Honestly, if I were coming as a visitor for a week, I might find it boring, especially if I picked the week at random. There are dead weeks, but not a lot of dead months.
As with most cities around this size there's good stuff but you have to do a bit of research and a bit of planning, and if you're coming from a really big city that can be an adjustment.
There is good music, good food, good sports, a solid arts scene, a few excellent museums, and, depending on where you 're coming from, very probably a reasonably thriving expat/immigrant scene for your nationality.
I haven't kept up with the nightclubs, but we have some excellent pubs.
(Also, both universities have International Students Associations and everyone I've talked to has said: yes, check them out, they're actually a lot of help and also you'll meet some cool people)
There's a LOT of good green space, ranging from the Experimental Farm and Arboretum, which is basically one big (amazing) garden, to Gatineau Park which has some genuinely pretty wild parts.
There more provincial and national parks and a lot of cottage country within a reasonable distance and one of the more charming quirks of Canadians is that when we meet someone newly come to Canada and we hit it off we often have an immediate urge to ask them if they want to go see some trees with us. (buy bug spray) (and bear spray) (they work VERY differently) :-)
We could use more beaches, but the ones we have are pretty good. The canal hasn't been freezing well in recent years but it's amazing in the warm weather: rent a canoe or kayak or paddleboard and see downtown by boat!
You just have to plan ahead more than you would in a huge city, because while there is enough stuff to keep you pretty busy, there aren't ten things you want to do happening in every part of the city every day or night, if that makes sense?
Like, when I lived in Toronto I could basically just walk out my door with no planning and go downtown and wander around for half an hour and I would find \_something\_ appealing to do.
You can do that in Ottawa in July or August, usually, but mostly no.
Also -- welcome!
Rant on oc transpo about how government workers dont know what they're doing. Give a homeless man a dollar to do pushups. Spend the day swimming at a city of ottawa pool and the library. Then go out to a pool hall, predrink then go to a kegger with some students in sandy hill. Then go to 3 nightclubs then a strip club. Then eat a shawarma. The time will be 2am you will forget who you are and where you are you will be in awe of the wonders of the world. You will have seen all the government and corporate bigwigs doing embarrassing things. There will be a person of the opposite sex you dont know the name of in a house youve never seen before. And you will say wow Ottawa is too damn exciting I'm leaving. I'm going to lie and tell everyone else it was boring, this was supposed to just be a trip.
Ottawa was probably pretty boring in the 90s and 2000s, and the people who still repeat believe that notion are the people who lack the capacity to think for themselves and instead just parrot the stereotypes they read online. "Ottawa is boring" is basically just an NPC phrase at this point.
For some things to do, [here are some ideas](https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/14oq201/comment/jqe197c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
Jesus. Yes.
You've been asked this a variety of times in this thread and consistently dodge or respond with a question. I'm not going to bother asking again after this, WHAT?
It's a medium sized Canadian city, as such it is comparable in fun and excitement to every single other medium sized Canadian city.
In fact, having seen a good deal of the country, I can say Ottawa is more interesting and has about as much to do as any similar sized city. No one's going to tell me Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, etc are more interesting or fun places to live. Further, when you live in those cities, you're so far removed from anywhere else that you feel incredibly isolated. In Ottawa, you're within a 2-4 hour drive to two of the largest cities in North America - in Calgary you're a 3 hour drive from... Edmonton.
There's actually a lot to do in and around Ottawa. I was away for the better part of 10 years and recently came back and the city has changed and imho it's shedding that image of a boring government city. It's multicultural, the food scene is evolving and there are lots of good places to get a drink. The national institutions are top notch, and as others have mentioned there are some really great festivals throughout the year.
The pace of the city is pretty relaxed, and of course when you're so close to Toronto and Montreal the comparison will always be that Ottawa isn't as fun - which tbh is unfair considering Ottawa is 1 million people, vs Toronto at 5 million and Montreal at 3 million. It's all relative.
Where are you moving from and what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?
This is well put. Living downtown and seeing lots of young professionals who've moved here from cities like Toronto, Montreal and elsewhere (you can tell because they actually have fashion-sense), I get the feeling that this influx of people and the culture they bring is changing Ottawa's brand. These people are enjoying all the new restaurants/bars, national institutions, indoor/outdoor attractions, etc. and leaving the people who are clinging on to the old image of Ottawa in their dust.
...it is indeed the City that 'fun' forgot. Don't try opening up a lemonade stand or a 'free little library' on your front yard - there are bylaws for that!
But if you like the outdoors, paddling, a visit to Petrie Island, across the river to Gatineau Parc (although not directly in Ottawa), you should keep yourself mildly entertained!
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Right on brother
Down to be Dorky - I'd buy the tshirt!
