Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

As the title suggests, we're thinking about a Vancouver suburb to move to and are wondering whether Coquitlam could fit the bill. It looks pretty enough online but the internet can only tell you so much. Hubby is going out in May for a look around. I did a BE forum search on this area...some say it's nice, others say it's a dump. I suppose until we see it for ourselves we won't know but in the meantime I'm asking those in the know - what do you think? Our budget is $500,000+-

We're looking for the usual - leafy, safe, secondary schooling. We'll be renting anyway for the first 6-12 months so will get a feel for it once we're there but if you guys say stay clear then perhaps we'd have a re-think....

Thanks :)

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

And I say some of it is nice and some of it is a dump.

brizzle is a Coquitlam resident and I'm sure he will add his point of view when he finds the thread.

Keep away from the main highways as they are busy, there tends to be a lot of commercial development and the housing around tends to be on the dumpier end. Otherwise there are perfectly pleasant residential areas.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Thanks for that....actually we also stumbled across Fort Langley. Dboy says that nice (where IS Dboy these days?!) so either of those areas for your honest opinions please?

White Rock's a bit out of our price range, non?

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Right, I live there:) TBH, most of the suburbs are much of muchness. Nothing stands out in Coquitlam, but it isn't a disaster area too.

Western areas (Nr the skytrain) are older (well 1970's mainly) and there are some roughish areas around North Rd/Brunette Ave. North Rd is very Korean. Areas around Cape Horn/Lougheed Hwy seem to have fair bit of grow-op/gang/dodgy activity too. Areas nearer to Coquitlam centre are newer and extend way up into the surrounding mountains. Lots of Chinese live here. It's nice enough, but some areas are a bit far out and souless IMO.

Coquitlam has some nice parks. Transport links are better nearer the skytain. Westcoast express fro coquitlam centre or express buses to the skytrain. They are supposed to be extending the skytrain out here, but it'll be donkeys before anythings done (IMO they should just blast a light rail link from Braid skytrain right up Lougheed Hwy to Coq. centre).

For $500k your choice of single family homes is limited to the bottom of the market, but if you take a look at townhomes etc as well, you'll find something you'll like I'm sure. Look at Port Moody as well. I like it.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Where will you be working? That will make a huge difference to where you decide to live. White Rock to Coquitlam is a hell of a way (40-50kms)

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Yikes, $500k gets you the lower end of the market.....boo.....

Thanks for your info though. How did you come about deciding where to live?

Now if we could just win that blinking lottery!!!!!!!!

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Now there's a question. Hubby hasn't got a job yet :eek: He's going out in May to throw himself at recruiters etc. I know you'll probably say get the job then look for the house and that would be sensible advice so we'll be renting wherever in the meantime until the illusive job turns up. Just want to get a feel for areas and advice from the locals.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

I agree with the later part of Jonboy's first sentence. There's got to be better places to live in the world than Coquitlam? People don't live there by choice.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Yes, it is a shame that dboy has decided to stop posting. I hope it is only temporary.

I like Fort Langley. It is less convenient than Coquitlam as you will have to go to Willowbrook in Langley City for anything other than basic shopping. However, it has character rather than the relentless suburban sprawl that is Coquitlam. Depending on where your OH finds work the commute over the Port Mann Bridge is going to be grim for the next year or so until the new bridge is open.

As for White Rock? There are a very limited number of single family homes at this price point. However, it is not impossible. How about this: http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...Key=-815148601 ? It is not White Rock but Ocean Park - a very desirable part of South Surrey. It is on quite a busy road and has renters at the moment (so will likely need a lot of TLC to get it into the shape you want) but IMO is a bit of a bargain.

