Sandy Hill

From Rap Dictionary

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Sandy Hill (French: Côte-de-Sable) is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario located just east of downtown. The neighbourhood is bordered on the west by the Rideau Canal and on the east by the Rideau River. To the north it stretches to Rideau Street and the Byward Market area while to the south it is bordered by the Queensway highway and Nicholas Street. The area is named for its hilliness, caused by the river, and its sandy soil, which makes it difficult to erect large buildings. The population as of 2006 was roughly 12,078 residents. Unusual among modern urban neighbourhoods, the demographics of Sandy Hill change dramatically over just a few blocks. Very wealthy people live near the embassies of the Rideau River, but closer to the university, one finds more students, more senior citizens, and more poor people living in boarding houses. The area is split about equally between the English speaking and the francophone population, with large communities from Somalia, Lebanon, and Haiti. Sandy Hill consists almost entirely of low-rise apartment buildings that are either subsidised housing or co-operatives. This area was completely redeveloped in the early 1990s. Sandy Hill has seen its share of criminal activity, often involving theft, drugs, and sometimes assault.