NEPEAN REAL ESTATE
Nepean Neighbourhoods: A Side-by-Side Guide
By Jason Polonski, REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty · Last updated: October 2026
Nepean was an independent city until Ottawa’s amalgamation in 2001. Today it is a large, established part of Ottawa between the inner urban core and Kanata, made up of distinct neighbourhoods built mostly from the late 1950s through the 1980s. They differ a lot. Some have big lots on private wells; others are central streets close to shopping, theatres, a hospital and the Transitway.
This guide groups Nepean’s neighbourhoods by area so you can see which ones fit before you start viewing homes. It is written by Jason Polonski, a REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty, Brokerage, with more than 15 years of experience in Ottawa real estate and a background in construction and the electrical trades, which matters in a part of the city where many homes still have original 1960s and 1970s systems.
Nepean neighbourhoods at a glance
| Neighbourhood | Area | Built | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centrepointe | Central | 1984 onward | Planned community, Meridian Centrepointe Theatre, central location |
| Craig Henry | Central | 1970s | Family crescents, mix of detached, split-levels, semis, townhouses |
| Briargreen & Leslie Park | Central-west | 1960s to 1970s | Mature trees, established streets off Greenbank Road |
| Qualicum & Graham Park | North | 1960s | Large lots, mature trees, a creek through the neighbourhood |
| Crystal Beach & Lakeview | North, by the river | 1960s | Minutes from the Ottawa River and Andrew Haydon Park |
| Bells Corners | West | 1950s onward | Lynwood Village bungalows, surrounded by the Greenbelt |
| Arlington Woods & Trend Village | South-west | 1960s to 1980s | Campeau-built family area near Highway 416 |
| Tanglewood, Manordale & Woodvale | South-central | Late 1950s to 1980s | Mix of townhouses, semis, detached homes and apartments |
| Parkwood Hills & Borden Farm | East | 1959 to 1972 | Minto-built community around Meadowlands Drive |
| Pineglen, Country Place & Merivale Gardens | South, by the Greenbelt | 1950s to 1970s | Large lots, some on private wells and septic |
Central Nepean: Centrepointe, Craig Henry, Briargreen and Leslie Park
Centrepointe is a planned neighbourhood built from 1984 onward between Baseline Road, Woodroffe Avenue and the rail line. It grew around Ben Franklin Place, the Meridian Centrepointe Theatre and Centrepointe Park, and it is one of the few Nepean neighbourhoods where you can walk to a library, a theatre, Algonquin College and the Baseline Transitway station.
Just south across the rail line, Craig Henry is a 1970s family neighbourhood of about 6,900 people with quiet crescents and a mix of detached homes, split-levels, semis and townhouses. West of Centrepointe, Briargreen and Leslie Park sit on either side of Greenbank Road and were built mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, with some of the area’s oldest trees.
Central Nepean suits buyers who want an established street without giving up a short drive or bus ride to work. The trade-off is that most homes here are 40 to 60 years old, so updates are part of the budget.
North Nepean: Qualicum, Graham Park, Crystal Beach and Lakeview
Qualicum and Graham Park is a small 1960s neighbourhood of about 1,800 people bounded by the Queensway, Richmond Road, Baseline Road and Morrison Drive. It is known for large lots, mature trees and a creek running through it, and the Queensway Carleton Hospital is a short drive west.
Further west, Crystal Beach and Lakeview are 1960s neighbourhoods between Carling Avenue, Moodie Drive and Corkstown Road. They sit a few minutes from the Ottawa River, Andrew Haydon Park and the Department of National Defence Carling Campus, which makes them popular with people who work there.
North Nepean is where the O-Train West extension is being built. Light rail will change commutes along this corridor once it opens, but construction has been delayed before, so treat any opening date as something to verify rather than a reason to pay a premium today.
