Mary Allen, Waterloo

Mary Allen is one of Waterloo's earliest neighbourhoods, and many of its houses are listed on the City's heritage register. On a snowy afternoon, sleds race down the toboggan hill at Mary Allen Park on Allen Street East. Glen Acres Park, off Weber Street South, tucks a playground under the trees a few streets away. At the neighbourhood's edge, the shaded lanes of Mount Hope Cemetery are quiet enough to hear the wind in the branches. The shops of King Street and the ION line are a short walk west.

Mary Allen forms part of the City's Central planning district. The City's 2021 census profile counts about 6,100 homes in that district. About half are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more, about one in five in apartment buildings under five storeys, and about one in five are single detached houses. In the 2021 census, about half the homes in the surrounding area were built in 1960 or earlier, about a quarter between 1961 and 1980, and about one in seven between 1981 and 1990.

Allen ION station is about 0.7 km away, and Grand River Hospital station, across the Kitchener line, is about the same distance. Grand River Transit's 4 Glasgow-Margaret, 5 Erb, 7 King, 8 Weber and 16 Strasburg-Belmont routes run nearby. Weber Street runs along the neighbourhood's east side. The Uptown Public Square is about 0.9 km away.

Mary Allen Park, at 95 Allen Street East, has a playground, a basketball court, an outdoor rink and a toboggan hill. Glen Acres Park, at 63 Weber Street South, and Roger Street Park both have playgrounds. Mount Hope Cemetery, established in 1867, holds the graves of many of Waterloo's early settlers. Waterloo Town Square is about 0.8 km away, and the Main Library about 1.1 km. The Moses Springer Community Centre, with an arena and an outdoor pool, is about 1.2 km away. The Mary Allen Neighbourhood Association serves the area.

• Prueter Public School — JK to Grade 6. The current public elementary school for Mary Allen, on Prueter Avenue in Kitchener.
• MacGregor Public School — Grades 7 and 8. The middle school for Mary Allen, with French immersion.
• Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School — Grades 9 to 12. The public secondary school, with French immersion and extended French.
• St. Agnes Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The nearest Catholic elementary school.
• St. David Catholic Secondary School — Grades 9 to 12. The nearest Catholic secondary school.