Moving to North Vancouver

If you are considering a change of lifestyle or employment, moving to North Vancouver Canada should be at the top of your list. With tons of potential for career advancement and investing in a household that will make capital gains over time, this area of British Columbia is the perfect mix of multicultural and high quality lifestyle.

Relocating yourself or your family to a new city does not have to be particularly difficult if you plan in advance and understand where you are moving to. With that said, we are going to highlight a few reasons why moving to Metro Vancouver on the North Shore is a wise decision. Remember to bring your hiking boots, rain jacket, and sunscreen. Yes. It’s weird here.

Greenest Cities in Canada

North Vancouver is continually voted as one of the greenest cities in Canada and around the world, with a focus on removing single use plastics and using streamlined systems for household waste. Recycling is very easy to do here and many of the main roadways have recycling bins for public use. The public parks and spaces are also non-smoking so there’s very few cigarette butts laying around. Throughout the community there are consignment and thrift stores so you can reuse clothing and other items to help keep the city green.

Affordable Housing

Metro Vancouver is known to be fairly expensive for housing but you can still find 2 bedroom apartment rentals for less than $2000 per month if you look well enough, and here in North Vancouver there are plenty of affordable housing options if you have time to research living situations. On the other hand, buying a home can range from getting a condo, townhouse, duplex, rowhouse, detached or similar. Using the right realtor is critical here as those who have grown up on Vancouver’s North Shore have the best contacts and know about properties that are not even on the MLS listing service.

Great Tasting Water

The tap water here is some of the best on earth, tasting fresh and clean and always refreshing. You do not need to drink bottled water and the community tends to avoid that while using tap water. You can use the faucet at your home for drinking and showering and the water fountains at the park are safe. Only a few times per year does the water become undrinkable when huge floods of water rain down for the first time after summer. Though the city and district are quick to make the fixes needed, usually it’s just a matter of allowing the rain to pass for a few days before things normalize.

Lifestyle Activities

Throughout North Vancouver you can find amazing lifestyle things to do and see, including the Lynn Valley and Capilano Suspension Bridges, Grouse Mountain, Seymour Mountain and Cypress Mountain. Plus of course the Lonsdale Quay waterfront adjacent to The Shipyards and all of the shops and restaurants lining the Lonsdale Avenue corridor. You can go boating in the morning to enjoy wake boarding, then go downhill skiing or snowboarding in the afternoon, followed by dinner at an amazing restaurant and live bands playing tunes. The amount of awesome things to do is endless. If you like sports, arts, culture, music, food, beer, or wine you will find that all here.

Multiculturalism

When you walk up and down Lonsdale you will see businesses from all nationalities including Iran, Mexico, Japan, Korea, England, Germany, and more. North Vancouver is well known as being one of the most multicultural cities in Canada. You can feel comfortable wearing the clothing styles that suit you best and being who you want to be. Everyone always feels welcome here. The City office has a plan to keep the city active, young and accessible while continuing to make it easy for people to immigrate here from anywhere on earth.

Access to Education

With Capilano University and the primary and secondary school system for kids and youth, North Vancouver has a great amount of education access. Whether you are already a professional seeking updating on your executive or continuing education, or you are just starting out in first year college, you can find it all here. The local school district is called ‘School District 44‘ and the main office is located in Central Lonsdale close to highway 1. The names of the many schools near by include Larson Elementary, Queen Mary Community Elementary, Queensbury Elementary, Ridgeway Elementary, Westview Elementary, Carson Secondary, Sutherland Secondary, Alcuin College, Holy Trinity School, St Edmunds Elementary, Bodwell High School and St. Thomas Aquinas School.

Universal Healthcare

When you are a resident or citizen of Canada you get guaranteed access to universal medical care for general and advanced needs. Families in British Columbia also no longer have to pay for the Medical Services Plan (MSP) deductibles monthly, making access to doctors even more affordable. All healthcare in BC besides private healthcare or dental is handled through the Government. Lions Gate Hospital is the main medical facility in the city. Plus seniors have the Silver Harbour Centre to use. You can also use the many walk in medical clinics throughout the community. This is where you would ask if you need a family doctor.

