el_richo

Rush hour would be around an hour or so to downtown i would have thought. Outside of rush hour it could be around 35 to 40 mins maybe. All depends where in Langley. It's a decent place but can be spendy in the nicer areas compared to MR.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of commuting. From MR and Langley you could be looking at around $15 per day in fuel, plus parking, plus accelerated running costs such as servicing, tyre wear, higher mileage = depreciation, etc etc. On top of that financial cost you have the physical cost of commuting for 2 to 3hrs per day.

If new immigrants are working downtown, i would suggest renting there for the first year to actually enjoy the city and the reachable offerings. Rent is very affordable.

Gezza

Unlike in US or England where many urban clearways are synchronized to give you "green waves" in most Canada's cities I had been to the traffic lights are designed to create a "red wave" causing the traffic to stop at all junction. The only way to beat it would be to break the speed limit. I also found it extremly depressing.

Alan2005

Yes - this.

I go into the office once a week. Parking downtown costs me $18 for the one day I go in a week. If I was going in every day I'd get a pass which will bring the cost down, but even the petrol + parking costs are going to be min $500 per month.

JonboyE

Err ...

kmcmorran

So, I just visited MR and Langley. At this time, MR is looking too far from downtown. Driving is out. West Coast Express will be good for some work days, but the schedule is limited.

Housing looks very nice in Kanaka, Uplands and Albion areas. The town itself on Lougheed Highway is pretty run down with some nice newer shopping areas stuck in between along the way (Save on Foods, etc.)

Overall, very nice beautiful town with lots of greenery and lakes. Shopping is pretty limited. Closest larger mall is in Langley or Port Coquitlam.

Langley is also very nice. It has all the shops you could need with lots of new housing development. Walnut Grove or Fort Langley are great areas for a small town feel. There are many houses being built in the centre of Langley (72nd Ave) and if you live on a side road it is quiet and you wouldn't even know you were so close to the main road (easy walk to shopping).

Another nice area with new housing is in the Willoughby neighborhood.

Found housing prices to be pretty similar between MR and Langley.
For example, if you want a larger house (3,000 sq. ft) a couple years old with a basement suite (you'll often have to finish it yourself), MR will on average run you around $525,000-$550,000 (even less for an older home).

In Langley (Walnut Grove and Willoughby), it looks like it may cost an extra $25,000 to get the same thing.

I'm wondering about commuting to downtown from Langley using the Expo line from the King George Station. Looks like it runs about every 4 minutes and takes 39 min to get to downtown waterfront. Anyone know how long it takes to drive from Langley through Surrey in rush hour to get to the King George station??

JonboyE

Parking is fairly limited around the King George station. There is a big park and ride at Scott Road station a couple of stops down, but still this side of the river.

Timings are all up in the air at the moment because of the construction of the new Port Mann bridge. A lot of traffic is using the King George Hwy and Pattullo Bridge to get around it. However, once this and the South Fraser Perimeter Road are completed in 2-3 years time it will probably be a 10-15 minute drive. Till then it will be at least half an hour.

Robbeck

Hi, my husband has a job in Coquitlam but will be working in all surrounding areas. We don't have a very big budget for a house so are looking at the Maple Ridge or Langley area, we have two teenage children. Can anyone give me any info on schooling etc, places to avoid. We will be renting for the first six months so want to get the area right as don't want to change daughters school as at 16 and a half will be difficult enough for her. Also how easy is it to find rental propertys in this area with 2 dogs! Any info would be really appreciated. Many Thanks

ExKiwilass

Well, commuting from MR to Coquitlam would be easier than to DT. In fact I'd take MR over langley if the job is in Coquitlam.

As for the rest of your post, no idea sorry. Have a read of the forum - there have been a lot of MR threads lately plus check out the Wiki on Vancouver & burbs.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Vancouver

el_richo

I agree with Kiwilass. Commuting to Coquitlam would have me live in and around MR rather than Langley, mainly because i'm lazy and hate commuting.

Stick East / North East of downtown MR and you shouldn't go too wrong. From what i understand (knowing quite a few teachers in the area), schooling will be just as good as many of the suburbs.

As for renting with dogs, have a look through Craigslist Vancouver and select the check box filtering those that allow pets.

A nice example in a decent area is - http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pm...382679716.html

Alan2005

This. Although I live there and so am biased.