Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello!
We are thinking of moving our family to Victoria, or somewhere else on Vancouver Island.
Where are the top areas/neighbourhoods you would suggest we check out? We're looking for neighbourhoods with young kids, well maintained, close to coffee shops, restaurants, safe, good schools, etc.
I am told Oak Bay is good to check out, but where are the other areas we may not know about?
Also, we're going to drive all up the eastern coast of the island, so we're open to areas outside of Victoria itself. We're going to be looking all the way up to Courtenay, and everything in between, so what would you suggest?
Price range is about $1.2m. I would like to pay less, so if we find an area that fits the bill with lower costs, that would be great, but 1.2 would be the top I'd be willing to go to.
What areas do you suggest we check out?
Thanks for your help!
Sorry, but I just think it's important to ask this. Have you already established that you are eligible and will qualify and be granted approval to immigrate from USA to Canada? If immigration qualifications and eligibility have not been established yet, then you really need to find out about that first so you know where you stand before even thinking about buying property anywhere in Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/im...tizenship.html
What kind of work occupations will you and your spouse be doing? Pretty much all the towns on the island are family towns (although oddly enough half the population of Victoria are single adults and there are a lot of retirees there) but your number of choices of towns to live in on the island might be limited by your work occupations. Some of the towns on the island are very, very small and spread quite far apart from each other and the entire island's total population is not very big - it's under 800,000.
I think it's an excellent idea for you to visit Vancouver Island and drive up its east coast highway first and see what it's all like before you try to choose which town to live in. If you have time I'll suggest you also try to visit Campbell River (north of Courtney) and Port Alberni (in the center of the island) too.
When you've actually seen and decided for sure which town you think would be most suitable for all of your family and occupational needs (I'm guessing that probably you will settle for Victoria or Nanaimo [Nanaimo has a larger population than Victoria] since they have the biggest greater-metro populations and the most amenities available) then you can focus on looking for the right neighbourhood to buy a home in.
Thank you. I'll check out these links. I was hoping there would be some people with kids here who would help me narrow down the top 5 or so places to make sure I don't miss while there. Are there some absolute must see towns or neighbourhoods I should make sure not to miss checking out?
I'm a little overwhelmed by the choices, hoping to narrow it down a little.
I'd ask the Victoria sub on Reddit or Quora, I don't think the number of Victoria / Van Isle residents on this forum is that high. Oak Bay is really nice, pricey but if you can swing it I think it's one of the best areas to live in Victoria. Fairfield and James Bay are also quite nice.
My not-too-informed two cents would say, since you're moving and have options, find somewhere in Victoria if you've got a young family and such a healthy budget for a home. The other smaller cities, even Nanaimo, along the coast might be a little dull and low in opportunities/activities for kids growing up especially in the age of urbanization.
Thank you, good idea. I have had some good luck on here in the past for other things so I thought I'd try it.
I'll check out Reddit and Quora as well. Thank you!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