Accessible to All People

In terms of walkability and rideabiity, North Vancouver is becoming an accessible city for people of all walks of life to feel comfortable. Seniors have many small buses and the regional bus system is easy to use. People who may have disabilities can use the wheelchair ramps connecting public areas throughout the city. If you need help finding anything you can stop at the RCMP office to ask for directions or speak with any local business owner. The banks and credit unions in the area often speak a variety of languages as well. If you like to ride your bike you will find many bike lanes and more coming soon to the city and in particular in Lower Lonsdale along Esplanade.

Investing in Real Estate

When you first consider relocating to North Vancouver what we would suggest that you do is rent a condo or house to see if this is really where you want to live, and then look to purchase a property. As the lifestyle is so different across the City you want to make sure you are ticking all the boxes for your daily needs. There are many popular neighbourhoods including Blueridge, Braemar, Calverhall, Canyon Heights, Capilano, Central Lonsdale, Deep Cove, Delbrook, Dollarton, Edgemont, Forest Hills, Grand Boulevard, Grouse Woods, Hamilton Heights, Indian Arm, Indian River, Lower Lonsdale, Lynn Valley, Lynnmour, Norgate, Northlands, Pemberton Heights, Princess Park, Queensbury, Roche Point, Seymour, Tempe, Upper Lonsdale, Westlynn Terrace, Windsor Park and Woodlands. In our opinion living on or near Lonsdale Avenue is your best lifestyle choice.

Career Potential

The local economy is very strong here and most of the restaurants are always looking to hire new staff, as the demand for workers outweighs the size of the workforce. Making it great for a new place to move to, as you can plan in advance where you might like to work and line up your income before deciding to move here. The main industries locally are construction, tourism, movie filming, ship building and repair, education, medical, arts and hospitality. You can get everything from a cushy 6 figure salary position in an office to diving into becoming a head chef in your favourite restaurant. The options are endless for working here. Come and checkout everything that we have to offer as a community.

Safe and Clean

For the most part you can’t find a safer or cleaner city anywhere else in Canada. The roads are all immaculate and well kept being swept nightly using the many city road cleaning trucks. All of the main roadways have garbage cans and recycling so it’s easy to process your waste. There are virtually zero security issues and hardly any crime happens here at all. Keeping the general safety things in mind is always a plus no matter where you live.

Efficient Transportation

You can use the many Translink buses that connect North Vancouver with downtown Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland. The Marine Drive RapidBus will also be operating soon and connect West Vancouver across the North Shore. Plus of course the Lonsdale Quay seabus for walking and biking access. The Trans Canada Highway 1 runs across the community so you can drive easily over the Iron Workers Memorial or Lions Gate Bridge connecting you to Burnaby, Vancouver and beyond.

Noteworthy Information

• Did you know that North Vancouver is the 6th most densely populated city in Canada? With amazing city lifestyle and access to the North Shore Mountains, you just can’t beat what we have to offer.
• The average cost of renting is $1500 for a 1 bedroom, $2000 for a 2 bedroom and $3000 for a 3 bedroom, though you can rent rooms and do shared accommodation if you need it. Student housing is available.
• The average cost of buying a condo is about $450,000, detached homes are usually over $1 million and you can find everything in between, ask around when you get on the ground locally.
• The average household income in the District of North Van is just over $100,000 and the average household income in the City of North Van is just over $70,000, which makes for a decent lifestyle.
• You should read the Government of Canada websites before deciding to move to North Van so you can figure out what permits and paperwork you will need if you want to work here or relocate permanently.
• If you want to buy a car, truck or another vehicle like a motorcycle, make sure you have the correct drivers license through ICBC and then you can buy something used for cheap or buy new, leasing is also an option with tons of dealerships in the area.

Useful Websites for Reading More

We suggest checking out Reddit, Quora, and NVRC for other good feedback.

*If you have any questions about this article or any of the content use the page on our website with the contact form to chat with us. We are happy to help.