bcmama

Hi,

Anyone care to share any thoughts or advice on Port Moody or where else is has a similar feel and set up? OH will be at Surrey Memorial 4 days p/w commuting outwith rush hours. When we did a recce trip, we liked Port Moody - seemed to tick a lot of boxes for us, what with having kids and affordability but not so far out of Vancouver. We want somewhere that has a town centre with a couple of shops/library/rec centre/parks/walkable to school/transit links.
We then got side-tracked by the idea of False Creek, it would be do-able but the reality of smaller living space, pricey rent and schools full to capacity in the area is putting us off that idea! So Port Moody seems to be a contender again, would appreciate any input from those who live/d there or any other location suggestions?

Thanks
B

ExKiwilass

Ok, I don't mean to harp on this but why would you choose a bridge commute when you can live IN Surrey and not have to deal with that? Plenty of lovely family areas in Surrey. (Cloverdale, South Surrey, Fraser Heights etc).

Port Moody is ok. Kinda boring, but ok. It's closer to Vancouver than Surrey but still not close and the drive can be a drag. We go there regularly. Check out Coquitlam school district because I know they have issues with schools being oversubscribed too.

happyglow

Though you might want one of these....

http://surreyshirts.com/product-info...sc_fb_req=true

Aviator

Ditto. People seem to get hung up on 'where is the best place to live' Impossible to answer. I liked everywhere I lived, I also like moving around a bit. Commuting over bridges (or through tunnels) is a drag after the first week. We also have more pay bridges now, no doubt more tolls to come!

Move as close to work as possible, rent, find an area You like and then settle there.

bcmama

I suppose in answer to the why not Surrey question, I'd have to say that we based it on where we looked when we came over - didnt visit Surrey other than a quick trip to White Rock, as originally the job OH was going for wasn't in Surrey. The loose plan is for OH to rent furnished short term whilst looking for a longer term rental in area such as Port Moody or similar, hence me asking about similar kinda places, so thanks I shall check out those areas. Only hesitation is OH's new co-workers and friend in North Van were saying stuff that put us off but then they haven't lived in Surrey!

Aviator

Some parts of surrey to avoid, other OK, same as Vancouver. Rent, try it, don't like it move with no commitments. Cloverdale is OK, Langley is not a bad commute to parts of Surrey.

JonboyE

I can't say I know Port Moody all that well but AFAIK it is OK. Some bits aroud the Burrard Inlet are pretty.

Any growing family oriented area will have problems with oversubscirbed schools. The powers that be tend to wait until a school is bursting at the seams before building another. The areas that are not oversubscribed are those with a declining school age population. This can be because young families are priced out of an area.

I know there is a tendancy to promote the place you live in (after all, I chose to live here so it must be good, right?) so take this with a pinch of salt. However, I agree that the commute from Port Moody to SMH will loose its luster after a few weeks, even if it is off-peak. The New Port Mann Bridge will make things much better. It is not the worst commute in the world, but still ... It will be worthwhile if there is something about Port Moody that you particularly like.

Also worth thinking about is your tolerance for gray skies and rain. South Surrey has significantly less rain (probably half) and more hours of sunshine compared to Port Moody.

It is a personal choice. If Port Moody works for you then enjoy.

ExKiwilass

It's fair to say Surrey has a stigma with the rest of the lower mainland, but since you'd be living and working there who cares. IMO the stigma is a bit silly. Surrey is changing rapidly.

North Van, for instance, has more rain and less sun. If you were to move to South Surrey, you'd be getting more sun and be closer to a beach. Lots of nice areas of Surrey, just need to check it out.

CanadaJimmy

There are a few places in Vancouver with a "town by the water" kind of feel. Fort Langley has a similar setup, as does Deep Cove in North Vancouver, and Steveston in Richmond. Fort Langley has the worst transit links out of the three, and all are more expensive than the surrounding area. All of them are nice places to go visit on a sunny day though. On a clear day the view from Deep Cove is like something on a postcard.

JonboyE

But quite convenient for a drive to SMH.

CanadaJimmy

Very true, especially as Highway 1 in Langley and Surrey has now been hugely improved which makes the commute much more doable.

getoutofbritainquick

For once we agree. Good advice. Happy family day.

ExKiwilass

ha, wondered when you'd turn up

Bloody kid had a dance exam today, what a cheek Hope your day was more relaxing!

getoutofbritainquick

Had a great weekend skiing in the Okanagan. Left The OK this morning in clear blue skies and then the gloom of the LM returned - low cloud and drizzle. I will post observations regarding gas prices on our trip to the general forum - the cost/litre variation was amazing.