OT... ? for people living in Greater Vancouver area

[BraMax]

My husband has been spending a lot of time working out in Vancouver and with the cold winter we have had here in Alberta he is really considering the possibility of moving to the Greater Vancouver area in the next year or two. My question is what is a good area to look into. We have kids right now in grades 1 and 3 so a good school is important too.

We have been looking at the areas of South Surrey, White Rock, Tsawwassen, and Langley. I know we can't afford West Vancouver . These were places his co-workers suggested by the way.

Any insite would be great thank-you!

 

[PandaDis]

Hi,
We recently moved from North Vancouver to the Fraser Heights area of Surrey, which I highly recommend. It is in North Surrey - not the Guildford area of North Surrey, but even more north. It is actually on the north side of Hwy 1. I like it because it is separated from the bulk of Surrey, including the malls and such and all the people and traffic that goes with that. The area is all houses, not apartment buildings. To get on and off the highway you don't have to battle the traffic that Langley and anything in Surrey south of the highway do. There is a nice high school and several nice elementary schools (my ds is in one of them). It is a little pricier than Langley and other areas of Surrey, though. Coming from North Vancouver, though, where the house prices are higher, Fraser Heights was more than reasonable.

HTH!

 

[CanadianDISfan]

I'd recommend South Surrey, White Rock or Tsawwassen where we have relatively more sunshine than Langley and North Surrey (Fraser Heights). You'll be shocked still at the amount of rain compared to Alberta though but I'm sure you'll appreciate the lack of snow!! Cheers!!

 

[c&m]

I know it's not on your list. But check out Steveston Village or the Steveston area in Richmond. We were featured in Canadian Living over a year ago as the healthiest place to live in Canada.

We are on the most southern, western tip of Richmond. There's a long boardwalk to walk/jog, and a little village of shops, coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, butcher shop, neighbourhood pub, etc. We are walking distanct to the best big playground and water park in town. There are three really good elementary schools to choose from, one of which is a French Immersion. There's an excellent high school in the neighbourhood.

You will see your neighbours jogging, riding their bikes all over the place. It's a friendly place, easy to make friends amongst your neighbours, especially when you have kids going to the schools.

 

[BraMax]

Thank-you all for your input. We will check out these new locations. We are hoping to make a trip as a family out to Vancouver this summer so that the boys can see what it is all about.

Any more advice out there?

 

[dinotorrid]

Of course, as someone said already, there's far less snow. In fact, this past weekend we reached 12°C. It's cloudy with a low-pressure over us now, but it's still 9°C outside. So if you prefer warmer temperatures, it's great.

Lots to do as well, Grouse Mountain is a very popular place to go and getting around by the transit system is fairly good too (compared to others I've seen). We got the longest automated light rapid transit system in the world. Your kids might like Playland (our theme park), its nowhere near as good as the any of the Disney Parks by any means of a stretch, but it's still fun.

 

[smeecanada]

Another vote for the Steveston Area in Richmond. My sister and her family have lived there since 1985. Really nice. Close to the airport for those Disney trips as well.

Make sure you check out the Vancouver Aquarium and Science World - the kids will love both places.

 

[lisalonglash]

We have lived in Burnaby, Richmond (close to Steveston), Port Coquitlam, Surrey and South Surrey, where we have now lived for over five years. My clear favourite is South Surrey! It's such a friendly, welcoming and relaxing area to live - we love it here. Sorry, I can't help you with first-hand experience with the schools because we homeschool, but I've heard great things about the local elementary and high schools from other parents who have children enrolled. We have lots of parks and green space, not to mention proximity to the water. Crescent Beach is very family-friendly - lovely boardwalk for strolling, ice cream parlours, etc. The main White Rock beach is great too, but we prefer Crescent Beach because it's a bit smaller and less busy.

Good luck with your decision - too many choices LOL

 

[redtulip]

I am in the White Rock/South Surrey area and love it. Great sense of community - which is important to us - good schools, close to beaches, nice parks, etc. We moved here from Langley, which we found it too suburban - that is, lots of big box stores, cookie-cutter subdivisions, not much of a community feel. We are much happier now in the South Surrey area. You still have access to big boxes if you need it, but it's not "in your face".

I used to live in Richmond and also recommend the Steveston area, it's quite lovely.

 

[lisalonglash]

I am in the White Rock/South Surrey area and love it. Great sense of community - which is important to us - good schools, close to beaches, nice parks, etc. We moved here from Langley, which we found it too suburban - that is, lots of big box stores, cookie-cutter subdivisions, not much of a community feel. We are much happier now in the South Surrey area. You still have access to big boxes if you need it, but it's not "in your face".

I used to live in Richmond and also recommend the Steveston area, it's quite lovely.

Hey, another South Surrey-ite!

 

[BraMax]

Thanks everyone for your responses. My husband really likes South Surrey so that is where he seems to be concentrating. I have another question. Have you guys seen a decline in housing prices like we have in Alberta? Just wondering where the trend is headed. I think we are aiming for summer of 2010 to make the move.

 

[lisalonglash]

Thanks everyone for your responses. My husband really likes South Surrey so that is where he seems to be concentrating. I have another question. Have you guys seen a decline in housing prices like we have in Alberta? Just wondering where the trend is headed. I think we are aiming for summer of 2010 to make the move.

Yes, there's been a decline in housing prices here in South Surrey/White Rock - however, in no way could this area's housing prices ever be classified as reasonable compared to outlying areas of the Greater Vancouver area!

Good luck finding exactly what you're looking for

PS: If you need a real estate agent here, let me know. My dad has been a RE agent for a long time and I'm sure he'd be pleased to help you

 

[BELLEDOZER]

I vote against Richmond, simply because I live here. For the simple basic reason that you can't find a patch land of any significant size here without paying a kings ransom. I know this from personal experience. Factor that lots of crazy drivers (not implying this to the other Richmondites that are on this board), and it makes for a fun drive. I would also factor in your decision about the drive times that your hubby would be facing driving from Surrey to Vancouver on a daily basis. The rush hours seem to be getting alot worse these days, and the lineups to get over our major bridges alot longer than they used to be. Would advise living in an area where your hubby can avoid going over a bridge. In Richmond we basically have no choice but to cross over a bridge or tunnel to get to the rest of the lower mainland, so keep this in mind. On the good side, there are some awesome Asian malls that have excellent Chinese fast food. Have a great evening!

 

[ado121]

maple ridge!

 

[chrisula]

Hi I grew up in South Burnaby, my husband and my 1st place was in Vancouver which we liked but as our kids got bigger we outgrew it pretty fast (it was a condo) We have been living in the Walnut Grove area of Langley for the last 4 years and I absolutly love it, the people the schools etc. Everything we need is just a short drive away, please keep in mind that neither my husband or I have to commute over a bridge, I work in Surrey which is the closest city to Langley. My oldest son will be going to high school next year and I feel that the elementary school has done a great job in preparing him for the next stage of his schooling. Walnut Grove has a great communty center with a library and a fantastic pool.
Hope this helps,

 

[redtulip]

Hey, another South Surrey-ite!

Hey neighbour!!