College Square is an acceptable outdoor mall/plaza. It's shaped like a square so you can walk…read morearound the perimeter and get to every store. The anchor store is Loblaws, which is quite large with a good Joe Fresh (clothing) selection. There is also a medical clinic in the Loblaws. There's an LCBO and Rexall Pharmacy here. The retail stores are Aldo, Le Chateau, Addition Elle, Reitman's, Bath and Body Works, Carter's Osh Kosh, Dynamite, Femme Carriere, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger and New Balance. The Aldo and Le Chateau are outlets, so they have stuff from past seasons. The Femme Carriere here has a large clearance section. There's a Chatters here too (hair salon that sells salon products). And a BMO, a computer store called NCIX, and a Roger's Video. The only real restaurant here is Chances R. For food though there's a Timothy's Coffee and an Extreme Pita as well. There's a long lane way (next to Loblaws) that connects the square to another area like an annex of sorts. This other area has a Home Depot (with a Harvey's inside), Pizza Pizza, McDonald's, Tim Horton's and Subway. I go here sometimes mostly to check out the Femme Carriere clearance section and the Le Chateau outlet.

This is a fairly large mall, and quite handy for the neighbourhood. It's especially handy for…read moreanyone working or studying at Algonquin College across the street. In the years I have been coming here, there have not been a lot of good restaurants to choose from in this plaza: "Chances R" has been there only for ever! But more recently, a snazzy new Kettleman's Bagel, and a Popeye's have also opened up.These last two are not sit-down-get-service types of restaurants, but they are still popular. There's also a Tim Horton's nearby. The fact that there are so many take-away restaurants that succeed in this mall says a lot about the clientele here. Loblaws is indeed the anchor store (as Jennifer P noted). I have been frequenting their take out prepared foods counter, and I'm pleased to see the variety of take out dishes that are ready for you, such as: fresh prepared sushi, various salads: vegetables and / or potato, as well as macaroni salad. Loblaws also provides the chain store standard of a whole prepared chicken for about $8.00 (this is usually too much for me to eat alone, just before going to class!) This mall is sort of a big box store mall, a bit like an outlet mall - although I'm not convinced that the prices are any better than anywhere else. However, there is a good selection of stores here. Lots of clothing and shoe stores. It would seem that we as Canadians really enjoy our coffee, as this mall also has a Timothy's, and across the street at the college, there's a Starbucks in the Commons building. I can attest that the parking lot at College Square is pretty much always full! So, do drive carefully.

OMG, this place is a maze. Driving around is a nightmare. It's impossible to know where anything…read moreis. Apparently there is a dollar store here. Have I ever found it? No. It's an outdoor plaza presumably designed by those people who make those "can the mouse reach the cheese" games where there's a mouse on the left side, a bunch of squiggly lines in the middle, and a piece of cheese on the right side. You know what I'm talking about! There are parts of the parking lot where unexpectedly you hit a dead end. So if you entered this dead end looking for a parking spot and there are no empty spots you have to back out. Now it's relatively narrow, so IF none of the cars on either side are parked jutting out of their spots too much, AND you have a really tiny car, you MIGHT be able to 3-point turn your way out. Otherwise, you're backing out, and if 2 other cars followed you into this dead end, well guess what? You're going to have to communicate that you're not a bozo for backing up, but you have to back up because it's a dead end and there are no parking spots, and then you're all going to have to back out. I hardly ever go to any of the stores here because they don't really have anything special. They are all stores that are pretty much everywhere: Walmart, Chapters, LCBO, etc. The restaurants are mostly big chains like Boston Pizza, Montana's, Moxie's etc.. If you live in Kanata, I guess this is your local mall and so you go here. If you don't live in Kanata, I don't think there is a reason to make a special trip out here. If you happen to be in Kanata anyway (like visiting relatives, going to a work meeting, etc.) then I feel the only things worth checking out are restaurants here that don't have a branch anywhere else (e.g. Tomaso's Pizza, RARE Steak House, Aperitivo, etc.).

