Next up with our friends on our day trip in Ottawa were the Byward Market, Chinatown, and the House of Targ.
The Byward Market
Would you believe that the ByWard Market (Marché By) is a highly sought-after tourist attraction? Here you will find shopping, dining, arts, professional services, a farmer’s market, artisans, over 600 businesses, as well as entertainment. During the summer months, an average of 50,000 visitors attend. It is a retail and entertainment district in downtown Ottawa. It includes the market buildings and an open-air market along George, York, ByWard, and William Street. The district is bordered on the west by Sussex Drive and Mackenzie Avenue, on the east by Cumberland Street, on the north by Cathcart Street, and the south by Rideau Street.
The hours of the different businesses vary, but you are good to go if you attend between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are looking for a particular business, you can contact them through their directory.
Our friend Mandy saw some cool hoodies on sale that she wanted to buy but couldn’t make up her mind! This is truly a shopper’s paradise, offering just about anything you are looking for.
As of 2019, celebrations have been happening here for 193 years, such as the Maple Sugar Celebration or Canada Day.
Featured events include walking tours, which are conducted between June and September. During the tour, you will discover such things as how the ByWard market came to be and learn historical information. Hours are 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and on weekends (including holiday Mondays), 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
If you are a night owl, you will find many cafes, specialty food shops, restaurants, and pubs with late hours to keep you busy and entertained.
Everything is accessible by foot, transit, or car which makes a day trip in Ottawa that much more fun. Here you will find information on buses and cabs.
Chinatown
We didn’t spend a lot of time here, but we found it interesting. It was bustling with lots of activity. In addition to the business and residential areas, there is dining and entertainment. Merchants from all over the world are here: Chinese, Indian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish, Filipino, Lebanese, French, and Middle Eastern. Whew! It was fun going to the different stores with their interesting Asian smells.
The location of Chinatown is along Somerset Street west of downtown Ottawa and runs from Bay Street (east) to Rochester St. (west). The signs for Chinatown continue along Somerset to Preston Street, and many restaurants can be found further west. Originally named Somerset Heights, it became known as Chinatown in 2005.
The House of Targ
Our last stop was for pure fun. The House of Targ at 1077 Bank St. is a hopping place featuring live music, pinball, classic arcade games, and a menu that includes homemade perogies with locally sourced ingredients. If you are looking for a pub, music, restaurant, or entertainment, it is all here. The owners are local musicians Paul ‘Yogi’ Granger, Mark McHale, and Kevin Birger.
We arrived in the midst of a contest, so all the machines were getting a workout. As you can see from our photos, our friends had lots of fun! Keep in mind that the music can be quite loud, so be prepared. They were very happy to be part of our day trip.
Follow the House of Targ on Twitter and Facebook.
Best Place to Park
Parking is available along Sunnyside, and if you choose public transit, the #6 and #7 stop right in front of the House of Targ.
Final Thoughts
There is so much to do in Ottawa that this day trip was just the tip of the iceberg: visiting the Parliament buildings, museums, bike riding along the many trails, music festivals and concerts, sports events such as an Ottawa Senators game, skating in the wintertime at the Rideau Canal, the Haunted Walk of Ottawa, a tour of Rideau Hall (Canada’s Buckingham Palace), and of course the beaches where we spent a lot of time (our trip this time lasted 4 months due to a house sit in an area that was close to everything we needed).
I think our friends enjoyed themselves. I know we did.
Have you ever taken a day trip to Ottawa? What did you like the most? Be sure and let us know in the comments below.
Mary Ann
I love to travel and my biggest regret is that I waited so long to do it, thinking I just couldn’t afford it. I have had some crazy fun, met some amazing people, and had some scary moments such as getting locked in a shower at a campsite. For our trip to Mexico, we were able to save money by house sitting, which was something completely new to us. If you love to travel and want to go to Mexico, check out HouseSitMexico (be sure and use Code thetr6210d47b7cc90). We hope you visit often.
