Which suburbs in Vancouver would you recommend ?

Question

We are a couple with two young boys and are hoping to migrate over to Canada from the UK. Which areas/ towns from Vancouver's suburbs would you recommend. We are hoping to settle in a nice area with maybe a park nearby, clean, near good schools and not too far to drive down to the down town part for work. any suggestions?

Answer 1

Why not move to Vancouver? South east Vancouver is pretty nice and "cheaper" than the rest of Vancouver. Stay away from hastings. And if money is not an issue, consider moving anywhere in Vancouver West (this is different from West Vancouver). There are so many nice areas there. Personally, I think Vancouver West is the best area to raise kids if money is not an issue: Mackenzie heights, South Granville, Kitsilano...these are all nice areas over there. Real Shaugnessy and Point Grey are also nice, but they're for super rich folks.

I really don't recommend moving to Richmond. It's nice but not a place to actually live in. West Vancouver and North Vancouver I really would not recommend either, because you then have to deal with those a**hole bridges. But the cities themselves are really nice. North Van has a real sense of community, while West Van just has really nice views and incredibly gorgeous homes. And you actually get what you pay for, unlike a lot of homes in Vancouver proper. But urgh...I hate the lions gate bridge with a passion. I know it's not the only way to get to these cities, but you will have to cross that bridge a lot.

Burnaby is an option, although it's not that nice. It has some okay areas, but the majority sucks.

There are some nice areas in Surrey that a lot of Vancouverites don't know about. Most Vancouverites think Surrey is a piece of crap. Well, it's not. South Surrey is beautiful as well as Port Kells and Panorama Ridge. Another nice area is White Rock. White Rock is most definately my favourite part of the Greater Vancouver area. Nice view, nice beach and great small town community feeling. Anyways, since Surrey and White Rock is a bit far from downtown, I guess it's out of the question. But alot of people in these areas work in Vancouver, so it could be a possibility. Probably a half hour commute. Not that bad imo.

Answer 2

Both South and North Delta are nice. North Delta has lots of schools and parks. You can catch the sky train to downtown instead of driving. It's a lot easier than driving through traffic and construction and finding a parking spot downtown.

South Delta(Tsawwassen and Ladner) are great too! If you enjoy the beach and a little more laid back atmosphere, then this is a great area! It's about 30-45 min to downtown. Unfortunately, there's no sky train line out there, but the buses run regularly. Driving in from South Delta isn't too bad.

Surrey has its good and bad areas, Port Kells is in between Surrey and Langley. It too is nice, lots of farm land.

Richmond is very hectic and pricey. It's hard to get around sometimes! Lots of malls and it's close to the airport.

North Vancouver is fantastic, great schools, parks, Lonsdale Quay. It's close to downtown, just a fast ferry across the water. If you have a chance, check out Deep Cove. It's at the far east end of North Van. It's right on the water with an amazing little community.

There are so many nice suburban areas of Vancouver! You're best bet is to visit and take a drive! Good luck!

Answer 3

With its pile history and urban beaches, Vancouver has got the rightly received reputation of being one of the most wonderful towns on earth, with hotelbye you could have the chance to see this particular city. Among the areas you'll need to see in Vancouver could be the Downtown Vancouver. Downtown Vancouver is brilliantly situated on a peninsula in the Strait of Georgia bounded to the south by the delta of the Fraser River and to the north with a heavy fiord reaching far inland. Here you can also begin to see the frequently snow-covered stages of the Coast Mountains. Stanley Park is one of the very visited parks. Is a rich Peninsula Park of big woods nearby to Downtown Vancouver. A flat seawall journey encircles the natural space, and most readers take some time to investigate on base or by bicycle. Inland, the park offers several things to do, and visitors may invest a complete time exploring attractions which range from the totem posts at Brockton Point to the west shore sea living at the Vancouver Aquarium. Magnificent opinions are a typical through the park.

Answer 4

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RE:
Which suburbs in Vancouver would you recommend ?
We are a couple with two young boys and are hoping to migrate over to Canada from the UK. Which areas/ towns from Vancouver's suburbs would you recommend. We are hoping to settle in a nice area with maybe a park nearby, clean, near good schools and not too far to drive down to the down town...

Answer 5

You probably don't want to drive to downtown..yikes.. parking is mega expensive! I would suggest renting at first until you get a feel for the area, and also find jobs. No point in worrying about commuting downtown if you wind up working in New Westminster or Burnaby!

Like a previous answerer mentioned, if possible you want to avoid crossing bridges! Vancouver itself is on a peninsula, and is surrounded on all sides by water... open ocean, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, and to the east the Pitt River. To avoid the bridges, you need to look in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, or Port Moody. Being located close to a SkyTrain or Westcoast Express station can be important if you do wind up working downtown. You might want to check out this site to see where the public transit routes are: http://www.translink.bc.ca/default.asp

I think a good idea would be to invest in a scouting expedition... leave the kids with a relative and come over for 2 or 3 weeks, rent a car, and make reservations in several B&B's in different areas of the Lower Mainland. Don't do the tourist thing.. stay for 2 or 3 days in each area, talk to your hosts about it, eat in the local restaurants, walk the streets, check out the facilities, and get a real feel for it. Talk to a realtor if you're going to be buying! It might sound like an expensive trip but it will be worth it if it helps you find the right place to settle :)

I'm in PoCo myself.. there's quite a variety of housing here, and is relatively inexpensive (and as far as you can get without going across a bridge!). I think you'd like it.. good shopping.. new schools.. lots of pubs :)

Answer 6

West Vancouver, North Vancouver or Richmond.