HALIFAX area - anyone live/lived there? (real estate, to rent)

[albianstar]

I am looking for info on halafax area
My fiance and I are looking to move from Fort McMurray alberta to somewhere warmer, slower, and nicer to have a family.
I really like what I see for housing onthe net but wouldl ike to know from an insider what it is like to live there.....

[mels]

What would you like to know about it? I think it is a great city with many nice outlaying areas if you didn't want to live in Halifax proper. If you want to know specifics, just fire away your questions!

[albianstar]

oh - you asked
Weather- when does it snow?
How much?
When does it melt?
how cold does it get?

what is the health care like- wait times to get into dr?

what is the economy like- what are the " Hot industries" Dying industries

What are the people like- earthy, tuppie, down to earth? Easy to meet people

Schools- are they good? Are the class sizes huge, med etc?
Are the schools well funded for supplies etc?

THANKS

[mels]

Halifax Harbour is a huge port (rail/shipping hub) and there is a lot of industry associated with that. It is also the staging grounds for oil/gas exploration in the North Atlantic. The Navy has a huge presence on the harbour, and the military employs a large number of people. Royal Bank and TD employ a bunch of people there as do a few different manufacturers. It is a big university town which is where many work (Dalhousie, St Marys and Mount St Vincent) so you get a lot of extra diversity thrown in the mix there. It also means a thriving nightlife, many good restaurants and bars.

People are down to earth and friendly. There is a bit of diversity within the people...I wouldn't call it yuppie, or earthy, or conservative....maybe a mix of everything, really. Walking downtown you will see punk types walking amongst men in business suits...I can't really say what the vibe is. It definitely isn't stuffy but not as laidback as say Vancouver is.

Winters are cold and snowy, it warms up again in May. Snow is usually around from December to March but you won't always have snow on the ground, depending on how it goes that season.

I have no idea about the school system and I never needed healthcare while there. Hopefully someone else can fill you in on what I have missed.

[albianstar]

Thanks so much
Wondering how cold is cold?
UI am coming form northern alberta so when i say its cold its about -20 to -50
others would call -1 cold....

What about the little towns around?
I would like to live in a smaller town, accessable to halifax, with a tourist scene - to sell my wares to LOL

[mels]

Very true that cold is all a matter of perception! This will give you an idea of average temperatures. Weather in Halifax Nova Scotia (broken link)

There are some great little towns around Halifax. I personally like the Eastern Shore area. This would be the area coming out of Dartmouth and following the 107 and beyond on 7. The 107 (it is an expressway) ends at Rt. 7 in Musquodoboit Harbour, which is about 40 minutes from downtown Halifax. There are many nice, quiet towns/areas along the way...Porters Lake, Lake Echo, Chezzetcook, Musquodoboit Harbour, and Jeddore (East Jeddore, West Jeddore and Head of Jeddore). I wouldn't go further along 7 than Jeddore or now you are talking over an hour into Halifax (assuming one will be commuting that way for work).

Are you an artist? If so many live in the areas I just listed. Even in tiny West Jeddore a local folk artist lives there and has a small gallery and gets a decent tourist trade coming off of Rt. 7 aka Marine Drive. There is also a place called Eastern Passage, across the harbour from Halifax next to Dartmouth. There are a bunch of little seasonal shops located in what looks like little boat houses. Many people there sell arts, crafts, as well as the usual Nova Scotia tourist junk you'll find everywhere (i.e. lobster claw shaped oven mitts and the like). It gets a brisk tourist trade in the summer months. A lot of crafters sell their things right in downtown Halifax at Historic Properties, or on the sidewalks around the Public Gardens. I don't know if you need some sort of permit/license for that, I would think so.

Edited to add: I forgot that Eastern Passage now markets itself as Fisherman's Cove. Here is a link Welcome to Fisherman's Cove - Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada

[albianstar]

thanks i really appreciate it
i am not an artist, but self employed now and think i would be able to come up with some sort of business/service i could provide to tourists to keep me a float
luckily we are leaving alberta with a nice nest egg, (due to the skyrocketing real estate) so we like the house prices there as we can pay for the house cash,still have a nice cushion and work less while we have kids.
I also do free lance writing and things like that so the quaility of life in relation to the cheapness of housing and number of warm days are my biggest concerns....

[francej16]

Thank mels for the info since I had asked the same question

what are the job opportunities there for non-canadians? Do you have any idea how they are w/willingness to interview/accept americans for jobs that don't yet live there?

My husband is in IT

[gobstopper]

hi
we too are hoping to move to nova scotia this year, and are looking at properties with cabins to rent out. does anyone have any good suggestions for a touristy area, but with good schools- we have 2 kids aged 9 and 11, so want to be near some life!! i'm told there are not many jobs there, so that's why we'd be looking at a touristy business. have looked at halifax, looks lovely. whats bridgetown like?
any info would be much appreciated, thanks
anita

[kill_u]

Hi mates, I am newcomer from eastern Europe and would like to determinate which town to chose. I cant decide between Calgary and Halifax. In both cities I have friends who can help me at the beginning. But do you mind to tell me about low payed jobs. Is the crisis affect them? I have other questions but at first I really need to settle somewhere and then I will start to equal my education. Thanks.