Old Ottawa South: Parks, pierogi, pinball and pie

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Bizarrely, Old Ottawa South—or OOS, to its residents—often seems to be defined by what it isn’t.

It isn’t the Glebe. (That’s just to the north.)

It isn’t Ottawa South. (That’s an amorphous area a few kilometres to the south.)

And, uniquely among Ottawa’s downtown neighbourhoods, it isn’t represented by a business improvement area of any sort. (The local consensus seems to be that OOS business owners are fiercely independent types who don’t like joining things.)

So I’m here to tell you what Old Ottawa South is—a somewhat yuppie, somewhat artsy, fun little ‘hood. With a few exceptions, most of the shops and restaurants are found along Bank Street, and I’ll get to them shortly. But first, I’m going to suggest you explore the great outdoors.

The Rideau Canal and the Rideau River

The Rideau Canal forms Old Ottawa South’s northern border, so bring your skates in winter to explore the world’s largest skating rink! The safest way to access the canal is to cross Colonel By Drive at Seneca Street, where there are traffic lights. From there, you’ll can walk to several sets of stairs leading down to the canal (including one just west of Bronson Avenue, and another just west of Bank Street).

Old Ottawa South is also lucky enough to have three scenic parks on the north shore of the Rideau River (four parks, if you count tiny Linda Thom Park, on the northwest side of Billings Bridge). The City of Ottawa’s website has basic information on all of the city’s parks.

Just east of Bank Street, Windsor Park (1 Windsor Avenue) is a popular year-round destination for dog walkers, bird watchers, families and sporty types. It’s home to a soccer field, basketball court, tennis courts, a small playground, a wading pool and tree-shaded paths, among other amenities. In summer, there’s a city dock where you can launch your kayak or canoe; in winter, a hockey rink springs up on the soccer field. There’s a small parking lot at the east end of Windsor Avenue.

Follow the recreational path east from Windsor Park to Rideau River Drive South and keep going east, and you’ll soon get to small Brighton Beach Park. It offers similar river views and, often, fewer people.

Also a magnet for the same sorts of park lovers is Brewer Park (100 Brewer Way), a large expanse between Bronson Avenue and Seneca Street that includes several sports fields. You’ll find parking next to the arena at the end of Glen Avenue, and in another lot accessible from Bronson Avenue opposite Carleton University. (Note that the Brewer Pool and Arena are currently closed, as the arena is being used as a COVID-19 screening centre.)

If you’re at Brewer Park in summer with young kids, head directly to the splash pad and adventure playground near the corner of Grove Avenue and Seneca Street. Depending on the ages of your kids and how much steam they need to blow off, this may be the beginning and end of your OOS explorations.

On the other hand, if a dog is your travelling companion, turn instead to the dirt/gravel walking trail that starts at the corner of Seneca Street and Cameron Avenue. Walk south toward the Rideau River and you’ll soon see a seasonal dock that’s a popular leaping-off spot for pooches. There’s usually a cluster of dog walkers shooting the breeze here.

Keep walking east, with your dog on a leash as you pass wildlife-friendly Brewer Pond. Once you pass the dock and start walking toward the Dunbar Bridge, you’ll cross a narrow spit of land separating the Rideau River from Brewer Pond. This area is exceedingly mushy in spring and somewhat icy in winter, so choose your footwear accordingly if you plan to visit—which you should. (Another note: This section of the shoreline is currently undergoing some rehabilitation work, so some areas might be temporarily blocked off.)

The pond is an interesting story in ecological awareness. It began as an artificial place; the city created it in the 1960s as a swimming hole. It soon became clear, unfortunately, that it attracted even more bacteria than swimmers, and it was closed in 1970. In subsequent years, during spring floods, fish would float into the landlocked pond, get trapped and meet an untimely end.

So the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, with partners and volunteers, rehabilitated the pond in 2014–15. They built a channel to connect it to the river, planted dogwood, willows and other native species along the shore, installed swallow nesting boxes, and turned the former beach into a turtle haven. Today, it’s a serene place to watch for critters of all sorts, from bunnies to herons.

When the path ends, cut across the adjacent field and pick up another riverside path that will take you under the Dunbar Bridge. There, you’ll discover one of OOS’s coolest secrets: a legal graffiti wall where the colourful murals change regularly. You may even catch an artist at work. The wall is one of the main sites for the free House of PainT outdoor hip-hop festival, which usually happens in the summer or fall (dates vary).

From this point, you could literally keep walking for hours—across the Carleton University campus and then down to Hogs Back Falls, say, or over to the Fletcher Wildlife Garden at the Central Experimental Farm. But this post is about Old Ottawa South, so retrace your steps to Brewer Park and explore the rest of OOS.

Old Ottawa South shops

As mentioned, Bank Street is the neighbourhood’s retail spine, and I’ll start there with two great shops for families. Bargain hunters love Boomerang Kids (1063 Bank Street), with its huge selection of gently used children’s clothing, shoes, toys and gear (as well as some new items). Artistic families gravitate to The Mud Oven (1065 Bank Street), where kids and adults alike can paint pre-made pottery pieces and have them fired in a kiln.

Black Squirrel Books (1073 Bank Street) draws bibliophiles with extensive shelves of used and new books, plus a sunny café. The licensed bar hosts concerts, author readings and other evening events.

A few doors down, you can buy decorative tiles, picture frames, vases and more at Framed! (1075 Bank Street). Those of a meditative bent can browse for yoga mats, candles, crystals, incense and similar items at The Garden of Light (1111 Bank Street). Cyclists have three bike shops to choose from: Tall Tree Cycles (281 Sunnyside Avenue), The Cyclery (1115 Bank Street) and Giant Ottawa (1162 Bank Street).

