This article is part of our series on top Canadian real estate destinations. For a full overview, check Canadian Property – Real Estate Market Explained.

There’s None Like it

Vancouver is a big city, with luxurious ambitions. It is one of Canada’s educational and research strongholds with two renowned universities and numerous research institutions, such as the National Research County of Canada, which includes 20 research institutes. Around 2.3 million people live in the metropolitan region of Vancouver on the Pacific coast, and it ranked sixth place in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability index and the third in Mercer’s list. The prosperity of the metropolis is based on the timber industry and the port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest seaport. Through the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver presented itself to a global audience and, above all, invested heavily in its transportation infrastructure. The Vancouver Stock Exchange is a smaller regional exchange and cannot compete with the Toronto Stock Exchange. Important industrial sectors in Vancouver are forestry and mining. Canada is generally rich in many raw materials and a big player in the international raw materials export trade.

• 6th Most Livable City in the World

Packed Real Estate Market

Vancouver is an ideal place to live, visit and work. A very young city with many modern buildings, it is the third largest city in Canada and only 45 kilometers from the border with the USA. Together with Toronto and Montreal, the most important economic and financial metropolis of Canada. If you’re looking to invest in property, house prices are currently the number one topic of conversation in the city, and hardly a day goes by without them being mentioned in the press or on television. According to the “Housing Trends and Affordability” by the Royal Bank of Canada, the cost of buying a detached single-family home now amounts to 109% of median income. The national average is 51%. There are many reasons for this development: Demand has risen massively more strongly than supply. While the latter is limited not least by geographical factors, demand continues to rise steadily, as foreign investors and immigrants discovered after the 1986 Expo or the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler that Vancouver is a great place to live. The median house price in Vancouver is CAD942.000, much higher than e.g. Calgary‘s CAD415.000.

• Single-Family House costs 109% of Median Income
• Population: 2,3 mio.
• Median house price CAD942.000.

Map: Comfort by the Sea

Drone: Vancouver Views

Vancouver and its surrounding nature are better viewed than told.

Districts: Gastown, Yaletown + More

Vancouver has many faces, meaning there are different and unique districts. While most of the high-rise buildings are located in downtown, it gets more comfortable in neighborhoods like Gastown, West End or Granville Island. Also very cozy is the somewhat smaller district of Yaletown.

Gastown: The Epicenter

The historic Gastown is located in the center of Vancouver. Landmark of the former trade and financial center is the famous steam clock, Gastown’s great brick houses and lanterns, are reminiscent of London. It awakes especially in the evening hours when the many restaurants and pubs invite you to eat and drink in the dim light of the old street lamps. It was a Gastown Tavern that, founded in 1867, made Vancouver a growing city. Gastown is not big, but it has a very special effect. It is one of the oldest quarters of the city and exudes a certain charm. Simply wonderful. While the cobblestone streets and vintage style can still be seen, Gastown itself has become a top address for food, fashion and entertainment.

West End: Sunset Promenade

Right next to downtown Vancouver is the West End, which is known as the gateway to the famous Stanley Park. Historic buildings, parks, bars and restaurants are waiting for you and if you love ramen and Korean food you are in the right area. Also notable, the Inukshuk statue that inspired the logo for the 2010 Olympics on the promenade. And of course the beach where you can watch the magnificent sunset. Robson Street has some of the best shopping in town. The West End is also not far away from Stanley Park.

Kitsilano: Hippie Mecca Becomes Suburbia

What makes this district so special is its proximity to the beach. Kitsilano Beach with its tennis courts, a great green area just around the corner and the beautiful view of the English Bay. Kitsilano is located on West 4th Avenue. The main street – littered with stores, restaurants and bars – fills up quickly on weekends. Once a center for hippies, Kitsilano is now home to a colorful mix of working singles and families who enjoy an active lifestyle. The neighborhood is also known for some of the best new restaurants in Canada, including the AnnaLena and Mission.

Yaletown: True Downtown

Yaletown is characterized by several large glass towers that dominate the skyline of Vancouver. In addition to modern apartments, this hip district also offers parks, designer stores, high-end restaurants and bars. It is known for these pubs and bars. Along the Mainland and Hamilton Street, one follows the other. Yaletown was not always a meeting place for trendsetters, but then many of the red brick buildings were converted into special rooms, houses, restaurants and stores. So the luxury lounge where cocktails are sipped today may well have once been a textile factory. Like many other downtown districts of Vancouver, Yaletown is located on the famous waterfront. There you can jog, ride your bike or go for a walk and have a great view of the city skyline and False Creek.

