As you likely know, I do not often step into the world of residential real estate. My game is commercial and it is with excitement that I am listing a home in a neighbourhood very near and dear to me. Walkers Creek is the most desirable neighbourhood in St. Catharines, and I am not just saying it. Here are my top reasons why this home is the ideal buy for a family who seeks lifestyle, the outdoors and proximity.
Water, on two sides
This neighbourhood is surrounded by natural settings, and one fascinating man-made one. With Lake Ontario a twenty minute walk from the doorstep, you can enjoy beach days with your toes in the sand on one of this Great Lake's most beautiful beachfronts, Sunset Beach. My wife and I enjoy many sunsets with our two dogs sitting on this shoreline, and the laughs of children who race up and down the sand combined with the patter of slow waves rolling in is the ultimate unwind to a busy life.
The second water feature is the Welland Canal. If you've got kids, you've found endless hours of entertainment and a fascinating walk with the dogs or cruise on the bikes to see which international travellers are taking to the waters on any given day.
The great outdoors
This location is like no other when it comes to the accessibility of natural settings in which to enjoy the day. In the Walker's Creek neighbourhood is... Walker's Creek Park! Kilometers of parkland that stretch straight through to Lake Ontario, beautifully maintained with playgrounds throughout. This is a beautiful place to enjoy time with your family, take an early morning run or explore on geo-caching adventures and more!
The afforementioned Canal Recreation Trail is a hub of activity on weekends with cyclists, scooters, rollerbladers, strollers and more heading up and down the trail. A local favourite is the geese that congregate each spring. A Saturday morning stroll throughout the spring months will let you watch the ganders grow from fuzzy little guys to full grown Canada Geese. A remarkable and memorable part of any Walker's Creek resident's experience.
Malcolmson Eco Park is a protected parkland that has a committee dedicated to its maintenance and care. Rare flowers and plants are labelled for visitors to learn about the park, it is absolutely beautiful.
Community Centres
This neighbourhood is a 2 minute drive from two large community facilities: the Kiwanis Aquatic Centre ($3 swims all year long!) and the Port Weller Community Centre. Sign your kids up for activities or partake yourself, these facilities are well used by residents of St. Catharines and your close proximity makes it a no brainer.
Schools
One of the most sought after school district's in Niagara, your kids will attend Prince Philips for elementary and Governor Simcoe for secondary education. High academic rankings and outstanding athletics programs. Governor Simcoe is well known for its rowing program (you're a ten minute drive from the course), basketball program and football team. Not to mention their competitive jazz choir and renowned visual arts programs. Simcoe is also well known for its competitive robotics team that has competed at a national level for years. Not to mention, bring home a championship or two!
If you are a particular lover of the arts you could opt to attend Laura Secord Secondary School just down Niagara Street where the reknowned Drum Line calls home, and where a large-scale musical production will occur twice throughout your high school career. Think dramatic arts, visual arts, bands, choirs and more.
Proximity
This neighbourhood is 2 minutes from NOTL, 5 minutes from Port Dalhousie, 8 minutes from downtown St. Catharines and close to all amenities. Three grocery stores nearby, all large bank brands, drug stores, doctors offices, walk-in clinics, coffee shops... it is close to it all! If you're from out of town and considering the move to Niagara in general, call me and we can talk about how incredible it is to maintain low cost of living and ridiculously easy access to major urban centres, all within one hour both in Canada and state-side!
The home
This house is truly one of a kind in the neighbourhood. On an extra large lot, this home was the builder's home when the neighbourhood was first built. The home itself is an extra-large version of the ones surrounding it, and this shows in the bedroom, bathroom and living space sizes that feel homey but generous throughout. This home also features more closets than you'll find in comparable north-end homes, and many features that the current owners added to maximize the layout and transform the space into a modern family hub fit for entertaining.
If you're interested in 3 Rideau, please contact me. With daily showings since listing we are waiting for the right family to move in to this spectacular residence.
