ULTIMATE VICTORIA BC NEIGHBOURHOODS GUIDE!

where is the best place to live in Victoria BC is it here here here or here here here or here Greater Victoria is made up of 13 different municipalities that each have their own unique qualities and the 400,000 people that call Southern Vancouver Island Home choose to live in different places for different reasons today we're going to tour from Sydney all the way to souk and give you a Sixpoint rating scale to determine what the best place to live in Greater Victoria is be sure to stick around to the end because I'm actually going to ask locals what their preference is let's roll to kick off our tour today we've driven to the tip of the sanish peninsula in the seaside town of Sydney now in thinking about this video I wanted to come up with six broad categories that would capture most of what people are looking for in neighborhoods while also slipping in some objective truths with my own subjective opinions as a local of Victoria I certainly think a certain kind of way about different areas and this list May differ for different people but hopefully gives you a better understanding of where where's where what's what and what areas are best for you the first of those categories is something that Sydney by the Sea does quite well that's Beauty and appeal now that could be neighborhood Aesthetics and how nicely kept the homes are in an area it could be cleanliness or it could be natural beauty all of those three things come together really nicely in a beautiful Seaside Community here in Sydney that's probably the best and cutest package that you'll find in Greater Victoria all of this Shoreline along the east side looking out towards Sydney Island and San Juan Island corresponding fairies that will get you out there lots and lots of natural boardwalks and walkways along the seaside and a beautifully kept downtown core with quaint cafes and restaurants to suit your needs I give Sydney an eight on the beauty and appeal skill the second category is Transit and walkability how easy is it to get around by foot by Bike by bus and how easy is it to get in and out of Sydney I would say that the proximity of amenities to the neighborhoods is great here you have a walk score of 51 a bike score of 65 and you get bonus points because you're super close to the BC fairies terminal as well as Victoria International Airport and getting down to Victoria is a breeze because you just take the pat Bay Highway all the way down Sydney gets a nine on Transit and walkability the third category is affordability this specifically relates to real estate purchase prices and how they fared so far in 2023 the way that I pitted neighborhoods against each other was I actually took the median in each segment so detached town homes and condos so far in 2023 I average those out which spits out a total number which is a way of somewhat determining how expensive those areas are Sydney is actually on the more affordable end of the spectrum but I had to tweak this slightly because there's a really strong condo Market here especially for the retirees that are looking for two bedrooms for that reason it makes it less approachable for a firsttime buyer but all the same the detached home prices are not as severe here as they are in the city of Victoria I believe so far in 2023 they came in at a 42,000 so for that reason Sydney's right about in the middle here at a 4 a half the fourth category is crime and safety which is largely contributed to by stats can's crime severity index rankings that collect data from local Municipal police forces on the frequency and severity of each call Sydney got a 48 which is actually higher than I would have expected in 2021 which is the most recent data available and for that reason it gets a six fifth category is schools and services Services being things like Professional Services whether you need a lawyer or accountant also could be Health Care practitioners physiotherapists dentists nearest hospital is important to this category as well as a major Transit Hub like an airport or a ferry terminal the way that I gathered info about schools was actually looking at the latest Fraser Institute rank Kings and then averaging the total of those scores now Sydney doesn't have a lot of schools but the ones that exist are good that's the first number that you see here and in total because of the scope of services available sanch Peninsula Hospital being quite nearby and the fairy terminal and Airport being right around the corner Sydney gets an eight the final category is activities and attractions what are the things to do here year round that would make you want to stay in this neighborhood Sydney has a lot of great things going for it although it is a little bit touristy you can take a stroll down Beacon Avenue and take in all the great shop stores and new restaurants and quaint cafes that it has on offer a lot of the activities are focused on the sea maybe getting down to the boat launch taking a ferry across to one of the US golf Islands or just getting out on the water on your own from any one of the number of beaches that line the coast here in Sydney there's great Parks here tulista park is one of my favorites they've got a sand beach volleyball court as well as a great playground in skate park and over overall it's really just about what's going on on Beacon AV spending a Sunday afternoon down here with your family and taking it all in for that reason I give Sydney a seven which brings us up to a total tally of 42.5 let's see how that shakes out versus the other municipalities in Victoria just over to the west from Sydney and we're here in North sanch which is one of my favorites for natural beauty which is again our first category we're here at the northernmost point of the sanch peninsula with all of the sanch Inlet over in behind me here to the West come on this is a beautiful spot there's acreage throughout lots of rolling hillsides hor Hill Regional Park and Deep Cove are some of my favorite spots and North sanch gets