At first glance, North Vancouver looks like a miniature Vancouver, but first impressions can be deceiving. North Van offers unbeatable access to the great outdoors of British Columbia. If you, like so many others, are moving to the Vancouver area because you love to hike, mountain bike, and enjoy nature, there’s no better city than North Vancouver to suit your needs. Besides all the luscious green spaces that are the mainstays of North Van’s reputation, you’ll find that there’s plenty to love about the city itself and not just the area that surrounds it.
North Van is small, and it feels small too. It’s filled with highly connected communities drawing on cultures from all over the world. People across the harbour might think of North Van as just another suburb, but residents know that it’s a city all of its own. If you’re looking for homes for sale in British Columbia, look no further.
More About North Vancouver, BC
North Van is just one of three municipalities that form the North Shore of the Vancouver Metropolitan Area. It is the smallest city on the North Shore but densely populated, with a skyline of high-rise condos and office buildings that make North Van easy to spot all around the area. With a population of only 138,000 people, North Van can feel like small town Canada in several areas around the city, especially as you get closer to the mountains, which crowd right up against the north side of the North Van.
Nature forms the backdrop of North Vancouver, and the British Columbian wilderness colours almost every aspect of life in the city. Veins of forested streams criss-cross North Van suburbs, carrying runoff from Mt. Homme, a three thousand foot mountain that overlooks the city and is well-loved by resident hikers. The city keeps itself fairly compact to conserve as much natural landscape as possible, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a spot anywhere in North Van that doesn’t offer a view of the mountains.
Life is quiet in North Van, with light traffic on all but the busiest of streets and a populous that tends to go to bed earlier and get up even earlier. If you’re looking to live a peaceful family life, North Van is among the best cities in the area to make that dream a reality.
North Vancouver Real Estate
As with the rest of Canada, the real estate market in North Vancouver is currently in the midst of a major wave of home appreciation. In 2021 North Van saw over 20% quarterly growth in its housing market, and now the average home for sale in North Van lists for around 1.4 million dollars. Most people watching the market saw this coming, with appreciation rates reacting to the general uplift of almost all Canadian real estate. In 2022, we can expect North Vancouver’s annual appreciation rates to settle back into a more modest 3%.
Don’t despair if you’re a new homebuyer; you won’t be priced out of the market. North Van isn’t as competitive as you might think. Homes stay on the market for an average of 16 days, and we expect the single-family house inventory to increase this coming year as demand slackens and prices moderate.
You’ll find many of the homes for sale in North Vancouver to be one-storey, bungalow-style houses built between the 1950s and 1960s. North Van is composed of mostly compact suburbs with decently sized yards outside of the downtown core. You don’t have to worry about keeping your grass green; by the way, the rain will take care of that for you. If you’re looking for condos, North Van has you covered there too. Condos for sale in North Van typically range from $400,000 to $800,000, with luxury condos at higher prices.
We want to say that the luxury properties in North Vancouver are downright gorgeous. The luxury market starts at around $3,000,000 and usually are modern-style homes with sleek, slanted walls and flat roofs. If you can find a luxury home towards the outer edges of North Van, you’re almost guaranteed a few acres of forest all to yourself.
If we could summarize the North Vancouver real estate market in one sentence, it would be this: when you buy a home in North Van, you’re not investing in a property; you’re investing in a lifestyle.
North Vancouver Neighbourhoods
Lower Lonsdale
Lower Lonsdale runs from downtown North Vancouver all the way to the waterfront. This neighbourhood is composed mostly of condos and apartment buildings, the majority of which are limited to three or four storeys with a few high rises here and there. The closer you get to the waterfront, the more businesses and restaurants you’ll find, making Lower Lonsdale a great area for young people.
Norgate
Norgate is a small, compact community, roughly in the shape of a square. You’ll find mostly single-family detached homes for sale here, most only one storey, with beautiful well developed lawns and quiet streets. This is a great neighbourhood for raising kids and is good for commuting in Vancouver as it’s very close to the Lions Gate Bridge
Canyon Heights
Canyon Heights is where you want to live if you want to be as close to the great outdoors as possible. Canyon Heights hosts some of the newest and nicest homes for sale in North Vancouver. This is a hilly neighbourhood with lots of evergreen trees and mossy green yards. Here you’ll have nearly backyard access to the mountains beyond Vancouver and beautiful Capilano Lake, which looks like it came right out of a landscape painting.
Schools in North Vancouver, BC
The North Vancouver School District oversees education in the North Van area, operating eight high schools and thirty elementary schools. The schools are spread equally across most parts of the city, leaving no neighbourhood too far from a good school. Where you live in North Vancouver determines where your kids will go to school, so be sure to do your homework ahead of time when thinking about what neighbourhood you want to live in. Here’s a quick look at some of the top schools in North Vancouver, BC.
Bodwell High School
private 8-12
955 Harbourside Dr, North Vancouver, BC
Handsworth Secondary School
public 8-12
1044 Edgewood Road, North Vancouver, BC
North Star Montessori Elementary School
private
1325 Keith Rd E, North Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Waldorf School
private PK-12
2725 St Christophers Rd, North Vancouver, BC
Carisbrooke Elementary School
public
510 Carisbrooke Rd E, North Vancouver, BC
FAQ about North Vancouver, BC
What’s The Best Area To Live In North Vancouver, BC?
