Niagara Region has it all. Great location, beautiful weather, small-town feel, and world-class services. Niagara has become a popular destination for homebuyers who are looking to downsize, leave the city, or move into their dream home.
By downsizing into a townhome, you can free up capital for your retirement plan and reduce your maintenance costs. The bigger budget also means you can be more selective about the community in which you want to live. A great place needs to 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. You can find all of that in a community built by Blythwood Home Builders.
The combination of strong communities and incredible setting have made Niagara Region a top destination for those who are ready for their dream homes. Here’s a taste of why you should think about moving to Niagara.
#1 Access to Healthcare
Niagara is home to world-class healthcare facilities newly organized under the Niagara Health System, a multi-site hospital organization that serves the 450,000 residents of the region across its 12 municipalities.
The hospitals involved are located throughout the peninsula in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland, Port Colborne, and Fort Erie, making them easy to access wherever you are in the region. These sites have urgent care facilities and medical specialists.
In addition to these sites, the region is home to a number of family physicians and walk-in clinics to take care of any healthcare needs you may have.
#2 Great Businesses
Shopping local isn’t hard in Niagara, where you see a combination of old businesses, shops geared toward the region’s tourism industry, and great dining options. Increasingly, entrepreneurs being driven out of Toronto’s high-rent commercial landscape are finding refuge in Niagara, bringing innovative ideas and amazing food.
Torontonians who remember a time before everything was condos will also love shopping in downtown St. Catharines, where new restaurants and shops have given parts of the city a trendy feel, and brought new life to the worn-but-charming turn-of-the-century streetscape.
When it comes to dining, you won’t miss the city either. With easy access to some of the most fertile agricultural land in the country, Niagara restaurants make the most of local produce. A great place to start is checking out Time Out’s recommendations for the best restaurants in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
#3 Niagara Is Wine Country
A uniquely mild climate within Canada and the mineral-rich soil of the Niagara Escarpment have combined to make the peninsula Canada’s largest area for vine cultivation. As Ontario’s number one source of wine, there is plenty for wine lovers to explore against a beautiful backdrop.
The Vintages at Four Mile Creek, a Blythwood Homes community in the village of St. Davids in Niagara-on-the-Lake is located right next to the Five Rose Winery and the Ravine Estates Winery, putting some of the finest vintages available in Ontario right at your front door.
With 88 wineries in the region, you’ll always have a new place to explore and a new vintage to taste. Check out some of the best wineries in Niagara and start exploring. Many offer tours or tastings, and some even have restaurants on site. One thing is for sure; you’ll have easy access to plenty of wines you won’t see on LCBO shelves.
#4 Proximity to the GTA
For those leaving the Greater Toronto Area or Hamilton to find their dream home somewhere more affordable, Niagara offers the best of both worlds. The small town feel and countryside locations of the Peninsula are also only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the city. Downtown Toronto is only a couple of hours away for concerts, games, and visits with friends and family, while Hamilton and Buffalo are even closer. Not only is it a short drive, but GO Train service has recently expanded to Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls, including weekend service.
#5 Small Town Feel
The region is home to 12 municipalities, including regional centre St. Catharines, tourist destination Niagara Falls, historic towns like Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie, as well as many smaller towns and villages like St. Davids, Crystal Beach, or Ridgeway.
There are plenty of great neighbourhoods where you can enjoy incredible scenery and live only steps away from natural beauty. The Oaks in Ridgeway is only minutes from the beach and the shores of Lake Erie.
There are so many upsides to living in a smaller community. The traffic is better, communities are safer and tightly-knit, and it’s easier to get where you’re going whether you’re driving, biking, walking, or taking public transit.
#6 Arts and Culture
The region has a rich cultural scene featuring live theatre, museums, orchestras, art galleries, and more. The crown jewel for live theatre is Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival which runs from April to October (and often featuring seasonal shows in November and December) across three venues. You’ll also find community art galleries like The Sanctuary in downtown Ridgeway, just a short walk from The Oaks community.
#7 Natural Beauty
For those who love to reconnect with nature on the weekends, the Niagara Peninsula is the place to be, and it goes way beyond the Falls. Here are just some of the amazing natural features you can enjoy in your backyard:
- The 53-kilometre long Niagara Recreational Trail which runs along the Niagara River, a trail you can even take from one winery to the next.
- Niagara Glen Nature Centre, a hiker’s paradise with stunning natural views thanks to the Niagara Escarpment.
- Birding along the river; the Niagara River corridor was designated a “Globally Significant Important Bird Area” thanks to the hundreds of species that migrate through the area annually.
#8 Tourism
From the Falls to the Shaw Festival, the Peninsula draws 12 million visitors from around the world every year. You don’t have to be a tourist to enjoy the draws, either. Whether it’s the natural parks, the Welland Canal, the wineries, or the entertainment, there’s always plenty to do.
Of course, if you’re not one for tourist attractions, it’s easy to get away from the crowds and take the road less travelled. There’s plenty of room for everyone in Niagara, and you won’t find it hard to discover your local secrets.
Move into a Blythwood Community
It helps to know the math before you downsize, figuring out how much you’re going to save and where your expenditures may be different. Find out about property taxes if you’re moving to a new area, water bills, or fees for things like maintenance and snow removal. Downsizing can help you save, but be aware that there may be different costs.
A Blythwood home is a place to retreat, where great design meets high-quality construction. It’s our goal to build your dream home: great communities in incredible locations with remarkable design. Blythwood Homes provides a support team to help give you direction with customizable design features. You can work directly with our suppliers and tradespeople to get the materials and design you’re after in a dream home.
We build in Niagara Region because we love it here. It’s where we want to be, and we want to share everything it has to offer.