This is in a fabulous location but is a tear-down. http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...Key=-520400064

Or you could kick the tenants out of this: http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...ey=-1690155860 It is on a busy street.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Renting at first is the best idea.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

I hope he comes back - but he actually went as far as getting his BE account closed rather than just stop posting.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

There are and I don't really live here by choice, but is it really that much worse than any of the other endless suburbs? Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond etc

I like the first one personally. What's the commute like, if you had to go downtown. Seems like a bloody long way.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

In that case I hope we can welcome a new poster called boyd in the near future.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Thanks so much for such a comprehensive answer, that's really helpful. I guess my dream of a nice house in a couple of acres is pretty much just that, a dream. Still, on the upside we won't be rushing into anything so we'll have time to have a good look round whilst we're there. I guess for me though it's more difficult to switch as we'll have our son in Secondary school. Would we be able to keep him at the same school if we moved neighbourhood?

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

a dboy posted an answer recently but it had no info with it....wasn't that him?

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

so if you had to suggest somewhere with our budget, where would it be?

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Probably - it wasn't that long ago he quit the site. End of Feb if I recall.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

It does look good. For that price I assume there will be a fair bit of work to update the interior after the renters have gone, but nothing a competent DIYer couldn't handle.

Commute to downtown by car from there is about 1 1/4 hours. That house is five minutes walk from an express bus stop that will drop you at Bridgeport Skytrain station. Roughly the same sort of time to downtown.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Generally yes. However, you will be responsible for getting him to school if you are out of the catchment area.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

YEs, it is. It's much further to Vancouver and is truly suburban (except Surrey). Burnaby and Richmond are at least right next to Vancouver and they're urbanizing fast.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

I personally wouldn't live in Coquitlam. It's a lifestyle choice - the commute to Vancouver is that much longer and it's much more built around big box shopping, chain restaurants and malls, which I personally don't like, rather than boutiques shops that are walking distance etc. A lot of cookie cutter identikit housing. Etc.

Brizzle is right about the house prices - Coquitlam is $$$$ as is Port Moody. For cheaper housing look to Port Coquitlam. I actually prefer Port Coquitlam, it's a bit further from Van again but it has a nice village centre for shopping etc and they're putting money into redeveloping it. It has more character to my mind. But again, just that much further from Van. Port Coquitlam is also on the West Coast Express line which can get you downtown reasonably quickly. The problem is it has limited hours and only goes west in the morning and east in the evening.

The people I know who bought there bought because they couldn't afford closer to Vancouver, rather than loving Coquitlam, if that makes sense. But I am talking locals here, not expats.

Coquitlam is just fine as a place to bring up a family. I've never heard anything bad about the schools.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Blimey, it's difficult eh? I read in an earlier post when I searched the forums that some people said Port Co is a dump. If only I could put our wants and needs into a fruit machine, pull the handle and the area of my dreams would pop out like a nice shiny prize! Perhaps we should move to NS....we could afford something there and some!! I just wish the West Coast wasn't sooooo expensive. I know BC is known as 'bring cash' but I really had no idea that $500k would get us next to nowt. I suppose it would be nigh on impossible to buy land and build then eh? (she said, clutching at straws!)....

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Toulouse.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

HEre's the thing.

Parts of Poco are crap, parts are lovely.

Parts of Coquitlam are crap, parts are lovely

Parts of Burnaby etc

Parts of Vancouver etc

There are no cities bar, say, West Van that don't have bad bits. NONE.

you could buy land but the land will be expensive....plenty of people buy land and build, but in my area the land alone is around 600K

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

yes, and at least three bedrooms....

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Well, I guess that's the same the world over eh? Looks like it's going to be a tarp in some woods then....:(

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

What I really meant is Coquitlam really any different to any other surburban area? I don't believe it's any better or worse.

Most of these 'cities' are quite large in area. If you're comparing West Burnaby and beyond Coquitlam centre and half way up a mountain, then of course you are right, but they also share a 'border' so E. Burnaby and W. Coquitlam, well is there really much in it?

If you're in the Northern part of Richmond near the new skytrain, then it'll be quicker and closer to downtown. Anywhere else and you're as distant as W.Coquitlam IMO (where you can get downtown in 30-40 mins)

The bits of Burnaby and Richmond closest to Vancouver are 'urbanizing' fast. Well overpriced identical tower blocks are mushrooming everywhere if that's what you mean ;)

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

This is why renting is such a good idea. Whatever you think is ideal now will be completely different to where you will want to live after being here for a year. You need to visit all the different cities and communities, look at all the various types and styles of houses to see which ones will suit you.

