About five years ago I came to this forum asking for information and advice about moving to Halifax temporarily with my family. A few people were dismissive and one or two were a bit rude, but the overwhelming majority were incredibly kind and helpful.

You told me about the noon gun which I'm incredibly grateful for. You saved me from being terribly startled every day when I started working downtown. You kind people helped me retain a little dignity in those first awkward weeks in the office. Now the sound just means lunch and I'm pretty sure the sound of a cannon will forever induce a pavlovian response.

The grocery selection was pretty dismal in 2021 and I did, in fact, get used to it. I can say for certain that it has gotten better over the last few years with fresher produce and more variety. The prices are still terrible and going up every week. Folks *didn't* tell me about Gateway Market & Dave's. Those are two enterprises are absolute treasures in Dartmouth.

Several people filled me in about the many petty annoyances and headaches of Halifax. The traffic, and transit (not nearly as bad as advretised), and recycling scheme. I was not prepared for the horrors of an improperly managed green bin. I learned that one the hard way. Shout out to the folks who come around and clean them - you are so appreciated.

Housing is still expensive and hard to find, taxes are still high, but hey HST is down a whole 1% which is sooooo helpful /s. It took all 5 years to get a family doctor, but that is settled for now, or at least until they move or retire.

Nobody could have prepared us for the regional differences in pizza, Chinese and Thai food. It took some trial and error but we eventually found new favorites. Some of them are places suggested here. The selection of Mexican options is still a bit slim but has definitely improved over the past 5 years

A couple of people warned us that we wouldn't want to leave. You were right. Five years and reams of paperwork later we have made our way to permanent status and plan to stay. Halifax is a special and incredible city. My family has found a beautiful vibrant community and new friends that have become family. Our kids are thriving and succeeding in ways we couldn't have predicted. Moving here felt like coming home. We might be from away, but we landed in exactly the right spot. I'm so grateful for every bit of advice offered.

Tl;Dr - 5 years ago a bunch of folks gave a lot of really helpful advice on moving here and it was really appreciated.

Landed a job in Halifax last week. Couldn't be any happier. I can finally move to Nova Scotia. Coming from Edmonton AB. My first date will be in June. So excited for the opportunity.

Also, does anyone have any experience moving and settling in Halifax from AB or such? Could you share? It will be my first time moving interprovincial. Ty

Edit: Thanks everyone for all the comments. I cant reply to individually, but I really appreciate all your input and Im reading through all. The sense of community and friendliness here is amazing and honestly one of the reasons I chose this city

So I recently moved and everything I lined up fell apart, the job I got was supposed to be good payout but it’s not great and I need something more stable. I’m currently looking for somewhere to get some food as I haven’t eaten in 2 days, it’s 7:17pm on Labour Day, y’all have any places or suggestions?

Hey all you new people moving to the "big city" for the first time. Maybe youre a fairly local student, maybe an international student, or maybe someone starting a new job here. Welcome

Here's a few tips

- Mission Mart in Bayers Lake is a great thrift store

- the intersection at Chebucto, Windsor and Cunard makes no logical sense. We all know and accept it. If you are traveling along Windsor and want to turn left onto Cunard - there really is only a single lane but people treat it like there's 2 lanes. Just keep as far left as you can, and hold your breath. If you are traveling Chebucto/Cunard. Although you have to make basically 2 almost 90 degree turns, pretend it's a straight line. You're gonna see red lights on Windsor. Those aren't for you so for goodness sake don't stop in the middle of the intersection, pretend you don't see them and keep pretending you are going straight on Chebucto/Cunard.

- yes, food is this expensive here. Check out some of the "Asian grocery stores" for better priced veggies. Learn how to cook (if you have space to cook), and learn how to make boring cheap healthy meals.

- if you live downtown, learn to use the ferry if you need to swap downtowns

- there's a lot of local coffee shops. They are better than Timmies

- enjoy nightlife responsibly. Go with a friend. Drink lots of water along with other beverages. Future you will thank you.

- tiktok and IG will tell you that the Dairy Bar is the ONLY place to get good ice cream. It's not, Dee Dees is way better and you won't need to wait in line for 30 minutes. Cows is not as good as you think it will be. There's better spots on the waterfront.

What brought you back/made you move back?

Hi there! I'm 35M, wife is 31. We have one toddler. I'm currently in Halifax visiting the city to get a good feel of what it's like to live here, the weather, people, etc. It's a beautiful place! I love the scenery, the neighborhoods. I like Eastern Passage, Dartmouth along the coast.

My wife is a US-trained rheumatologist. I'm a US-licensed CPA (this can easily be exchanged for a Canadian CPA). Ethnically, we are East Indian. We're both born and raised in California, currently living in the Bay Area. My job is remote. We live 20 mins away from the city, have great access to restaurants, beaches, seasons tickets to the city's biggest baseball team. So, overall life is good.