I enjoy this shopping centre. The stores are spread out…read moremaking it a great place to walk around. For those who prefer there are multiple areas to park and easy navigating to all of these areas by vehicle. The retail places vary with many decent restaurants, most eat in but some take out There is also a Walmart, Loblaws SportChek, Best Buy Starbucks and Chapters. There is a TD bank, Jask SPA and First Choice Haircutters. Oops Landmark 24 theaters is front and centre with great movies There are more that I apologize for neglecting. One stop for shopping, services and entertainment

This beautiful building right downtown in the heart of Ottawa Ontario, will also be my 200th review…read morein Yelp! WOOO HOOO!! It is beautifully decorated on the inside, as well, with wide halways, granite walls, and art works on display. I have been to this building for many a special occasion, from courses in their training facilities upstairs, to dinner at the Baton Rouge, and coffee at the Starbucks - all attached to and easily accessible from inside this building. It's massive, covering an entire city block from Lyon to Kent Streets. They offer a fitness centre, and I believe there is also a daycare in here too. Also offered is underground parking, where you can park for free after 5:00pm when you go to the Baton Rouge. I am sure I will be back there.

Beautiful building but everything in the concourse level closes by 6pm during the week and is all…read moreclosed on weekends (with the exception of Baton Rouge) which would seem fine if the goal was to cater to just the offices within the building. However, since most of the shops and restaurants have exterior entrances AND several of the offices are in operation beyond 6pm and on weekends so if you are working outside of regular business hours, come break time there is absolutely nowhere to grab a bite because this beautiful building trust takes up an entire city block just shuts down. Meaning one would have to travel at least a block in any direction to find some food. Quite frustrating that the building's services don't fully support those working within.

I ventured over to Ottawa Trainyards to check it out. I didn't really need anything, but I did get…read moresome cool items. While waiting for the traffic lights to change, I liked seeing a store directory. I came here without any knowledge of the stores here. I liked coming here to figure it out. The Trainyards is like Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga. It is a bunch of stores that cover a lot of land. Think of it as a neighbourhood of stores. You have to strategically figure out where to park and walk to the stores that are around you. During my visit, I parked a grand total of three times. I stopped by Michaels and got some good items that were on sale. I was a happy shopper! I then parked in front of the Gap outlet. I also visited Old Navy and Sail that were on either side of the store. I then decided to drive and check out what other stores were there. I spotted Kettleman's Bagel Co. and parked to have lunch. The selection of stores is cool. If you are more of a mall shopper, this setup may not be for you. If you do like box stores, you'd like it here. My only problem I had was dealing with a woman in a minivan who was waiting for me to leave my spot to pull through. She actually honked at me. I didn't appreciate it and gave her a signal to say that I was staying. I was pulling up my GPS and I was under no obligation to move out of a parking spot to convenience an impatient idiot. (289)

Hey! This is a big mall! Way bigger and better than I remembered it. I guess it's been a while…read more.. and about time we came back! There's a Kettleman's Bagel shop here; wish we had one in Kanata / Stittsville! The mall was big enough to be inviting to return. We will definitely come back! And I will update this review when we do.

... memories …read more... When I lived and worked throughout Canada's Atlantic Provinces, Ottawa was almost like a second home to me during the 70's and 80's. I travelled / stayed there often, via business, and even more so for pleasure stays. I chose to stay at hotels offering rooms with kitchenettes. Which allowed me the option to shop during walks and stays, and dine back at my hotel. The Byward Market area was one of my favourite spots to walkabout, browse, and shop. And especially so during the summer and fall months, when it was so alive with street venders, and others featuring locally-grown fresh fruits and veggies. It was a good while ago, but a standout for me during these stays was a fish/seafood shop. I used to purchase squid there. Then on the way back to the hotel, catch a bottle of white wine, and some butter. Cooking the squid back at the hotel was fun, and made for several very fragrant, tasty, and much-enjoyed meals. Street vendor selections of farm-fresh offerings of fruits and veggies, were a delight to see during summer and early-fall stays. Their products not only contributed to meals, were often purchased and enjoyed 'in hand' and enjoyed during walkabouts. And before I forget, so were the several tasty 'beavertails' enjoyed, at any time of year, from a bakery there. (previously reviewed) My visits to the Byward Market, and area, were via day time browsing and shopping walkabouts. They were fun, interesting, and much-enjoyed.

