Choosing a Location
Vancouver is home to many exciting and safe neighbourhoods.
Vancouver is a beautiful city full of vibrant, welcoming neighbourhoods. This guide will help you get oriented. You can also explore nearby cities like Burnaby and North Vancouver, where housing may cost less but commute times are often longer.
Start with this map of Vancouver neighbourhoods:
Closest to Campus
These areas are all located very close to campus. Most of these are within a 30 minute walk, except for Fairview Slopes.
Mount Pleasant, Riley Park + Little Mountain
This area stretches from Cambie Street to Commercial Drive and is about a 30-minute walk from campus. Main Street, especially between Terminal and 30th, is a creative hub with galleries, shops and cafes.
Housing includes shared homes, apartments and basement suites, with prices generally starting around $1200 and up.
Strathcona
Located just east of Chinatown and about a 30-minute walk from campus, this area is home to many local artists and ECU students. It’s located on the Adanac bike route.
Housing is mostly shared homes. Be aware that theft can be an issue. Choose secure housing and avoid the stretch between East Hastings and Powell Street.
Fairview Slopes
This area runs from Granville to Main Street, south of False Creek to King Edward (25th Ave). It’s a popular spot for students, with plenty of apartments, basement suites and shared houses. Expect around 20 minutes by bus or an hour on foot to campus.
Rents start around $1500 for one-bedrooms.
East Van
Anything east of Main Street, all the way to Boundary Road (the division between Vancouver and Burnaby) is referred to as East Vancouver or East Van.
Commercial Drive
Known as “the Drive,” the creative, welcoming community of Commercial Drive runs through Grandview-Woodlands and is just a few SkyTrain stops from campus. It’s a lively, LGBTQIA2S+-friendly neighbourhood popular with students and artists.
You’ll find coffee shops, Italian markets, organic food, boutiques and affordable housing options like shared homes, basement suites and apartments.
Hastings-Sunrise
Located east of Nanaimo Street and north of Broadway, this area is about 30 minutes from campus by bus. While not directly on the SkyTrain line, it’s well-served by transit.
With plenty of shops on Hastings and easy access to the North Shore, it’s great for outdoor enthusiasts. Rentals are typically apartments, with prices starting around $1300 for one-bedroom units.
Downtown
Downtown Vancouver is surrounded by water on three sides and can be accessed by the Burrard, Granville and Cambie bridges, or by the Aquabus or False Creek Ferry – these are the little tugboats you’ll see chugging along in False Creek. The Skytrain also runs into downtown. From campus, you can walk across the Cambie bridge in about 45 minutes.
The West End
The West End is downtown, between Granville Street and Stanley Park, not to be confused with the West Side of Vancouver or the separate city of West Vancouver across the water. Still with us?
This lively, LGBTQIA2S+-friendly area is close to beaches, Stanley Park and popular spots like Robson Street, Denman Street and Davie Village. You can reach it from campus by bridge, bus, SkyTrain or a ride on the charming little False Creek Ferries and Aquabus tugboats. It’s about a 45-minute walk across the Cambie Bridge to campus.
Housing includes high- and low-rise apartments, often shared by students. Studios start around $1700, but lower prices usually mean very small spaces.
Yaletown
Yaletown is one of Vancouver’s most expensive neighbourhoods. It’s packed with restaurants, clubs, shops and fitness and beauty services.
People with one or two-bedroom apartments are often looking for a roommate. Some will partition off a portion of the living room and rent it out as a semi-private bedroom. Be wary of ‘sunrooms’ or ‘solariums’ which are glass-encased balconies or dens. It’s illegal to advertise these as bedrooms. They get very hot in the summer and are freezing in the winter.
West Side
The west side covers anything west of Main Street all the way to west the University of British Columbia (UBC) and all the way south to the water. The areas listed here are within a 20 minute drive or a 30 minute bus ride.
Kitsilano
Kits is just west of Granville Island. The #84 Express bus will take you right to campus in about 30 minutes, and if you’re coming by car it’s about a 20 minute drive.
It’s a trendy area with coffee shops and restaurants by the beach along Cornwall Ave. On West 4th Ave, there are several boutiques, surf, ski and snowboard shops and restaurants.
Housing here is on the pricier side. Bachelor and one-bedroom apartments usually start at $1700, with two-bedrooms at $2000 and up. Shared houses can be more affordable. If budget isn’t a concern, there are plenty of luxury condos and suites to choose from.
Kerrisdale, Shaughnessy, Dunbar, Point Grey + UBC
South of Kitsilano and stretching west to UBC, these quiet, residential neighbourhoods are filled with large, often expensive homes. Many UBC students live here, so rental demand is high in late summer.
Housing is mostly small basement suites, with prices starting around $1200 for one-bedrooms and $2200 for two-bedrooms.
Marpole
Marpole is in south Vancouver, west of Main Street and stretching from 41st Avenue to Marine Drive. It’s on the SkyTrain line and offers a mix of houses, apartments and basement suites.
It’s a quieter, residential area with shopping near transit hubs. Rentals here are more affordable, starting around $1200.