Weels · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:37:22 pm »

On what St. would you be working?
Worst part of Cambridge is that awful Hespeler Rd. stretch.

Ex-airbalancer · « **Reply #11 on:** October 21, 2014, 06:06:45 am »

One thing to think over, there is probably less air pollution in Cambridge
One thing I hate when I drive into Toronto and you see the brown haze the sits over it
I am less congested once I get outside of Toronto

quadzilla · « **Reply #12 on:** October 21, 2014, 07:53:08 am »

Quote from: Weels on October 20, 2014, 09:37:22 pm

On what St. would you be working?
Worst part of Cambridge is that awful Hespeler Rd. stretch.

Don't know but think in the north end. I noticed that about the roads.

Quote from: Railton on October 20, 2014, 09:33:46 pm

Who's work? Only reason I ask is that there is not many places to choose from if the job goes sour.

The Mrs and thought about that also.

Patrick_D1 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 21, 2014, 08:33:20 am »

I went to university in Waterloo and spent 4 years in the KW-Cambridge area. Honestly, while it's a nice enough region, I'd never want to live there. The road network isn't laid out very well, the area is fairly flat/featureless, and there's no large bodies of water nearby. I much prefer the regions east of Toronto, which offer beautiful forested/hilly terrain and thousands of lakes.

Firm · « **Reply #14 on:** October 21, 2014, 08:34:36 am »

I tend to like quiet towns, so I'd move to Cambridge in a heartbeat - course it wouldn't work with my current job. Real estate is much more affordable, and space is readily available, which is much more condusive to the automotive hobby for me at least. Cambridge also has all the typical grocery and big box stores, so you would have to leave town often for errands and such. When you do need to leave, the 401 is right there. Traffic eastbound on the 401 from Cambridge to Milton/Mississauga is garbage though, starting at about 6:30am.

As others have said, Guelph and KW are "nicer" in that they're slightly better maintained and tend to attract a more upscale population, but there's nothing that stands out as a big issue with Cambridge to me.....Good food at "Fast Eddies" on Hespler road right across from the Home Depot.

CSH · « **Reply #15 on:** October 21, 2014, 09:12:57 am »

If you move to cambridge you can mostly forget about walking for groceries/gym etc (unless you live in downtown)
Its a drastic change from TO.
I know because i moved from Mississauga to Guelph to Toronto and back in Guelph. It is a completely different lifestyle. Its not impossible but very different.
It would be a safe assumption that you will have to use your car for everything unless you live in downtown. Still you will use your car for a lot of things

The positives will be less congestion, less traffic, frendlier people etc.

Brig · « **Reply #16 on:** October 21, 2014, 06:12:04 pm »

Quote from: CSH on October 21, 2014, 09:12:57 am

The positives will be less congestion, less traffic, frendlier people etc.

And a rail trail for biking, and closer proximity to the Bruce Trail.

I have friends in Cambridge. The old downtown area by the river is nice.

tooscoops · « **Reply #17 on:** October 21, 2014, 06:25:55 pm »

i worked there for a decade... right on hespeler... drove the parts truck for one of those years, so i got to tour the city quite a bit....

not a big fan.

as others have said, even if you live close to work, you will unlikely want to get rid of the cars. it's a little disjointed and tough to get around. if you want to feel more country, keep your car and move to the eare east of townline. like this one... some very pricy places around here, but this is cheaper and you can re-do a lot of it. http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?PropertyId=14607696

depending on where the actual work is, i would prefer to keep the cars and be on the outskirts of cambridge... most of my co-workers lived out in st. george or that type of area and drove the 15-20 minutes. feels like real country (i grew up 20 mins from cambridge)

Firm · « **Reply #18 on:** October 21, 2014, 06:31:17 pm »

That's a very nice place....Interior obviously needs some serious updating, but it would be mostly cosmetics. Love the location/property.

tooscoops · « **Reply #19 on:** October 21, 2014, 07:46:50 pm »

right on puslinch lake is a hoity toity area... lots of nature for trails and such, plus water sports on the lake... most of the houses are new multi million dollar places. that one stands out as a decent price..

that's what is nice about that area, there is quite a bit of money... so values are going up.