Katie76

Thanks for writing.

Could you possibly tell me which schools are the best ? We can't afford private, so will be looking for an Elementary State School. My children are 9yrs and 6yrs.
I'm trying to gather as much info as possible and another member here suggested Alexander Robinson School which is very good,.. any others to add to my list ?

We are looking to rent to begin with, are there any area's within Maple Ridge that you feel should be avoided when renting or buying? Any dodgey areas ?

Also,.. what are the shops like there ? Is Maple Ridge like a basic shopping town for necessities and everything else in Vancouver City ?

Thanks so much for your help

babycart

I not familiar with the state schools here, so I am sorry you will have to ask another member.

Maple Ridge has everything you need from groceries to hardware etc. If you can't find something in Maple Ridge then you can go East to Abbotford or to the next towns to Maple Ridge which is Port Coquitlam. The only reason to go to Vancouver center would be for more fancy shopping- a bit like going to the West End in London.

There are no such places as "no go areas" in Maple Ridge, although some areas are better than others. The renting market is not great, and something we did not try. There are two web based sites, Craigs List & Kijiji which has rental information.

There is a lot of new housing in an area off 240th Street, you can Google earth the location. I know there is a school on either end of this place and it is anticipated that a new station for the West Coast express will be built close to the end of 240th when the new Golden Ears bridge will open.

As you go East of Maple Ridge the housing type is large plots from 1-10 acres. A lot of properties in this area are not on city water, have sewage or may not have gas. The location is lovely & quite and what you would expect Canada to look like.

As you go West heading as the crow flies to Vancouver downtown the areas are built up with high concentration of housing & business. Housing is a personal choice & will depend on budget, as well as work opportunities.

Katie76

Thanks for the info .

Am abit concerned that there are so many places that are "no go areas" though Should I be looking elsewhere to a different town ?

Understandably, I realise it depends on our budget, though to be honest we haven't got much to spend whilst renting, around just $1400.00 Max per month.

Feel abit concerned which area this band will go under

babycart

I thinking you may have missed read me- I do not think there are area's in Maple Ridge which are no go-

Renting depends on what you need to rent- we are a family of 5 so we needed a house.

Katie76

Oops sorry

I've just woken up

That's brill news,.. thanks so much for the info and your time !!!

dingbat

Erm...oh yes there are. You have drug central at 224th. MR has as many bad areas as anywhere else. Just use your eyes and LOOK. It won't take long to figure out where you don't want to be.

Katie76

Hi Dingbat,

Could you me tell a nice place where I can bring up my children ? They will be starting school pretty much straight away and so I wouldn't like to keep changing the areas because of this.

I'll try my best to avoid 224th street.

Other than Maple Ridge, can you suggest another affordable town?

Thanks for you help.

London7

Hi Katie
I live in Maple Ridge, i live on 236th (Cottonwood) which is a great area for families.
Dingbat is right, some areas are dodgy, but unless you are looking for drugs at 2am, I can promise you, it does not impact your life. I feel much safer here than England.
Dont discount MR, it has lots to offer and your budget is fine.

Katie76

Hi London7,

Thanks for that.

Yep, it was worrying me, especially as crime is the main reason for us moving. We live just outside London, UK and it's getting worse . I really don't want my children growing up around all this, it scares the life out of me.

Of course that no matter where you go, there will always be crime, only here I want shot of, it's becoming out of control and kids deserve a better start in life than this.

Thanks for replying, we'll stick with MR and when a place comes up, I could post to let people know here and they can comment on the area.

This sites been brilliant help for me !

Surrey Expat

Maple Ridge is no worse than other areas for crime and better than some. Pretty much anywhere you go you can find problems if you look for them. Any community you go to will have areas that are less desirable then others. Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows is not a bad place. Traffic can be a bit of an issue at certain times of day, especially until the new bridges are completed.

I get up there at least once a week and there are some nice rural areas and sub divisions. Tends to get a bit more rain/snow when it comes, than some parts in the winter though, but nothing dramatic. It seems to be growing very fast, as is most of Lower mainland BC. If you go to one community and are renting, you still have the option to move once you've settled a bit and find what you like.

babycart

Having come from South London- Knife capital of the UK the threat of violence is low. You do not gangs of hoodies intimidating you & yes drugs is an issue around most of Vancouver- Dingbats view of no go areas needs to be put into context- I haven't heard about people being mugged, there is less crime against the person & more against the property.

This thread has moved off the original point which was to meet & greet so if there are families that want to meet up in Maple Ridge that would be great.