[Nemausus]

Been wanting to bump this old thread...

I've been living in Ottawa for some time and want to drop some intel to help any guys out who might be passing through or considering relocation. Some of this info I had shared in a Toronto thread, not related to Ottawa. I thought it would make sense to share it here once again for people using the search function and to add additional information.



If you're a guy hating life in Toronto (recently I've noticed a number of new posters on RVF signing up to complain about the situation in the GTA), you should know that there is another decent sized city in Ontario that's not a bad place to call home. I’ve had the privilege of living abroad, but despite extended stays in Eastern Europe and having explored Thailand, I am still happy to call Ottawa home. It is my opinion that this city punches above its weight, both in terms of women and culture.

Statistics

The metropolitan population for the National Capital Region is 1.2 million. Large enough to be able to date multiple women discreetly. Of those 1.2 million, there is a steady supply of post-secondary students coming to Ottawa every year.

University of Ottawa: 40,000 students
Carleton University: 26,000 students
Algonquin College: 18,000 full-time students
La Cité Collégiale: 5,000 students
Christian Universities (St. Paul and Dominican): Approximately 1,000 students
Gatineau Schools (University of Quebec en Outaouais, Cégep de l'Outaouais, and Heritage College): Approximately 10,000 students

Add that all up and you have 100,000 students in the Ottawa region. As we know, post-secondary education tends to feature more women than men. Even at the college level, this 2011 report (http://www.collegesontario.org/research/...udents.pdf) indicates that 52% of Ontario College students are women. It gets better, 77% of students are 25 or younger.

Here’s another report: “in 2007-2008, more females than males applied for admission to Ontario universities (55% vs. 45% in 2007) and colleges (54% vs. 46% in 2008).” (http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocume...%20ENG.pdf)

As a ballpark figure, we can assume that there are about 55,000 female students in the National Capital Region. And of those 55,000, three out of four are 25 or younger.



There are literally tens of thousands of young women in this city who are looking to meet a guy who has his act together.

I remember driving through the city centre with my former boss, a fun guy in his 50s who I believe to be quite skilled at meeting women. We were stopped at a red light and there were hot girls crossing the street in both directions. This was when I was still quite new to the city. I said "look at this, it's incredible." He replied "It's been like this since I moved here 30 years ago."

What are the girls like?

Here are a few descriptions of the most common types of girls you'll see in Ottawa.

1) The small-town girl - While the Ottawa region is comprised of 1.2 million, the city feels more like a "big town." The downtown area is very small. There are no skyscrapers. Many girls live in suburbia or the rural outskirts. They're pretty simple girls. Many listen to country music, drink on weekends while the hockey game is on in the background and are generally DTF.

2) The Government Job / Political Junkie Girl - Ottawa is filled with public sector workers and every girl who is into politics settles here. While these girls do lean towards SJW and feminist group think, I've found it's pretty easy to break through that. I just smirk, chuckle to myself and treat them like children. "That's nice, dear" is the kind of mindset I take to them. These girls are so dedicated to their careers and living a liberal and liberated lifestyle, that they make for easy FWB. That's all they want from you. You can text them once a week for a booty call and they'll show up, bang and then leave. No need to check in with them throughout the week. I've had this set-up with girls that sit on public boards, work in the offices of politicians, etc. These girls are typically university grads, ages 23-28.

3) The Montreal/Quebec Girls - Across the river are the cities of Hull and Gatineau, in the province of Quebec, which is a whole different world. Lots of french girls and they're usually hotter than their Ontario counterparts. There are also lots of students from Montreal and Quebec who attend the University of Ottawa. There are all kinds of scholarship bonuses to lure Francophone students to uOttawa. It's more of a Francophone school than Anglophone, despite having a campus downtown. Don't worry, they all speak English fluently.

4) Hipster Girls - These are the least attractive of the bunch and they tend to be very visible in the downtown and trendy neighbourhoods. There are some hipster girls that look good underneath the huge glasses and the dumb fashion. If you can develop an eye for it, then you can create another nice stream of passive girls.

Economy

Ottawa also has some economic advantages that other Canadian cities don't. As the capital, the economy is pretty stable. There's lots of easy money to be made if you know how to hustle and network. I was able to secure clients for a location independent lifestyle in under two years. The small town feel of the city makes it easy to quickly meet the key players in your field. Attend networking events, play the game for a bit and you can move ahead quickly.

This is a town full of lazy public servants who are waiting for retirement. If you can demonstrate that you get shit done quickly and properly, you'll be noticed fast. Word will get around and people will be reaching out to you. My last two jobs (one was government) I got through networking and because I came recommended via word of mouth. I no longer have to send resumes or attend job interviews. I just send some emails to connected people saying I'm available.

Culture and Lifestyle
While Ottawa can't match Toronto or Montreal in terms of big name events, the city still punches above its weight due to its status as the Capital. There are lots of cultural events (concerts, art shows, foreign film) throughout the year. With the Ottawa Senators and an NHL rink, the big names also come to town for concerts. Drake, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber (not endorsing, just listing names) have all passed through in recent years.

If you're the outdoors type, Ottawa is incredibly green. Parks, bike paths and greenery is everywhere. Gatineau park, with its trails, lakes and ski hills is 10 minutes away by car, across the river. This is huge, especially in winter. When you’re able to enjoy the natural beauty of Canada so close to the downtown core, it makes winter weather much more appealing. Seeing only slush and concrete for months on end is depressing. Walking through mountain trails in a snow-covered park along the shore of a frozen lake while breathing fresh air is invigorating.