It is quite a fun way to explore.

Don't worry too much. $500,000 will get you somewhere nice to live. It just will likely not be in sort of home, or in the place, that you expect right now. And renting is a perfectly acceptable, and affordable, alternative.

It is not a cheap option.

PS You'll like Ocean Park.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

haha to be honest, there's lots of Burnaby I wouldn't live in either for the exact same reasons. Where I live, in the heights, it feels more like east van, actually it really is like east van, just better cared for (no offence to east vanners as I love it, but it's almost like Vancouver ran out of steam when it got to COmmercial). Lots of character homes, little restaurants, great transit, only 15 mins to dt van, diverse popluation, mountain views, etc. etc. Dboy and I once had a long conversation about areas that are really appealing places to live, and why, they tend to be the older neighbourhoods like Kits, Commercial, Hastings, the heights, north van, and I think a large part of it is because they are older and were built before the car.

BUt go 10 blocks east and you're right, it's not different to Coquitlam - but it is a shorter commute to van.

by urban I didn't so much mean the towers though that's part of it. I mean coquitlam has plenty of towers too. IT's more the amenities (see first paragraph) and the people...likeminded people. IF that makes sense. The people who tend to want the surburban dream don't tend to live in inner burnaby or richmond...it's that mindset/lifestyle thing again. I see Coquitlam as way more car-oriented than where I live now, probably because it was built as a bedroom community in the 70s when it was all about the car.

sigh. I miss dboy. :(

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

I agree that it's fun to look around whilst renting and there's no real pressure and we'd be cash buyers in the end too.....

I'll skip the land option then.....

ps just looked at a property in Ocean Park on MLS....really sweet, lovely grounds....thanks for that!

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Yes, I totally get what you're saying. Burnaby Heights/E.Van etc seem to have more of a European feel, rather than a N.American feel if you know what I mean. Trouble outside of Vancouver itself, you can count these areas on one hand. The rest is really suburbia and car orientated, but it depends what you're after really.

Personally speaking* (from someone who lives in the 'burbs), if someone has a burning desire to move to Vancouver because they love it, then I think that they really need to live in Vancouver proper or in Comm. Drive/Kits etc. Living out in the 'burbs seems to me to defeat the whole purpose, as it is a different lifestyle. If someone can't afford to do that, then maybe they need to rethink things. It's a bit like loving central London living and the associated lifestyle, but once you move you find that you can only afford Barnet. Nowt wrong with Barnet, but your lifestyle will be very different there.

*in very general terms

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Good way of putting it.....

Back to the drawing board for us then.....

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

I totally agree with you.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Excellent post. Get a condo in Kits, take transit and walk. No need for a car. On a sunny day at the beach it will make sense.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Funny you should say that....we're currently renting a flat and actually quite like it so we were discussing condo living too!

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Kits is lovely, but $500,000 doesn't go far. 2 bed, 800sf and no view.

The middle option is a town home. You have a decent budget in many areas.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

that's good because if you're open to condo living, there is WAY more choice of areas. North van, the heights *shameless plug for own neighbourhood* commercial, DT

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Certainly worth having a look in some of these areas when you're here, rather than solely concentrating on the suburbs. You can find reasonably leafy, safe areas with decent schools etc close to downtown Vancouver. But this is when space and cost come into the equation. Don't discount it just yet.

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

I totally agree with renting somewhere first before buying. We currently live in Coquitlam and have done for the past 14 months but we're moving to North Van later this month. Coquitlam as a whole is quite nice, good mall, transit, trails, great couple of lakes for the summer etc but we realize we spend way more time in Downtown/North van for snowboarding and seeing friends etc so what might seem ideal for your needs when you first arrive may not be the case a year down the line.

Brizzle - you live in Coquitlam and are from Bristol?? SNAP! small world eh?!

Re: Coquitlam - your thoughts please
 

Zummerset originally, but it's just way easier to say Brizzle as more people (not from UK) have heard of it. BTW I don't talk in the same way that I type. Oo aar :lol: