University of Ottawa Station

9 Nicholas St.

Sandy Hill is one of those neighbourhoods that always seem to be on the cusp of change. In this respect, it’s reminiscent of Hintonburg, another central neighbourhood that changed little for years, then suddenly gentrified with a vengeance.

Some trace Hintonburg’s renaissance, at least in part, to the arrival of the Great Canadian Theatre Company in 2007. Perhaps the opening of the Ottawa Art Gallery’s new digs will provide similar fuel for Sandy Hill’s rebirth and you won’t be able to throw a stone on Laurier Avenue East without hitting an artisanal cocktail.

The neighbourhood is already richly diverse, with the University of Ottawa on its western edge, bordered by some rooming houses and social services, such as the Ottawa Mission. Next comes a mixed neighbourhood of row houses, large Victorian singles, infill houses, small apartments, co-ops, triplexes, and social and affordable housing. On the eastern edge are some posh streets where you’ll find several embassies. Overall, Sandy Hill residents are younger and more transient than most of Ottawa’s ’hoods: one-third of residents are in their 20s, and almost two-thirds have moved within or into the ’hood in the past five years.

Intensification is underway, with a nine-storey private student residence under construction at Laurier and Friel. However, that project met with stiff opposition from community groups, and future densification proposals may prove similarly unpopular.

If you’re looking for convenient access to the LRT in a less student-oriented neighbourhood, the Golden Triangle lies directly across the canal via the pedestrian-cyclist bridge. A recent MLS listing offered a one-bedroom condo on Somerset — just a 10-minute walk from the station — for $268,800.