home styles in St. George’s & The Ward
St. George’s
When it comes to St. George’s real estate we see transitions at a couple of key points in the neighbourhood. First, the section west of Metcalfe Street and then on either side of Stevenson Street North.
The Estates of St. George’s
Roughly between Metcalfe Street and Queen Street (near the downtown core) sits one of Guelph’s most gorgeous neighbourhoods. Here you can find Guelph’s most expensive estate homes nestled among beautiful tree-lined streets and sitting atop some of Guelph’s steepest hills.
While this is where you can find the ultra luxury estates of Guelph, it’s also home to a wonderful collection of century-old homes that rivals, and often surpasses, Exhibition Park in terms of its street appeal. The homes here are very well-maintained and the central meeting point is St. George’s Park which provides incredible colours in the Fall.
For those looking for the best pockets of Guelph to call home, this should be near the very top of your list.
West of Stevenson Road North
As you head east of Metcalfe, the streets are less tree-lined, but the area is still extremely appealing with 1950s and 1960s brick bungalows as the main style of home in the area. If you are in the market for something slightly more affordable and closer to downtown, this area is similar to what you’d find in many pockets of North End Guelph.
East of Stevenson Road North
As you venture east of Stevenson Rd North, the home styles look similar but the streets widen and you begin to notice more planned and organized streets. Home to Canadian-city named streets like Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton, the area around Ottawa Crescent PS is similar to what you’d find in West Grange Hill in Guelph’s east end.
South of Palmer Street
As you head south of Palmer Street (on both sides of Stevenson Rd N) and begin to approach The Ward you begin to find a bigger, more eclectic mix of housing styles. Older, 2-storey classics mixed in with bungalows and raised bungalows with a similar appeal to areas like The Junction, Downtown Guelph or Exhibition Park. You can sometimes find new, custom infill in these pockets as well!
If you take a stroll down this street you’ll see an example of the mix of newer homes that have been added to certain pockets. While this is not every street, if you were looking for something newer that’s closer to downtown, St. George’s does have some options. However, the majority will still be those century old classics and war-time bungalows especially as you get closer to downtown.
The Ward
The Ward, aka St. Patrick’s Ward, aka Two Rivers, is another of Guelph’s oldest, and often misunderstood, neighbourhoods.
If you’re looking for homes in The Ward, there are three main pockets that are broken up by industrial properties and lands.
Close to Downtown
First, you have the eclectic mix of century-old homes and bungalows that Guelph, and places like Old Toronto, are well-known for. This is similar to Downtown Guelph and The Junction. You can also find the odd set of condo townhomes and there are plenty of apartments in this pocket as well. This area will be a very quick walk over to the downtown.
The biggest change to the Ward real estate scene has been the addition of high-rise condos right along the river like The Metalworks. You also have other projects like Mill Lofts and Edgewater Condos close by. These kinds of projects are helping to reshape the downtown core.
North of York Road
Next, you have pockets between the rail lines and industrial properties that are scattered within The Ward. This area is very reminiscent of places like west end Toronto or Old Etobicoke. You’ll find pockets of new mid-rise condos and condo townhomes here mixed in with everything else.
South of York Road
Finally, once you head south of York Road, you’ll find probably the most consistent stretch of residential homes in this area sandwiched between industrial on either end and bordering the Eramosa River.
This area is characterized by smaller, older homes on tighter streets with very little setbacks from the road. It’s not Guelph’s most picturesque stretch by any means, but you can find still nice, affordable homes in a good location here.