- Best urban neighbourhoods: Central Lonsdale and Lower Lonsdale areas
- Best suburban neighbourhoods: Norgate and Maplewood
- Best luxury neighbourhoods: Canyon Heights and Carisbrooke
- Best neighbourhoods for schools: North Lonsdale and Central Lonsdale
- Best neighbourhood for commuting: West Lynn and Norgate
What is the postal code for North Vancouver, BC?
The top postal codes are V7L, V7N, V7M, V7J, V7P
Where is the nearest commercial airport in North Vancouver, BC?
Vancouver International Airport, about 30 km away.
Living In North Vancouver, BC
North Vancouver is a city built for the outdoors. If you don’t mind cloudy days and a little rain here and there, the weather is perfect all year long for hiking. North Vancouver benefits from the nearby Pacific Ocean, which gives it cool, rainy winters and generally dry, warm summers. Don’t worry about having to endure the freezing cold winters of Toronto or Montreal here.
The city of North Vancouver is far from flat; in fact, it can be quite hilly in places, and the city as a whole slants downwards to Vancouver Harbour. If you’re looking for a quiet, calm pace of life, North Vancouver is the pinnacle of that lifestyle. Most of the city’s excitement takes place in Lower Lonsdale and near the shipyards – basically the whole southern portion of the city.
North Vancouver Jobs
Historically, shipbuilding has been a major part of North Vancouver’s economy, and that still holds true today. Any North Van resident knows that the waterfront is meant for business. That being said, North Van has diversified and hosts a plethora of businesses engaged in specialized manufacturing and exploring the cutting edge of the tech industry. As in Vancouver, the film industry continues to grow into an economic power of its own.
North Vancouver Transportation
If you live in North Van, chances are you’ll want an ATV or long-haul car to help you make weekend excursions into the mountains around the city. That being said, you can still get around on your own by using Translink, which connects North Van to the rest of the Vancouver area. Canada’s highway one runs through the northern part of North Van and will take you across the Rocky Mountains to Calgary. The closest airport is Vancouver International Airport, just across the harbour in southwest Vancouver.
Distance to Major Cities
- 11 kilometres to Vancouver, BC
- 93 kilometres to Bellingham, WA
- 235 kilometres to Seattle, WA
- 418 kilometres to Kamloops, BC
Things To Do In North Vancouver, BC
- Visit the Centennial Theatre – This theatre is meant for the home crowd. With an emphasis on shining a spotlight on local talent, the Centennial Theatre boasts over six hundred seats and shows hosted throughout the year. If you’re interested in your local performing arts scene, the Centennial Theatre should be the first place you look into.
- Check out the Polygon Gallery – Though not quite the Sydney Opera House, the polygon gallery is a statement of modern art. Most of the exhibits here are modern/contemporary, with interesting and unusual sculptures and film screenings to engage with.
- Go eat at Honey Doughnuts – Indulge your sweet tooth on a Sunday morning and head down to Honey Doughnuts. They have some of the best pastries in North Van, and though they’re known for their doughnuts, their waffles look just as good, if not better.
- Bike the Sunshine Coast Trail – Though you need to take a ferry to get out to this trail, the ride that awaits you will be well worth it. The Sunshine Coast is a spectacular trail that will take you through ocean-side forests, offering unparalleled fresh forest air with every breath. All in all, this is a great way to spend a Saturday out of the city without having to drive.
- Enjoy Lynn Canyon park – It’s hard to believe that this park is in a city. Head to the northeast corner of North Van and take in the sights of this river gorge from a suspension bridge. If that’s not enough, Lynn Canyon Park even has a waterfall.
- Hang out at the Lonsdale Quay Market – Tourists and North Van residents alike come together to walk around the Lonsdale Quay Market. Here you can find locally crafted wares and handmade art by the score. You can get your groceries here or stop in for a midday snack; this market has it all.
- Go on a Takaya Tour – The water is as important to North Van as the mountains. Take a tour in a traditional ocean-going canoe and learn about the culture of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, which has long been called the Vancouver area home.
- Relax at the Bridge Brewing Company – The BBC takes beer to the next level. With state-of-the-art vats and a commitment to reduce pollution as much as possible, North Vancouver residents can look forward to an evening at the Bridge Brewing Company with ease.
- Explore Grouse Mountain – Grouse mountain is just north of North Vancouver and a great place to visit if you’re new to the area. Take a sky gondola up to the top of the mountain and enjoy the ski slopes, the grizzly bear habitat (don’t get too close), and maybe, if you’re lucky and you keep a watchful eye, you can see a whale breach the water out on the Burrard Inlet.
- Visit the Park and Tilford Gardens – On the east side of the city, North Van residents will make the Park and Tilford Gardens a regular destination whenever they want to see some curated natural beauty. Different parts of the garden have different themes as well as many rare and unusual plants. Be sure to come throughout the year and see how the garden changes with the passing seasons.