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West Nepean: Bells Corners, Arlington Woods and Trend Village
Bells Corners is a community of about 9,400 people along Robertson Road, completely surrounded by the National Capital Commission’s Greenbelt between inner Nepean and Kanata. It is best known for Lynwood Village, one of Ottawa’s first large tract-housing subdivisions of bungalows. Because the Greenbelt cannot be developed, Bells Corners will always have forest and trails at its edges.
Arlington Woods and Trend Village form Trend-Arlington, about 4,700 people in homes built by Campeau from the 1960s to the 1980s between Greenbank Road and Highway 416, north of West Hunt Club Road. Quick access to the 416 makes it practical for commuters heading to Kanata, Barrhaven or the Highway 401 corridor.
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South and East Nepean: Tanglewood, Parkwood Hills and the Greenbelt pockets
Tanglewood, between Woodroffe Avenue and Merivale Road just north of Hunt Club Road, has a mix of townhouses, semis, detached homes and apartments from the 1970s and 1980s, with older Manordale and Woodvale across Woodroffe. The Nepean Sportsplex on Woodroffe Avenue is close by.
Parkwood Hills was built mainly by Minto between 1959 and 1972 around Meadowlands Drive and, with Borden Farm, Stewart Farm and Fisher Glen, forms a community of about 11,100 people. It is one of the closest parts of Nepean to the Experimental Farm and central Ottawa.
Off West Hunt Club Road, Pineglen, Grenfell Glen and Merivale Gardens were built mostly in the 1950s on large lots with private wells and septic systems, while neighbouring Country Place, from the early 1970s, has city water and sewer. These pockets offer some of the biggest lots inside the Greenbelt.
What to check in an older Nepean home
Most of Nepean was built between the late 1950s and the 1980s. That is good news for lot sizes and mature trees, but it means many homes have original or partly updated systems. On a showing, Jason looks at the same things he did when he worked in the trades:
- Electrical: panel size and age, any remaining aluminum branch wiring from the late 1960s and 1970s, and ungrounded outlets. Insurers often ask about these.
- Wells and septic: parts of Pineglen, Grenfell Glen and Merivale Gardens are not on city services. Budget for water testing and a septic inspection, and read Ottawa Public Health’s private well guidance.
- Roof, windows and furnace: know their age before you offer, so the price reflects what you will spend in the first five years.
- Basements and grading: older homes with finished basements should be checked for moisture, especially backsplits with lower levels below grade.
For more detail, see buying an older home in Nepean and Nepean backsplit and bungalow renovations.
Schools, transit and daily life in Nepean
Nepean is served by all four Ottawa school boards. Confirm the schools for a specific address with the OCDSB school locator and the OCSB, and see our Nepean schools guide.
Baseline station and the Transitway connect central Nepean to downtown, and Algonquin College’s Woodroffe campus is right beside it. Shopping is spread across College Square, Merivale Road, Bells Corners and Bayshore, and the Greenbelt gives almost every Nepean neighbourhood quick access to trails.
How to choose between Nepean neighbourhoods
- Central and walkable: Centrepointe and Craig Henry.
- Big lots and mature trees: Qualicum, Graham Park, Briargreen and the Greenbelt pockets.
- Near the river: Crystal Beach and Lakeview.
- Bungalow living: Bells Corners and Lynwood Village.
- Closest to central Ottawa: Parkwood Hills and Borden Farm.
Selling an older Nepean home
Many Nepean sellers are long-time owners and downsizers. Buyers will compare your home with renovated listings nearby, so the work that pays back is usually the work they can see or that an inspector will flag: an updated panel, a newer roof, fresh paint and a clean, dry basement. Jason walks through the home before listing and tells you which repairs are worth doing and which to price in instead. If you are buying your next home at the same time, his guide to selling and buying at the same time explains how to time both sides.
For the full picture, see our Nepean guide and current Nepean homes for sale.
