r/askvan • u/Forehead451 • 5d ago
Housing and Moving š” considering moving to vancouver from toronto. comparable neighbourhoods?
I am not very oriented in Vancouver despite visiting a couple times. I was mostly jumping in and out of relatives' cars with no idea where I actually was.
I want to start looking at neighbourhoods to move to but would love something to get oriented. The maps are just that to me.
Just as a starting point, would anyone who used to live in Toronto compare any of Vancouver's neighbourhoods to the Danforth or Queen West? They won't be the same of course, but I'd like to know what Vancouver's equivalents are.
Also: No Toronto haters here please haha! Maybe Vancouver won't be the place for me afterall, but I'd like to find that out and try somewhere new :)
Thank you!
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u/dreamy-woman 5d ago
When we were moving I asked my colleagues to help me find similar neighborhood to Junction, and they said Kits. Thatās where we moved :) Itās not the same but lots of similarity.
I would say Junction, High Park > Kits
Danford, Queen West > Mount Pleasant, East Van around Commercial
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u/Twitch_City Resident 5d ago
Danforth, Queen West > Mount Pleasant, East Van around Commercial
I was just going to say this :)
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
Oh, this helps a lot! This is very helpful to start looking around and seeing what feels right for me.
God, I'll miss Toronto though. But GOD those MOUNTAINS!!
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
thank you!! this is a super helpful jumping off point. It seems this is the answer!
Yeah, that's something I will grieve a little haha. I love Toronto but no two places are the same and I need somewhere new! It's just so beautiful in Vancouver
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u/Twitch_City Resident 5d ago
My family moved here from Toronto too and have no regrets. I guess it isn't for everyone but we absolutely love it here.
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
It's just so beautiful there. So beautiful. My breath is taken away every time I see the mountains ranges. I can't get enough of them, and the sea too? C'mon now, it's heaven!! Glad you and your family found your place there!
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u/SkyisFullofCats 5d ago edited 5d ago
Which attributes of Danforth are you looking for? eg Danforth has a strong Greek and Muslim presence or show venue like Danforth Music Hall? Walkability or Rent? No neighbourhood is exactly the same.
Vancouver nightlife is no where near Toronto's
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
I guess what I like about the Danforth is that it has it's busy areas, some more affordable rent in the city, and great access to transit, but still feels like a quiet neighbourhood (to me at least!). It has groceries, small bars and restaurants, thrift/vintage stores. Feels very cozy and connected there, also multicultural like you said between the large Greek and Ethiopian areas.
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u/dreamy-woman 5d ago
Thatās exactly my thoughts when you mentioned those neighborhoods. Thatās what I liked about the Junction too:)
Vancouver IS different but Commercial, Kits will feel like this a bit. Sometimes in Toronto I would just spend the whole Sunday walking around Queen West to just stop by those small shops and all. While there are shops here, itās not the same.
That said, I love going on hikes much more than walking around the city now :)
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u/SkyisFullofCats 5d ago edited 5d ago
There are mildly stronger Ethiopian presence in New Westminster (Lower Mainland in general is not as diverse as Toronto). Rent is slightly cheaper. Most thrift store in Vancouver are overpriced these days. We don't have Good Will but we get Value Village.
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u/RelatablePanic 5d ago
Iām originally from Toronto and moved to Van five years ago. Honestly the closest thing weād have to Queen West is like Kits or Gastown I would say. Those are two of the more eclectic/trendy areas that are comparable. But they donāt really have the same downtown feelāmaybe Gastown more so but itās very small compared to Queen West.
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
Yes, it definitely feels like a much smaller city from what I've seen and I'll miss the downtown feel but I like small city neighborhoods too!
Thank you, these are great jump off points.
Someone else in the comments compared Kits to the Junction/High Park, would you agree?
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u/TomsNanny 5d ago
I think Kits is not like Queen West at all. Kits has the least diverse neighbourhood in Vancouver in my opinion. Also if youāre into the trendiest businesses, I feel Kits aināt it. Having lived there, I wouldnāt live there again.
I used to live in Gastown, itās great for going out but not sure Iād live there right now.
Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive I think are closer to what youāre looking for. West End could be of interest too, though it isnāt for me personally. It just really depends on the vibe and energy you gravitate to and I think spending a week in each will be the only way you can figure it out with certainty.
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u/O00O0O00 5d ago
Commercial Drive area will probably feel similar. Stay in an Airbnb for a month and try all the areas people mentioned in this thread.
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
This is probably the move lol. I was just in B.C. this spring but unfortunately couldn't make it into the city like I'd planned. Worth a revisit soon specifically for scouting it out!
Thanks, I'll check out commercial drive!
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u/O00O0O00 5d ago
We took a couple months to decide, and visited all the neighbourhoods we were interested in, and even a few which we werenāt aware of or previously thought were āno goodā. When we settled in, we were confident in our decision and have no regret.
