Top Places to Live in Grimsby, ON

Grimsby is a quaint little town situated between St. Catharines and Hamilton along the Niagara Escarpment. Named after the fishing town in northeast Lincolnshire, a good amount of residents are bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. Founded in 1790, Grimsby is one of the earliest settlements for the United Empire Loyalists and was originally named The Forty. One of Grimsby’s founders, Robert Nelles, was a lieutenant colonel in the War of 1812, and his home still stands in the town today. 

In 1922 Grimsby officially became a town, and today it has grown significantly from the rural village it once was. At one point the town of Grimsby was the official manufacturing region that produced farm machinery, hospital furniture, and other metal products. Today, Grimsby is a serious producer in the fruit and wine industry. In fact, Grimsby is the official starting point for Niagara Wine Country. 

On This Page: Dorchester Estates, Nelles Estates, Grimsby on the Lake

Home to 27,315 residents, this town holds only 1.36% of Toronto's population. Compared to the big city, this town is rural, quieter, and safer. Now that doesn’t mean that is town has nothing to offer. Don’t let its size fool you, Grimsby has a strong sense of community and features many local organizations and groups that connect community members in unique ways. Grimsby also has fantastic public resources and gathering spaces for residents to enjoy. The Grimsby Museum, Grimsby Public Library, Grimsby Public Art Gallery, West Niagara YMCA, and Grimby Peach King Centre are just a few of the town-funded programs that residents love to frequent. Nelles Manor Museum is also a great place to take the family to learn more about the history of Grimsby and its founders. The Grimsby Skatepark, as well as Grimsby Beach, are also popular areas for young and older residents. 

Unlike Toronto’s downtown area, residents of Grimsby love to stroll down main street and support local merchants without being too crowded or noisy. Grimsby on the Lake is a shopping and dining area full of unique boutiques and some of the best food in the area. Residents who moved from the bigger cities in the area don’t have to worry about missing out on city amenities as there are big box stores nearby such as Lowe’s, Costco, and Canadian Superstore.

There has been a significant increase in population in Grimsby over the past decade. Due to it being halfway between Hamilton and St. Catharines and located along the Niagara Escarpment, there is a limited amount of room for growth, which is a good thing. Residents love having the rural suburban lifestyle and don’t want the town to develop a city lifestyle. Preserving the Niagara wine country and local fruit farms is a very big objective for the residents and governing bodies of Grimsby. That being said, there are still people trying to move to the Grimsby area as there is a constant ebb and flow of newcomers and those who wish to move elsewhere. This allows people to move into the Grimsby area, and they are so excited to enjoy the quiet lifestyle away front the bigger cities. To help our prospective buyers get an idea of the different living areas and styles in the town, we have compromised a list of the best places to live around the town. This will hopefully make the moving process less stressful. We know how important it is to find the perfect home in the perfect area, therefore we wanted to cut one less stress factor out. Here are our picks for the best places to live in Grimsby!

Dorchester Estates

Dorchester Estates is located in the southeastern part of Grimsby. It is one of the smaller neighbourhoods but is quite charming and homey. This neighbourhood is primarily family-oriented and many of the homes are owned, with a small percentage rented.

Dorchester Estates Real Estate

The homes in the Dorchester Estates neighbourhood are newer with most of them being built or remodelled within the last 15 years. Most of the homes sit on larger lots that allow residents to have big backyards and a few homes even have pools. The homes in this neighbourhood are single-family homes with one or two-car garages.

The median home price in this community is around $1.3 million.

Dorchester Estates Education

There are no schools located within the Dorchester Estates subdivision, but there are several located within a short distance.

• Park Public School
• Grand Avenue Public School
• West Niagara Secondary School
• Grimsby Secondary School

Commutes To Cities Near Dorchester Estates

• Hamilton, ON - 32.3 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (33 minutes)
• St. Catarines, ON - 27.1 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (22 minutes)
• Burlington, ON - 30.1 km via Queen Elizabveth Way (26 minutes)
• Toronto, ON - 86.9 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (1 hour, 23 minutes)

Local Amenities & Activities

Dorchester Estates Park is a beautiful park with a full tennis court for residents to enjoy. It also features a big grass field that is maintained for families, couples, and retirees to enjoy picnics, cornhole, and other fun activities.

Grimsby Beach is just a short distance away, so residents of Dorchester Estates are never far away from a fun day at the beach. There are also a plethora of shops and restaurants for residents to enjoy along the way. When residents want to get out of town for the day, Niagara Falls is a short drive away and holds lots of historic and breathtaking views. All daily living amenities can be found inside the neighbourhood, right outside, or within a short drive away.