Also weighing newer suburbs or the inner west end? Compare the Barrhaven neighbourhoods, or read Nepean vs Barrhaven, Nepean vs Kanata and Nepean vs Westboro. Commuters should read commuting from Nepean, and buyers looking at smaller homes can start with Nepean condos and townhomes. For the whole city, see the Ottawa neighbourhoods guide.
Homes for Sale Across Nepean
These are the newest listings across Nepean’s communities, from Crystal Beach to Parkwood Hills. For the full list, see all Nepean homes for sale. Want to see one? Call or text Jason at (613) 601-9333.
What’s changing in Nepean: transit, zoning and the Greenbelt
Nepean is an established suburb, but three changes are reshaping parts of it. Buyers who understand them can choose a street with more confidence.
The O-Train west extension
Stage 2 of the O-Train adds rail stations at Lincoln Fields, Iris, Queensview, Pinecrest and Bayshore, with a branch south toward Algonquin College. That puts rail within reach of Qualicum, Graham Park and parts of central Nepean. The opening has been delayed, and flooding in July 2026 damaged part of the line, so it may open in stages. Jason’s guide to living near the O-Train west extension covers each station.
New zoning
Ottawa’s new comprehensive zoning by-law allows more homes on many residential lots. Nepean’s larger postwar lots make it a natural place for semi-detached rebuilds, additional units and low-rise infill. That can be an opportunity if you’re buying to add a unit, and a change to watch if you want a quiet street to stay that way. Check the City of Ottawa zoning project and nearby development applications before you buy.
The Greenbelt
Much of west and south Nepean backs onto the National Capital Greenbelt, the federally owned band of forest, farmland and wetland around the city, including Stony Swamp near Bells Corners. It limits new development at the edge of the city and gives communities like Bells Corners, Arlington Woods and Craig Henry direct trail access. Homes that back onto it are some of the most sought-after in Nepean.
Investors comparing rental demand near transit and Algonquin College can find vacancy and rent data in CMHC’s rental market reports.
Work with Jason Polonski in Nepean
Jason Polonski is a REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty, Brokerage, with more than 15 years of experience in Ottawa real estate. Before real estate he worked in construction and the electrical trades, and he holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University with a double major in Marketing and Finance. In Nepean, where so many homes date from the 1960s and 1970s, that means he can spot the costly issues before you offer and help sellers present an older home so buyers see its value, not just its age.
To compare Nepean neighbourhoods, plan a downsize or sell for a 1% listing commission, call or text Jason at (613) 601-9333, or work with a dedicated Nepean REALTOR®.
Torn between two Nepean communities? Tell Jason which ones you’re weighing and he’ll send you recent sales from each, with notes on the homes’ age, condition and what they sold for against asking. Call or text (613) 601-9333.
Nepean Neighbourhoods: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Nepean was an independent city until 2001, when it amalgamated with Ottawa. Many people still use the name for the neighbourhoods between the inner core and Kanata.
Nepean’s main neighbourhoods include Centrepointe, Craig Henry, Briargreen and Leslie Park, Qualicum and Graham Park, Crystal Beach and Lakeview, Bells Corners, Arlington Woods and Trend Village, Tanglewood, Parkwood Hills and the Pineglen, Country Place and Merivale Gardens area.
Pineglen, Grenfell Glen and Merivale Gardens, near the Greenbelt off West Hunt Club Road, have some of the largest lots. Qualicum and Graham Park are also known for large lots and mature trees.
Yes. Parts of Pineglen, Grenfell Glen and Merivale Gardens use private wells and septic systems. Neighbouring Country Place has city water and sewer. Always budget for water testing and a septic inspection on a well property.
Check the electrical panel and wiring type, roof and window age, furnace age, basement moisture and, where relevant, the well and septic system. Many Nepean homes date from the 1950s to the 1980s.
The O-Train West extension is under construction through north Nepean, with stations planned at Algonquin College and Moodie Drive. Confirm the opening date with OC Transpo, as it has been delayed before.
