East Galt is one of Cambridge's oldest residential neighbourhoods. It is made up mostly of older single detached homes with a few older semi-detached homes and houses that have been converted into multiple apartments.
Typically, the streets in this neighbourhood are lined with mature trees. Since many of the houses were built before people had cars, if the property has a garage it is usually detached from the house. Also, since most of the neighbourhood developed before cars, many of the streets are shorter and narrower than in newer neighbourhoods. This kept the streets more walkable for the early residents, and makes for a pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood to this day.
Many of the well-maintained homes date from the Victorian era in the late 1800s and the early Edwardian era in the early 1900s. There are many architectural styles found in the neighbourhood, including:
In a survey conducted for a Heritage Character Evaluation report published in 2012, residents were asked "Why did you choose to live in this neighbourhood?" The number one answer, with 44% of responses, was the "visually appealing older homes". Location and affordability were the second and third answers. When asked "What is it that makes you stay in this area?" the top reason, with 26% of the responses, was location. The next two highest responses were "visually appealing older homes" and "safe" (safety). East Galt is a charming, picturesque place to live. According to the folks who live there, it is a great location that they feel safe in, and they appreciate and want to protect the heritage of the area
