Northwest, Simcoe Neighbourhood Guide

Northwest Neighbourhood Overview

The Northwest neighbourhood in the Simcoe area of Ontario is a lively and desirable place to live. Apart from a peaceful living environment, the place offers everything from serene beaches to adventurous hiking trails, skiing, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, and much more. The NorthWest neighbourhood is a part of one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, nestled between Toronto and Muskoka in Simcoe, Ontario. It is perfectly positioned for both fast-paced city living, being close to all popular amenities yet a very short distance to several adventures and exciting winter activities throughout Barrie and Simcoe County. The best part about the Northwest neighbourhood is that it offers affordable housing, a range of activities, and high-quality education and healthcare facilities. Additionally, it has beautifully landscaped parks and a vibrant, culturally-rich life that includes performing arts, interesting festivals, and music concerts.

Liveability & Lifestyle of NorthWest Simcoe

The livability score in NorthWest Simcoe depends on multiple factors, such as the overall cost of living, employment, crime rate, cost, and so on.

Liveability	85
Amenities	B+
Cost of Living	A-
Employment	C
Housing	A+
Schools	B-
Crime Rate	40% decrease in the police-reported crime rates from 2006 to 2018

The crime rate in NorthWest lower than the national average. To further depict the area's safety culture, here is a tabular representation of the same.

Index	NorthWest/ 100,000 people (approx)	Ontario/ 100,000 people (approx)	National/ 100,000 people (approx)
Total Crime	NA	3068	4,223
Violent Crime	NA	792	1,042
Property Crime	NA	2,294	3,181

People & Culture of Northwest

The culture of any place is largely defined by the sum total of the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of its people. For Northwest, Simcoe particularly, culture is primarily a celebration of its people's experience, creativity, heritage, and imagination. The neighbourhood reflects its culture in various forms, such as media, crafts, arts, heritage, urban design, business, and much more

Index	Northwest, Simcoe
Median household income	20,000-29000 CAD
Average unemployment rate	5.7% as of November 2022
Average In labour force	65.5

The top 5 non-official languages spoken in the Northwest neighbourhood in Simcoe include Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian and Polish.

Languages Spoken	Northwest, Simcoe
Spanish	9%
Russian	8%,
Italian	7%,
Portuguese	9%
Polish	7%

Northwest Neighbourhood Nearby

Northwest is a small yet peaceful place where you can spend an idyllic time with close-knit neighbourhoods, the best schools, restaurants, cafes, healthcare centres, shopping complexes, and more. You can also appreciate the sense of community the place offers. Let's explore some of the best amenities available in and around the place.

Schools

In the Northwest neighbourhood of the Simcoe area, most children attend the public schooling system, which is paid for through taxes. Following the Ontario public school system, children in Grades 1-8 attend elementary school, whereas students in Grades 9-12 attend secondary school. The top schools in the Northwest neighbourhood are listed below:

Simcoe Composite School
Hyde Park Public School in Barrie
Hewitt's Creek Public School
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
St. James Catholic School in Tottenham
Holy Trinity Catholic High School

Restaurants/Cafes

One of the other benefits of living in Northwest Simcoe is a range of restaurants and cafes to enjoy a variety of local and international cuisines. Plus, most of these meal joints are just a short drive away. The top restaurants and cafes in the Northwest neighbourhood include the ones listed below:

Barrel Pizza & Spaghetti House Restaurant
The Blue Elephant Inc.
The Shire Restaurant and Brew Pub
Kaleys
The Combine Restaurant

Shopping Malls And Centers

The Northwest neighbourhood in Simcoe has several shopping malls and centres to offer a great shopping experience for the people in the area. The best part is that all these malls and shopping centres are very close to the neighbourhood, making it quite convenient. The top shopping malls and centres in and around the Northwest neighbourhood include the ones listed below:

Georgian Mall
Fairgrounds Shopping Centre
Upper Canada Mall
CF Markville
Bayfield Mall
SmartCentres Stouffville
Lindsay Square Mall

Healthcare Centers

In Northwest, you can find good healthcare facilities and a range of medical treatments at the clinics nearby, including the ones offered by family doctors, paediatricians, dentists, obstetricians/gynaecologists, mental health specialists, pharmacists, and others. The best part is that they are quite accessible and affordable. The top healthcare centres in the Northwest neighbourhood include the ones listed below:

Hospital Norfolk General
Community Care Access Centre Haldimand-Norfolk
Aberdeen Health & Community Services
Grand River Community Health Centre
Gamma-Dynacare Medical Laboratories
Joseph Brant Hospital

Top Attractions & Places to Visit in Northwest

The NorthWest neighbourhood in Simcoe is the perfect gateway to a peaceful yet fun living. The place is close to beautiful Wasaga Beach and Collingwood and conveniently accessible from the GTA. It offers you the unique rustic charm and community feel of a small area with all the modern amenities of a city, thus catering to your need to maintain an active city lifestyle. Among the top places to visit in the neighbourhood include Wellington Park, Charlotteville Brewing Company, Norfolk Arts Centre, Hay Creek Conservation Area, Norfolk County Tourism and Simcoe Little Theatre.

Hay Creek Conservation Area

The trail loops through wooded areas and past Hay Creek Reservoir, giving visitors a chance to observe birds and plants. There are signs describing some of the trees. Through a footbridge, hikers can enter the conservation area beside Hay Creek Reservoir.

Charlotteville Brewing Company

A family farm in Norfolk County is home to this estate brewery which is located on an estate farm. The restaurant offers a variety of fermented libations as well as a selection of organic seasonal fare that will satisfy any thirst and whet the appetites of even the most picky diners.

