Townhouses For Sale in Ashburnham Ward 4, Peterborough

East City has its own main street

East City feels like a small town attached to a bigger one. It has its own commercial strip along Hunter Street East, with cafes and local shops, and the Hunter Street bridge puts downtown a short walk or bike ride away. Residents tend to identify as East City rather than Peterborough, and the area has an older, settled character.

Townhouses here are mostly in condominium complexes rather than on the historic streets themselves. Many are two-storey family units, with some bungalow-style designs, set around private roads and shared green space.

The older residential streets around the complexes are lined with early twentieth-century houses on generous lots, which gives East City condo owners a pleasant neighbourhood to walk in even if their own complex is newer.

The Lift Lock, Armour Hill and the canal

The Peterborough Lift Lock, opened in 1904 with a twenty-metre rise, is the landmark of East City, and the Trent Canal runs along the eastern edge of the city. The canal banks and the park around the lock are popular for walking and cycling.

Armour Hill, a drumlin rising in the east end, gives some streets views over the city. Beavermead Park and campground, on the east shore of Little Lake, has a beach and trails that are easy to reach from much of Ashburnham.

Older complexes, careful due diligence

Most of East City's townhouse complexes are well established, and some are approaching the point where windows, roofs and siding need replacement. Fees can look modest compared with newer suburban condos, but what matters is whether the reserve fund is keeping pace.

• Ask for the most recent reserve fund study and compare it with the actual balance.
• Look at the board minutes for any discussion of special assessments.
• Check whether water is included in the fee and how units are heated.
• Confirm parking arrangements, as some complexes have one space per unit.

A home inspection is worth doing even in a condo, to check the inside of the unit: furnace, water heater ownership, electrical panel and any signs of past leaks.

Heading east and north from here

Ashburnham is the natural side of the city for anyone who drives east on Highway 7 toward Norwood and Havelock, or north on Highway 28 to Lakefield. It is also close to the edge of the city, where new subdivisions in Otonabee-South Monaghan township, such as Burnham Meadows off Television Road, are adding townhouses just outside the city limit.

For Highway 115 commuters, East City is a bit further from the on-ramp than the south end, but the drive across town is usually manageable outside peak times.

Who East City suits

Buyers who like walkable older neighbourhoods, quick access to the canal and lake, and a local main street tend to look here first. Downsizers find the bungalow-style units appealing, and first-time buyers often find East City condo townhouses among the more approachable options in Peterborough.

If you are comparing East City with the west end, the main trade-offs are age and tenure. East City offers character and location; the west end offers newer construction and more freehold choice.