Halifax Regional Municipality,or what is commonly called Halifax, consists of several municipalities that were merged to form one larger municipality. It consists of the former City of Halifax, former City of Dartmouth, former town of Bedford, and the former County of Halifax which includes such areas as Sackville, Cole Harbour, Timberlea, Hammonds Plains and much more. Where it gets a little confusing is when people refer to Halifax they are often referring to the former City of Halifax when now it refers to a much bigger municipal entity.
What I will refer to here is what would be the former City of Halifax and some of the features of buying a home in this area.
Halifax is described in several different areas in terms of real estate. There is the South End, West End, North End, Fairview, Clayton Park, Rockingham and downtown. Each area offers something different. South end Halifax is the area closest to the Universities, hospitals and downtown. This is the area south of Quinpool Road, a major street in Halifax. This area is very much sought after and as a result prices are higher here than almost all other areas in Halifax. (See House prices) In this area you will find gorgeous older homes, 40 years plus, with tremendous character. Styles range from very large Victorian houses to smaller townhouses. This area also has a number of houses which have been converted to two and three unit rental properties. With the Universities so close renting in this area is not difficult. Finding a house to buy in this area can be a bit of a challenge. The market is usually very strong in this area and listing can be scarce at times.
The West End is the area north of Quinpool Road. This area is also very sought after because of it's close proximity to downtown. Prices are lower in this area than the South End and more medium sized houses are available here. The style of house here is also of an older vintage 40 years plus,with several different styles being available.
The North end of Halifax is less popular than other areas of the city and because of this have lower prices. This area has a mixture of good and not so good areas. There are definitely good areas to buy in but there are also those you should stay away from. Once again the houses here are generally older houses with character although there are some newer houses throughout the area.
Fairview is located on the western edge of Halifax. The area consists of older medium priced housing. Prices here a cheaper than the West End but higher than the north end, in general.
Clayton Park and Rockingham are located on the outer fringe of Halifax between Halifax and the former Town of Bedford. This area is a much newer area with the ages of houses ranging from brand new to 50 years old. If a newer house is more to your liking but you want to be close to the city this is the area you would want to look at.
There are some real advantages living in the former City of Halifax. Convenience is certainly number one. Commuting to the downtown core will take only a few minutes. You will pay for this convenience. You will get a considerably smaller and older home here for the same price you will buy a much newer home in other areas such as Bedford, Dartmouth, Hammonds Plains, Sackville or many other areas of metro. You will also find some of the most beautiful homes found anywhere. Schools are less overcrowded than outside of Halifax and certainly all amenities are at your doorstep.
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