Unique Nature

Vancouver is known for its striking location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. This means you may find yourself walking along kilometer-long caribbean sand beaches with massive mountains behind you. Not to miss is also the rainforests. The 2009 movie Avatar was filmed in the rainforests around Vancouver. Some trees here are over 1000 years old, over 80 meters high and have trunks as thick as an elephant. Whistler, the legendary ski and mountain resort famous for its deep snow and steep runs is just 1.5 hours away, with countless others scattered across the region.

Vancouver Short Trip

The most important infos for a short trip to Vancouver.

Flight: The nearest airport is Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which is about 20 minutes from the city (only 12 km to the city center). The following routes will take you into the city:

• By train via Canada Line
• With one of the many shuttle services like the “Go Airport Shuttle”.

The airport is relatively small, so you cannot get lost as quickly as at many other large airports. Should this happen, the staff is always very friendly and helpful.

Train: Traveling by train is unusual and expensive in Canada. The railroad is aimed more at tourists than at normal travelers with its offers. In spring and summer ‘The Canadian’ of VIA Rail Canada runs the Toronto-Winnipeg-Edmonton-Jasper-Vancouver route. All trains arrive at Pacific Central Station (intersection of Main St & Terminal St, Skytrain Station: Main Street).

Accommodation: There are hotels of all kinds for pretty much any desires. For those looking for a traditional experience the St. Regis is a top destination. Otherwise the Burrard, right on Robson street is a popular desitnationf or its youthful atmosphere.

This article is part of our series on top Canadian real estate destinations. For a full overview, check Canadian Property – Real Estate Market Explained.

The Superstar City in Canada

Toronto is an economic powerhouse, but also a cultural center, found mostly around the old town, famous for its music scene and its particularly varied gastronomy. The Toronters are also very fond of sports. On game days, the whole city is feverish – in summer with basketball, in winter with ice hockey. 130 kilometers away are Niagara Falls and the city of Niagara Falls (Ontario), and from Toronto there are numerous offers for day trippers. About 320 kilometers down the St. Lawrence River are the Thousand Islands, a group of about 1,800 small islands that can be explored by excursion boats. Downtown Toronto has more than 100 skyscrapers higher than 100 meters, the second highest number of high-rise buildings in North America after New York City. In addition to its beautiful location on Lake Ontario, it is also home to one of the largest and most beautiful airports in the Toronto Pearson Airport YYZ.

Booming Economy

Toronto’s central location, along with a host of political policies favouring international trade, places this city with the greatest economic ties to, and influence from, the United States. Since the second half of the 20th century the city has grown phenomenally, from a rather sedate provincial town-“Toronto the Good”-to a lively, thriving, cosmopolitan metropolitan area. With the surrounding communities, Toronto makes up the Golden Horseshoe, the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with 8 million inhabitants. Moreover, the city is positioned on the edge of some of the best farmland in Canada, with a climate favorable to growing a wide range of crops, thereby making Toronto a transportation, distribution, and manufacturing center, as demonstrated by the fact that it is home to the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange). Toronto’s population growth has increased by 1.2%, from 0.5% to 1,7%, between 2013 and 2020.

• Size: 632 square km
• Metropolitan area 5,905 km2
• Population: 2,73 mio. (2016)

Investing in Torontonian Property

Over 50% of Canada’s GDP growth were a result of real estate. Toronto makes up a significant proportion of this growth. The good location on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario has led to continuous population growth in recent decades. Compared to the typical temperatures in Canada, the climate in Toronto is still considered moderate, which is due to its southern location on the outer edge of the country. With a GDP of 276.313 mio. Dollars, Toronto is the forty-first economically strongest city in the world. In Canada, along with Montreal and Vancouver, it is the hottest real estate market. The median house price in Toronto is CAD686.000.

• GDP of $276.313 Mio.
• One of Canada’s hottest real estate markets
• Median house price CAD686.000.

Map: Lake Metropolis

Drone: Flying through Toronto

Toronto’s unforgettable skyline is beautiful from almost everywhere, but rarely seen from up above.

Districts: Markets and Drake Hotel

Toronto is home to many growing, diverse cultures. From all around the world, all walks of life, and all aspirations. There is youthful atmosphere, cozy streets and big city flair.

Leslieville: Rising Residential

Leslieville in East Toronto is one of the neighborhoods where a lot has already happened and is constantly changing. The many small cafés and restaurants in the neighborhood are always full of people of all ages. Many creative people and young families move into the new apartments that are being built everywhere or are being built in old factory buildings. The older ones have been living for years mainly in the side streets of Queen Street East, where there are whole rows of pretty brick houses from times gone by. And they have a garden in the middle of the city.

