Hedging your bets by travelling down the middle lane is the ideal course of action if you’re looking for the location of your big next chapter. The debate between whether to go for the glamour of a big city or the peace of a small town can truly boggle the mind.
If you’re considering a rural move, Canadian Real Estate Wealth’s previous piece entitled may be just what the doctor ordered.
The search for a new home can often lead the weary traveller to a medium-sized city. In this aspect, moving to Brantford is a savvy choice.
Brantford, Statistically Speaking
Brantford and the surrounding area have a recorded population of 155,683 according to a 2021 census. This means that it’s delicately and well-balanced between big-city amenities and small-town charm and hospitality.
In an exploration of its geography, Southwest Ontario’s Brantford is situated on the breathtaking Grand River shoreline. Its location has garnered Brantford some extra attention, which has encouraged the development of rich neighbourhoods within the city limits.
Name Dropping The Greats
In terms of boast worthiness, Brantford allows for some serious name-dropping of Canadian heritage heavyweights.
Brantford has earned the moniker of Telephone City after the city’s famous resident, Alexander Graham Bell.
Bell invented the first telephone at his family’s homestead, Melville House. Melville House, which has gone through a rebranding, is referred to now as the Bell Homestead. It is located south of the city in Tutela Heights. Brantford is also known as the birthplace and hometown hockey legend of Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky is known as “the great one” and is often touted amongst the greatest athletes of all time, along with the likes of Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan.
Ready For Your Close-up?
While you’re travelling to or from some of the delectable local eateries such as Good Friends Sandwich Company or Temptation Kitchen, you might just get to take in some filming. Brantford is an oft-used film location that doubles for small-town America and is home to lots of Canadian-made works, as well.
The reason that it’s such a popular filming location is the same reason that it’s also a popular place to live; it’s a picturesque community with lots of amenities, warm vibes and great folks.
Brantford has incredible connectivity with the major centres of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) due to its proximity.
Bedroom Community: Easy Come and Go
It is strategically located and consequently considered a bedroom community by some. The residents, visitors and entrepreneurs can easily access the neighbouring towns and cities by using Highway 403.
…But Not A Sleepy Community
Brantford is one of the liveliest cities in Canada because of the comprehensive social and cultural experiences enjoyed by its citizens.
After three years of COVID-19, lockdowns and what has felt like a very long Canadian winter, you may be looking to throw open the shutters, pound the pavement and take in a bit of culture.
Your family will have the chance to take part in the Brantford International Villages Festival, Brantford International Jazz Festival, Brantford Kinsmen Ribfest, as well as a number of other yearly festivals, once you relocate to Brantford.
If you or someone you love is a history aficionado and/or a foodie, circle Brantford in red on your road trip map and come to check it out!
It has historical sites, galleries, and museums that will make city exploration a walk in the park, be it Mohawk Park, Victoria Park or the breathtaking D’Aubigny Creek Park.
Local Expert Tip: Because it has some of Canada’s best cuisine to offer, Brantford is also a well-kept culinary secret.
Speaking of local experts, we reached out toAdam DeGroote, Real Estate Broker and local community leader and asked what makes Brantford a fantastic place for a new beginning. Here’s what he had to say,
“Brantford is such a wonderful city as we are growing quite rapidly but still have that small city charm. All of the locals still know all of the hot spots to go and hip places to be, while there are new hot spots popping up every month it seems! We have great restaurants, a growing cultural scene, world-class artists and athletes, and some of the friendliest and most down-to-earth people on the planet. I would put Brantford up against any medium-sized city in the country for its greatest cultural/investment/liveability bang for the buck.
With a median sale price of just over $600,000 so far in 2023, this bedroom community is also an affordable one.
Brantford Is Bringing It For Business, Too
Turning our lenses to commercial real estate, Brantford has been named one of the best places to invest in Canada in 2023. Moving to Brantford Ontario will be a good real estate investment. It is a part of the Golden Horseshoe, which is one of the most industrialized and densely populated regions in Canada. If you are considering an agricultural move, our previous piece entitled may be right up your alley!
Brantford is also providing search support not often seen in other communities: an industrial and commercial Site Search tool.
Start your search for available lands and buildings in Brantford with the city’s site selection app. This incredibly useful tool is intended to facilitate the selection process and provide comparative data to support business owners’ decisions related to relocation and cost analysis.
Local government is committed to helping new and expanding businesses invest, grow, and prosper in Brantford.
We turn once again to REALTOR ® Adam DeGrootefor his opinion on whether Brantford is a good fit for commercial businesses looking to move, as well, Here are DeGroote’s thoughts on the matter,
As for commercial land and opportunities, Brantford is second to none for available opportunities. We have so much available land in and around the city and have drawn major global companies to the area because of this availability of developable land, relatively low cost of real estate, proximity to highways and the U.S., and friendly business environment. The business and industrial world has increasingly embraced Brantford and the surrounding area and we are able to help these industries grow and expand while helping our local economy. It is a win-win for everyone involved.
Brantford’s Start-up Supports
There is a difference between wanting to do something and being able to make a living at doing something. If you’re considering starting a business, it turns out that Brantford is also a fabulous place to do that, as well. The City of Brantford offers plenty of support.
If you’re thinking about starting a new business, the best place to start is with a free one-on-one consultation with the Brantford-Brant Business Resource Centre (BRC). Visit here for more information:
The Branford Chamber of Commerce is also a league of support for small businesses in the area with guest speakers, business acumen and monthly business after-hours networking events; there are so many opportunities for the entrepreneur in Brantford.
In Conclusion,
When it comes to Brantford, whether you’re a family, business or investor considering a move—according to the great quote attributed to everyone from Charles Kettering to Tony Robins to Shonda Rhimes–“the only limitation is your imagination”.
Heather McDowell is a mother and a REALTOR®. Heather has spent most of her real estate career selling residential real estate, and its leasing and has dealt with the additional complexities of the cottage, timeshare and rural properties, and condominiums. She has dabbled in new construction and is expanding her portfolio to include commercial sales and leasing. Heather is also a dedicated volunteer for both the local women’s shelter and a national hospice organization and is an emerging playwright.
Heather describes her focus as diversifying real estate content that not only addresses national matters but explores those issues unique to each province and territory.
You can contact Heather at heather@crewmedia.ca or find her on socials at:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thestoreytellingcompany/
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/heather-mcdowell-98134118b
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/hmcdowellrealty/