Jewish Folk Band rocking out at the Ottawa Bagel Shop and Deli. Courtesy of Fieldtripp on flickr
Editor’s note:You might think one way to get to know a neighbourhood might be, oh, checking out its official boundaries. While Hintonburg once might have extended all the way to Western Ave., it’s now subdivided into Hintonburg (east of Holland) and West Wellington Village (everything west). And while we wandered through both neighbourhoods, and visited Hintonburg highlights like Cyclelogik, the Al Jazeera market, and the recently-relocated Heavens to Betsy, our post focused almost squarely on WWV. So our apologies. We promise to come back and give your neighbourhood its due, if only for an excuse to drown our inaccuracies at the Carleton Tavern.
Better know a Neighborhood is Apartment 613′s knockoff homage to Stephen Colbert’s famed Better Know a District. Our goal is simple: find and write about interesting parts of the city. For the first part of this not-so-innovative series, we head west down Wellington to a neighborhood that is often described as staking Ottawa’s claim to hipness.
Hintonburg has been Ottawa’s up-and-coming neighbourhood for a while now – so long in fact that some feel it may be time to cede that title to a younger, bustier neighbourhood. For those who’ve spent any time in the Glebe, the shops and restaurants might seem eerily familiar: there’s a Herb and Spice, Francesco’s, Nicastro’s, Bridgehead, and the Royal Oak. But take some time to venture off of Wellington – or just head east of Parkdale – and you’ll soon realize that Hintonburg, with its working class taverns and unpretentious restaurants, isn’t ready to give up its down-to-earth charm just yet.
A few other notes about Hintonburg: it’s home to the QUAD, Ottawa’s self-proclaimed arts district. The QUAD is a loose collective of local cultural businesses, not to mention the the ArtsPark at Parkdale Market every May. Add the fact that housing is still a bit cheaper, and it’s some members of the Apartment613 crew not living in Hintonburg jealous of those who do!
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The Wellington Diner
KT – I love anything for 99 cents, and on weekends that’s what they charge for a cappuccino. I was pumped for the breakfast poutine (home fries, cheese curds and hollandaise sause) but found it a bit disappointing… apparently a huge pile of yellow viscous sauce was less appetizing then I had imagined. This is Hintonburg’s version of the Elgin street diner: in fact, they are both owned by the same guy. Karen – Too bad John’s (restaurant down the street) was closed when we went. Anyone have an idea why? The food at the W-Diner was super filling – this prevented sampling at the various bakeries we passed, which did make me kind of sad. |
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Street murals on Wellington
KT – Get your head patted by a giant! There were a lot of cool Murals in this part of town, which definately gives it an arty kind of feel. François – Speaking of street art, we managed to get a great shot for one of our new banners: the one with flower graffitti off Heavens to Betsy’s wall! |
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Local News KT – What the @#$% is a Kitchissippi? A Kitchen Store in Mississippi? |
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Mostly Danish Furniture Store François - There’s a great assortment of teak furniture, quirky wood carved chairs and benches, and awesome asian cabinets. Will definitely go back. Saxby - Don’t get lost in here and keep track of exits in case of fire. |
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Red Velvet Karen – Lovely clothing – all Canadian! Good sale rack, along with pretty picks for spring – with an entire half dedicated to fashion for moms-to-be. |
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Collected Works Independent Bookstore and Coffee Bar Trevor – Collected Works made news last year when the loonie was at par with the American dollar, by offering book buyers the choice of paying either the Canadian or the U.S. price. Word on the street was that many people still paid the higher Canadian price out of loyalty to the owners. KT – What I like about this place is they have toys to keep your boyfriend occupied. Saxby – There always seem to be great readings hosted at Collected works too. David Sedaris read there! |
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Elmdale Tavern
François – A true tavern. Some say that it’s slowly gentrifying – perhaps our presence there is an indication of this? But I say that a tavern that still has jars of eggs in vinegar, gherkin pickles and salty cheese is a-ok in my book. The salty cheese was awesome. KT – The small glasses with the pitchers reminded me of my undergrad days at the MoHo… small glasses make anyone feel like a champion drinker. Saxby – I loved everything about the Elmdale Tavern and looking at the list of shows certainly confirmed that I will be back. |
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Trevor – I am hereby challenging the bakers of Ottawa to come up with a loaf of bread that is superior to the Harvest Loaf’s rock salt baguette. I have doubts it can be done. |
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François - The only place in town you can find an upside down map of the world and see how it feels like to live in Australia. Trevor – Nerd heaven. And I say that as a guy who would spend hours as a kid poring over maps, memorizing rivers, cities, and highways. Saxby – I made fun of the World of Maps (and people excited by it) before going in, but had to admit the selection is nuts and the custom printing of topographic maps would be great for determining smuggling routes. In the era of Google Maps, World of Maps is a throw back to a simpler time.