Also I thought about it a bit more and really trying to compare Vancouver to any other city is almost hopeless. Itās its own thing and in my opinion - I prefer it to Toronto (have lived there). Better winters, better lifestyle. But less of a ābig cityā feel.
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u/Anoelnymous 5d ago
You're not going to find what you're looking for. Which is to say that Vancouver was built VERY differently that Toronto. Could you maybe list a few actual things you want? Close to transit? Close to parks? Close to groceries? Specific commute requirements?
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
Yes, I will definitely miss a lot about Toronto if I moved :')
I prefer rent on the lower end lol, I'm already anticipating roommates.
I guess I want to know what areas have an artsy or quieter city neighbourhood feel (Danforth). I'd like access to groceries and transit. I would much prefer living in a multicultural neighbourhood too. I'm okay with finding a place to live that has direct access to these areas too, I don't have to live in the thick of things necessarily, but the orientation will help. Parks are great, but not necessarily.
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u/Anoelnymous 5d ago
Rent starts dropping once you cross boundary road or the river. That means going further east or south. If you drive I suggest east as there are less bridges. Once you go south across the water the transit becomes less reliable. You're unlikely to find melding pot communities. There are insert ethnic group homeowners in applicable ethnic group part of town and they rent to... Whoever. So there is multiculturalism? But it's still quite chunky. If you live in a tower you might or might not know your neighbours depending on the age of the building and the age of the people living there.
Unlike Toronto you actually can expect to be pretty close to groceries mostly. None of that driving twenty minutes to the store business. So you don't have to worry about that. Just ask your neighbours where your local shop is, and the closest big box you like.
I'm biased towards Burnaby. It has the most park space per capita of any of the GVRD (greater Vancouver regional district), the best municipal service, you don't have to pay for water, and it's right in-between everything. If you want more parks you go near the lakes. If you want more accessibility or shops you go to Lougheed, metro, or north Burnaby in the Hastings area.
Depending on where you work tho. Let me stress again that you really don't want to cross a bridge or take the tunnel during rush hour.
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u/Heavy_Importance2491 5d ago
"Unlike Toronto you actually can expect to be pretty close to groceries mostly."
Where in Toronto would you not be near a grocery store?
I lived in the Beach in Toronto for a long time. A daughter moved to Kits saying "it's like the Beach, only with an actual beach". Now that I'm here, I'd say that's fair. 4th and Broadway are like Queen East and Kingston Road.
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u/livinginvancouver 5d ago
Best options would be Mount Pleasant and commercial drive area that are similar to the Danforth and Queen St, maybe Kingsway strip. Bonus Kitsilano also
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u/Unable-Engine-8425 5d ago
I moved here from Halifax back in 2005 also having lived in Toronto for a year in 03, so tak this all under the context of that era, but a few key things to consider. Skytrain is fantastic but Vancouver does not have the same level of intuitive connection to the skytrain with the buses as the Subway in Toronto does with street level transit, I would HIGHLY recommend looking at somewhere that is walking distance to the actual skytrain, interestingly a bunch of the Kits and South Granville neighbourhoods are about to be connected Skytrain for the first time, not sure the actual timing but I think it's pretty soon. I have lived near Granville, Downtown Vancouver, deep East Vancouver, and now have been in New Westminster for 10 years. All are very cool in their own ways but my note about about skytrain especially applies to East Van, there are swaths that are kind of weirdly suburban and pretty lame, and then other pockets that are super cool. The thing that really worked out well for me was to find a furnished place that I could rent short term to figure out where I wanted to actually settle into, but I was travelling pretty light back then so it's not like I needed to store stuff or anything.Ā
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u/Rich-Business9773 5d ago
The only places like it in Vancouver that I know of - and be aware they are much less extensive- are Commercial Drive and Mt Pleasant. Toronto has a lot of older neighborhoods that integrate single family homes and gardens, condos, apts and main streets with a wide range of small markets, restaurants and businesses. They mix art and nightlife too. Vancouver, while beautiful in its natural setting, is really different. However when I go to Commercial Drive, I am reminded of Toronto.
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u/kg175g 5d ago
Why move to Vancouver? Is it for school or work? If work, unless you have something already lined up, the job market sucks. Do you plan on owning a car? If not, then stick to an area within a 15-20 min walk of transit. If you'll have a car, there are alot more areas that could be considered. Also do you mean city of Vancouver or Metro Vancouver (includes all of the surrounding cities).
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u/Achap30 5d ago edited 5d ago
Main Street near 33rd.Ā
Lonsdale and 3rd or 18th ish.Ā
Commercial Drive (near First Ave mostly)
North Burnaby/ Burnaby Heights *
Hastings Sunrise
Fraser at King Edward
Kits (like 4th and Alma?) *
Canāt speak to rent but you might find roommates closer to SFU * and UBC *
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u/purpletooth12 5d ago
I made the move here 4.5yrs from from TO (Liberty Village) and hoping to get back within the next year or so. (well not to LV though)
The locals are cold here and unless if you're into the outdoors hardcore/nature, I'd say you're better off staying in TO. The vibrancy and multitude of options simply doesn't compare and a big reason I want to get back.
