I've been a member of this Forum for a while but haven't really contributed in the way of Datasheets. I looked through the archives and couldn't find a good Datasheet for Ottawa so here goes.
The City...
Ottawa is the capital of Canada and it's located four and a half hours north of Toronto and about an hour and a half east of Montreal. It's got a population of just under a million. A good portion of the city is made up of Federal Government employees. It is situated and the Ottawa river and just across it is Hull, which is in Quebec (the French province). Due to its location and because it's the capital of Canada, a large amount of the population are french speakers. Don't let this intimidate you though because just about all of them speak english- seriously, I don't think I've ever met one that didn't.
The Girls...
Ottawa is a smaller city which has its benefits. The girls tend to be more down to earth than in Toronto or Montreal and most of the time will not have the same bitch shields. There are also quite a few suburbs which girls will come in from for nights out who can often be great company. They will also tend to be in to drinking beer, having a good time and open to meeting guys. If you can come across as having the right mix of alpha aloofness combined with a humble, self deprecating sense of humour, you can kill here.
On the other hand, Ottawa is the centre of government and you also get the over educated cunts who think their government cube job and M.A. in Human Resources make them God's gift to men. It's sort of a funny mix because you'll generally either get one extreme or the other. You just have to play the numbers- like anywhere else. The edge Ottawa has is that if you put in the approaches you're much more likely to find a nice down to earth girl who is easy on the eyes and cool to be around with less effort than in Montreal or Toronto.
Day Game...
The obvious place to start with day game is at the two universities the city has: Carleton and University of Ottawa. I would recommend the U of O campus because it's situated right downtown and while Carleton is alright for day gaming (I was a student there), it's sort of out of the way (though still accessible) and the question "so what are you doing on campus" may come up a lot faster here than downtown at U of O. This being said, Carleton does have a pretty decent pub called Oliver's that gets pretty busy during afternoons Wednesday through Friday and if you're heading there would definitely be worth checking out. I can't really speak to U of O's campus bars but if you aren't planning on drinking, I would stay around there for day game.
One of the best things about Ottawa is that it has most of the country's national museums and is also really outdoorsy in summer and winter which gives coincides well with day game opportunities. If you're visiting, some of the museums are worth seeing regardless. For day game purposes I'd especially recommend hitting up the National Gallery Canada. It has a lot of cool stuff to see and is generally packed with art students from the city's two universities and other artsy types going to look at the art and sketch. It may sound kind of lame, but it's a good tactic and the gallery doesn't tend to be as crazy packed as the ones in Europe or the States and girls are generally pretty open to being approached.
During the summer there are a bunch of parks where lots of people go to chill, smoke weed, play sports etc. I think Dow's Lake, near Carleton would be your best bet and you'll often see groups of girls together or on their own, it's usually pretty approach friendly. Also, during the winter time the Ottawa Canal is frozen over and people head by the thousands to skate on it during the afternoon. Bring a flask to stay warm and there are all kinds of food stands where you can get off the ice and strike up conversation with girls.
Night Game...
Your two main options will be Byward Market (The Market) and Elgin Street.
The Market- Located centrally downtown near Parliament it is generally going to be your odds on best bet to pick up. The best two nights are always going to be Friday and Saturday. Heart and Crown is the go to place to pick up. It's big, often has live music and will offer the widest array of options. Lots of beers on tap, several different rooms and is generally the best bang for your buck. Other place in the Market are Patty Boland's, which is a younger crowd (18-22) which is the best place to go on Wednesdays. Pier 21 can also be decent and Minglewoods is more a clubbish place I generally tend to avoid. The Honest Lawyer and The Drink are also worth a look but if you are only in town for a weekend or whatever, hedge your bets at Heart and Crown.
Elgin- A smallish street with a more laid back vibe than The market. Lieutenant's Pump is a coolish pub with a lot of good beers on tap I would recommend for pre drinking and possibly lining up prospects for later in the night but not for closing. Huley's, which is just across the street is a big bar which is pretty good on weekends that second to Heart and Crown would be your best odds on bar to land a ONS in.
Hull...
Across the river in Quebec. It's a short cab ride and bars stay open until 3 vs 2 in Ottawa. So if it's 1:30 and things are looking bleak, you can head to Hull for a Hail Mary attempt or hit one of the many strip clubs they have. It is pretty fucking sleazy though and the only times I find myself over there is when I am blackout drunk. So if anyone has good bars in Hull to recommend feel free...
There are also two bars at Bank and Somerset. Barrymore's is an old movie theatre which has been a club for a while now. Cheap drinks and 90s nights on Thursdays- I highly recommend it. Right next to it is Babylon which is more of a rockish / hipster crowd. Unless you're in to that scene (which I'm not I wouldn't bother).
Places to Eat...
I would steer clear of the market, bad value. There is a cool Cuban place called Havana (who would have guessed) at Bank and Sunnyside that has good and cheap Cuban food which would make for a good lunch date. It's also close to Dow's Lake so going there and then to the Lake with a bottle of wine would make for a good afternoon date. There are also some really good Vietnamese and Chinese spots at Bronson and Somerset.
Places to Stay...
On a budget I would recommend the Ottawa Jail hostel, link:
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails...duT4Anwthe
It's sort of a weird place but always attracts internationals and is always crawling with girls. In the summer time they have electro parties the last Saturday of every month which are in my opinion the best party in town.
There are like a million hotels in the market for guys with cash and I'd recommend looking through some yourself.
The Bottom Line...
Ottawa is a small city and if you're not from Canada and have no special interest isn't worth a visit on its own. But if you're in Montreal and want something smaller and more manageable, you may really like it here. For guys who are in to outdoorsie shit like camping, cycling and canoeing it's also a good spot. I hope this post helps anyone who find themselves in Ottawa for whatever reason. If you have any questiong let me know. Happy hunting...