an eight on natural beauty here we are on one of North Sand's busier roads on Downey Road at a bus stop and Transit and walkability here is not great if I'm being honest you have a walk score of five a bike score of 20 there's not a lot of buses going to and front from or getting you close to Services here the Saving Grace is that we are close to BC fairies and the airport but on the whole there's not great walkability and this is a car-only type neighborhood Transit walkability what kind of score am I going to give it we'll say two how's housing affordability in North sanch well there's not a lot of variety that's for sure there have been less than 10 total condo and townhouse sales in the whole District so far in 2023 and of the homes that have sold in the detached variety the median sale price is north of $1.5 million for that reason I give North sanch a one is it safe in North sanch well there's not a lot of density not a lot going on and as a consequence not a lot of crime in north sanch at one time this was considered one of the safest places in all of British Columbia and as of 2021 the crime severity index ranking was 33 which is among the best in Greer Victoria welcoming Community friendly people it's a nine for me the schools are better than the services in North Santa and the latest Fraser Institute rankings gave each School more than five on their rating scale although residents out here in North sanch find that for services they have to drive all the way into Sydney to get things that they need for that reason it gets a four what is there to do up here while the activities and attractions in North sanch largely Focus around activities on the water like here at Deep Cove Marina a great place for morage you can also get out on a paddle board or kayak from any one of the number of beaches and Coes that line the coast here on the sanch inlet but there's other notable places to walk and Hike like hor Hill Park golf at Ardmore or even get up to Deep Cove Chalet for one of the most refined dining experiences in all of Victoria or across the street at Deep Cove Winery there are a few attractions not a ton but for the few that are great I give this a five north sanch is tranquil and beautiful but it doesn't have the broad spectrum of services that everyone is looking for in a community and for that reason it gets a 29 up next we've got Central Sage which is flanked by two sections of Coastline one in behind me here on the sanch inlet in brenwood Bay and over on the east section of the sanch peninsula by the Harrow straight beautiful pastoral Farms lovely sections of Rolling Hills dense forest a lot of variety which I absolutely love and then of course sheltered Bays like this at Brentwood Bay Coastal communities Beauty and appeal here is very very good and I'm going to give it a 7.5 Transit and walkability in central Sandage are pretty good although I will say that because it's more sparsely populated than some of the other Urban centers in Victoria if you don't live right in the heart of brenwood bay or near sanon Village the walk ability and bike ability are not as good we do have the pat Bay Highway running dead through the center of this municipality which means getting in and out is very easy and getting to transit or downtown is that much easier but with that said I believe the walk score here is about 44 bike score is about a 36 it's definitely better in some spots than others and if you're way out in a more rural setting in central swi it's not as easy to get around for that reason I give it a six on Transit and walkability affordability here in central sage just slightly better than the average that you'd see in Greer Victoria that detached median coming in just south of $1.2 million so far this year and with condos at a median of 550 it's reasonably affordable but it's really not too far off from the middle of prices in Victoria for that reason we give it a 5 and a half is it safe in Central sanch yep its crime severity index ranking in 2021 was 34 which is among the best in Greater Victoria it's a nine on crime and safety the primary and secondary schools in central sanch are actually rated quite well but the services maybe leave something to be desired because little towns like brenwood Bay have less than 5,000 people the total scope of services might not be everything that you're looking for and for that reason it ends up at a 6 6.5 on my rating scale activities and attractions in central sanch likely favor tourists a little bit more than locals and they just aren't places you'd visit every weekend but all the same worth mentioning of course you have the world famous butchar gardens which has been in bloom for more than a hundred years and is a National Historic Site tours from around the world flock to see the famous butchar gardens you also have great spots to check out like church and state Winery to maybe grab a sample or two or four and even the butterfly gardens just up the road from us here but beyond that off the Beaten Track great natural places to visit like Island View Beach as well as hiking through Gallant Todd Provincial park down to the Todd Inlet great hikes and walks for me I would call it a seven on the activities and attractions you can't miss the sanage fair of course and that brings us up to a total of 41.5 for Central sanch we've gone from North to Central to Sanic which is the most populous municipality in all of Greater Victoria on a beauty and appeal scale this is one of the best there's so much green space in sanch the municipality really respects trees open space for people to enjoy and great places to visit with your family like here at Elk Lake Regional Park there's Great Lakes there's tons of Shoreline from Cordova Bay all the way down to Cabra Bay and for that reason I give sanch an eight because sanch is so big Transit and walkability are better in some places than others like here in Royal Oak where you could walk to shopping and amenities other parts of sand that are more sparsely populated means the