I’ve been visiting Vancouver for three short days and can easily understand why it was named one of the best places to live in the world. It’s accessible, beautiful, green and there is a lot to do.
Don’t think that my idea of Vancouver is only what exists downtown. I’ve been able to explore most of Greater Vancouver and it got me thinking – if you were to move to a new city, how would you decide where to live? When you are looking for the best plumber, you use HomeStars…but what about when you are looking for the best neighborhood?
The tricky part is that what makes a great neighborhood for me can be totally different for someone else. For example, our Vancouver Community Builder, Nichole, labeled herself as a “suburb” kinda gal – the thought of moving downtown, into a 650 sq ft box, did not appeal to her. But it obviously appeals to a lot of people, because there sure are a lot of condos downtown.
I also wondered if I had tourist-googles on. You know, I’m so enamored by all of the fun things I am doing that I think “Oh yeah, I could totally live here.” Realistically, the way to figure out where you want to live is to actually live there. However, it’s also the most impractical advice, who can afford the time and money to keep moving around? Instead, most of the research and advice I’ve come across says to decide on what things are most important to you and do a lot of research. Here are three simple things to keep in mind when deciding what works best for you:
1. Live
What kind of home do you what? What kind can you maintain? How big do you want your living space to be? What kinds of neighbours do you want?
2. Work
What’s your commute like? Do you have a car? Is public transit an option for you? How is the public transit system?
3. Play
What things are in your area for fun? Is being outdoors important to you? Maybe you are foodie and should focus on being near restaurants. Do you like shopping? (or maybe you are trying to avoid shopping al together?)
How did you decide on where to live? Let me know by leaving a comment!