The City...
Ottawa is the capital of Canada and it's located four and a half hours north of Toronto and about an hour and a half east of Montreal. It's got a population of just under a million. A good portion of the city is made up of Federal Government employees. It is situated and the Ottawa river and just across it is Hull, which is in Quebec (the French province). Due to its location and because it's the capital of Canada, a large amount of the population are french speakers. Don't let this intimidate you though because just about all of them speak english- seriously, I don't think I've ever met one that didn't.
The Girls...
Ottawa is a smaller city which has its benefits. The girls tend to be more down to earth than in Toronto or Montreal and most of the time will not have the same bitch shields. There are also quite a few suburbs which girls will come in from for nights out who can often be great company. They will also tend to be in to drinking beer, having a good time and open to meeting guys. If you can come across as having the right mix of alpha aloofness combined with a humble, self deprecating sense of humour, you can kill here.
On the other hand, Ottawa is the centre of government and you also get the over educated cunts who think their government cube job and M.A. in Human Resources make them God's gift to men. It's sort of a funny mix because you'll generally either get one extreme or the other. You just have to play the numbers- like anywhere else. The edge Ottawa has is that if you put in the approaches you're much more likely to find a nice down to earth girl who is easy on the eyes and cool to be around with less effort than in Montreal or Toronto.
Day Game...
The obvious place to start with day game is at the two universities the city has: Carleton and University of Ottawa. I would recommend the U of O campus because it's situated right downtown and while Carleton is alright for day gaming (I was a student there), it's sort of out of the way (though still accessible) and the question "so what are you doing on campus" may come up a lot faster here than downtown at U of O. This being said, Carleton does have a pretty decent pub called Oliver's that gets pretty busy during afternoons Wednesday through Friday and if you're heading there would definitely be worth checking out. I can't really speak to U of O's campus bars but if you aren't planning on drinking, I would stay around there for day game.
One of the best things about Ottawa is that it has most of the country's national museums and is also really outdoorsy in summer and winter which gives coincides well with day game opportunities. If you're visiting, some of the museums are worth seeing regardless. For day game purposes I'd especially recommend hitting up the National Gallery Canada. It has a lot of cool stuff to see and is generally packed with art students from the city's two universities and other artsy types going to look at the art and sketch. It may sound kind of lame, but it's a good tactic and the gallery doesn't tend to be as crazy packed as the ones in Europe or the States and girls are generally pretty open to being approached.
During the summer there are a bunch of parks where lots of people go to chill, smoke weed, play sports etc. I think Dow's Lake, near Carleton would be your best bet and you'll often see groups of girls together or on their own, it's usually pretty approach friendly. Also, during the winter time the Ottawa Canal is frozen over and people head by the thousands to skate on it during the afternoon. Bring a flask to stay warm and there are all kinds of food stands where you can get off the ice and strike up conversation with girls.
Night Game...
Your two main options will be Byward Market (The Market) and Elgin Street.
The Market- Located centrally downtown near Parliament it is generally going to be your odds on best bet to pick up. The best two nights are always going to be Friday and Saturday. Heart and Crown is the go to place to pick up. It's big, often has live music and will offer the widest array of options. Lots of beers on tap, several different rooms and is generally the best bang for your buck. Other place in the Market are Patty Boland's, which is a younger crowd (18-22) which is the best place to go on Wednesdays. Pier 21 can also be decent and Minglewoods is more a clubbish place I generally tend to avoid. The Honest Lawyer and The Drink are also worth a look but if you are only in town for a weekend or whatever, hedge your bets at Heart and Crown.
Elgin- A smallish street with a more laid back vibe than The market. Lieutenant's Pump is a coolish pub with a lot of good beers on tap I would recommend for pre drinking and possibly lining up prospects for later in the night but not for closing. Huley's, which is just across the street is a big bar which is pretty good on weekends that second to Heart and Crown would be your best odds on bar to land a ONS in.
Hull...
Across the river in Quebec. It's a short cab ride and bars stay open until 3 vs 2 in Ottawa. So if it's 1:30 and things are looking bleak, you can head to Hull for a Hail Mary attempt or hit one of the many strip clubs they have. It is pretty fucking sleazy though and the only times I find myself over there is when I am blackout drunk. So if anyone has good bars in Hull to recommend feel free...
There are also two bars at Bank and Somerset. Barrymore's is an old movie theatre which has been a club for a while now. Cheap drinks and 90s nights on Thursdays- I highly recommend it. Right next to it is Babylon which is more of a rockish / hipster crowd. Unless you're in to that scene (which I'm not I wouldn't bother).
Places to Eat...
I would steer clear of the market, bad value. There is a cool Cuban place called Havana (who would have guessed) at Bank and Sunnyside that has good and cheap Cuban food which would make for a good lunch date. It's also close to Dow's Lake so going there and then to the Lake with a bottle of wine would make for a good afternoon date. There are also some really good Vietnamese and Chinese spots at Bronson and Somerset.
Places to Stay...
On a budget I would recommend the Ottawa Jail hostel, link:
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails...duT4Anwthe
It's sort of a weird place but always attracts internationals and is always crawling with girls. In the summer time they have electro parties the last Saturday of every month which are in my opinion the best party in town.
There are like a million hotels in the market for guys with cash and I'd recommend looking through some yourself.
The Bottom Line...
Ottawa is a small city and if you're not from Canada and have no special interest isn't worth a visit on its own. But if you're in Montreal and want something smaller and more manageable, you may really like it here. For guys who are in to outdoorsie shit like camping, cycling and canoeing it's also a good spot. I hope this post helps anyone who find themselves in Ottawa for whatever reason. If you have any questiong let me know. Happy hunting...