What a difference a decade makes. Once known for its dilapidated housing and high crime rate, the Wellington West neighborhood in Ottawa’s core is undergoing a radical facelift. Located just 10 minutes from Parliament Hill, the area has always had some appeal to developers as having potential. That potential has now been realized, but it took about a decade to transform the area into the city’s trendiest enclave.
Local business people like what’s going on, though it promises to be a more expensive area to operate in than it was during the days when the area was known for its illicit activity. Now, boutiques and restaurants are opening up with regularity and those who got in early are are being rewarded for buying low and being patient.
Wellington West is serving as a classic lesson in how to turn the kind of neighbourhood that pedestrians would go out of their way to avoid into the home of a bustling shopping district complete with top drawer restaurants. The neighbourhood is also proving to be a draw for theatre and other arts venues, and all the while serving as a welcoming locale for single-family homes that line the side streets which feed into the main block.
Parliamentarians looking for a nice eatery in which to spend their per diems are now free to check out Supply and Demand at 1335 Wellington West without fear of running into shady characters A review of the restaurant in Air Canada’s enroute website breathlessly gushes over the “plump ricotta gnudi in a don’t-waste-a-drop emulsion of butter and cooking water.”
Besides promoting local venues for the post-Grey Cup victory celebrations, the area’s splashy local business website highlights the area as more than just a retail hub. The drive to produce local artistry and food speaks to the proud creative streak amongst those who now call Wellington West home.
“DIY ethos is strong in Wellington West. From locally sourced food for our fabulous restaurants, to made-on-premises fashion in our boutiques, west-enders know how to make good things happen! And if you’re up for it – we can teach you how to make it happen too!”
Among the businesses that now call Wellington West home is Flock Boutique, which offers shoppers a variety of fashion, accessories and bric-a-brac produced locally or brought in from Montreal. The Sci-Fi fan in your house who likes gifts made from sustainable materials might appreciate a pair of unique handmade earrings and keychains created from recycled materials.
There’s the Cube Gallery which opened up around the time the neighbourhood began its renaissance. This art gallery boasts 2,600 square feet of space with a 12 foot ceiling in the main room and a generous salon area. It’s touted by its owners as the “kind of gallery that gives you room to really stand back and look at the art.”
Yes, there’s even glassblowing. The operators of Flo glassblowing say they produce “high quality glass objects with a modern flare for business and home. Our designs are both visually stimulating and functional and each glass item is locally hand made and one-of-a-kind.”
Meanwhile, Toronto-based developer Sam Mizrahi, President and founder of Mizrahi Developments, has his own plans for the area. One of his latest and most exciting developments is 1451 Wellington. The design of the building will remind some of Yorkville’s 133 Hazelton, but Sam Mizrahi’s plan for the Ottawa development promises to respect Ottawa’s history along with its future. The one thing that never changes with Mizrahi is his exacting standards. As he told the Ottawa Citizen recently, “we don’t meet code, we exceed code.”
Mizrahi did a lot of research about the area and says Ottawa condo residents think differently from their Toronto cousins. While many Toronto condo dwellers don’t want swimming pools, Ottawa condo residents of his boutique facility will have a spa, gym, theatre, indoor saltwater pool, 24-hour concierge and valet parking services. 1451 Wellington promises to not only merge perfectly with the city’s unique place among Canadian urban centers, it’ll also reflect the people who live there.
All in all, Wellington West’s evolution from a down-in-the-dumps haven to what it is today continues as a work in progress, promising to get better as the word spreads.