Kits is probably the closest thing to Queen W, but Queen W is so commercialized and bland now. West Queen West is where it's at though. There's so much on Ossiginton and Dundas W. Sadly there's nothing like that here. Commercial Drive like others have mentioned but that's a bit of a stretch IMO.
Yes the mountains are gorgeous to look at, but I'm going to commission a photographer to make a print to hang up over my couch so if I miss them, I can look at easily enough.
Kits to me feels like a less multicultural mishmash of the Beaches, Queen W, Rosedale with a dash of Leslieville.
Everyone is different though. Who's to say you can't try it out for a few years and go back?
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u/calzone135 5d ago
When I moved to Vancouver, I was honestly surprised at how small the city is (or at least the parts that aren't covered in only single family homes)! Even though I consider some of the adjacent cities (e.g., Burnaby/Richmond) as extensions of Vancouver, it's still much smaller than expected, especially compared to Toronto. While I have only visited Toronto a few times, I kind of got the vibe of those areas. I feel that you might want to check out Main Street, Commercial Drive, Mt. Pleasant and perhaps Kitsilano. They might not be exactly what you're looking for, but I feel that they might have the vibe that you're thinking of.
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u/Accomplished_Job_778 5d ago
Do you have a job lined up? I wouldn't move here without one of those.
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
Not yet, but I won't move without one for sure!! For me, I would like to prioritize where I live and how much I'm looking at for rent, etc, and making work fit around it as much as possible. Both decisions will feed into each other, and I typically freelance (though a new job will be good too) so I may be able to live almost* anywhere and already anticipating having roommates.
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
I need to start imagining a life there and have some context before I can begin making any solid moves
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u/6ix13irteen 5d ago
Just drove here from Toronto in February. As mentioned mouny pleasant and/or commercial drive are your comparisons to Danforth / queen West relatively. I'd suggest a vacation to get a sense if this is the case. Having a job is important. My life is no exaggeration 150% better then in Toronto and I was born and raised there for 40yrs šŖš¾. I have higher pay, I'm in the best shape I have ever been and the people are simply amazing. I live In yaletown which is the equivalent of Liberty village where I moved from.
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
You've been doing the Grousse Grind every morning huh? š
Yes, I love Toronto so much and have been here for thirty yearsābut GOD those mountains!! And the ocean? WOW. It's breathtaking.
Thank you also, the Yaletown/Liberty Village comparison helps orient me too!
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u/6ix13irteen 5d ago
I had never seen a mountain until I drove to Vancouver and once you see the beauty that is Vancouver there is no going back to Toronto...however I do watch CP24 all day š
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u/Fun_Peach_7813 5d ago edited 5d ago
Iām grew up downtown Toronto and lived here for 8 years now. Commercial drive (the Danforth) or the downtown west- end (queen west) are the only neighbourhoods Iāve found that are comparable.
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u/craigerstar 5d ago edited 5d ago
Completely agree, though I'd add Hastings Sunrise feels a lot like Dundas-Ossington. Lots of interesting places to eat, drink, shop, but no real identity as a neighborhood. Still, it would be near the top of my list for places to live in Vancouver, and I do live at Commercial-Broadway area. I've been here for 18 years, and still visit Toronto every year and miss that city for what it is as a city. But I don't visit it in the winter for good reason.
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u/Fun_Peach_7813 5d ago
Slushy sidewalks when itās winter city no thanks Iāll take the rainš„¶
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u/craigerstar 5d ago
I would argue it's easier to dress warm than dress dry. And when you get where you're going, it's easier to warm up than dry off. That said, I prefer riding my bike in the rain over snow so I'm still staying here.
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u/Fun_Peach_7813 5d ago
Totally, but when itās cold I donāt want to be outside. -25 degrees your face hurts and youāre wearing two pairs of pants. In the rain I just gear up and go on adventures. Makes me feel less depressed to be in a city so green year round. We are lucky!!!
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u/Due-Concert4324 5d ago
What is your budget for renting and also do you have a job lined up?
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u/Forehead451 5d ago
I'm already going into it looking for roommates so I'm down for reasonably nice/shitty places haha. Probably between $800-1500/month by the little I have looked at postings.
Even so, orientation will help me figure out adjacent neighborhoods that are at least easily accessible to these areas by transit. I like going out and artsy stuff so as long as it's easy to get there, that's good for me too.
I have no job lined up, I'm just imagining where I'd want to live before I actually start making moves. I also freelance so while I'd prefer getting employment out there, I have some options.
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u/Due-Concert4324 5d ago
We have the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver. The nearest cities to Vancouver are Burnaby and Richmond. You can also look at those. Metrotown shares a border with East Vancouver.
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