Would You Live Here? – The River District

This post is the first of our “Would You Live Here?” series which will be dedicated to highlighting neighbourhoods and communities throughout the Greater Vancouver area that offer potential alternatives to downtown living.   These neighbourhoods are often overlooked in rental searches, and while they will not be for everyone, attention should be paid to them, even if it is just to concretely rule them out as contenders.  The truth is that many of these communities turn out to be an ideal fit for the lifestyles of those that choose to live in them.  Some of them will also offer added benefits to renters, such as lower rents, larger living spaces and less competitive rental markets.  And often, travelling to and from them is much more convenient than what is assumed at first glance.

The goal of this blog series is not to convince you to live outside of downtown Vancouver, but instead is to bring awareness of the potentially viable alternatives that may be entirely off your radar.    We highly recommend that you spend an afternoon in each of the communities that we highlight, even if you don’t ever intend to live there, getting to know what they offer and experiencing what makes them unique.   If an area feels like it has the potential to offer a happy living environment, engage with some of the locals to get a better feel for what living there might be like.   Ask questions about transit and commuting, the overall vibe in the evenings and on weekends, and what the area offers from the perspective of someone that lives there.  If it doesn’t feel like home, spend the afternoon enjoying what it does have to offer.  Vancouver has a very large backyard and exploring it can be a very rewarding experience.

The River District

Location 

A 130-acre planned development located next to the Fraser River in the City of Vancouver.  Its location is quite central, sharing a border with Burnaby to the East, and just across the river from Richmond to the South.  Downtown Vancouver is about 14km away.  The Airport is about a 20 minute drive and  Metrotown is less than 10 minutes drive.   The River District sits between Boundary Road and Kerr street from East to West and between Marine Drive and The Fraser River to from North to South.  

Age

The River District is a new development, with pretty much all of its completed buildings being less than 10 years old.  This is an on-going project, which, when complete will be a self-sufficient community that is larger than Yaletown.   Future plans include 2 schools, a community centre, childcare facilities, commercial spaces, 27 acres of parks and open areas for the public and several more residential buildings, including strata condos, rental buildings, low-income housing and co-ops.   To give an idea of the scale of the plan, upon completion it is expected to have housing for up to 18,000 residents!  

What is currently there

There are several completed residential buildings throughout The River District, most of which are strata buildings.  There is a Town Centre which has a liquor store, Shoppers Drug Mart, Save on Foods and Starbucks, along with other shops, restaurants and services. 

Public Transportation

There is bus service to and from the River District, including buses to Metrotown, where you can catch the Expo Line train to downtown, as well as to Marine Drive Station where you can catch a Canada Line Train to YVR or to downtown.    

Drivers

There is a fairly clear line to downtown via Main Street and Cambie, which on average takes anywhere from 25 minutes to a little over an hour, depending on the time of day.  There is a Shell gas station located at the far East end of the River District, adding a slight convenience for drivers.  

Bikes & Walking

This is a fantastic area for both bikers and walkers.  The River District has a very nice riverside walking and biking path, which is about 1.5km long.  This path connects to an entrance to Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, which continues along the Fraser River as well as up to Byrne Creek Ravine Park.   

There are also nearby parks to explore, including Everett Crowley Park (which is a large park located about a 15 minute walk from Town Centre), Champlain Heights Park (about 30 minutes walk) and Central Park (a fairly long walk of about 45 minutes).  It is worth noting that Champlain Heights Park also has a City of Vancouver Community Centre that offers squash and racquetball courts, tennis courts and a gym.  

Pets

We have brought our own dog along when visiting the River District in the past and have also seen several dogs being walked during our visits there.  Many people stopped to say hello to our pup, and the overall vibe towards pets seemed quite friendly, at least in our experience.  

I would note that while there is a Bosleys Pet Store, there is not yet an off-leash area or a dog park in the River District community, though I would hope a dog park would be planned as the community continues to develop and grow.   Everett Crowley Park does have an off-leash area for dogs, so would likely be the nearest option for dogs at this time.  

Pets in apartments will depend on both building bylaws or rules and individual pet policies of each condo owner that is renting out their unit, so you would need to check with the landlord of each apartment you are viewing to find out of pets are allowed in that apartment. 

Community

The overall vibe does seem quite friendly here, which can be felt when you spend a couple of hours there.  The River District has been quite active in offering different community events throughout the year, as well as outdoor drive-in movie nights.  

Who Will Love It

If you are an avid golfer, you will most likely love The River District, or at least its location.  There are two 18-hole golf courses and a driving range within 10 minutes’ drive, and there is also a Pitch and Putt short course located in Central Park.   

The Riverway Sports Complex is also located nearby, offering a range of facilities for several different sports. 

Potential benefits to renting here

• It is possible to find rents that are a bit lower than the downtown average 
• The buildings are newer, so offer modern living 
• above average common area facilities in several of the buildings.  For example, The One, Two and Three Town Centre buildings have an exceptional 14,000sqft club which includes a gym, pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, squash courts and more.   
• Competition for rentals is typically not quite as prevalent as it is downtown 
• Because there is a lot of new developments opening or slated to open in the relatively near future, there will likely be more rentals that come available in the area as buildings are completed.   

When searching listing sites for a rental in The River District, it may help to search building names of the main buildings in the area to avoid missing any listings that don’t show on the map view.  The following are a few of these buildings:

• One Town Centre
• Two Town Centre
• Three Town Centre 
• Shoreline at River District
• R + R at River District
• Avalon River District
• Quartet at River District
• Paradigm River District 
• Rhythm at River District

For more information on renting in the River District, or if you own a property that you need help in renting out, please contact us directly as we are happy to assist.