walkability is not there but on the whole it's pretty good between the bike score walk score and Transit score it ranges between 40 to 56 so sanch gets a six affordability is okay there are some select neighborhoods in sanch that are some of the most expensive in all of Greer Victoria but there's also a wide variety and some approachable neighborhoods the median of a detached home in 2023 comes in just over 1.2 million but really sanwi is right in the middle because of that variety so I give it a four it's pretty hard to feel unsafe although there could be a cougar running through here in the woods in Broad me but sanch is pretty sparsely populated there's not a lot of huge concentrations of people and consequently crime is not very severe the latest CSI was 48 and I give sanch a six the schools in sanch are good although there is a lot of variability there's good private school options and public school options but in some spots it's a bit Hit or Miss as far as Services goes we're incredibly Central here and you have pretty much everything you need especially when it's centered in one of these Village cores like in Broad meat or in Cabra Bay there's usually a concentration of commercial density that gives you everything that you need in a nice concise package for that reason sanch gets a seven sanch is all about The Great Outdoors if you love being outside and being active this is the place to do it there's more than 170 Parks 100 km of Green Space the best beach in all of Greater Victoria at cab Bay Beach although I say it's all about the Green Space there are other amenities like Uptown shopping center with all the modern shopping conveniences you would expect in a major city sanch is great and it's an 8.5 on the activities front overall that brings us up to 39.5 stop is vew Royal which I don't think get nearly as much credit as it deserves from victorians I think because we find ourselves driving through vew Royal rather than actually spending some time in some of these little pockets and taking in picturesque it actually is because we're on the Esquimalt Harbor and at the northernmost point of it there's all these private sheltered little Coes and beaches that are extremely beautiful you also have thetus Lake Regional Park on the other side of the highway but between those two things and the fact that I think there is some better Shoreline on offer in Greer Victoria it gets a six on the beauty and appeal scale for me transit and walkability not so good main negative is that this community does straddle Highway one that means at the start and end of business day for anyone commuting from V Royal or from the West Shore into Victoria and vice versa that can really get jammed up the Saving Grace is that you do have the Galloping Goose Regional Trail for all the cyclists among you that does offer some convenience but for those main commercial centers there isn't a ton of residential development around them which mean there's not a lot of walkability from your neighborhood to services in V Royal we have a walk score of 28 a bike score of 51 but I would say A3 on Transit and walkability view roil is ever so slightly on the more affordable end of the spectrum and in 2023 so far the detached median comes in just shy of $1.1 million there's still some pretty good value to be had in this community especially if you're looking for a newer home for that reason I place it at a six on the affordability scale view oil comes in with a crime severity index ranking in 2021 of 61 which is actually a bit higher than I would have expected many of these neighborhoods are quite sleepy quiet and safe but there are a few isolated pockets You may wish to avoid make sure you reach out to someone that knows how to point those spots out so for me I would say it's a 4 and A2 on the crime and safety rating the schools in V roil come in in the middle of the road but the services available are actually quite good there's two concentrations of commercial development in vew Royal one is here at Eagle Creek shopping center and the other is at Admiral's Walk where you'll find pretty much everything that you need there's a great quality foods here and of course right across the street we have Victoria General Hospital so on that account service is pretty good school's okay it shakes out at a 7 there are some great activities and attractions in V Royal probably the best is access to thetus Lake Regional Park and behind me Highland Pacific Golf is also a great golf course and of course you do have access to the Waterfront down south of the old Island Highway for me maybe there's not as much on the restaurants cafes things to do that you would normally head into Victoria to find so I'm going to give it a six which brings us to a total of 32.5 now we're in the township of esalt one of these beautiful communities on the Southern Coastline of Greater Victoria also the home of Canada's Naval Base at CFB esalt to me the beauty and appeal of Squam malt is a little bit mixed there's some incredible Vistas along the ocean front like here at sax Point Park but there's also kind of funny little commercial sections that are a little bit grungy as well as the naval base itself so because of that variety I'm going to give it a 6.5 Transit and walkability are great we're close to downtown there's lots of great bus routes that operate frequently you're close to amenities especially down here in Pockets around a simal plaza like in the saxs point and rock Heights communities and you have the enn bike trail running from here to downtown you have a walk score of 51 a bike score of 63 I give a s malt an 8.5 affordability is pretty good this is one of the only community ities on our list today that has a median sale price of a detached home in Greater Victoria under a million dollar so far in 20123 and considering that we're just 15 minutes to downtown Victoria to me that feels like a bit of a bargain condos and town homes follow suit in a way and squal gets an eight on affordability if you growing up in Victoria 