Want to treat yourself while reducing, reusing and recycling? Look for the always-creative window displays at The Clothes Secret (1136 Bank Street), a consignment store usually packed with great finds, or head to Vertigo Records (1208 Bank Street) for classic vinyl LPs and new turntables to play them on.

Finally, C.A. Paradis/The Chef’s Paradise (1314 Bank Street) draws both pro chefs and keen amateurs. You could equip an entire restaurant here, but home cooks will likely be most interested in high-end items such as Le Creuset cookware, Wusthof knives, De’Longhi coffee makers and KitchenAid mixers.

Food and drink in the neighbourhood

If you’re looking to put that new kitchen gear to work, Cedars & Company grocery store (1255 Bank Street) carries a dizzying array of international products, ranging from Middle Eastern and North African items (zaatar, ras el hanout, preserved lemons, hummus) to farro, tinned tomatillos, coconut milk powder, sambal oelek, dried juniper berries, stroopwafels and Tim-Tams. You’ll also find gluten-free, lactose-free, organic and vegan items, and a great take-out counter (try the shawarma). Plus, the staffers are incredibly kind.

Trillium Bakery (1181 Bank Street) uses local ingredients to bake up all kinds of cookies and breads, including many for people on special diets. Up the street, Life of Pie (1134 Bank Street) has a display case full of fresh scones and squares, as well as to-go frozen soups and pies (the dense, family-size chicken curry pie will easily serve six). The café is a quiet spot for breakfast or a light lunch, and the shop also offers baking classes.

Nearby, the original location of Oat Couture Oatmeal Café (1154 Bank Street) specializes in sweet and savoury bowls of local steel-cut oats. If you’ve never thought of topping your oats with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese, you’re in for a surprise. (More traditional toppings like strawberries are available, too.) Late in the afternoon, staffers change the signs and some of the décor, and the space morphs into a single-malt whisky bar called the Montgomery Scotch Lounge.

Just up the street, Stella Luna Gelato Café (1103 Bank Street) serves award-winning gelato in a rotating array of flavours, such as white chocolate passionfruit and lemon almond honey. You can also get sorbet, soups, wraps, salads, sandwiches and other light fare.

If pubs are your scene, there’s the unmistakable Irish ambiance of Patty’s Pub (1186 Bank Street) and its smaller sibling, Quinn’s (1070 Bank Street). The proprietors of both also own the Ashton Brewing Company on Ottawa’s western outskirts, so you can sample Ashton’s full line of craft beers (I can highly recommend the cream ale).

Those who like big-screen sports with their beer favour The Senate Tavern (1159 Bank Street). It’s particularly popular with fans of European soccer, who regularly congregate inside or on the lively patio.

Tucked away on the second floor of the Ottawa Tennis & Lawn Bowling Club is The Cameron (176 Cameron Avenue), where members and non-members alike can enjoy burgers, nachos and tacos with a Rideau River view. That restaurant’s owners also serve posher small plates, brunch and craft cocktails at The Belmont (1169 Bank Street).

OOS has a growing selection of international restaurants and takeout joints, including Ten Fish for freshly rolled sushi (1149B Bank Street), Pomelo Hat for steamed dumplings and bubble tea (1196 Bank Street), Table Sodam for Korean cuisine (1200 Bank Street), La Fromentine for grilled meats, fried plantain and jollof rice (1202 Bank Street), and Thai Kitchen for Thai favourites (1300 Bank Street). A few blocks off the main drag, casual Eggroll Express makes tasty Chinese dishes (437 Sunnyside Avenue).

Movies, pinball and pierogi

The Mayfair Theatre (1074 Bank Street), built in 1932, is one of Canada’s oldest surviving independent cinemas. Today, it’s a repertory movie house screening indie, classic, family and foreign films. The lovingly preserved interior is meant to evoke a Spanish hacienda.

Directly across the street, House of TARG (1077 Bank Street) may well be the world’s only combined pinball arcade, music venue, bar and pierogi joint. Head down the stairs into a basement lair only wildly creative minds could have conceived. As well as classic potato-and-cheese pierogi, you can get varieties stuffed with everything from kale to cinnamon-sugar apples. Eat ’em there or get a frozen bag to go.

Getting to Old Ottawa South

Old Ottawa South is four kilometres south of Parliament Hill, bounded mainly by Bronson Avenue, the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River (the eastern edge blurs a bit into Old Ottawa East).

You can drive here, of course, but you’d better enjoy parallel parking, as there are few parking lots. Fortunately, getting here without a car is easy. For scenic views, bike or walk along the Rideau Canal paths, or paddle or skate along the canal itself.

The neighbourhood is served by multiple OC Transpo bus routes. You can also take a bus to the Billings Bridge Transitway station and walk north, or the O-Train to the Carleton station and walk east. (Well, you can’t do the latter at the minute—the Trillium Line of the O-Train, which serves Carleton, is currently closed for construction related to Stage 2 of the LRT expansion. But I live in hope that it will re-open on schedule and work properly! A girl can dream, right?)

Speaking of things that are temporarily closed: In these days of pandemic-related uncertainty, PLEASE check the websites of businesses you hope to visit to get the latest information on how and when they are open. (Several restaurants listed here are currently open for takeout only, for instance.)

To find out what’s happening in the ‘hood, check the website of the Old Ottawa South Community Association.

If you like exploring downtown Ottawa neighbourhoods, check out my guides to the Glebe, Little Italy, New Edinburgh, Wellington West/Hintonburg and Westboro.

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or pick up a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide, from which this post is adapted.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.