Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners
The city's cultural and historic core, where King and Simcoe meet
Living in Downtown Oshawa and the Four Corners puts you at the historic heart of the city, where King and Simcoe streets have met since the village was founded. It is the oldest part of Oshawa and today its liveliest, packed with heritage buildings, restaurants, galleries, and the Regent Theatre. Expect a transitional, gentrifying mix: character and convenience at some of the most affordable prices in the city, the everyday reality of living in the downtown core.
Best for
- First-time buyers
- Culture and dining lovers
- Walkable, car-light living
- Rental and flip investors
Housing in Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners
What the home stock looks like here
Housing styles & prices
A genuine mix of pre-war brick houses, low-rise apartments, and a growing number of renovated homes and small condo projects. Prices sit near the bottom of Oshawa's range, though the feel changes street by street, so the neighbourhood rewards a guided walk before you commit.
Schools
All of Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners falls under the Durham District School Board or the Durham Catholic District School Board, depending on the catchment. For current school boundaries and grade configurations, check the board's find-a-school tool before you commit, since catchments can change with new development.
Getting around
Durham Region Transit serves Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners with local and PULSE bus routes, and drivers have Highway 401 and, in the north end, Highway 407 within a few minutes. Downtown and central neighbourhoods are also close to the Oshawa GO and Via Rail station for the train to Toronto. Read the full transit guide.
Why people choose it
Highlights of life in Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners
Regent Theatre, a 1920 performance house now run by Ontario Tech University
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Durham's largest public art museum
Historic Four Corners heritage district and the Canadian Automotive Museum
A quick ride or walk to Oshawa GO Station for the Lakeshore East train
What's new
Recent changes in Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners
We review this guide monthly. These are the verifiable developments worth knowing about in Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners as of October 2026.
The Foundry District is breaking ground
The 23-acre Foundry District on Bruce Street broke ground in August 2026 on its first two rental buildings, part of one of Durham Region's largest downtown revitalizations, with thousands of residential units planned in the years ahead.
Oshawa GO station is being expanded
Metrolinx is adding two new tracks, a new north platform, an extended south platform, and new pedestrian bridges at the Durham College Oshawa GO Station as part of the Lakeshore East GO Expansion, moving downtown closer to more frequent, all-day train service.
Tribute Communities Centre modernization
The City of Oshawa issued a tender in 2026 for a roughly $50 million modernization of the Tribute Communities Centre, including a new front entrance and streetscape for the downtown arena.
FAQ
Living in Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners: common questions
Quick answers for buyers deciding whether Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners is the right fit.
Is downtown Oshawa walkable?
Yes. Downtown Oshawa and the Four Corners, where King and Simcoe streets meet, are the city's most walkable addresses. Heritage shops, restaurants, galleries, the Regent Theatre, and Oshawa GO Station are all within a short walk or ride of most homes in the core.
How much does housing cost in downtown Oshawa?
Prices in downtown Oshawa sit near the bottom of the city's range, with a mix of pre-war brick houses, low-rise apartments, and a growing number of renovated homes and small condo projects. The feel changes street by street, so a guided walk is worth it before you commit.
Is downtown Oshawa a safe place to live?
Downtown has real, visible challenges, including homelessness and drug use, that are concentrated in the core and that the city and police are actively addressing. Citywide, Oshawa's per-capita crime rate sits below the Ontario and Canadian averages, and most residential streets in and around the core are quiet and family-friendly.
How do I get to Toronto from downtown Oshawa?
Downtown residents are a short ride or walk from Oshawa GO Station, which runs Lakeshore East train service to Toronto. Metrolinx is expanding the station with new tracks, platforms, and pedestrian bridges as part of the GO Expansion program, moving toward more frequent all-day service.
An honest look for buyers
Safety in Downtown Oshawa
Safety is the question we hear most often about the downtown area, and it deserves a direct answer, so here is the honest one. The visible challenges are real and concentrated in the core, and the citywide data tells a broader story. We will give you both, without spin.
The visible challenges
The downtown area has real, visible challenges, including homelessness and drug use, which the City of Oshawa has acknowledged as a crisis. These challenges are real, concentrated downtown, and they are exactly why downtown safety has become a defining issue of Oshawa's 2026 municipal election.
What the data shows
On a per-capita basis, Oshawa's overall crime rate sits below both the Ontario and Canadian averages, according to Statistics Canada. That context does not erase what is happening downtown, but it does mean that most of Oshawa is made up of quiet, family-friendly residential streets.
The most common crime
Theft from vehicles is the most commonly reported property crime in Oshawa, per Durham Regional Police incident data. Simple habits reduce it dramatically: lock your car, keep valuables out of sight, and park in well-lit spots.
What is being done
Durham Regional Police have said enforcement alone cannot solve the downtown's issues, and the City of Oshawa has moved to a more hands-on approach that includes nuisance bylaw enforcement. Police, the city, and the candidates in the October 26 municipal election are all treating downtown safety as a priority.
From your local brokers
The no-spin picture, ours included
We give every client an honest, no-spin picture of any neighbourhood, including the parts that are less flattering. If you are seriously considering downtown, come see it for yourself, during the day and in the evening, and spend time in the suburbs as well, so the trade-offs are yours to weigh, not ours to describe.
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Talk it through with a local team
Keith Williams and Lisa C. Follows have served Durham Region for decades. Book a call to walk through Downtown Oshawa & Four Corners for free: listings, values, school catchments, and commute.
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