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Central Frederick Area in Kitchener
Good day, good reader, and welcome to the WRX Property Group’s ongoing series on the neighbourhoods of Kitchener-Waterloo. Today we’ll be looking in the same general area that we looked yesterday: downtown Kitchener. This bustling urban centre is subdivided into several different neighbourhoods, with King Street serving as a sort of centre – the beaming sun around which the ‘planetary’ neighbourhoods orbit.
Today the neighbourhood we’ll be discussing is: Central Frederick (an aptly named neighbourhood, as Frederick Street really runs right through its centre). Let’s proceed!
The boundaries of Central Frederick are made up approximately by Victoria Street in the north, Conestoga Parkway along the east, Krug Street in the south, and Lancaster along the west (though the lower part of the neighbourhood juts out slightly to the intersection of Frederick and Weber).
Many of the houses here are simply stunning, and almost all of them are unique. Something else they have, generally, is large and prominent porches. After all, if you’re going to host annual Porch Parties (an event that features local artists and bands performing intimate sets on porches throughout Central Frederick) – you’d better have some nice porches!
And they do, so they do (doo doo doo doo doo [that’s a sample of the music you might hear if you attend one of the magical, musical Hohner Avenue Porch Parties]).
History
Like many of downtown Kitchener’s neighbourhoods, Central Frederick has an interesting history. It’s almost always been a primarily residential area, but back in the late 1800s, it was actually on the periphery of the city, close to open fields and farmland.
Discovering the important figures in the neighbourhood’s development is as easy as taking a stroll through its streets and reading the street signs; many are named after people who lived here.
Activities
Central Frederick has a well-earned reputation as one of Kitchener-Waterloo’s most active neighbourhoods. While many singles and people without children live here (and a large number of young adults), Central Frederick is becoming increasingly popular amongst families with young children.
And the great thing about this neighbourhood is that its activities cater to young and not-so-young alike. Kitchener-Waterloo has Neighbourhood Associations in many of its neighbourhoods, which organize events and foster a sense of community.
The Central Frederick Neighbourhood Association (CFNA) is particularly passionate; they host great events, and it’s clear that its members care very deeply about their community. From Skillshares to neighbourhood-wide soccer matches and garage sales, the CFNA ensures life here is filled with fun.
They also support local businesses – downtown Kitchener is indeed a great place for entrepreneurs – and run an excellent, informative website (check it out here).
Location
By the northeast corner of Central Frederick is Weber Park, a precious green area with playground equipment, a baseball diamond, and even a community garden (Mansion Greens Community Garden). I’ll say it again: the community spirit is strong in Central Frederick (and legend has it the oregano grown in the garden is strong, too).
Just south of the park is a shopping area, which includes a Dollarama, Valu-Mart (one stop shop for groceries), bowling alley, movie theatre, medical centre, a few restaurants, and several more options. It covers the basics, but of course, being so close to downtown means Central Frederick residents can easily take advantage of the plethora of shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, and services downtown Kitchener has to offer – truly, too many to name.
To provide but two examples of nearby attractions: 1) the Tannery, a trendy new restaurant in an old, repurposed tannery that’s also home to Google’s Kitchener-Waterloo headquarters; and 2) Speaker’s Corner, at the intersection of King and Frederick, where people are invited to pontificate, debate, and in certain circumstances, celebrate (essentially, it’s a corner where people speak [but you probably guessed that by the name]).
There’s a lot to see and do in downtown Kitchener.
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Transportation
This one’s pretty obvious, but Central Frederick residents have great access to the Conestoga Parkway – after all, it serves as the neighbourhood’s eastern boundary. Residents can access the on- and off-ramps on Victoria Street, and either head north along Highway 85 (which leads to Waterloo, St.
Jacobs, and beyond), or south along Highway 7 (which leads to Highway 8, and from here, other parts of Kitchener, Hamilton, Stratford, and more). They can also quickly connect to the 401, one of Southern Ontario’s most important highways.
In terms of public transit, several bus routes run right by Central Frederick, including the #20 along Frederick, #1 along Krug, and the iXpress 200 along Weber. The extensive Charles Street Terminal is quite close, too, and from here residents can get just about anywhere within Kitchener-Waterloo, as well as access Mega Bus, GO, and Greyhound services.
Excitingly, the neighbourhood will have extremely close access to an LRT stop once the system is up and running (some time in 2018): Frederick Station. Life in Central Frederick is great, but for those times you have to leave – whether it be for work, family, or something else – you will be able to with minimal hassle.
Education
Just to reiterate, not every neighbourhood in Kitchener-Waterloo has a school (or schools) within its boundaries. But Central Frederick does (Suddaby Public School), and it has several others nearby. Students in the public school board (WRDSB) will attend Suddaby from Kindergarten to Grade Six (they can take French Immersion here starting in Grade 1), and afterwards they will attend Margaret Avenue Public School, just northwest of Victoria and Lancaster.
Brief pause for a Heritage Moment: Suddaby Public School [known as Central School when it opened in 1857] had the first kindergarten program in all of Ontario! Back to the present: for high school, public students in Central Frederick will attend Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, which is just on the opposite side of downtown Kitchener, a few minutes southwest.
You can learn more about Cameron Heights on its WRX article here. Students in the Catholic board (WCDSB) will attend St. Anne Catholic School, just one block south of Krug Street in Central Frederick.
St. Anne serves students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, and it offers both French Immersion and Extended Day Care. For high school, Catholic students in Central Frederick will attend St. Mary’s Secondary School (articles on the WCDSB schools are forthcoming).
Busing is available for Central Frederick students travelling to St. Mary’s.
Conclusion
Do you love an active, engaged community? Do you enjoy the vibrant sights and sounds of downtown Kitchener? Well, Central Frederick just may be the perfect neighbourhood for you. Prices here can vary, from the mid $200 000s to over $800 000, and homes include high- and low-rises, single detached and semi-detached, and a few others.
If you’d like to know more, please contact us – we’re always willing to answer whatever questions you may have.
Written by Will Kummer