30 or 40 years ago you might have been told that a siml was like the wrong side of the tracks and an unsafe place place to live but that's not the case in its current form and it's actually one of the safer communities in all Greer Victoria the crime severity index ranking from 2021 came in at 45 and consequently it comes in at 6.5 the schools aren't very well-rated but there are some unique offers like here at a Cole Victor badur which is one of the only French language schools in Greater Victoria the services are great and you have lots of amenities at a squal plaza or Admiral's Walk but on the whole the schools do bring us down to a 5.5 activities and attractions here are fantastic we have some of the best parks in all of Greater Victoria like the storied esal Gorge Park mcau Point park or here with the unparalleled natural beauty of sax Point Park the other thing I love about living here yes I am in ayal Resident is the community events and vibrancy of the area you have Ribfest JazzFest and Buccaneer Days which bring out the pirate in all of us I'm proud to live here so bear in mind some of these numbers could be a little bit inflated but I give at a n on the activities and attraction scale bringing us up to a grand total of 44 next up we're in the seaside community of cwood on the western end of squal Harbor this Seaside neighborhood has quite a bit of beauty and appeal and I just think you can't fault living by the Sea although the cwood of 20 or 30 years ago was quite different than what you see today I remember thinking about cwood as kind of being out in the sticks quite rural suburban and a little bit patchy in spots some of those relics still exists today but the new and emerging version of cwood is definitely modern Seaside living so I give it a six for beauty and appeal Transit and walkability or so so you have a walk score of 32 and a bike score of 41 but they are improving especially with all its happening at Royal Bay and the idea of a new commercial center emerging here that you can walk or bike to that will have a dramatic impact over the next 5 to 10 years for now once again it kind of feels like cwood is just an extension of Langford and the things that you need to walk or bike to are likely a drive away rather than a walk or bike away that will change but for now it's a four how about the homes here well as soon as you say new that doesn't necessarily mean inexpensive and because there's such a huge volume of new construction going on in cwood that does lift the median sale price of a detached unit so far this year it's a million 75 but there are more approachable areas of cwood with some 70s homes that come in well well below a million dollar so because of that and the makeup of town home and condo options that continue to emerge it's definitely on the more affordable end of the spectrum I give it a 6.5 it's pretty quiet sleepy in Suburban in cwood the latest CSI was 44 and I give it a 6.5 the schools in Colwood are pretty good wishart Elementary actually gets top marks and the services are improving like this quality foods that they just opened in Royal Bay there's a lot of exciting development happening cwood and with that come a lot of new and convenient Services previously residents of cwood would have to drive into Langford for their core Necessities but that's changing and changing quickly school's okay service is improving I give it a 5.5 the attractions of cwood are pretty special but they're probably not places that residents are visiting every day of the week like historic Hatley Castle in behind me here present day Royal Roads University you're probably not going to take a tour of the castle if you live in cwood but you may walk the grounds in the same light Fort Rod Hill and the fisgard lighthouse National historic sites amazing places to visit probably not adding to your overall lifestyle of living in cwood where you do see benefits is being by the Sea and going down to Royal Bay Beach or a simal lagoon although they can be quite busy because they really service all of the West Shore bear in mind we do have a new extension of the royal BC Museum coming to Royal Bay so that's going to give it a bit of a lift on the attraction side I give it a 5 1/2 which brings us to a total of 34 but don't let that lower ranking fool you cwood has a lot of upside welcome to Langford based on 2021 Census Data this was the fastest growing community in the entire province of British Columbia with that development there is a little bit of downside because to make way for new condos new detached units they're scraping hillsides they're throwing stuff up very quickly maybe missing a little bit of foresight to develop true Community feel which means it's not the most beautiful community on our list today I give it a 4.5 everything is reasonably close but it might not be as walkable or bikable as other parts of Victoria you have a walk score of 33 a bike score of 44 this is the land of parking lots and the community is definitely set up to drive to the services shops and stores that you need rather than walk to them I'll give it a 5.5 housing affordability here is pretty good although with all the brand new subdivisions and brand new homes that doesn't necessarily mean the detached units are that inexpensive and the detached median is just North of 1.1 million so far in 2023 condos are actually some of the most affordable in all of Greater Victoria and the median is just over 530,000 so far this year I'll give it a seven it's a safe place to live but it's not the safest and the crime severity index ranking in 2021 was 56 although I would say if you're living in one of these brand new subdivisions like here in West Hills or up on bare Mountain you really have nothing to worry about I'll give it a 5.5 on the safety rating the schools are good in Langford and there are a lot of new families calling this home because of the affordability here and on the services front convenience is King everything that you need is right here in Langford and with