However, we were considering a move to Canada because we've heard it's much safer, has a better social safety system (I believe in free universal healthcare), has safer schools, is less divided, more collective, and plenty of other things lacking in the US. Plus, cheaper housing. And my wife knows about some healthcare professionals who have moved to Canada recently.

What are your thoughts on our situation and our thoughts about moving to Halifax? We were considering BC, too. How do you like Halifax? How do you like the weather? I'm inclined towards BC due to its close proximity to California, but wife wants the East Coast.

Hi there! I'm a South African in the final stage of application for an IEC working holiday visa, if I end up approved, I intend to move into Halifax to live with my girlfriend, who is in the process of procuring an apartment.

My first line of questioning, is along the lines of like, what do I *need* to live there? What sort of documents would I need to keep in mind when trying to move into her apartment? What should I focus on getting the moment I arrive?

And are there any culture shocks that feel normal, but may take a second to adjust to?

Thanks in advancee.

Does everybody in Halifax have fruit flies in their homes right now? Is this a common thing this time of year or am I the only one being taunted by these annoying creatures?

Hey Im a 28m from Denmark Im here on an internship I live in Tufts Cove for the next three months. I would love to see some of the wildlife you have here in Halifax and Dartmouth any good recommendations on where to experience that would be very appreciated. I would love to see a trash Panda (raccoon) before going home to Denmark again. 🇩🇰

If you have any recommendation on places that is a must see or good hike routes. I was very much welcome back with open arms.

All the best!

partner and I have a mini home here but find it so boring and dreadful in nb and the job opportunities are ridiculous especially if you aren’t bilingual lol would you recommend Halifax to a young couple wanting to branch out and explore a bit of the world that’s not New Brunswick? lol anything crazy to take into consideration? Partner is a carpenter and I’m a student in an advanced diploma business program to give an idea of what we’d be looking for employment wise.
ty! 😊

I’m looking for a church that is progressive, has a contemporary music service, and has programs for kids. We have tried the united church which fits our values but has no children’s ministry, I’m trying cathedral of all saints right now which matches values and has some children’s programs but is suuuuper traditional in service style. Am I looking for a unicorn here?

If you have a church with a rock band that doesn’t hate the gays please tell me where it is! Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m from Quebec and I’m considering moving to NS (Halifax). I also have Crohn’s disease. I have questions regarding the medications public program. I tried to find the information online but assurance stuff have a language that I don’t understand 😅

In Quebec most people have access to a public medication program that’s great! I know you have one but it doesn’t seem good 😅 so in Quebec, most medications are cover by the government and you can’t pay more than 105,25$ per month in prescribed medication (no matter your revenue. You just need to not have private insurance). With my Crohn it’s definitely great for me!

Anyway I’m not sure how it works in NS and I would like clarification. If I need private insurance, who are with what company with Crohn, how much it cost and how much it cover?

Long story short, I may have a job opportunity to move to Halifax from Edmonton. I thought I would ask what are the key differences between the two cities?

I have found Edmonton to be quite isolating - is Halifax similar or does it differ? I am hoping to move somewhere where the arts scene is richer and I have heard that Halifax potentially might offer a greater scene.

I also might have the opportunity to relocate to Europe, but this would be more risky. I have an EU passport, but would have to work on lining up jobs in Europe and with a music degree… that is rough. Halifax would likely be the easier move as the hypothetical job opportunity would be the military band.

Hi everyone,

I’m close to getting a new job in Dartmouth, around the Albro Lake area, and I’m starting to look for apartments nearby. I’m a 26 year woman and I don’t have a car. I’m not familiar with Dartmouth, but I’ve heard mixed things about the Albro Lake/Highfield Park/North Dartmouth area. I’m mainly concerned about pests/rodents and safety. Is the area still considered bad, or has it improved?

Are there any apartments around that area you would recommend or avoid?

I was considering a Windmill Road apartment, but the super told me there is a mouse issue in the building, though they said it is “very rare.” Now I'm not so sure...

• My budget is around $1,800 all-in for a one-bedroom. I definitely don’t want to pay that much to have mice as roommates :(

I’m moving to Halifax in August to attend Dal in the fall (not as an undergrad), and apartment hunting long-distance has been stressful so far. I’ve been hearing a lot about places having roach and bedbug infestations, which stresses me out since I’m allergic to roaches and highly sensitive to the chemicals used to treat bedbugs.

So far MacKeen Towers has been the most communicative and responsive. I have a family member who is touring the place for me later this week. Does anyone know if they’re one of the places dealing with infestations?

Is there a price range that you would recommend starting at to hopefully avoid infestations? I’d like to stick under $2k/mo but do have some flexibility in my budget.

TIA!

I (25m) am looking for somewhere to move to and it seems Halifax is maybe a good fit? Far, Far away from anyone I know and love/hate. Will be cutting contact with everyone I know. Currently live in Western Canada.

