Vancouver is a Wonderful City … But!

Please don’t get the wrong idea! Vancouver wins plenty of awards and earns more than it’s fair share of international acclaim for doing many things well including hosting events like the Olympics/International Expos/World Cup/etc.. Heck, in most areas where Victoria is #1 in Canada/Internationally Vancouver is usually close behind or right on our heels.

That said, by 2011 the city of Vancouver had officially taken over as the 8th largest city in Canada, which is a cautious achievement at best. With a track record of unhealthy growth spurts in recent years the 2016 census is certain to reveal the population density problem in Vancouver has only become worse.

The theft, vandalism, littering, and other issues that come with an unhealthy density of people packed into frustratingly cramped and overpriced living spaces are really easy to spot in Vancouver.

When you mention an area, say the lower east side, to a Vancouver resident I can assure you that they aren’t going to start thinking of great places to live & raise a family, retire, or even a nice spot to visit. In fact these days, with all the population growth plus foreign property investment causing empty buildings to sit & languish, it’s getting really hard to even define where the problems that plague an area like the lower east side of Vancouver actually stop or start because neighboring areas are quickly pulled into the problem.

Moving to Victoria

The timing couldn’t be better. Vancouver housing prices are beyond silly, there’s so much wrong with the current population boom that some residents feel like it’s hopeless to own a property in the area due to the unreasonably high cost.

Meanwhile Victoria has been building some great neighborhoods and it’s very affordable to own a modern home or splurge and invest in some luxury property without worrying about rapid devaluation.

Popular Victoria Neighborhoods

Central Saanich: Still active as a farming community today, this municipality has been an excellent place to live with plenty of local amenities and attractions including the Butchart Gardens and multiple award winning wineries.

Colwood: While this community is a vital connection between the big city and many outlying west-coast neighborhoods it’s also a rich with it’s own history and local atractions like the Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University.

Esquimalt: Home to the Royal Canadian Navy – Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, this area was originally a port of call for early settlers to Vancouver Island. The name loosely translates to “Land of Shoaling Waters”, paying tribute to the many accessible shores in the area.

Metchosin: Another very qrural farming neighborhood with small produce and livestock production. The area has many well known parks such as Witty’s Lagoon, and is home of one of the highest rated eateries on the island, the Mychosen Cafe.

Oak Bay: Residential neighborhoods compete for attention with parks, schools, and art galleries in this quaint section of Victoria. We’ve featured the castles, marinas, and other highlights of the Oak Bay area in our blog on several occasions.

Sidney: An industrial area used by many businesses for warehousing, construction, and manufacturing, Sidney is also the location for our international airport (YYJ), multiple ferry docks, and some large marinas. Thanks to the natural beauty and history of the area it’s also a popular spot to retire and the town of Sidney is often applauded for catering to seniors.

Sooke: This community was fueled by a variety of interests including forestry, fishing, and even gold mining. Today Sooke offers an incredible collection of residential areas, parks, schools, and small businesses. This is also a popular area for retirement, camping, and hiking.

Living in Victoria is great!

In recent years the city and surrounding areas have seen very well planned/executed world-class venues popping up, like:

• Bear Mountain
• Save On Foods Center
• A new world-class motor sports resort being built right now
• + we have a massive indoor trampoline park with 7 different zones with different activities in each opening very soon!

This is in addition to all the other activities that already made Victoria famous like the Royal BC Museum/IMAX, Butchart Gardens, Miniature World, plus all the parks, the breakwater, the boardwalk, multiple world-class winery tours, and all the beaches with campsites on the way out to Port Renfrew.

People like to complain about the cost of the ferries but with all that Victoria provides getting off Vancouver Island isn’t something you’ll do often enough to be concerned and the money you save living in a far more reasonable city like Victoria easily pays for the occasional ferry trip to Washington/Vancouver.

Make it Easier to Move to Victoria

There’s plenty of details to fuss over during a move, why not leave the realty work to the experts who have proven knowledge of the local area, bylaws, and pricing?

The team at Geoff McLean & Associates are not only reliable, they have a proven track record and great Victoria property listings. You can count on Geoff’s team to get the best deals while helping you avoid pitfalls and issues that waste time/effort. Even if you’ve already started working with another realtor in Victoria, you should take a moment to see what an experienced local professional can offer.