new comer with some questions

Hi,I found this blog site by google while searching for answers to my questions and I was excited to register and participate after reading others experiences and comments..
I'm a Lebanese  planning to move permanently to Ottawa next August..Why Ottawa?..because I liked this city when I did the landing last June with my little family (my husband; a civil engineer and by 2y old baby)..we have been in Toronto,Mississaugua,Niagara,Montreal..but preferred Ottawa among all these cities,..We liked its structure, nature&safety...I think it's ideal for families with children!..
I  know that Ottawa has many neighbourhoods ..We couldn't visit all of them,but we are a little bit confused in choosing which one can be the best for us as new comers even if we still don't have job  there..
we are looking for safe&calm area,reachable by public transportation ,with walking distance to shops and recreational facilities and good elementary schools..
Can somebody suggest a good area there to live in??  I heard about Orleans,Nepean,Barrhaven,HuntClub..can somebody give some comments??..or suggest any good honest realstate agency?..Can somebody advise whether should first rent or buy as soon as possible a house?!..is it a good idea to take a loan from a bank in case of buying new houses or should we focus on something with our budget?..can somebody tell me also about the best local phone or mobile company ?(for local calls,texting and internet)..Anyone has experience with shipping,since we didn't decide yet whether we have to ship our furniture or better to bring everything from there?!(can somebody tell me what are the expensive things that it's better if we can bring them with us instead of buying them from there??)..
I know I have too many subjective questions but I'll be more than happy if I hear some comments..Thanks.