Central Park is a recently developed neighbourhood in River Ward in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded on the east by Merivale Road, on the south by Baseline Road, on the west by Clyde Avenue and on the north by the Carlington neighbourhood. The population of the neighbourhood is 3,403 in an area of 0.91 km2. It more than doubled its population between 2001 and 2006 as the neighbourhood expanded.
The neighbourhood is fairly new, having been built in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Before Central Park was built, it was originally part of the Central Experimental Farm until the City of Ottawa bought it. The community used to be a wooded area.
Central Park is known for its New York City themed street names. The name of the neighbourhood itself is taken from Central Park.
The neighbourhood includes the Boy Scouts of Canada Museum as well as a park, called Celebration Park. There are many small parks in the neighbourhood such as “Alphabet Park”. Many apartments, town-homes and single family homes are in the neighbourhood, developed by the builder Ashcroft. There is also a retirement community, Park Place by Alavida Lifestyles. For shopping there is a plaza at the corner of Central Park and Merivale Road, Laurentian Place, a close distance to Westgate Shopping Center and big box stores on Merivale Road .
There are many young families in the neighbourhood and there is a big range for schools. Children can go to Agincourt Public School (both English and French Immersion, WE Gowling (English only), Broadview Public School,or Sir Winston Churchill Public School (K-Grade 8). For Middle school, they can go to JH Putman (6-8) or Fisher Park Public School. Laurentian High School was originally the community’s high school. However, the city decided in 2005 to tear down the school and sell the land. The former high was bought by Smart Centers and was demolished in 2009 and in 2011 became Laurentian Place featuring Walmart and other stores. For high schools, students go to Nepean High School, Glebe, Woodroffe, Elizabeth Wyn Wood or Merivale High School. It is also a short distance from Algonquin College and Carleton University.
