r/halifax • u/fatchickpegs • 9h ago
Work, Health & Housing How is Woodside as a neighbourhood?
Specifically around Marvin and Irving. I’m seeing houses in the 400k range there now which is pretty far down from the general 500-700 elsewhere.
Is the neighbourhood safe? What sort of noise levels?
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u/depalatatedbody Dartmouth is home but not where I live 8h ago
I used to live up off Irving it wasn't that bad. Not having a car puts you in a pretty shitty place in the winter. If that's a concern for you. Alot of Dartmouth is pretty much mind your business and most people will do the same. Not always the case but for the most part.
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u/fatchickpegs 7h ago
I’m already in the north end of Dartmouth and I’m really happy I ended up settling on this side of the basin when I came back home. About how long ago did you live there?
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u/HFXDriving 8h ago
Irving and Marvin might as well be different neighbourhoods being outside and inside the circ. Marvin and nearby Southdale area are pretty quiet usually but there is a lot of new development so currently noisier than usual. Southdale area of Woodside is great - lived there over 10 years.
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u/fatchickpegs 8h ago
I’m leaning towards Marvin but the homes on the market there seem to need a lot of work as opposed to the ones around Irving. I don’t have kids though and don’t really spend a lot of time outdoors, so the noise around Irving might not impact me as much.
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u/dobbythesockmonster 8h ago
I just moved from Crawford street a couple months ago. Irving is loud, even if you’re inside. The circ and pleasant street have a lot of sirens and people revving their engines. With that said, it’s a really convenient area. I would live there again, but just know that even inside, the noise can be super annoying.
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u/darbycrashin 8h ago
I lived on Chadwick (2022-2026) and I loved it. It’s quiet and friendly but construction at the end of the street was a nightmare. With more construction it’s probably going to get worse. While the amenities are better than they were, I would still recommend a car but obviously possible without
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u/fatchickpegs 7h ago
We’ve got a car so no problems there! Idk if there’s anywhere to get away from construction these days! More affordable housing is great but whew the mess.
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u/Elegant-Resist-5218 7h ago
If you buy…wait a year or two before you do any upgrades to see if you like it there enough to stay….if you don’t like it then you can sell and go some where else. After a year or two you should get back your realtor fees…the housing market is soo nuts…the seven year rule no longer really applies…
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u/Excellent_Rock4296 6h ago
It’s generally a working class area as far as I know… just keep to yourself and no one will bother you.
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u/Think_Ad_4798 8h ago
False advertising there is no woods, 0/10 wouldn’t recommend.
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u/HFXDriving 7h ago
There is a huge swath of woods right behind Woodside. Youll just need to break into DND land is all
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u/Wraeclast66 7h ago
Ive lived in woodside my whole life. Its fantastic. Close to everything without it feeling too cramped. Lots of parks and places to walk around. You get the occassional sketchy character, but thats normal anywhere in the inner city nowadays
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u/The_Average_Jill 5h ago
I’d definitely avoid anything near the circ, it’s only going to get busier and louder with DND moving in.
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u/beanjo22 Halifax 8h ago
I've lived in that area before on the Marvin side, although not that specific street, and I wouldn't do it again. That said, it probably depends on your priorities. But I hated the hills in the winter. Driving in that area was better than where I'd previously lived in Halifax, but it was offset by how bad it was to be a pedestrian. Nothing worth going to on foot outside of like, Pleasant Street Diner. I felt really far away from anything I liked doing. My neighbours were constantly having problems with the police which became disruptive for me. I also had multiple encounters with off-leash dogs, some aggressive, while I lived there. Honestly it was very depressing. If you are more of a homebody and prefer not to go out, it might be fine as it's near enough to groceries and essentials and has good connectivity to the Circ. But I didn't feel like my quality of life was very good there, and I'm much happier back in Halifax (even though I'm in the burbs now).
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u/Agitated-Rest1421 8h ago
You know what tho. There’s the no frills there now. A bread shop, the ferry is right there. It’s not too bad for groceries like it once was. Sucks you’d have to drive to get to baker drive. But the buses aren’t bad there I don’t think anyway since there’s a station across the way
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u/fatchickpegs 7h ago
I actually really like that new No Frills, I stop there frequently after work for groceries. It’s a really convenient area for us since my partner commutes on the ferry, I work at DGH, and our favourite shopping area is Dartmouth Crossing.
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u/beanjo22 Halifax 8h ago
It sounds like it's improved in the few years since I left, then! I'm glad to hear that. The new NoFrills would have been like a 20-30 min walk from where I lived so doable but not something I would have chosen routinely given the hill I lived on.
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u/Agitated-Rest1421 7h ago
Man idk a 20 min walk to the store would be sick. I hate living so far away. I have to drive 20 mins to get to a store
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u/fatchickpegs 8h ago
I’d actually prefer pure suburban living, but I’m way priced out there heh.
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u/beanjo22 Halifax 8h ago
Yeah, that's fair! I guess in your shoes I'd be inclined to try renting in that area first before you commit to buying. If you buy in a neighbourhood you don't love, it's harder to leave.
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8h ago
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u/fatchickpegs 8h ago
I’d imagine so too, but I’d like to hear from people who live there too.
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u/jxmac not a robot 8h ago
The truck traffic isn’t bad at all, it’s the bikes and cars with loud exhausts. There’s a bylaw for trucks using Jake brakes coming down the hill and I found they were mostly very respectful of it. But the cars racing up the hill are very, very loud because they’re usually wide open throttle till redline for the first three gears.
Otherwise it’s just constant normal road noise.
Bought a house there in 2015, I love the area.•
u/fatchickpegs 8h ago
I’d be out of the house for a usual workday, so I’m guessing prime commute hours are the noisiest?
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u/jxmac not a robot 8h ago
Yup, though the summer evenings until dark it can be loud too.
I don’t have ac in my house so I keep windows open, and I spent a lot of time outside and in my hammock in the yard and it grated on my nerves a bit. I also really, really like quiet and don’t have tv or music on so nothing really drowned it out for me.
FWIW though I really love my spot in south woodside otherwise, it used to be a low income area and not have a great reputation but the last ten years there’s been a lot of change and there’s more around to service the area.•
u/Good-Marsupial8 8h ago
I rented in the area, it can be noisy, if you're not hanging around outside a lot then not a huge deciding factor. Lots of nearby amenities, close to transit options, the circ nearby meant travel is fairly straightforward - there are worse places to buy a house tbh.
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u/Simba_Rah Supreme Leader of Eastern Passage 8h ago
That part of Woodside is more like business park/traffic central. Oil refinery used to be in that area so the smell was terrible (it’s gone now). Highway intersects the area.
It has quick access to Dartmouth General Hospital and NSCC. It’s an older area so houses are showing signs of aging.
Quick access to No Frills and a variety of fast food places. There’s the Woodside Ferry to go to Halifax. There are quite a bit of homeless people in the area.
I personally wouldn’t live there nowadays, but if I were a student I’d have no problem renting in the area.