Burlington is a vibrant community that overlooks Lake Ontario from the Niagara Escarpment.
Burlington sits between Oakville and Hamilton. The city is a community that has a lot to offer prospective home buyers. Its location is perfect for people who want to commute into larger communities such as Toronto and Hamilton which are easily accessed from Burlington. At the same time, this city offers plenty of opportunities to find work.
The city is in a particularly pretty spot in the GTA. Burlington has a beautiful, accessible waterfront. Hikers will also love the proximity of the Niagara Escarpment.
To learn more about real estate in Burlington, contact us. At Frank Leo & Associates, we have extensive experience in dealing in GTA real estate. Whether you are a first time home buyer or an experienced investor, our professional attention will be an invaluable asset in your real estate deal.
The History of Burlington
People have inhabited the surrounding area for centuries. Prior to the establishment of Canada, indigenous groups called the area home. Later, Europeans arrived in the area and built homesteads and small hamlets.
It wasn’t until 1792 that John Graves Simcoe named the area. Simcoe was the first Lieutenant Governor of Canada. He named the western headlands of Lake Ontario around Hamilton Bay, Burlington Bay. Simcoe borrowed the name from a town in England, Bridlington in Yorkshire.
The first structure that settlers built at Burlington Heights was an inn, called the King’s Head Inn. During the War of 1812, the inn was the sight of a battle between the Americans and the British. Historians consider the British victory at Burlington Heights as a turning point in the war.
Water-borne commerce was the base of the region’s economy in the 19th century. Merchants shipped goods like wheat, quarried ores, and lumber out of the area.
The Turn of the Century in Burlington
At the turn of the 20th century, Burlington was a busy town. There were around 1,400 people living in Burlington.
Burlington was officially designated a town in 1914.
The town had far expanded beyond the single inn to include many elements of a modern city. These included schools, newspapers, libraries, a flour mill, and other industries. There were facilities devoted to ice harvesting, basket making, as well as canneries in the town.
Rail lines linked Burlington to Hamilton and Milton.
In the later half of the 19th century, the backbone of the local economy shifted from shipping to agriculture. The land that surrounded the town was occupied by mixed farms and farms focusing on cash crops like fruits and vegetables.
The rise in importance of agriculture caused people to give Burlington the nickname “The Garden City” of southern Ontario.
If you want to learn more about buying or selling property in this city, get in touch with us. With our expert knowledge of GTA real estate, we can ensure that you will get the optimal price or find the perfect house for you and your family.
Suburban Development in Burlington
In the middle of the 20th century, the government of Ontario undertook a couple of major infrastructure projects. In 1938, the government expanded the QEW. Then, in 1958, they built the Burlington Skyway Bridge. The Skyway spans the Burlington Canal. It provides a direct road link between the city and Hamilton.
In 1958, the towns of Burlington, Nelson Township, and Aldershot were amalgamated into one municipality.
A major construction boom began after the establishment of the new municipality.
With the expansion of the QEW, builders replaced the cash crop farms in the area with new suburban neighbourhoods. The Burlington Mall took the place of the final farm of this city.
The population increase caused the economy of the city to diversify. Now Burlington’s economic base includes manufacturing, service industries, among other businesses.
Overview
Burlington prides itself as one of the best places for families to live in Canada. Burlington is an attractive place to live for many reasons. It offers residents the option of either commuting to a neighbouring community, or work within its limits.
The city is full of large residential developments. These neighbourhoods are within a 10-minute drive of one of the major highways that pass through the city. The neighbourhoods located to the south of the QEW are minutes away from the shore of Lake Ontario. Neighbourhoods north of the highway have easy access to the rural areas to the north of the city.
Burlington also features ample commercial and industrial developments along the highways.
More than 183,000 people call Burlington home. Like any modern Canadian metropolis, Burlington’s population is very multi-cultural. There are large populations of people from South Asia, China, and the Philippines in the city.
Real Estate in Burlington
Burlington is a great place for first-time homebuyers to enter into the GTA real estate market.
The real estate market in Burlington is diverse. The single detached home is the most popular type of dwelling in the city. At the same time, there are also many row houses and apartment style homes available.
Developers built most of Burlington’s homes during the construction boom in the 1960s. But developers have not stopped building houses. Since the turn of the millennium, builders have constructed more than 25,000 homes in Burlington.
These homes are spacious, with most of them having more than 3 bedrooms.
