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 100km (60 miles) west of Toronto
- Founded in 1807
- 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 is home to a wide variety of indoor and outdoor sporting facilities
- 3 movie theatres, including The Princess Cinemas – where you can catch mainstream and foreign films – and Cineplex Galaxy Cinemas and Empire Theatres
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, the locals distinguish between the 2 downtown cores by calling one "uptown" (Waterloo) and the other "downtown" (Kitchener).
UpTown Waterloo is currently undergoing a series of exciting developments that are bringing new stores and features to the City's core. The area is full of unique stores and boutiques, and is home to several festivals each year.
UpTown Waterloo highlights
- 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.
- KW 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!
Arts & culture
- Artery Gallery
- Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
- Centre in the Square
- Doon Heritage Crossroads
- 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 Registry Theatre
- Waterloo Regional Children's Museum
- Woodside National Historic Park
Festivals & events
- Elmira Maple Syrup Festival
- Kitchener Blues Festival
- Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival
- KW Oktoberfest
- Quilt and Fibre Art Festival
- Royal Medieval Faire
- UpTown Country
- UpTown Waterloo Jazz Festival
- Waterloo Busker Carnival
- Waterloo County and Area Quilt Festival
- Wonders of Winter
Shopping
- The Shops at Waterloo Town Square
- Conestoga Mall
- Fairview Park Mall
- St. Jacobs Outlet Mall
- Sunrise Shopping Centre
Parks, Farmer's Markets, and more
s