The city next door
Lucy Rest
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We're going to rock down to...
photo: Aaron McKenzie Fraser
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New Edinburgh offers nice houses, people and good grub
"Like, wowsville," said a friend as we bike unwittingly into a massive neighbourhood garage sale, "it's like a different city!" Indeed - founded in 1829 by Scotsman Thomas McKay, New Edinburgh was a village in its own right until Ottawa annexed it in 1887.Minutes from the Market and easily accessible by bike path or bus (route 7) from both universities, I like to think of this neighbourhood as the tasty filling in the sandwich that is one slice Wonder Bread (Vanier) and one slice Ace Baguette (Rockliffe).
Bordered on the west by the Rideau River, on the north by the Ottawa River, and on the south by Beechwood, cheat a bit and stretch the eastern leg of your New Ed tour over to Vanier, where you're likely to find shopping, dining and boozing more suitable to the student budget. Like the tasty Caribbean, Latin American and African cafés and grocery-marts that line Montreal Road. Or the infamous all-you-can-eat Du Barry Chinese Buffet (33 Selkirk) and the massive Asian food market Uni Food next door.
If you're the type of student who took out extra loans so you could eat well (ahem), stay around Beechwood and check out the many specialty food shops in this 'hood. For macaroons the size of a softball, and only $1.46, try Epicuria (419 MacKay), which is next door to Piccolo Grande Gelato and Upward Dog Yoga. On Wednesdays organic fish and meat is 10 per cent off at Nature's Buzz (64 Beechwood). Stop in at Bread and Roses Bakery next door for wholesome
healthy loaves and organic fair trade coffee. Speaking of coffee, check out friendly javabar Jaz'zoo (at Beechwood and MacKay) next to Books on Beechwood (35 Beechwood) - it's rumoured the Ashbury College brats hang out at the Second Cup up the street. Even better, head further north to Tea Thyme (81 Beechwood) for tea, sandwiches, soups and scones served up by the sweetest lady you can imagine. There's also an art gallery upstairs.
Brekkie-wise, check out Hamie's Diner (7 Beechwood) for a cheap(ish) one, or La Boulangerie du Village (82 Beechwood) for viennoiseries and steaming bowls of café au lait.
If Mom and Pops are paying, head to El Meson (94 Beechwood) for lovely Iberian fare, or Ambiente (18 Beechwood) for really fine wine and dining, but reality is more likely pub grub, in which case choose the Clocktower microbrew pub on MacKay over New Edinburgh Pub (1 Beechwood), where the service and atmosphere is super-nice, but the food is, well...
Or you could just do burgers at the original New Ed location of The Works (143 Putman). Only a few doors down is Video Mondo, which specializes in foreign films, or check out the latest installation at Dale Smith Gallery (137 Beechwood), next door to Jacobson's, yet another gourmet food shop. For a little bit of an edgier art space, veer off Beechwood onto Marier Avenue and check out Electric Gallery (30 Marier).
Further up Beechwood, check out consignment duds at Clothes Encounters of a Second Kind (although thrift stores are cheaper and more plentiful in Vanier).
And it's getting too chilly for this, but rumour has it there's a secret "swimming hole" somewhere in New Edinburgh. If I find it by next summer, I'll let you know.
La Boulangerie du Village is a small cute little place great for coffee and viennoiseries, with a great french athmosphere. In fact, I really recommend this spot, especially if you happen to go be in the area to select a movie at video Mondo (Great place for international video selection!) or have a Piccolo Grande Gelato (the best in town!).
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Valerie Augier
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{3 votes}
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I don't live in New Edingburgh, but I do frequent Video Mondo and can vouch that it's an awesome video store. The movies are seperated on which country they were made in which is cool. If you want to see an Italian, Quebec, Iranian film, you know where to go. They also have lots of documentaries, and recent stuff.
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Josee Lacroix
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{10 votes}
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| New Edinburgh Has Certainly Changed Since I Was A Student |
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My first ever trip to & stay in Ottawa was as a 3rd-term co-op student in 1984. I was studying for my B.Sc. in Mathematics out west at Simon Fraser U. in BC, & I took a work term with Treasury Board.
I rented a basement in a house at 411 MacKay Avenue. The house no longer exists. After I moved back to Ottawa to take up a permanent position with the federal government, I found that the house where I lived had been demolished, & the Piccolo Grande you mentioned was built in its place, having inherited the 411 MacKay Avenue address. It was an interesting experience, living in New Edinburgh. I could tell my parents back home in Vancouver that the Governor General's residence was just 5 blocks down from me, & Prime Minister Trudeau was just another 4 blocks further down at the end of the street.
I went to St. Bartholemew's Anglican Church, which was the Governor General's church. He (Ed Schryer) went there once while I was there, whereas I was there most Sundays, as the entire one-person bass section of the choir. Fun memories for sure.
And I was glad to be just around the corner from the leading independent cinema of Ottawa, the Towne Cinema. And then after that co-op semester ended in April 1984, Jean Cloutier expanded to take on a partner (Bruce White) & another cinema (the present Bytowne Cinema). And then the Towne cinema (which was to be the repertory cinema) closed & was replaced by the New Edinburgh Pub.
So a lot has changed, but I'm glad to hear from your report that it is still student friendly. Thanks for the article!
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Brad Thomas
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{5 votes}
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I really like going to Video Mondo even though I live on the Quebec side. they have so much variety. Any language, any country you will probably find it there. It is so much better than the other movie stores. At last, somewhere where you can choose what you want, the language you want and also everything is separated that there is no hassle in finding the type of movies you want.
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Louise Lacroix
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| Yes - Indeed New Edinburgh has changed but for the better |
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I vividly remember the Towne Cinema and the many saturdays spent watching international films. I do like the Piccolo Grande after the movies. Still take my kids there for the best Italian ice cream and chocolates.
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Ali Noorbhai
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