Vancouver, British Columbia is the 3rd largest city in Canada with over 500,000 people in Greater Vancouver and over 2 million in the greater metropolitan area. Nestled between the Coast Mountains, Fraser River and Vancouver Island, this city is not only beautiful, but bustling with culture and commerce. Vancouver is diverse with nearly half of the population made up of ethnic minorities.
As a diverse and affluent city; downtown Vancouver has plentiful shopping venues, including Pacific Centre, Yaletown District, Harbour Centre Mall and Granville Island. Getting around the city without a car is made easy by the city’s expansive public transit network, and the mild weather makes it a great city to commute by bicycle. Vancouver winters are relatively warm and summers stay temperate (average temperature 22 C). Vancouver is home to many professional sports teams such as hockey, football and baseball. Universities such as the University of British Columbia, Langara College, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Simon Fraser University also reside in this international city.
Downtown Vancouver neighborhoods include Yaletown, the West End, Coal Harbour, Fairview, and Mount Pleasant areas. The West Side, located on the south shore of English Bay and west of Granville St, consists of the Kitsilano, Point Grey, Dunbar-Southlands, Arbutus-Ridge, and Kerrisdale neighborhoods. West Side neighborhood homes are more expensive because of their larger lot sizes, with 12 to 15 houses per block, their proximity the University of British Columbia with its surrounding parks and golf courses, open beach front along English Bay and easy access to the city center, nightlife, and scenery.
East Vancouver or the East Side, located on the south shore of the Burrard Inlet and east of Main St and west of Burnaby, BC, consists of the Grandview-Woodlands, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Renfrew-Collingwood, Hastings-Sunrise, Victoria-Fraser-View, and Killarney neighborhoods. Many East Side homes are in new housing developments near transit centers and house a growing population of young professionals who want both affordability and convenience. While more affordable, these areas tend to have a more mixed business and industrial area and many of the major transportation corridors pass through them.
The economy of Vancouver has traditionally relied on its natural harbor and the abundant natural resources of British Columbia including mining, forestry, fishing and agriculture. Today Vancouver is diversifying with a vibrant service industry, growing tourism and is a growing film production center with the well earned nickname of Hollywood North.
If you want to know more about Vancouver, BC real estate and find homes for sale, a good place to start is to see what homes are on the market. Use the form on this page to get updates on Vancouver MLS listings in your areas of interest.
