Best Places to Live 2022: Vancouver
Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Vancouver
Vancouver is the most populous city in British Columbia and boasts gorgeous ocean and mountain views, bringing the best of both worlds to people who choose to call Vancouver home. It is a coastal seaport city with some of Canada’s warmest year-round temperatures. Its proximity to the ocean and mountains makes it a popular location for outdoor and urban enthusiasts.
It has been a hot real estate market since the onset of the pandemic. It seemed as if every month brought record sales and all-time high prices. Only recently have prices begun to dip, as rising interest rates have cooled the market and increased supply. Despite the market trends, there is one constant: people want to live in Vancouver.
Some of the main areas of concern for Vancouver homebuyers include low housing supply, as well as increases in insurance for condominium properties. These homeowners are commonly identified as being city lovers, either with or without kids, as well as those who are potentially looking to live elsewhere due to affordability challenges.
So, what are the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver to buy a house? Based on liveability factors like access to shopping, dining and green spaces, proximity to public transit, work, preferred schools, and cultural and community centres, here are our top picks in Vancouver.
5 Most Liveable Neighbourhoods in Vancouver
- Downtown: Downtown isn’t just home to business, arts, and entertainment, including the home of the Vancouver Canucks; it also features several vibrant residential areas. One of those neighbourhoods is Yaletown, which may be the trendiest place to live and play. Downtown features art galleries, retail, and world-class restaurants, making it an exceptionally livable area to call home.
- Strathcona: There is a lot of history in Strathcona. It is one of Vancouver’s earliest neighbourhoods. It remains very walkable and features exquisitely restored row homes with welcoming front porches. Known as the “East End,” a diverse population calls the neighbourhood home. Featuring a mix of cafes, breweries, vintage shops, and restaurants, there is always something to do close to home.
- Fairview: Central to everything in the city, you’ll find Fairview and its popular attraction: Granville Island. Everything you need is just steps away; it’s what attracts urban families to the area. Plus, the seawall is close by—a great place to walk, bike, or relax in the seaside park. Featuring low-rise apartments, townhouses, and newly-developed condos, it is a great place to call home.
- Grandview-Woodland: This may be the most eclectic neighbourhood in Vancouver. Commercial Drive drives many residents to choose this area as a home base. “The Drive” blends modern chic and historical charm, providing a culturally rich place filled with shopping, dining, and nightlife. You can see the city’s heritage throughout this neighbourhood through its housing: large, luxurious homes mixed with small cottages.
- Mount Pleasant: This neighbourhood is popular with first-time homebuyers and families. The infusion of youth makes it a vibrant community filled with plenty of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options. Arts are a big feature of Mount Pleasant. You’ll find many artists in the neighbourhood and plenty of arts-focused festivals to check out.
As noted above, the most liveable neighbourhoods in Vancouver offer excellent proximity to many liveability factors, including proximity to public transit, green spaces and social spots such as bars, restaurants and shopping. Vancouver also boasts a great variety of outdoor activities that factor into these neighbourhoods’ liveability.
Other notable mentions include:
- West End
- South Cambie
- Riley Park
- Kitsilano
- Shaughnessy
Vancouver Liveability Trends
It’s expected that Vancouver will continue to improve its liveability over the next three to five years, with more municipalities channelling resources to the specific neighbourhood wants. For example, in Kitsilano, we continue to see a demand for easy bike lane access, whereas, in Yaletown, proximity to public transit is the more critical liveability factor.
Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Vancouver
The Vancouver housing market was on an upward trajectory at the start of 2020, picking up right where the fall market left off in 2019. While COVID-19 has impacted the market in Vancouver, it is expected that the spring market will remain strong, as was seen at the beginning of the year.
Some of the main areas of concern for Vancouver homebuyers include low housing supply, as well as recent increases in insurance for condominium properties. These homeowners are commonly identified as being city lovers, either with or without kids, as well as those who are potentially looking to live elsewhere due to affordability challenges.
So, what are the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver to buy a house? RE/MAX explores more than 300 of Canada’s most liveable hot spots in the new 2020 Liveability Report. Here are our top picks in Vancouver.
10 Most Liveable Neighbourhoods in Vancouver
- Downtown
- Strathcona
- Fairview
- Grandview-Woodland
- Mount Pleasant
- West End
- South Cambie
- Riley Park
- Kitsilano
- Shaughnessy
Most Liveable Neighbourhoods in Vancouver
The most liveable neighbourhoods in Vancouver, as noted above all offer great proximity to many liveability factors, including proximity to public transit, green spaces and social spots such as bars, restaurants and shopping. Vancouver also boasts a great variety of outdoor activities that also factor into the liveability of these neighbourhoods.
Vancouver Liveability Trends
Liveability in Vancouver is expected to continue to improve over the next three to five years, with more municipalities channeling resources to the specific neighbourhood wants. “For example, in Kitsilano, we continue to see a demand for easy bike lane access, whereas in Yaletown, proximity to public transit is the more important liveability factor”.
Vancouver at a Glance
Vancouver is the most populous city in British Columbia and boasts gorgeous ocean and mountain views, bringing the best of both world to people who choose to call Vancouver home. It is a coastal seaport city and has some of the warmest year-round temperatures in Canada. It’s close proximity to both the ocean and mountains make it a popular location for both outdoor and urban enthusiasts.
Canada’s Most Liveable Neighbourhoods
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Liveability is about quality of life at a local level. A neighbourhood’s dynamism, or lack thereof, involves a delicate convergence between independent small businesses, public institutions, arts and culture, green spaces and housing, to name a few. The COVID-19 tragedy will impact neighbourhood ecosystems differently across the country, just as the virus itself has. Yet, civic/local pride has been proliferating throughout this crisis in inspiring ways, giving Canadians hope that micro-economies, including real estate, have the resilience to be restored in the near and mid-term.
To learn more about liveability in Canada’s biggest housing markets, read the RE/MAX 2020 Liveability Report.
Located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Vancouver is the most populous city in the province with more than 600,000 people. Vancouver is a coastal seaport city with some of the warmest year-round temperatures in Canada. It boasts a beautiful landscape of sea and mountains and is a popular place for outdoor and urban enthusiasts.
We know that Canadian’s truly celebrate the liveabililty factors of their neighbourhood – the qualities that give homeowners the true satisfaction of their home within the context of a neighbourhood. In fact a Leger survey conducted by RE/MAX revealed that 89% of Canadians recommend their neighbourhoods to others. Unlike your home, neighbourhoods cannot be changed, so it is important to assess what qualities are important to you before you purchase. Luckily, when it comes to Vancouver, there is a lot of celebrate in terms of liveability.
A survey of RE/MAX Brokers revealed that the best places to live in Vancouver are Main, West End and Kerrisdale rank as the top three neighbourhoods in Vancouver for access to green spaces and parks, walkability, retail and restaurants and the ease of getting around/public transit.
In the same Leger survey, six-in-10 Canadians put easy access to shopping, dining and green spaces at the top of their liveability criteria. Proximity to public transit (36 per cent), work (30 per cent) and to preferred schools (18 per cent), as well as cultural and community centres (18 per cent) fall out of the top five neighbourhood wants and expectations. So how does Vancouver stack up?
If you are searching for the best place to live in Vancouver, Main ranks as the top hidden gem neighbourhood, while Mount Pleasant, Downtown – Vancouver West and Renfrew-Collingwood rank as the top three neighbourhoods for affordability and good supply of housing inventory.
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