This area of the city is a popular destination that you must see for sight seeing in Ottawa…read more There's a lot to see and do down here, and more Restaurants than you can possibly eat at in a month of Sundays! They also host special events down here. Certain streets are pedestrian only, where you will find crafters and fruit/vegetable vendors, people who sell honey and maple syrup, Beavertails, and seasonal items all sold at booths on the streets. This visit, I found a rare treasure: a bracelet with my name on it!! The Byward Market is coming up to a remarkable anniversary: in 2026, it will be 200 years old!! Found this snippet on the internet: "The ByWard Market is where Ottawa was born. Established by Lt-Col. John By in 1826, the ByWard Market is one of Canada's oldest and largest public markets. The legendary builder of the Rideau Canal; Lt-Col. By himself laid out the street plan of the Market, designating George and York Streets to be extra wide to accommodate the horse-drawn carriages that brought foodstuffs to the market every day." We seem to gravitate there at least once a year in the warmer months. It's also a terrific area for people watching!!

This establishment has always played apart of my life here as a Ottawan, and I am a colossal…read moredevotee to the fairview malls. Since the closure of the nearby Rideau street McDonalds, there has been fewer suspicious activity around, which is a shame as I enjoyed the entertainment. Whats a nice day at the mall without someone pulling a racoon out of their coat? Regardless, they have a New York Fries, which automatically gives it much more value. Always nicely decorated as well. Beware of the first floor as some report getting asked odd questions by even odder individuals.

Oh gosh this mall was exhausting ! The amount of people I felt like I was in a movie. Non stop…read moreyelling and running around was wild. They did have a lot of stores but it was way to much we left. The outlets was wayyyyyy better

It's a huge mall with lots of stores, something for everyone. The prices and deals were good …read more There are cafes / hot and cold drinks /smoothies/pastries. There are banks in the mall too. Also the mega bus has a drop off and pick up from here which is good Fr passengers . Sport chek is the best way out fr passengers taking the mega bus .

This is not a bad mall (I give it a 3.5)…read more What I like: The huge Toys R Us on site. They have activities set up for the kids on the weekend which is a bonus. The food court is not bad either. They have quiet a few different options like Burrito Gringo, Taco bell/KFC, Tim Hortons, ect. They also have some food options on the first floor like Kernels, Cinnabon and Purdy's where you can get scoops of ice cream. The light rail also connects to this mall which is nice. What I find this mall lacks: Clothing stores like H&M, and Zara, and a Sephora would be nice. I find they have an outdated selection of stores and I would love to see new ones pop up. Parking is parking, its never fun during busy holiday times, and it can get a bit messy here (nothing compares to parking at Bayshore though, lol). I don't come here to drop a pretty penny, more so just to walk around and hit up some of the food options and Toys R Us when I am trying to kill some time.

Grant Crossing is a large shopping complex in the suburb of Stittsville. It has not one, but two…read moreroundabouts within it, lol. Actually, they are just 1 lane of traffic, so I guess technically traffic circles, and not roundabouts, but the point is that this place is big! I like walking, and when I shop at a plaza, I usually just park somewhere and walk to all the stores, but at Grant Crossing, to shop from one end to the other, I do move my car once. Since it's not an enclosed mall, to go from one store to the next you have to go outside. Great when the weather is fair, but when it's raining or snowing or freezing cold, shopping here is not as great. There's a huge selection of stores including The Shoe Company, Bed Bath and Beyond, Urban Barn, Dollarama, Value Village, Sally Beauty Supply, Lowe's, Michael's, Homesense, Winners, and Bushtukah. They have several sit-down restaurants, among them Kal's Place, La Cucina, and Fusion House. There are fast food restaurants as well: Five Guys, Mr. Shawarma, Booster Juice, and Thai Express. They have a few banks, Natural Food Pantry (health food store), and a handful of other businesses as well (nail salon, hair salon, dental clinics, real estate agents, etc.). Worth a visit if you like shopping ;)

Not a Warehouse Outlet but a large Strip mall. The variety suits me well…read more Start with Lowes in the Centre yeah. There is a Homesense, Michaels and Winners to the west Value Village, Jysk, Dollarama and Bath Bed and Beyond make up eastern side Numerous eating and drinking establishments sit to the north But with all these interesting shopping choices traffic can be slow Patience Please