Living in Waterloo
About the City of Waterloo
Businesses & services
Local attractions
About the City of Waterloo
Choosing a university can also mean choosing a new place to call home, and the City of Waterloo is a great place to live – especially as a student.
Home to 2 universities and a community college, the City of Waterloo is dedicated to education, and many of the businesses and services are geared toward the student population.
City by numbers
- Named by the Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF) the World's Top Intelligent Community of 2007
- City of Waterloo population 120,800
- Region of Waterloo population (Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and the surrounding area) 533,700
- Located 100 km (60 miles) west of Toronto
- Placed in the top 3 for 3 years in a row in the competition for International Awards for Liveable Communities
- 5 main parks, including RIM Park, which occupies 500 acres and is home to a variety of indoor and outdoor sports facilities
Businesses & services
The University Plaza
Conveniently located beside our main campus is the University Plaza – a commercial plaza filled with dozens of stores, most of which are geared toward university students. In the plaza you'll find a variety of restaurants and stores, including
|
|
Uptown Waterloo
UpTown Waterloo is the equivalent of most cities' downtowns; however, since Kitchener-Waterloo is really one big city, residents distinguish between the 2 downtowns by calling one "uptown" (Waterloo) and the other "downtown" (Kitchener).
UpTown Waterloo is full of unique stores and boutiques, and is home to several festivals each year.
- Shopping
- Independently owned shops offer great one-of-a-kind items. Watch for unique clothing, music stores, and speciality stores.
- Restaurants, pubs, and bars
- In a city that's full of students, there are plenty of places to hang out!
- Popular spots include Ethel's, Failte, the Fox & Fiddle, the Heuther Hotel, McMullen's, Phil's, Chainsaw, the Starlight Lounge, Philthy McNasty's, Molly Bloom's, and Titanium Nightclub.
- Many places host live bands or other entertainment.
- Festivals
- Uptown Waterloo is home to several annual festivals, including the Jazz Festival, Busker's Carnival, Comedy Festival, Uptown Country, and more.
- The area is also home to Oktoberfest – North America's largest Bavarian festival.
- Entertainment
- Watch a movie at the Princess Cinemas, see a live play at the Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre, and check out local and national bands at the Starlight.
- Uptown Waterloo is also home to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, which hosts a number of public seminars and events.
Local attractions
There are hundreds of things to see and do in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Here are some options to get you started!
Festivals & events
- Elmira Maple Syrup Festival
- Kitchener Blues Festival
- Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival
- KW Oktoberfest
- Royal Medieval Faire
- UpTown Country
- UpTown Waterloo Jazz Festival
- Waterloo Busker Carnival
- Wonders of Winter
Shopping
- The Shops at Waterloo Town Square
- Conestoga Mall
- Fairview Park Mall
- St. Jacobs Outlet Mall
- Sunrise Shopping Centre
Arts & culture
- Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
- Centre in the Square
- Doon Heritage Village
- Joseph Schneider Haus Museum and Gallery
- Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
- Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
- Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
- Museums and Galleries at the University of Waterloo...
- The Museum
- The Registry Theatre
- Woodside National Historic Site
Parks, Farmer's Markets, and more