Nelles Estates

Nelles Estates is located on the western side of Dorchester Estates and is one of the larger neighbourhoods in Grimsby. This neighbourhood was named after one of the major founders of the town, Robert Nelles. This beautiful neighbourhood has lots of trees and space, o residents have plenty of privacy and space for activities at home.

Nelles Estates Real Estate

There is a mixture of new and old homes in the Nelles neighbourhood. There is also a mixture of home styles with some having stucco, some being multi-level, and some having brick faces. The unique diversity in home types means there is something for everyone here.

Homes in this neighbourhood range in price from $750,000 to $1.1 million.

Nelles Estates Education

There are no schools located within the Dorchester Estates subdivision, but there are several located within a short distance.

• Park Public School
• Grand Avenue Public School
• West Niagara Secondary School
• Grimsby Secondary School

Commutes to Cities Near Nelles Estates

• Hamilton, ON - 31.9 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (34 minutes)
• St. Catharines, ON - 27.9 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (21 minutes)
• Burlington, ON - 29.7 1 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (26 minutes)
• Toronto, ON - 86.5 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (1 hour, 27 minutes)

What’s Nearby?

Centennial Park is located in the Nelles Estates neighbourhood and offers soccer fields, a picnic area, a playground, and various walking paths and trails for residents to enjoy. Sentimental Farms is right outside the Nelles Estates neighbourhood and offer bread-making classes and other fun farm activities for residents of all ages.

Grimsby Golf Range is just a short drive away and is perfect for any resident looking for a full day’s worth of fun outside. There’s no pressure or any judgement at this smaller-sized driving range. Everyone loves o have fun and get to know others in their community at the Grimsby Golf Range.

All daily living amenities can be found inside or just a short drive away within Grimsby. Anything that can’t be found within the town can be found in either Hamilton or St. Catharines. There is also a myriad of restaurants and local vendors to choose from when wanting to spend your money locally.

Grimsby On The Lake

Grimsby On The Lake is known as a condo complex that boasts newer condos with breathtaking views of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario. There are several houses in this area as well, but the condos take up a majority of the neighbourhood. The condos at Grimsby On The Lake have better views than many other real estate properties in the bigger cities.

Grimsby On The Lake Real Estate

The condos that Grimsby On The Lake features range from 1-4 bedrooms and are on average 800-1600 square feet. The building has gym facilities and many other amenities for residents.

The average price for condos at Grimsby On The Lake can range from $550,000 and $1 million depending upon how the floor plan is chosen.

Grimsby on the Lake Schools

There are no schools located within the Dorchester Estates subdivision, but there are several located within a short distance. 

• Smith Public School
• Lakeview Public School
• Trail Ridge Montessori School
• Grimsby Secondary School

Commutes To/From Cities Near Grimsby On The Lake

• Hamilton, ON - 27.1 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (29 minutes)
• St. Catharines, ON - 32.2 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (23 minutes)
• Burlington, ON - 25 1 km via QueenElizabethh Way (21 minutes)
• Toronto, ON - 81.5 km via Queen Elizabeth Way (1 hour, 20 minutes)

What’s Nearby?

Casablanca Beach, as well as Public Beach, are located just steps from the front doors of Grimsby On The Lake. This means that residents have direct access to every activity the beach has to offer year-round. Oakes Road North Leash Free Dog Park borders the Grimsby On The Lake campus, therefore residents are never far away from an exercise area. Residents love to take their dogs for an afternoon stroll or on a playdate with their other fur friends.

For a fun day trip, Hamilton, Toronto, and Niagara are within a short drive which allows residents of Grimsby to get away from home and enjoy something new every once in a while. This is one of the main reasons why people choose to move to Grimsby. They want to be able to access the cities quickly while still being able to enjoy a rural lifestyle.

Living at Grimsby On The Lake offers many amenities and there are several shops and restaurants for residents to enjoy without having to drive anywhere. All other amenities can be found just a short drive away!

See What A Happy Golfi Team Client Says About our Work in Grimsby on Google!

My daughter and I rented an apartment in Grimsby through Adam Davidson. He was very well informed, and provided excellent liaison between us and the landlord at every step. The entire process from viewing to finalization of the lease agreement went smoothly and easily, and Adam was always there to answer our questions almost immediately. He made us feel that we were respected and valuable clients who mattered to him, and we were very pleased to have had him working with us.
Thanks Adam!
Laura G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We're Proud of our 5.0 rating across over 188+ reviews for our Burlington office on Google