The Glebe is Ottawa's most comfortable neighbourhood — in all senses of the word. Tree-lined streets of Victorian and Edwardian houses, an established retail strip on Bank Street, Lansdowne Park for sports and events, and a density of good restaurants that makes it possible to eat very well without leaving for months. It's not edgy or surprising, but it's excellent at being exactly what it is.
Bank Street
Bank Street from the Queensway to the Canal is the Glebe's commercial spine. It has avoided the worst of chain-store colonization through a combination of active local ownership and community will — the result is a street where independent bookstores, kitchen supply shops, clothing boutiques, and home design stores outnumber chains.
Highlights: The Glebe's Bank Street has some of Ottawa's best independent retail — the Glebe Meat Market (a genuine butcher), several good wine shops, Second Look (a consignment clothing institution), and a rotating cast of restaurant openings that keep the street lively.
Lansdowne Park
The redeveloped Lansdowne Park is one of Ottawa's great urban regeneration stories. TD Place — home to the Ottawa Senators (CHL), Ottawa RedBlacks (CFL), and Ottawa Fury (when they're active) — sits within a mixed-use development with farmers market space, restaurants, and programming year-round.
The Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne is a heritage building hosting events ranging from the Ottawa Farmers Market to concerts to exhibitions. The Tulip Festival uses Lansdowne as a key venue in May.
Eating and Drinking
The Glebe has some of Ottawa's best neighbourhood restaurants:
The Glebe Neighbourhood Restaurant: (look for whatever is currently receiving buzz on Bank Street — the Glebe reliably generates neighbourhood restaurants that punch above their weight)
Oregano's: A neighbourhood Italian institution that has quietly outlasted trendier competition.
The Whalesbone Oyster House (Bank Street location): One of two Whalesbone locations, with the same quality as the flagship in a more casual setting.
The Canal Pathway
The eastern edge of the Glebe borders the Rideau Canal, which means direct access to one of Ottawa's best walking and cycling routes. In winter, the section of the Canal through the Glebe is part of the skateway. In summer, the pathway fills with cyclists, joggers, and people sitting on the bank watching the boats pass. Patterson's Creek Park at the Canal end of Fifth Avenue is a lovely green space.
Character Note
The Glebe has a community association that takes itself seriously (often too seriously, some would say), which has helped preserve the neighbourhood's character but also made it resistant to change. It's Ottawa's most comfortable neighbourhood, and comfort is its dominant mode.