Queen West: Second Coolest in the World

In Queen West you can find practically everything that is cool. Super shopping, numerous art and design studios and a variety of music events and good restaurants – and all this against the backdrop of historic buildings. Walking through the streets you’ll find hidden galeries, and boutique hotels like ‘The Drake. No wonder Vogue has called West Queen West the second coolest neighborhood in the world!

Kensington Market: Downtown Bohemia

Kensington Market is like a small Toronto in the middle of Toronto. This quarter is between Spadina Avenue and Dundas, Bathurst and College Street, which is characterized by many small, colorfully painted houses. In Kensington everything is very workmanlike. Few big department stores, and no white tablecloths in the restaurants. There is also much cultural diversity. You meet pensioners as well as their grandchildren. Over the years, immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Vietnam have made their home here and left their own mark on the neighborhood.

Liberty Village: Industrial Chic

Liberty Village is located on the west side of the city just behind the tracks of the stadium. The young creative and often career oriented people, live here in high-rise housing estates, most of which are surrounded by large green spaces. Former factories in old buildings have been transformed into apartments, cafes and restaurants. The industrial soul lives on through the new residents: start-ups, digital agencies and advertising agencies. Liberty Village looks completely different.

A look at the high rises around the Bay Street area.

Toronto: Uniquely Situated

Toronto is not just another North American metropolis. It is uniquely situated in its surround nature, with the legendary Canadian Shield, and extremely fertile farmland. This surely fed its rapid economic rise, but nowadays it is home to startups, tech-companies, as well as established big names such as Bell Canada and the Alderwoods Group.

Unique Geography

The melting of ice from the last Ice Age shaped the landscape of the Toronto region. About 11,000 years ago, in place of today’s Lake Ontario, there was the Lake Iroquois, much larger and deeper. The shores of which are still found about 12 kilometers inland from the shores of Lake Ontario. With the opening of the St. Lawrence River, the water of the lake receded. Over time, the water levels rose to their present level, leaving a marshy shoreline but a beautiful natural harbor. Another physical feature is Toronto’s location at the mouth of the Humber River. Apart from this, the city’s terrain is almost uniformly flat, formerly being the lake floor. The resources of the surrounding land have also been important to Toronto’s development. The rich sedimentary soils of southern Ontario offered excellent farmland, and the ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield in the north were not only a source of valuable mineral resources, but also covered with spruce and pine forests.

Economic Juggernaut

Toronto is the headquarters of the five largest banks in Canada, including the Toronto-Dominion Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada. The Royal Bank of Canada is the largest bank in the country with over 60,000 employees. The leading Canadian financial institution has the largest branch network in Canada with around 1,300 branches. Since 1997, only electronic PC trading via the Computer Assisted Trading System (CATS) have been available at the TSX.The financial metropolis Toronto has the oldest bank in Canada, the Bank of Montreal, which was founded in 1817. Since the mid-1990s, Toronto has had a higher unemployment rate than the average in Ontario. The average household in the metropolis generates around 80,000 Canadian dollars a year. The economy of the Canadian metropolis in eastern Canada is now very broadly based with numerous corporations.

Global Culture

Toronto is also the ideal place to practice globalization. With five and a half million inhabitants, the Greater Toronto Area is one of the largest North American megacities. But it is much safer, and the social differences are less pronounced. The region (and perhaps all of Canada) has found a way to offer people a new home without taking away their old one. The immigrants are young, come from all over the world and shape the entire city life.

Toronto Short Trip

The most important infos for a short trip to Toronto.

Flight: Toronto Pearson is one of the biggest airports in the world. It is located in the suburb of Mississauga and is well connected to the city by train, bus, cab and via ferry. It takes 17 minutes from the airport to the Union Station in downtown by Car, or 25 minutes by bus. But there’s another airport in town. For North American jetsetters, the Billy Bishop Airport is optimal. Renowned for its beautiful location and the view of the city and lake Ontario when arriving, it has destinations such as Boston, Montreal, Chicago, or New York.

Accommodation: There are hotels of all kinds in the city. Many accommodations are located in the skyscrapers in downtown Toronto. There are also established luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton and the legendary Drake Hotel. Additionally, in some districts there are chic, small boutique hotels.

Toronto Stock Exchange: Canada’s Money Headquarters

Bay Street is the hub for all financial exchanges and the hub for the Toronto Stock Exchange.

One Year

The one year graph of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Three Years

The three year graph of the Toronto Stock Exchange.