the growing Community comes a growing level of services available I'll give it a 7.5 there is lots to do in Langford the activities and attractions include things like here at West Hills Arena or Starlight Stadium where you could come watch Pacific FC play or our junior football team the Westshore Rebels across the road you could go out and get on a paddle board on Langford lake or even out on Glen Lake you could head up to mount finless golf on bare mountain or one of my favorite hikes up Mount Wells there's lots to do here much of it is focused on outdoor activities like mountain biking hiking and sports but usually every weekend there's some event going on so I give it an eight which brings us to a grand total of 38 definitely set to improve but with a community that's evolving at break neck Pace there's definitely upside in Langford now as you can see we're in the district of Highlands there's not much out here but it is undeniably beautiful residents like it the way that it is and they want to preserve the thousand-year-old coastal Forest that exists here there's not a lot of homes but there is a lot of beauty I give it an 8.5 on beauty and appeal Transit and walkability you're really just driving into Langford if you need stuff if you live in the highlands there are no sidewalks or bike lanes that I can think of it's a goose egg is it affordable not really the median detach sale price so far this year is north of $1.3 million there really aren't a lot of properties that transact in the highlands and when they do they're often more contemporary homes on significant acreage that pushes the price that much higher so for me I give affordability a two I couldn't find any available information on a crime severity index ranking for the highlands I'm sure there are crimes that occur here on occasion but because it's so sparsely populated and there just isn't much out here I would be a little more concerned about bears and cougars maybe even the odd mosquito or two so throw some bare mace in your backpack a bit of mosquito repellent and you'll be good it's a nine for me staying on theme if you live in the highlands you will be driving out of the Highlands to get to all of the school and services that you need although I'm told that there's a municipal office somewhere down this road in the forest once again there's just not much out here there are no schools in the highlands and the services are very limited I'll give it a two just uh for those of you that are watching this that live in the highlands I just want to bump the numbers up a little don't feel so bad it's a great place to live if you like to hike or mountain bike you will love the islands there is so much natural train to explore getting up into the gallon range to mount work and Jocelyn Hill it's just endless for us and if you want to feel like you're 1,000 miles away from civilization this is the place to do it I give it a seven for activities and attractions which brings us up to a total of 28.5 which is kind of a low rank but bear in mind this list is about well-rounded communities the highlands isn't that but it's spectacular if you love the outdoors and privacy just south of cwood and we end up in maosen where there hasn't been a lot of change over the last few years and there probably won't be over the next few decades rolling hillsides beautiful Farm land acreage properties and Coastal Shoreline with beautiful beach front it's a pretty beautiful place to live I give it an 8.5 for beauty and appeal maosen is pretty sparsely populated and the core services that you need on a daily basis don't exist here so it's difficult to give this a Transit and walkability ranking you're pretty much driving to everything that you need so we'll give it a zero affordability suffers as a consequence of lack of availability and variety as far as I'm aware there are no town homes or cont hos in all of maosen and because there's not a lot of resale property that comes up and people are buying and staying the average price point is pushed that much higher so far in 2023 the median to get into a detached home in maosen is just shy of$ 1.3 million and for that reason I give it a three on housing affordability this is a safe place to live unless your farm in maosen has rapid goats that are hunting You by night I wouldn't be worried about Criminal activity I'll give it a nine very little in MA chosen by way of services available there's the world famous ma Chosen cafe and definitely a few Farm stands you could stop at but most residents will be driving into Langford or cwood for their daily Necessities as far as the schools go I think there's just one uh which is H helgason and behind me and fittingly enough I'll give maosen a one for schools and services as a sleepy little Community there's not as much to do on the activities and attractions front but there are community events farmers markets you can play golf at a N9 hole course and there's things to do outside like head down to witties Lagoon which is one of the best beaches and parks in all of Greater Victoria for me I'll give it a 6.5 which brings us up to a total of 28 it's a beautiful place to live but not as well-rounded as some of the other communities on our list today the most westerly stop on our tour today is the sloping Seaside community of Suk that sits on the souk Basin and looks to the south towards the Olympic mountain range in Washington State as a beautiful Seaside Community with lots of access to the outdoors and protected Green Space Suk is pretty beautiful and I give it a 7.5 you're going to find yourself in your car more than on the 2ot express if you live in Suk and there's just not a lot of density around the main commercial center in the village core it has a walk score of 12 and add to that that the major Transit hubs like BC fairies in the International Airport are way out on the peninsula and on a bad day could be an hour and a half away and it's just not the best place to travel from there are some buses that run from Suk all the way