Residents of Oshawa enjoy a wide variety of shopping, medical, educational, cultural and recreational facilities. The City's proximity to Metropolitan Toronto means that the activities of Canada's leading business and cultural centre are a short distance away. Thus, it is possible to enjoy the advantages of "big-city" living in Oshawa while avoiding the associated high costs and congestion. Oshawa's location also provides convenient access to the surrounding country-side and the recreational opportunities afforded by Lake Ontario and the Kawartha and Haliburton tourist regions.

A full range of housing is available in Oshawa to suit the demand for a variety of accommodation. Around the City core are older stable neighbourhoods which have been handsomely renewed over the years. Higher density living is available throughout the City as is low density single family housing which is the mainstay of accommodation in Oshawa. Prices are attractive too, being 40 percent less than comparable housing in Toronto only 50 km distant.