Toronto may like to think it's the best city in Canada but a recent report from Canadian real estate brokerage firm, Properly, suggests that people in Metro Vancouver are just as happy with where they live as people in the GTA.
Properly asked people in Toronto and Vancouver which characteristics of their communities bring them the most joy and then ranked the top neighbourhoods based on their proximity to each.
In both cases, over 50 per cent of people reported proximity to parks and outdoor spaces was the top priority which isn't exactly a surprise coming from Vancouverites. Properly affirms that "study after study shows that spending time in the great outdoors can lower your stress levels and boost your mood" and named West Point Grey as the best Metro Vancouver neighbourhood for outdoor enthusiasts.
The company’s survey results suggest that 62 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents are happy with where they live. It also found that 74 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents feel that access to services that promote a healthy lifestyle has a positive impact on their overall happiness.
Living close to ample restaurants, bars, and coffee shops also ranked highly on 50 per cent of Vancouverites' lists. Followed by recreation at 19 per cent, childcare and schools at 18 per cent and community-feeling neighbourhoods at 10 per cent.
The ranking for best foodie neighbourhoods is perhaps the most controversial of the report, Golden Villiage in Richmond takes the top spot which is fair enough but it's followed by Windsor in Burnaby in second place. The Vancouver proper entries are Downtown in third place and then the West End and Grandview - Woodland in fourth and fifth.
In the recreation category, which focuses on access to activities like sports or art classes, only one Vancouver location made the ranking in fifth place. Queensborough in New Westminster took the top spot and Riley Park in Vancouver comes in at number five. Uptown in New Westminster, Willowbrook in Langley, and Burnaby Heights are second, third, and fourth respectively.
When it comes to childcare and schools as a priority for happiness Vancouver neighbourhoods don't even rank. For people for whom it's a necessity to be close to these services, Coquitlam and Richmond neighbourhoods are apparently best.
Vancouver does take the top spot however in one interesting category. 10 per cent of people said that they wanted communities where their neighbours felt more like friends or family and according to Properly, the best place to find that is in Sunset, Vancouver (or Oakridge and Victoria-Fraserview). The South Van neighbourhood is apparently one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the city and in the heart of Sunset is the community centre with a gym, playground, dance studio, and more which all adds up to being happy with where you live.
With files from Theresa McManus/New West Record