into Victoria but overall it's a two it's the most affordable municipality on our list today and the detached median in 2023 is just over 900,000 and the condo median is under 400,000 for that reason it gets a 10 out of 10 for me it has quite a rural and small town feel but it's actually not the safest on our list today and comes in right in the middle of the pack on the crime severity index rankings at 56 I give it a 5.5 the schools aren't very well rated and as a small town that generally coincides with limited options and amenities so the services here aren't as great and most residents find themselves driving into Langford to get the bulk of their groceries and major shopping items you do really have all that you need in Su but it's just maybe not as convenient as some of the other places on our list today so I give it a 3.5 there's no question that this is is in nature lovers paradise and the activities and attractions are definitely focused on The Great Outdoors some of my favorite hikes in all of Greater Victoria are in Suk like up Mount Manuel quimper or out along the coast on the wuka Marine Trail we have incredible beaches Wildlife and Parks like French beach sombrio beach China Beach Mystic Beach I could go on and on the coast looks like it's been that way for about a thousand years untouched pristine and beautiful you can surf in the winter you can fish in the summer I give it an eight which brings us to a grand tally of 36.5 maybe I'm being a bit harsh on Suk but I will point out that because of the affordability being a 10 out of 10 I could see there being tremendous growth opportunities if you're considering a Coastal Community like Suk our penultimate stop of the day is the District of Oak Bay Running along the southeast Coastline of Southern Vancouver Island for that reason it's one of the more beautiful places to live in Greater Victoria it's picturesque the neighborhood Aesthetics come right out of a story book and from Rocky Bluffs to Coastal forests you can't beat it it's a 10 out of 10 on beauty and appeal Transit and walkability or great Nook Bay there's lots of little neighborhood Pockets where you can walk to everything that you need like here along Oak Bay Avenue but there's also great Transit routes the walk score is 52 bike score is 67 and you're usually pretty close to everything that you need from your neighborhood I give it an 8.5 affordability is not good there are very few townhouse options select condo options many of which are more luxury Style with ocean views that are more expensive and the detached homes here which dominate the landscape are expensive here in the Uplands the average last year was more than $3 million and the median so far in 2023 is $1.75 million Oak Bay is not affordable it's a goose egg for affordability no this is not the rock wall for the Wilkinson Road jail and Oak Bay is a very safe place to live of all the CSI data that we looked at this was the safest of our list and in 20121 the crime severity index was 28 Oak B is a 10 out of 10 on safety we arguably have some of the best schools in all of Victoria here although that number is supported by the fact that some of the private schools are so highly ranking like gns in behind me which gets an 8.9 from the Fraser Institute the public institutions are also good Willows as well ranked as is Oak Bay High School the services are never too far away from your home and there's great amenities in Oak Bay we're also close to the Royal Jubilee Hospital which is great for any urgent care that you require it's a nine on schools and services there's great parks and beaches to explore like right here at cattle point or in behind us at Willows Beach you can fish right off the coastline here there's two amazing golf courses that are the oldest in Victoria at VGC and Uplands and there is some nightlife there's nice restaurants along Oak Bay Avenue maybe it's not as exciting as a major city with a ton of different options but there's still great places to dine and enjoy some time with your friends and family community events also great the O Bay tea party car shows along the AV and the night market I'll give it a nine for activities and attractions which brings us up to a grand total of 46.5 will the last stop Beat it let's find out last up but definitely not least is the city of Victoria the capital of BC and also the seventh densest city in Canada with just over 91,000 residents there's a reason that people flock here and it's consistently ranked one of the most livable cities in the entire world as far as Beauty and appeal goes this is pretty tough to beat we line the southern end of Vancouver Island and there's beautiful Ocean Vistas for many of the Southern communities of Victoria and although the city faces some challenges and there are a few patchy spots You may wish to avoid on the whole this is an incredibly beautiful place to live it is the Garden City after all and because of the climate here we have pretty Lush Gardens just about year round and beautiful Treeline streets it has a storied history and the British influence that started here in 1843 still lives on today and there are monuments throughout the city like the iconic Inner Harbor that gives Victoria a very special feel overall I'll give it a nine for beauty and appeal if you like the idea of availability of car Alternatives this is the place to be walk score bike score and Transit score are all above 90 in the city of Victoria and new things like a network of bike Lanes as well as this being the Central Transit hub for many of the major bus routes means that living in Victoria is extremely walkable add to this that you have a number of little Villages and communities like James Bay Cook Street Village or Fernwood where you can walk to most of what you need from your doorstep I'll give it a 10 for Transit and walkability there's a broad spectrum of home prices here and for that reason a affordability lens somewhere in the middle there are still neighborhoods in Victoria where you can find a