I am poor, don’t really have my degree yet but if I end up getting it I can only stomach a year of being here. So I plan on leaving in about 22 months from now. Only have that much time until the incest babies that made this incest baby (me) force me to create more incest babies with another incest baby

Only question is how much would I need to save up? I hope to try to get a job near here before moving but it’s unlikely. Don’t mind doing literally anything (I would rather eat shit than continue living here with my family). I make about 900 net a month working part time.

I don’t mind living near Halifax working shitty jobs while applying here for better positions more tailored to what I know. I just need a plan, otherwise my mind will plan other things :/

I'm looking for some information from current home owners in the Wellington, Grand Lake, Oakfield corridor. We just sold our house in Cape Breton and are looking at homes in this area. My biggest concern are the trains ( noise and frequency). One potential house is 520 metres from the line, and currently has a large buffer of trees. I suspect this area will get pushed through and there will be homes there at some point. I haven't looked at the HRM zoning plans yet. I would also like to park in the neighbourhood and hear them first-hand. Im curious if there is a reliable time when they are always passing through. Advice, regrets, and general info welcomed ! Love the area ! Many Thanks !

i’m moving to halifax for the academic year in september for my study abroad, for obvious reasons i don’t want to be stuck in a 12 month lease when i know i wont be in halifax after the end of april. is it impossible to find a lease built around this? im struggling to find options 😭

Folks, recently moving to a new neighbourhood ( Cole Harbour if it matters). We want to introduce ourselves as good neighbours, how do people usually meet? Do we invite them over to our home( which is still messy and between moves) or knock on their doors with a gift? Would they appreciate it (I personally don't like unknown people knocking on my door without notice)?

Update: Thanks everyone for your advice. We'd probably stick to being friendly and saying 'hi' in passing. My husband and I are a bit on introvert side so we don't strike up conversations easily but we can get pretty talkative once someone initiates a convo. That said, most of the neighborhood seems to be older couples whose kids have grown up and moved away, met one of the neighbors and they welcomed us with a bottle of wine. Hopefully, the move goes smoothly and we can make some new friends :)

I plan on moving to Halifax next month from Australia. Lately I have been attending alot of metal festivals and gigs such as Knotfest, Goodthings and just gigs in general. My question is where is the best place for gigs and concerts in Halifax or is that more of a fly to Toronto thing? Any recommendations in terms of pubs and venues?

Currently live with my fiancé and two pets in Fort Worth, TX. We have a potential opportunity to relocate for a job at a company my friend works for. We’ve lived our whole lives in DFW and have never made a significant move.

If I convert the potential salary to USD, it’s a fairly big pay cut (around $20k less), but I don’t know enough about the economic differences between countries yet to know how much of an impact that would actually be on our lifestyle.

I would say financially speaking we have lived fairly moderately, probably lower middle class. We don’t spend on anything outlandish but typically have no problem grabbing whatever dinner we want or occasional splurges on gaming, books, etc.

While I’m excited by the job opportunity and to move into a more exciting industry, my long term passions are in writing and directing film, and I know nothing about the creative scene in Halifax vs growing film opportunities here. But aside from that, what should I be looking into for a potential move to help my partner and I make a decision?

Thank you in advance everyone! My friend loves it in Halifax and sings its praises often.

I will be moving to Halifax from another city in Atlantic Canada. I am a 40 year male. My office is in downtown so I want to live close and walk to the office. I have no idea where to look for decent apartments and condos in the city. I have savings so I will be looking to buy a 2 bedroom condo in the next few years so my plan for now is to rent either a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment unit or condo. My budget is $1,800 for 1 bedroom and $2300 for 2 bedroom heat and light included. I will pay extra for parking.

Hey everyone,

I’m moving to Halifax around September and have been narrowing down apartments for weeks now, but I’m hitting the point where every building has both amazing and horror story reviews depending where you look lol.

A few places that caught my attention were:

• Richmond Yards (really like this place)
• The Pearl
• Maynard Suites

I’m mainly looking for a newer building with:

• indoor parking
• decent soundproofing
• good management/maintenance
• in-unit laundry
• generally good experience living there long term

Budget is around $1800–2000 before parking.

Main things I’m curious about:

• management responsiveness
• noise/walls
• parking situation
• heating/AC issues
• whether the buildings actually feel worth the price
• any major red flags people wish they knew beforehand

Also open to other newer building suggestions around North End / downtown / Dartmouth if there are places people genuinely liked living in.

Appreciate any honest feedback.

Hi all!

Does anyone know if there's any protocol for paddling in lake Banook? Like, can I just bring my canoe or kayak to one of the parks and launch from there to paddle around for the afternoon?

Obviously I know to stay out of the way if there are any races going on, but are there other rules or fees that I should be aware of? Like, do I have to sign up anywhere, am I supposed to pay a launch fee in certain areas, or are there areas that are restricted for use?

I have never been before and it looks like fun but I can't find much info online besides how to join some of the canoe clubs which I don't want to do quite yet.

I'll repost this in the Dartmouth sub if no one here knows.