Westboro Pro Tip: Park Once and Walk Richmond Road

Where's the Best Place to Park in Westboro?

The street parking along Richmond Road fills up fast. (Especially on weekends.) You'll want a reliable spot that lets you explore the whole strip without circling back. The trick isn't finding one perfect space—it's knowing where to leave the car and forget about it for a few hours.

Here's the thing: Westboro's walkable core stretches from Tweedsmuir Avenue all the way to Golden Avenue. That's nearly a kilometer of shops, cafes, and restaurants. Moving the car every 90 minutes kills the vibe entirely.

Is There Free Parking Near Richmond Road Ottawa?

Yes—several side streets offer unrestricted parking if you know where to look.

Residential streets like Roosevelt Avenue and Evered Avenue run parallel to Richmond and rarely enforce time limits. (Check the signs—some blocks have weekday restrictions.) Most visitors gravitate toward the main drag and miss these quiet alternatives entirely.

The Westboro Village BIA maintains a handy parking map showing legal spots, accessible spaces, and loading zones. Their official parking guide gets updated seasonally.

Worth noting: the City of Ottawa's parking app lets you extend meter time remotely. No more sprinting back to feed the machine.

What's the Best Walking Route on Richmond Road?

Start at ThimbleCakes (near Tweedsmuir) and head west. Grab coffee. Walk. Shop. Repeat.

This stretch packs serious density into a short distance:

• Independent boutiques like Terra20 and The Leading Note
• Local fixtures—Art Is In Bakery, Pub Italia, the Newport Restaurant
• The Westboro Beach path connector (five minutes south on Churchill Avenue)

The catch? Richmond Road's sidewalk seating explodes in summer. You'll weave past patios from Gezellig and Social Restaurant + Lounge. It's cramped. It's lively. That's the point.

Timing Matters

Morning weekdays? Easy. Saturday after 10 AM? Brutal. The O-Train Line 1 stops at Tunney's Pasture—ten minutes north on foot if parking feels impossible.

That said, Westboro rewards the patient parker. One good spot. A full afternoon. No stress.