detached home for less than a million bucks but here in Rockland in contrast to that you're more likely going to find homes listed for more than $2 million all the same the median of a detached home so far in 2023 is just over $1.2 million and because Victoria is the densest community on our list today there are tons of condo options which means there are more affordable condo options the median so far in 2023 is 550,000 and for that reason I'll give Victoria a five unfortunately the City doesn't have the best reputation on safety and in 2021 the crime severity index ranking of 148 makes Victoria one of the more dangerous cities to live in the province of British Columbia in real terms and by my own experience it doesn't feel like an unsafe place and having lived here for the vast majority of my life I know that just by Common Sense there's a few areas that you probably want to avoid like other parts of North America unfortunately there is an ongoing drug epidemic and an underworld of criminal activity link to it that's increasing the danger level in our city there needs to be Solutions and answers to it as well as the unhoused population that unfortunately get stigmatized and thrown into this batch associated with crime when that often isn't the case all the same Victoria by way of its ranking in 2021 gets a two for me on crime and safety the schools are pretty well ranked and there are lots of options in both public and private categories I'm standing in front of South Park School no not that South Park this one was founded in 1895 and it's right across the street from Beacon Hill Park a pretty cool place to go to school in my opinion as far as Services go because this is the center of Greater Victoria and the commercial center as well all the services that you need are scattered throughout whether they're right in the downtown core or in one of these more peripheral communities hospitals Professional Services grocery stores and amenities all that you need is here I'll give it a 9.5 for schools and services there's a reason why people flock from all around the world to visit the capital of BC and that's because of the amazing things to do here although some of them can be a little bit touristy like walking the seaw wall in the Inner Harbor or popping into the empress it doesn't mean that you can't go back and enjoy those things again and again I find myself as a local going into the Royal BC Museum or going back to Beacon Hill Park time and time again and just finding a new place to explore and experience aside from those tourist attractions there's also thriving nightlife in Victoria and we have the most restaurants per capita of any City in the entire country there's also amazing arts and entertainment here and whether it's going to a local music festival or to a show at the Royal Theater there's always something to make a night of you guessed it it's a 10 out of 10 for activities and attractions which brings us to a grand total of 45.5 by now we've crowned a winner for the best place to live in Victoria BC let's find out if the locals agree what's the best place to live in Victoria BC well it's not in Victoria it's in Sydney okay so Greater Victoria I should say Greater Victoria yeah so Sydney BC and why do you say Sydney uh probably because I've lived there for for the last 30 years so I like it and anything specific about the reasons you like it it's a small town atmosphere uh it's along the water you can walk along the water really nice and stuff you know so I just like it there amazing that's great okay I'm here with Ben Ben where do you think the best place to live in Victoria is I I think being in Victoria is uh is quite nice I like the fact that I moved here two years ago I sold my car I haven't thought about it since and I'm able to get everywhere nice and easy maybe it's not the cheapest to live here I moved here from Alberta so cost of living is definitely higher but just being where you are is so like walkability being close to like restaurants night life that kind of thing totally yeah yeah yeah I can go to eat whenever um everything is nice and close within a 30 minute walk at least what's the main difference between here and Alberta would you say I would say well between the weather and just I think people are I feel like people are happier out here I don't know I think I think people are just in a better mood most of the time so I agree with you man well thanks for your time appreciate it okay I'm here with b b where do you think the best place to live in Victoria is um definitely sanch and why do you say sanch um I'd say it's a little bit more affordable than the rest of the city the schools are good it's safe there's lots of services and it has the natural beauty that the rest of Victoria has what's your favorite like natural beauty part of sanch would you say probably Holly Dean Beach okay great answers thank you so much where is the best place to live in Victoria it's sanage and what makes you say sanage uh I live near the country like just about in the country so it's really fresh air beautiful it's just my place to be and would you say like sanch is also fairly well-rounded like there's lots of services available or is it mostly the beauty that you like about it I think there's pretty much services available there maybe it could improve with the um the rec center a little bit but uh generally like I do a lot of outdoor walking and sports so it's really complimentary the the environment is really good amazing thank you so much hey you're welcome where is the best place to live in Greater Victoria okay I'm going to I live in San that's the best place and why do you say sanch well because it's close to the city it's close to rural it's got access to Highway one and Highway 17 easy access amazing anything else you like about sandish uh yeah I I I like the parks yeah and the rec centers it's it's just a nice place to live amazing thank you for your time where is the best place to live in Greater Victoria so I've grown up in San my whole