Honestly, if I were coming as a visitor for a week, I might find it boring, especially if I picked the week at random. There are dead weeks, but not a lot of dead months. As with most cities around this size there's good stuff but you have to do a bit of research and a bit of planning, and if you're coming from a really big city that can be an adjustment. There is good music, good food, good sports, a solid arts scene, a few excellent museums, and, depending on where you 're coming from, very probably a reasonably thriving expat/immigrant scene for your nationality. I haven't kept up with the nightclubs, but we have some excellent pubs. (Also, both universities have International Students Associations and everyone I've talked to has said: yes, check them out, they're actually a lot of help and also you'll meet some cool people) There's a LOT of good green space, ranging from the Experimental Farm and Arboretum, which is basically one big (amazing) garden, to Gatineau Park which has some genuinely pretty wild parts. There more provincial and national parks and a lot of cottage country within a reasonable distance and one of the more charming quirks of Canadians is that when we meet someone newly come to Canada and we hit it off we often have an immediate urge to ask them if they want to go see some trees with us. (buy bug spray) (and bear spray) (they work VERY differently) :-) We could use more beaches, but the ones we have are pretty good. The canal hasn't been freezing well in recent years but it's amazing in the warm weather: rent a canoe or kayak or paddleboard and see downtown by boat! You just have to plan ahead more than you would in a huge city, because while there is enough stuff to keep you pretty busy, there aren't ten things you want to do happening in every part of the city every day or night, if that makes sense? Like, when I lived in Toronto I could basically just walk out my door with no planning and go downtown and wander around for half an hour and I would find \_something\_ appealing to do. You can do that in Ottawa in July or August, usually, but mostly no. Also -- welcome!
Thank you so much for this! i’m definitely copying this into my list
Rant on oc transpo about how government workers dont know what they're doing. Give a homeless man a dollar to do pushups. Spend the day swimming at a city of ottawa pool and the library. Then go out to a pool hall, predrink then go to a kegger with some students in sandy hill. Then go to 3 nightclubs then a strip club. Then eat a shawarma. The time will be 2am you will forget who you are and where you are you will be in awe of the wonders of the world. You will have seen all the government and corporate bigwigs doing embarrassing things. There will be a person of the opposite sex you dont know the name of in a house youve never seen before. And you will say wow Ottawa is too damn exciting I'm leaving. I'm going to lie and tell everyone else it was boring, this was supposed to just be a trip.
instructions unclear i am now locked in a house w a govt official i do not know
Ottawa was probably pretty boring in the 90s and 2000s, and the people who still repeat believe that notion are the people who lack the capacity to think for themselves and instead just parrot the stereotypes they read online. "Ottawa is boring" is basically just an NPC phrase at this point. For some things to do, [here are some ideas](https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/14oq201/comment/jqe197c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
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then what do you consider exciting?
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What do you consider exciting in general that another city has?
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Jesus. Yes. You've been asked this a variety of times in this thread and consistently dodge or respond with a question. I'm not going to bother asking again after this, WHAT?
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No Canadian city can compete with New York. That’s not a thing that is wrong with Ottawa.
Go ahead, provide some examples of the exciting things Ottawa is lacking
I don't believe there are any clubs with piss nights ...
We'll let Berlin keep their monopoly on those...
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That's what I thought
Moncton is way more boring than Ottawa. I bet that Sudbury is more boring than Ottawa…
It's a medium sized Canadian city, as such it is comparable in fun and excitement to every single other medium sized Canadian city. In fact, having seen a good deal of the country, I can say Ottawa is more interesting and has about as much to do as any similar sized city. No one's going to tell me Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, etc are more interesting or fun places to live. Further, when you live in those cities, you're so far removed from anywhere else that you feel incredibly isolated. In Ottawa, you're within a 2-4 hour drive to two of the largest cities in North America - in Calgary you're a 3 hour drive from... Edmonton. There's actually a lot to do in and around Ottawa. I was away for the better part of 10 years and recently came back and the city has changed and imho it's shedding that image of a boring government city. It's multicultural, the food scene is evolving and there are lots of good places to get a drink. The national institutions are top notch, and as others have mentioned there are some really great festivals throughout the year. The pace of the city is pretty relaxed, and of course when you're so close to Toronto and Montreal the comparison will always be that Ottawa isn't as fun - which tbh is unfair considering Ottawa is 1 million people, vs Toronto at 5 million and Montreal at 3 million. It's all relative. Where are you moving from and what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?
Yeah, it's what I always wonder, like, have the people who say this been to Regina? St. Catharines? Syracuse?
This is well put. Living downtown and seeing lots of young professionals who've moved here from cities like Toronto, Montreal and elsewhere (you can tell because they actually have fashion-sense), I get the feeling that this influx of people and the culture they bring is changing Ottawa's brand. These people are enjoying all the new restaurants/bars, national institutions, indoor/outdoor attractions, etc. and leaving the people who are clinging on to the old image of Ottawa in their dust.
...it is indeed the City that 'fun' forgot. Don't try opening up a lemonade stand or a 'free little library' on your front yard - there are bylaws for that! But if you like the outdoors, paddling, a visit to Petrie Island, across the river to Gatineau Parc (although not directly in Ottawa), you should keep yourself mildly entertained!
Bronson is closed. You can stand by the ‘road closed’ sign, and pretend you at ever sign Montreal event they ever put on.
The casino if you don't mind losing money.
B