To learn more about Burlington’s real estate market, contact one of our representatives or check our up to date listings of properties in the area.
Shopping
Burlington boasts a wide range of shopping venues. Shoppers can enjoy the boutique experience of shopping in Burlington’s beautiful downtown core. Alternatively, the many big-box shopping centres in the city are a convenient choice.
Like most suburban communities, indoor shopping centres, big box outdoor shopping centres, and strip malls are plentiful in the city.
One of the largest outdoor shopping centres is SmartCentres Burlington. It’s located at the intersection of Dundas St. and Appleby Line. The shopping centre features some of the best big box shopping in the city.
At the corner of Fairview Street and Guelph Line, shoppers can visit the Burlington Centre. This indoor shopping centre is home to more than 130 stores.
Another large indoor shopping centre in the city is the Mapleview Centre. Situated at the corner of Fairview Street and Maple Avenue, near the QEW the mall has 180 vendors.
Finally, if you are looking for something beyond big box stores and the mall, downtown Burlington offers an alternative. Shoppers can stroll through the downtown shopping district. It is full of local business offering an array of boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops.
Recreation
Burlington is an exciting place to spend recreation time. The city offers many facilities for its residents to enjoy.
PARKS
Burlington offers many opportunities for fun outdoors. With many parks, trails, and bikeways, there’s something for everyone.
Whether you want to spend time in the serene wilderness or prefer to spend time on the beautiful waterfront, there is a green space for you in the city.
Aside from the parks that the city runs, The Royal Botanical Gardens are another interesting place to visit. UNESCO recognizes the botanical garden as a world biosphere reserve. Visitors can tour 300 acres of cultivated gardens and arboretums.
RECREATION CENTRES
Residents of Burlington have a large selection of recreation options to choose from.
The city provides many programs for all ages. The city runs these programs out of the various facilities that it maintains. These include both outdoor facilities, like sports fields and parks, and indoor facilities such as gymnasiums, fitness centres, and pools.
There are three main recreation centres in the area. They are the Harber Recreation Centre, Burlington Seniors’ Centre, and the Mountainside Recreation Centre.
Schools
Families and Burlington have a great deal of choice when it comes to sending their children to school.
There are four school boards that operate schools in the city.
Public schools in Burlington are administered by the Halton District School Board. There are 36 schools that are part of this board in the city.
The Halton Catholic District School Board provides 17 schools in the city.
There are 2 French language school boards in this city. Public French schools are part of Conseil Scolaire Viamonde. Meanwhile, Catholic French schools are part of Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir.
Transportation
Getting around the area is a straightforward affair. The city is very well appointed with excellent transit infrastructure.
Whether you want to commute in your own car, or if you rather leave your car at home, there are ample choices available to you in Burlington.
TRAVELLING BY CAR
The most important roadways in Burlington are the three 400 series highways that run through the city.
The first of these roadways is the 407 Express Toll Route. This toll highway starts in Burlington at the junction of the QEW and the 403. The 407 connects the city to the suburban communities in the north of the GTA, ending in Clarington, near Peterborough.
Highway 403 is another important roadway in the city. It travels through the region, heading to the southwest. It connects the city to Woodstock via Hamilton and Brantford. The 403 is the main route between Toronto and Burlington.
The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) branches off of the 403 in Burlington. The QEW travels to the southeast, connecting the city to Niagara Falls, via Hamilton and St. Catharines.
Local streets that are important include Lakeshore Road (King’s Highway 2) and Dundas Street (King’s Highway 5).
PUBLIC TRANSIT
Bus service in the city is provided by Burlington Transit. Burlington Transit bus lines connect to Oakville Transit, Hamilton Street Rail, and GO Transit.
The GO Transit provides services to this city at three stations: Appleby GO Station, Burlington GO Station, and Aldershot GO Station. GO trains on the GO Lakeshore West line stop at these stations.
GO Transit trains provide one of the quickest links for commuters between Burlington and Toronto, via Oakville and Mississauga. Intercity train service is provided by VIA Rail at Aldershot GO Station.
Have Questions About Real Estate in Burlington?
If you are interested in investing in or selling real estate in the Burlington area, get in touch with us!
Give us a call at 416-917-5466, or reach out to us through our website. Alternatively, you can use our property listing search tool to browse GTA home listings.
*featured image adapted under creative commons.