Who are you?

Hello! We are Chris and Agata and we moved here in March 2017 from Mississauga. We were marrying in June 2017 and decided that we wanted to buy a house! Agata was a studio coordinator at a Yoga Studio at the time and Chris worked in Sales.

What brought you to Hamilton?

Chris wanted to buy a house in order to curb the amount that we could spend on the wedding (it didn’t work) but we had been looking for a while and found that a lot of what we could afford – we didn’t like, and what we did like – we couldn’t afford. We decided to look in Hamilton as we heard the prices were still reasonable and we had friends that moved here and were very happy in their homes.

Where do you live and why did you choose the area?

Crown Point East. We found a really great house that we both loved (finally) but what sweetened the deal was that we had friends that lived in the area and they were only about 10/15 minutes away, so it helped that we had friendly faces and wouldn’t be completely alone in a new city.

What resources were helpful for you?

JEANNIE!. There were quite a few houses that came up on our list that we liked and Jeannie told us that she would not let us buy that house due to X,Y, and Z. She definitely looked out for us as we were first time home buyers and did not know Hamilton at all.

What has surprised you the most about Hamilton?

Good: it’s a fairly tight knit community that we live in. Everyone is friendly and there are a lot of amenities in the area. Bad: having previously lived in Oakville, there is more crime than what we’re used to but I wouldn’t say that we don’t feel safe. It’s just taken some adjustment.

Any advice on people considering making the move?

Work closely with Jeannie to understand the area you’re getting yourself into and understand what your community can offer based on where you’re moving

What do you wish you’d known before you moved here?

The sheer number of cars broken into! We just had that happen to us.

What are your favourite things to see and do in the city?

We have a year round farmer’s market close to us that we love going to (especially in the summer). 

There are so many restaurants in Hamilton that we haven’t even scratched the surface of exploring but we do enjoy going to Caro on Ottawa St. or going for breakfast at Breezy Corners on Main St.

We love the events that are put on at Gage Park. It’s always nice to get out and enjoy ourselves at a (free!) concert or try a bunch of new food vendors.

Of all the things happening in Hamilton these days, what are you most excited about?

How much areas are being revitalized. The new community center across from Tim Horton’s Field, new house renovations, and constant projects and events at Gage Park