Skating on the Rideau Canal is a popular activity during cold winter months.




When you want to get away, weekends in Montreal are always a fun trip. It's only two hours by car. Toronto is about five hours away. Greyhound bus and VIA rail provide service to and from the city. There is an international airport here with connections all over North America.

Logistics: Downtown vs. The Suburbs

Living Downtown
I'm a guy who enjoys an urban environment, so I have chosen to make my home in the downtown core. Renting a one bedroom apartment in downtown Ottawa will cost you around $850-1200/month, depending on the building and the amenities you are looking for. Here is a map displaying downtown Ottawa. I recommend that you try to live within the blue markings. The entire area is walkable, taking between 20-30 minutes to get from point A to B, depending on your pace. The Centretown and Golden Triangle areas are my favourite to live in. The cost of homes is very high, but there are lots of apartments around.



There are many benefits to living downtown:

• You'll be able to walk to and from The Byward Market, as mentioned by the OP, where most of the nightlife happens. Elgin Street, the secondary nightlife region is where the Red line is marked. As a general rule, Byward Market is where most of the University students go. Elgin is more for young professionals.
• All the girls come downtown. There is the University of Ottawa, the nightlife and all of the government jobs. On top of that, all of the public transit passes through the core, so it is easy for girls living in the suburbs to get to downtown.
• You won't need a car. Downtown is very walkable. Of course if you already have a car or want one, that's fine. Just be prepared to pay up to $100 a month for a parking spot.
• You'll score convenience bangs. I've brought girls into my rotation purely based on the fact that I lived close by. This is huge in winter when the weather is cold.
• You'll be surrounded by nice things. As the country's capital, the downtown core is supposed to showcase the best of what Canada has to offer. It's nice to be able to go for a stroll around the Parliamentary district, along the Rideau Canal and to check out the National Gallery. These are nice things to see every day which can help boost your mood.
  

Living in the Suburbs
One good thing about Ottawa is that its smaller size makes suburban life much more manageable from a game perspective. If you choose to live outside the downtown core you'll enjoy lower rent and a free parking spot for your car. Having a vehicle is a great equalizer if you choose to live in the suburbs. Unlike larger cities, Ottawa doesn't suffer from massive sprawl and apart from the rush hour traffic of 8am and 5pm, traffic in this city is non existent. There are lots of parkways and multi-lane boulevards that allow you to crisscross the city quickly. If you schedule a date for 8pm, it'll never take you more than 20 minutes to reach your destination. When I lived in the suburbs, I found Ottawa girls responded positively to my offer to pick them up in my car.

Desirable Neighbourhoods
These are the neighbourhoods and locations that I recommend.

• Downtown - Parliamentary precinct
• Centretown (downtown)
• Byward Market and Lowertown (downtown)
• Sandy Hill (Downtown uOttawa Campus)
• The Glebe (South of Downtown)
• Hintonburg (West of Downtown)
• Little Italy (West edge of Downtown)
• Westboro (Up and coming area in the west end)
  

Getting Around

Apart from the downtown core where parking is fiercely regulated, Ottawa is a very car friendly place. The public transit authority, OC Transpo is much maligned but overall I think it's pretty decent. In 2018 a light rail project is set to be completed, with underground stations running through the downtown core. This will enhance the city's livability a great deal.

Uber is very popular here.

Carsharing has been widely adopted in the city. There are hundreds of cars parked throughout the city available for rent by the hour. An account with VRTUCAR allows you to run errands outside the downtown core or to pick up and drop off girls from the suburbs for a nominal hourly fee. Zipcar has also started to move in to the city.


Cycling is also quite popular here, with more and more bike lanes being developed every year.

Nightlife Updates
The information from the OP is still pretty accurate but a few of the bars have closed since he offered his list. Heart and Crown is still going strong and still a good place to try for a ONS.

One place I checked out recently that I liked in the Byward Market was Moscow Tea Room. It opened in the last couple of years and has a good vibe.

On Elgin street I often get invited to The Standard by girls I've hooked up with or tried to. I finally got around to checking it out recently, it was 90% men. I won't be returning.

The Lieutenant's Pump is still very popular. It is mostly people in their late 20s there. It's the kind of place people go in groups. I don't see many people alone or even just two girls on their own. They've added a dance floor in the past year, which gives it a bit more of a hookup vibe.

I am still trying to find my niche in the Ottawa nightlife. The Byward Market is dominated by University students. I obviously prefer girls that age, but you've got tons of University aged guys acting like clowns and the ratio can be pretty bad. It's not a great atmosphere. There also seem to be slow-moving lineups (mostly guys) outside of every venue.

Elgin Street is more sophisticated, but it attracts an older crowd. Most of the girls there are above 25 and have been dating for years with the wall approaching.

I am determined to find a good night venue for myself, I will update this sheet over the coming months.

The food scene in Ottawa has exploded over the past decade. There are now great restaurants opening up in neighbourhoods across the city. The two guys in this video are annoying but they do a good job of showcasing the wide range of food, craft beer and local delicacies available in the city.

This video takes a closer look at the Byward Market.

In Summary
Ottawa is a city with lots of cute student girls, reasonable rent (for a major Canadian city) and easy access to Canadian nature. A walkable downtown core and reasonable traffic take much of the stress out of city life here. While it’s not as big as neighbouring Toronto or Montreal, the city is big enough for you to enjoy the amenities of urban life, while dealing with fewer of the problems common in larger cities.

If any repped RVF guys plan on passing through Canada’s capital, send me a PM. I’d be happy to show you around.