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Ottawa Bagel Shop and Deli François – I think everyone loved this place; from its Jewish folk band that plays on Sundays (see photo above) to its fancy cheeses, meats, and assortment of teas, it’s a great place to go to. Saxby – Don’t buy bagels at the grocery store. They are gross and pastey. Montreal-style bagels are the only way to go, so buy from here or Kettleman’s. |
My favourite is Hinos. For someone who loves Japanese but can’t stand sushi, this place is perfect.
The staff are super nice, the place is cozy and the food is always served hot, full of flavour and fresh.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about it before, but every time I’ve been there, everything has been stellar.
Hi There,
Thanks for writing up our neighborhood; but I have to play pedant and tell you that unfortunately you spent most of your time outside of Hintonburg, in the neighbouring Wellington West (or “Wellington West Village”, as some prefer).
From http://hintonburg.com/history.html
Hintonburg became part of the City of Ottawa in 1907. Its current boundaries encompass Scott Street on the north, the O-Train line to the east, the Queensway on the south (Highway 417) and Holland Avenue to the west.
Wellington West then covers the area to the west of Holland Ave to Island Park, where the vast majority of the businesses you visited are located.
cheers,
James
Good review. Only problem? Mosty of those businesses are in wellington West Village. West of Holland and east of Island Park is Wellington West Village.
If you want a great Hintonburg institution, try the Carlton. It’s a dive, byut it has quart bottles, and is still divided into two sections from the days when one side was for men, and the other for “Ladies and Escorts”. History, right there.
Thanks for the comments guys! So, should we rename our post to Wellington West Village? I wonder what our resident Hintonburgers would say about it all…
I love the Carleton, but since it was an afternoon we ended up at the Elmdale, next time though. Love the little history bit Erinn!
Yes, I have to agree with the others – much of what you covered are businesses in what is now known as Wellington Village or West Wellington (depending on who you talk to).
Although the historic boundaries of Hintonburg do extend as far as Western Ave, the community association’s boundaries extend as far as Holland, and then the West Wellington Community Association represents the area west of Holland. the new Wellington West Business Improvement Area covers the entire mainstreet, and many of us who live in Hintonburg/West Wellington/Wellington Village do consider both sides of the mainstreet our ‘hood. Although the two areas are quite distinct in character (Hintonburg’s demographics, for example, are quite different than West Wellington’s), the mainstreet is what unites us. That and we hate being mistaken for Westboro.
If you wanted to be really “correct”, I suppose, you could title your post Wellington St West or perhaps Hintonburg/West Wellington.
Folks who want to learn more about the ‘hood are welcome to visit my blog any time
You did a good job at capturing some of the great spots on the West Wellington side. Highlights on the Hintonburg side of the mainstreet, for me, would be: Coffee and bikes at Cyclelogik, Chilean food at Vina del Mar, the Cube Gallery in the Parkdale Market (check out their Earth Day event with the Ottawa Riverkeeper – Wednesday night!), fun and funky gifts at Heaven’s to Betsy and FabGear 64, Pho at the Spring Roll House, Ethiopian food at Habesha and the steak at Hinos. And of course, the Elmdale, which not only serves up local brew Beau’s Lug Tread on tap along with the quarts but has become one of the best places in the city to see live music. Also watch for productions by the Ottawa Chamber Theatre at either the Elmdale or the Carleton. They are always fabulous.
Nice! Thanks Miss Vicky for all the info and discoveries (to me at least) for next time.
I think the spot I was most impressed by was Mostly Danish Furniture – there’s amazing stuff there. I’d love to try the Chilean food at Vina del Mar!
Loved the post… I live in this neighbourhood and wish more people would come and discover our little “village”.
Just one correction… while we (the owner of Elgin Street Diner is my husband) used to be a part owner of The Wellington Diner, that is no longer the case. We still enjoy the benefits of having such a great restaurant in our neighbourhood, but just as customers.
P.S. John’s is always closed on Sundays… perhaps that was the day of your adventure.
Great concept and execution, I look forward to more of these.
I used to wonder what the heck Kitchissipi was as I’ve lived in it in various parts for a long time. It comes from the Ojibway word for the Ottawa River and consists of the neighbourhoods of Westboro, West Wellington, Hintonburg, Hampton Park, Island Park, McKellar Park, Civic Hospital, Highland Park, and Carlingwood.
Good writeup! I’m one of the guys in the picture at the top, and I’d just like to mention that we play on Sundays at the bagelshop, not Saturdays. 2-4.
thanks,
DC
Thanks Dan! I’ll make sure to change it now.
Hey, what about Wabi-Sabi? Lotta cool crafty classes there, and actually in Hintonburg
Phooey. The original boundaries of Hintonburg go right to Island Park. “Wellington Village” was a name made up by real estate agents who found it difficult to sell houses in “Hintonburg” because it had a reputation for being a run-down slum.