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A Neighbourhood Guide for River Oaks, Oakville
Located in the heart of Oakville, River Oaks is a young and vibrant residential community that has become an extremely desirable location for homeowners because of its beautifully designed houses, scenic parks, and wonderful selection of schools. River Oaks is just a few minutes north of the Queen Elizabeth Way giving residents an easily accessible route into Mississauga and Toronto to the east. The neighbourhood also has a strong public transportation system with Oakville Transit bus routes running along most River Oaks streets.
Where is River Oaks?
River Oaks sits between Sixteen Mile Creek and Trafalgar Road with Upper Middle Road East serving as the southern boundary and Dundas Street West serving as the northern boundary. Sheridan College has a campus located just south of River Oaks on Trafalgar Road.
A brief history of River Oaks
Daniel Munn was the first settler to arrive in the area that would come to be known as River Oaks. Munn and his wife, Millicent, built a house on the land and by 1809 several other families had joined the Munns in the fledgling community. The influx of new families with young children lead to a need for a new school in the area. In the early 1810s, Daniel Munn donated part of his land for a local schoolhouse, church, and a cemetery where he would eventually be buried after his death in 1822. Many of the landmarks and buildings in River Oaks are named after Daniel Munn in honour of his contributions to the area, including Munn’s Creek which runs through the center of River Oaks. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, River Oaks was a simple farming community but in the late 1980s the neighbourhood made a drastic transformation from farmland to residential subdivisions.
Types of houses in River Oaks
North Oakville experienced a residential development boom in the late 1980s and 1990s, which is when most of the housing stock in River Oaks was constructed. The homes in River Oaks are a mix of detached family homes, townhomes, and a few low-rise apartment condominiums. River Oaks has larger houses than most of the other neighbourhoods in Oakville. Houses in River Oaks tend to be two or three stories tall with a Neo-Federal design style, brick exterior, and large front porches.
Making the move to River Oaks
In the last few years, demand for houses in River Oaks has grown tremendously. The neighbourhood is especially popular for young families due to its safe, peaceful, tight-knit community feel and excellent selection of schools. River Oaks offers a much more quiet and relaxing living experience compared to the larger cities to the east. Moving all your earthly possessions into a new house can be a daunting task, especially if you are a young family moving into your first home. Self-storage can be a great tool to help alleviate some of the pressure on move in day and can continue to be useful for keeping your new house organized and clutter-free, even after you’ve completed your move.
Right now, Storwell Self Storage is offering my clients an exclusive offer of 4 weeks of free self-storage at any of their facilities. Storwell has locations across the GTA in Scarborough, Etobicoke, and one in Mississauga on the corner of Royal Windsor Drive and Winston Churchill Boulevard, which is just a short drive east of River Oaks. If you need self storage to help with your next move, you can call a Storwell representative or visit a facility in person to demo a unit.
Storwell Self Storage
2525 Royal Windsor Dr, Mississauga, ON L5J 1K9
Phone: 905-823-5555
The best shopping spots near River Oaks
River Oaks has access to several great shopping options. The corner of Dundas Street East and Trafalgar Road is called The Uptown Core and has a complex of retail stores including a Winners & Home Sense and a Walmart Supercentre.
If you travel just a few minutes south on Trafalgar Road, you will reach Oakville Place, another wonderful shopping destination for the residents of River Oaks. Oakville Place has over one hundred stores including clothing stores like H&M, large-scale retail stores like Hudson’s Bay, and high-end jewelry stores like Pandora. The shopping centre also has a large food court with a wide range of dining options.
Parks and recreation in River Oaks
One of the many benefits of living in River Oaks is having access to such wonderful parks and green spaces. River Oaks is the perfect neighbourhood for anyone looking to get closer to nature. Munn’s Creek cuts right through the center of River Oaks and runs parallel a picturesque nature trail. On the west side of the neighbourhood there is the Sixteen Mile Creek, which flows all the way to Lake Ontario. The creek flows past the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex on Neyagawa Boulevard. The sports complex has one Olympic-sized ice pad and three NHL-sized ice pads and hosts several recreation and culture programs for the people of River Oaks.
River Oaks Park is in the center of the River Oaks neighbourhood on Sixth Line. The park has three full-sized baseball diamonds, a soccer field with artificial turf, and two tennis counts. River Oaks Park is situated right next to the River Oaks Community Centre, which has several amenities including an indoor track, a fitness studio, a squash and racquet ball court, and two ice pads.
Avid golfers will love living in River Oaks, as the neighbourhood is just minutes away from two golf courses. The Oakville Golf Club is located on Sixth Line and has a nine-hole golf course that is over one hundred years old. The Glen Abbey Golf Club is located on Upper Middle Road West and has an 18-hole golf course designed by the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus.
The best schools in River Oaks
In recent years, families have flocked to River Oaks because of its excellent selection of schools. The Halton District School Board and Halton Catholic District School Board both operate several schools in the River Oaks area. The standout secondary school in the River Oaks area is White Oaks Secondary School located on McCraney Street East and Montclair Drive. White Oaks received extremely high marks on the Fraser Institute’s Annual Report Card for 2020 and was ranked as one of the top 25 secondary schools in all of Ontario. Another great option for high school students is Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School located on Sixth Line.
River Oaks also has a tremendous selection of elementary schools, some of the highest rated elementary schools in the River Oaks area are:
- St. Gregory the Great Catholic Elementary School
- River Oaks Public School
- St. Andrew Catholic Elementary School
- Sunningdale Public School
- Oodenawi Public School
For parents who want to explore alternatives to the traditional education system, there are several private schools in River Oaks like Rotherglen School on Neyagawa Boulevard and Trafalgar Ridge Montessori School. Both schools use the Montessori method of learning, which emphasises student independence and the development of practical skills.
The best restaurants in River Oaks
River Oaks has an eclectic blend of dining options that has a little bit of something for everyone. IN A BOWL is in the Uptown Core on Trafalgar Road and is serving up delicious and healthy poké bowls, ramen bowls, rice bowls, and appetizers. Just across the street you will find Pür & Simple, a breakfast and lunch spot serving classic diner food using locally sourced ingredients. For traditional Chinese food, head over to Neyagawa Boulevard and Dundas Street West to visit Cynthia’s Chinese Restaurant. Right next door to Cynthia’s is CheeZaatar, which is serving wood oven cooked Manakish. For dessert you can head over to Oak Park Boulevard and visit Marylebone Cafe and Creamery, which is a quaint café with a wide array of classic and creative ice cream flavours.
