A decade ago, Westboro Village enjoyed the title of “Ottawa’s Trendiest Neighborhood”. The brief stretch of Richmond Road boasted hip restaurants, quirky stores, and independent coffee shops. More recently, hipsters have set their sights further east. Hintonburg is the new hot spot for Ottawa trendsetters, where citizens enjoy a variety of expensive, niche stores.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures" says Rachel Howkus, president of the Westboro Business Association, "We have seen a significant drop in foot traffic in our neighborhood in the last two years, and businesses are starting to suffer. There are rumours that Mountain Equipment Coop and Bridgehead are going to relocate in Hintonburg, which is unacceptable".
Last week, the Westboro Business Association held a vote to determine a new name for their area. "New Hintonburg", "Hintonberg", and even "Los Angeles" were contenders, but "Hintonburg West" won out in the end. The move is a bold one, and only time will tell if Hintonburg West will reclaim its hip vibe, or decay into a bland, suburban wasteland.
