Kitchener-Waterloo: Bridgeport East area (buying a house, buying, primary school)

[smihaila]

Hi,


I appreciate if someone could help me with some advice, I am very undetermined.

I'm almost at the point of buying a house in the Bridgeport East area of Kitchener. Could anyone who knows that area a lot advise if what I'm trying to do is a crazy move or not? The house is relatively new (9 years young) and spacious (1500 sqft) but it's the location itself that concerns me, due to:

-not being walkable (very car-dependent and I don't have a car currently)
-no schools. The closest primary school is near Bridge St and Lancaster.
-no grocery stores. The closest one would be Price Chopper near University Ave E and Bridge St.
-not too many kids parks or trails (if you cross the river near Bridge St and Lancaster you get excellent trails though).


From a pure location perspective, the area between University Ave E to the north and Lancaster St to the south seems better - easy access to schools and that grocery stores. Also, the very good bus route #35 - which gets you to Uptown Waterloo quick enough (and my workplace is near Peppler St with Bridgeport, so by bus I would make around 15 minutes).

With the Bridgeport East area, I would have to take the 6 and then change to 35. And until getting a car, it would be quite stressful to get to Price Chopper by bus. If you use the #35 only (and get back to Lancaster with Bridge St) and avoid #6, we would have about 20 minutes walk from that point to our home.

It seems like a strange area - very good and new houses, not necessarily cookie-cutters, and new house projects are also starting in nearby. And the area is "settled" not quite recently. I'm just wondering what's the mystery for not "catching up" and going into an urban sprawl and thus creating a need for local stores and schools? And paradoxically, the property taxes are on the high side (3,000) - higher than Eastbridge/RIM area or the Northfield/Lakeshore area.

The house would be priced at $300,000 (and it is 9 year old) but other houses (older though i.e. 14-17 years old and slightly smaller i.e. 1300 sqft instead of 1500 sqft) may sell for 275-280k. From a long-term perspective, it may be good, but right now I am a bit afraid of making a move due to being more isolated as location.

What do you guys think? Are all my "fears" in fact unfounded and assuming that I would get a car they will disappear? Or is it something bizarre about the area in general? Is the lack of urban sprawl and a rather sub-urban feeling caused by the fact that the area is in a flood plain?

The better area for me (as I was saying) - considering my current context/i.e. no car - would the one immediately north of Lancaster with Bridge Street (the so-called "Bridgeport west" or "University Downs" sub-division). But in that area comparable houses are priced significantly higher ($320,000). For 270-300k you get older ones (but still 2-storey) which either need a new roofing or are "run down" internally.

Thanks a lot in advance.