Air quality in Hamilton

[Northbound81]

Lucknow, Thanks for the tips. We did go to the St. Catharines Museum. There were no ships coming through but we really enjoyed the movie and exhibits. We didn't go to Brock's Monument or Ball's Falls due to the cold, but we did brave the cold to see Niagara Falls at night. We ended up checking out Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Fonthill, Welland, Stoney Creek, Hamilton (both Mountain and downtown), and Dundas. My wife doesn't like Fonthill or Dundas, she thinks they are too quiet/detached from everything. I was really impressed by the old homes in Hamilton, especially in the neighborhoods I saw right when I got off the escarpment, closer to Mountain Brow Park. They are definitely nicer than the older homes in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. I think in St. Catharines and NF we prefer the more suburban neighborhoods like out by the Pen Centre, though we did see some really nice houses closer in too. If we settled in Niagara Falls, we definitely would want to be at least a few miles away from the tourist area.

[lucknow]

I just bought a house near Lundy's Lane and Montrose. It's a very quiet neighbourhood but close to everything. The neighbourhood was built in 87-88 and the houses are really nice and affordable. It's 5km to the falls. I zipped over the river the other day for a tank of fuel and I was over and back in 30 minutes.
You are correct about downtown Hamilton. It's very different than Niagara and has always reminded me of Toronto. I just really love so many of the old Victorian downtown style homes.

[Northbound81]

Lucknow, that area (Lundy's Lane & Montrose) is beautiful for sure. I went to a Thai restaurant right near there, called Mai Thai, and I checked out some of the neighborhoods. Right now we are exploring the economic opportunities in Niagara vs. Hamilton. I want to be close to the U.S. to be sure for airport access & ability to work across the border. I like the wide open spaces in Niagara region, and the scenery. But my wife won't have the luxury of starting her own firm once she completes her accounting degree, and it seems accounting jobs are very few and far between in the Niagara region or across the border in Buffalo. There's literally two or three job job openings on Monster and Wowjobs. In the Toronto area there's something like 150+. So it seems living in Hamilton opens up the larger GTA job market for her, with plenty of jobs available in the Oakville, Burlington, and Mississauga areas. Burlington and Oakville wouldn't be a bad commute from Hamilton. I would have a longer commute to the U.S. though. The other pluses for Hamilton are: early French immersion in the public schools, and way more arenas and outdoor rinks. The downside, of course, is less house for the $$ but it's still surprisingly affordable in Hamilton. We'd lose the ability to pop across the border for milk, eggs, and gas though, but in the grand scheme the cost difference isn't that great. It's still a tough decision.