Things To Do in Northwest

Whether you're looking to enjoy some quiet family time or wish to have outdoor adventures with your near and dear ones, the Northwest neighbourhood offers a range of interesting activities to do. We have listed some of the things you can do here!

Visit Barrie Centennial Park

This is one of the top attractions of the Northwest neighbourhood that you cannot afford to miss. The park boasts a huge green space overlooking the gorgeous Kempenfelt Bay that includes a very big and spacious sandy beach, a children's playground, and a long wooden boardwalk with several play structures to enjoy.

Explore Winter Adventures

Northwest in the Simcoe area offers you a perfect winter fun adventure land to enjoy. You can either go skiing, snowboarding, and tubing or venture out to enjoy the fascinating snowshoe trails throughout the winter months.

Discover Downtown Areas

From tucking into some delicious food and beer to exploring the quaint little shops selling vintage items, Northwest's downtown areas offer a range of things to explore as a family. Some of the best places you can visit in downtown areas include Norfolk County Archives at Eva Brook Donly Museum, War Memorial Carillon Tower, Wellington Park, Norfolk County Tourism and Strand Theatre.

Distance & Commute from Popular Locations

Distance & Commute - Time from popular locations with transit

The distance between Northwest Simcoe and Brampton is approx 15 km and takes a 45 min walk to reach.
Popular bus stations are close to Northwest Simcoe, within a 1-3 km range, and it takes a few minutes of walking to reach there. For instance, Main St. at Gillingham Dr station is a 4 min walk, Bovaird Dr at Main St is a 9 min walk, Bovaird Dr at Sunforest is a 4 min walk, and Bovaird Dr at Main St is an 8-9 min walk.

The average travel time from Shoppers World Brampton, Brampton, to Northwest Simcoe is 32 minutes, whereas, from Toronto Pearson International Airport, it is approximately 81 minutes.

Popular Markets in Northwest

Northwest, Simcoe is quite a popular attraction among the locals as well as tourists visiting the place with multiple options for shopping in the neighbourhood. Some of the most popular ones are-

Simcoe's Farmer's Market

Simcoe's famous farmers' market allows you to relish the best fresh produce, organic veggies, other food products, and an assortment of handmade craft items from the region. Some of the other popular farmer's markets that you can visit near the NorthWest neighbourhood are- Barrie's farmer market: The market in Barrie runs outdoors almost all year round (Outdoors-May to October and Indoors- November and April). They market everything from fresh eatables to craft pieces. Collingwood farmers market: This is another popular downtown market that runs every Saturday. The place offers over 70 vendor stalls and a variety of special events featuring live music, kids' activities, and so forth. Orillia farmers market: The Orillia farmers' market is yet another popular place in the neighbourhood and is one of the longest-running markets with roots traced to 1842. You can find everything here, from a range of organic produce to baked delicacies, meats, and handmade crafts.

Capitol Arts Market

It is a nice place to visit if you are specifically interested in handcrafted gift items worth remembering for a lifetime. The area holds an exciting range of displays to pick from. Other good places to shop in and around Northwest Simcoe are-

Shoes! Factory Outlet
Norfolk Wine & Brew
King's Flower & Garden

Northwest Demographics

The people of the Northwest neighbourhood are friendly and welcoming. The place allows people to enjoy a very relaxed and culturally-rich lifestyle with some of the best picturesque views.

Statistics	NorthWest
Area Code	519
Total Population	NA
Population density (sq km)	NA
Median age	NA
Male/Female ratio	NA
Married couples	NA
Families w/ kids at home	NA

Things to Do in the Northwest with Kids & Pets

The Northwest neighbourhood is quite a friendly place to live with kids and pets. While most of the parks here are pet-friendly, few of them offer special features such as dedicated exercise areas and off-leash swimming to make the place more fun for your pets. There are several dog parks near Northwest Simcoe. Some of them include Leash Dog Park, K9 Fun Zone, Corporal Nathan Cirillo Leash Free Area, Cathedral Dog Park, Birch Avenue Dog Park and Pet Centered. If you are looking for kid-friendly spaces in the Northwest neighbourhood to have some family fun, you can visit the Elmvale Jungle Zoo, Copland Park Playground, Jack's Urban Jungle, Smart Moves Play Place and X Play.

Average Cost of Living in Northwest

The cost of living index is created using a national average of 100, where a score of 90 suggests a cost of living that is 10% below the national average. In contrast, a score of 110 would indicate a cost of living that is 10% over the national average. Since not much information is available on the cost of living in this neighbourhood, we have made estimations based on nearby cities. Some of the noteworthy discoveries are as below- The cost of living in Northwest Simcoe, ON, Canada, is $1,435, and it is quite affordable against the national average monthly salary of $2,650.

Index	NorthWest
Cost of Living	$1,435
Goods & Services	148
Groceries	15
Health care	-
Housing	1000
Transportation	15
Utilities	148

Real Estate Housing Market of Northwest

The real estate housing market of NorthWest is constantly evolving, with new players entering the market. Data suggests that more than 9,082 homes were sold in and around the Northwest neighbourhood in Simcoe County over the last 1 year, with the average home price of above $1 million. Further, property sales and rental prices keep on fluctuating over time and depending on the market condition. Estimates also suggest that buying in Northwest Simcoe County now comes at a similar price as single-family homes in bigger places such as the Greater Toronto Area. As per Barrie & District Association of Realtors (BDAR), the Northwest in Simcoe region might see a trend of only townhomes and condos shortly unless the market changes drastically.