life uh I love it there because it's pretty Central can kind of get anywhere the the bus is there and then you have like the City downtown nearby scoot to the fairies real quick but that's my personal preference I I I live in sandwich too but I really like Fernwood cuz I like I like being vior Victoria yeah I like being kind of close to downtown but still a little bit removed not right downtown so like a little bit more vibrant than sanch vibrant yeah because like I grew up in Gordon Head and I found that it was I don't know maybe maybe it's just the memories of childhood but it's not very walkable at this point but here it is like we live close to Uptown now and it's very it's super walkable so okay amazing anything else you want to add about sanch or Victoria uh can't go wrong with anywhere in Victoria it's awesome awesome place to live the best like everywhere's good totally agree amazing thank you guys so much okay I'm here with Karen Karen where do you think the best place to live in Victoria is I would say sanch and why do you say sanch just the variety of places in sanch the like smaller places bigger places so is that just on the housing front or overall Variety in the area Variety in the area you got some Farmland you got lots of trails and it's beautiful and it's beautiful that way the whole city is okay another one for sanch thank you so much Karen okay I'm here with Shannon and Claire where do you two think the best place to live in Victoria is oh and do you have different answers I would definitely say probably um Fairfield I think that's a good place to live okay so we would call that like Victoria so yeah as part of Victoria but yeah go on sorry yeah no it's just like such a nice friendly neighborhood and it's not like like it's not too expensive I don't think it's kind of a mix between like Oak Bay and sanish kind of know I think it's a good area okay and how about you um yeah Victoria is definitely nice I'd say I like sanage a lot I think it's it's good too and what do you like about Sandage um I don't know I feel like I'm just in Sandage more often okay yeah so just because you're maybe more familiar with it yeah yeah that's probably it okay amazing thank you guys I appreciate it okay I'm here with K where is the best place to live in Greater Victoria in your mind uh I believe it's be mountain and why do you say bare Mountain I moved here from the Lower Mainland and bare Mountain has everything it's got golf tennis the Rec Center hiking restaurants bar everything it has it all it's its own little community and it's got a lot of outdoor activities and stuff to go along with it right yes amazing anything else you want to say about be mountain or even Langford uh Langford is a very upand cominging community and uh it's growing like crazy there's lots of construction so upside maybe too if you want to buy in Langford maybe it could see values increase over the next few years yeah there's lots they're building new schools there's new daycares there's more shopping more restaurants so yeah it's evolving quickly that's right it's a good place to live amazing thank you so much for your time really appreciate it okay I'm here with autumn autumn where is the best place to live in Greater Victoria I would probably say sanch just because I'm a university student so it's closest for me and kind of just can get around really easy I also love sit Sydney though okay so if you were to pit the two against each other and you had Dealers Choice would you pick Sydney or would you pick sanch I think I'd pick sanch I prefer to be a little closer to downtown and those areas so so out outside of like accessibility are there any other reasons you like sandwich I think the people are great there's a bit more to do than up in Sydney um yeah amazing thank you so much okay I'm here with Campbell Campbell where is the best place to live in Greater Victoria depends on what you're looking for Oak Bay is probably the best if you're looking for beautiful scenery right by the ocean but it is very expensive to live there I would say sanch is probably the best for overall balance of all the best aspects like it's well rounded is what you're saying well rounded yeah it's it's affordable but it's also beautiful it has a ton of the parks throughout the island are in sanage you get access to the Galloping Goose from almost anywhere in there so you can bike everywhere so good access to Transit beautiful more affordable on price point anything else you like about it you're able to get to a lot of schools from there Rel easy actually so if you have kids that anywhere you live in San you're able to get to a school really easily amazing thank you so much Campbell appreciate your time dude absolutely thank you so you've heard from me and you've heard from some other locals and by now hopefully you have a better feeling of the types of areas that fit your lifestyle and needs in Greater Victoria But ultimately wherever you go you'll find warm welcoming communities incredibly friendly people and they really isn't a bad pick on this list I continue to believe that Victoria BC is the best place to live in Canada and for that reason it's a great place to get invested in the real estate market if you have questions on that front my info is down below and be sure to subscribe for more great videos on our beautiful city we'll see you next [Music] time [Music]

Channel: Alex Carroll in Victoria BC

Views: 15,262

Keywords: Victoria, Victoria BC, Victoria Canada, Victoria British Columbia Canada, Vancouver Island, Victoria BC Living, Living in Victoria BC, Moving to Victoria BC, Pros and Cons, BC, schools in Victoria BC, Living in Canada, Best Cities in Canada, Best Places to Live in BC, Best City to Live in BC, Victoria BC Neighbourhoods, Sidney BC, Langford BC, Oak Bay BC, Saanich BC, Esquimalt BC, Neighbourhoods, Ultimate Victoria BC Neighbourhoods Guide, Best place to live victoria bc

Id: qkYwsXuN55Q

Length: 46min 10sec (2770 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 30 2023