Choosing a Location

Location:

• East of Cambie Street, stretching out to Commercial Drive.

Vibe:

• Some areas of Mount Pleasant, particularly around Fraser and Kingsway can be a little less secure, but generally, this area is just fine.
• Main Street, between Terminal and 30th Avenue, is popular with creatives thanks to its artist-run galleries, independent shops and cafes.
• There are also excellent thrift shops in this strip, plus a wide variety of restaurants and grocery stores.

Accommodations:

• There are many shared houses, apartments and basement suites.
• Prices get lower the farther east you go, but they typically average $1200+ for a basement bachelor suite to $1300+ for a one bedroom and $1800+ for two bedrooms.

Location:

• Just east of Chinatown. It is bordered by Wall Street, Prior Street, Terminal Avenue, Clark Drive and Main Street.

Vibe:

• Home to several local artists.
• Many ECU students live in this neighbourhood in shared houses.
• The preferred living area is south of Hastings Street, not north towards Powell Street.
• Theft is a problem in this area, so it is recommended to find secure accommodation.
• The area between East Hastings and Powell Street is generally not a recommended living area for students.

Accommodations:

• Although the popularity of this neighbourhood has driven the rent prices up in the last few years there are still good deals to be found.

Location:

• A little farther away - within a 20 min bus ride or an hour walk.
• Located between Granville Street and Main Street, south of False Creek, all the way down to King Edward Area (which is also 25th Ave).

Vibe:

• A very popular living area with many apartment buildings, basement suites and some shared houses.

Accommodation:

• One bedroom apartments usually go for $1500+ and two bedrooms for $2000+.

Location:

• Just a couple of Skytrain stops east of campus
• Runs down the centre of the Grandview Woodlands area.

Vibe:

• It is a funky and hip area that is very popular with the alternative and student crowd. It's also very LGBTQIA2S+ friendly.
• Commonly referred to as “the Drive”, it hosts a stretch of coffee shops, cheap produce stores, organic markets, boutiques and an odd assortment of alternative stores.

Accommodations:

• There are many affordable areas here for students. Housing comes in the form of shared houses, apartments, and basement suites.

Location:

• East of Nanaimo Street and North of Broadway.
• About a 30 minute bus ride away, as the Skytrain doesn't go directly to this part of town. The area is well-connected with bus routes.

Vibe:

• Many restaurants, cafes, drug stores and grocery stores can be found on Hastings St.
• This neighbourhoods’ proximity to the Second Narrows bridge makes it ideal for students who like to go hiking or skiing on the North Shore.

Accommodations:

• You can find well-maintained apartment buildings and usually 1-2 bedroom apartments to rent.
• Usually, prices range from $1300+ for a one-bedroom apartment and $1700+ for a two-bedroom.

The West End is downtown. The West Side is the western part of Vancouver. West Vancouver is a totally different city, across the water to the north. Confused yet?

Location:

• Downtown, between Granville Street and Stanley Park.

Vibe:

• Robson and Denman Streets are trendy shopping and eating areas.
• Stanley Park and beaches are all nearby.
• LGBTQIA2S+ friendly. The Davie Village has historically been the centre of Vancouver Pride celebrations.

Accommodations:

• High and low-rise apartment buildings.
• There are many students who share one-bedroom apartments (you really have to like the other person!) and two-bedroom apartments here.
• Studio apartments average about $1700+.
• If the rates advertised are very low, the apartment in question is probably very small.

Location:

• In the heart of downtown, a little closer to campus than the West End.

Vibe:

• Trendy! Yaletown is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Vancouver, so plan a generous budget if you want to live here.
  
• Tons of restaurants, all the clubs and lots of shopping, fitness and beauty services.

Accommodations:

• 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 ‘sun rooms’, which are basically encased balconies. We have seen people try to pass these as bedrooms and rent them out, even though it is illegal to do so. You would also quickly find out that they get insanely hot in the summer, and freezing in the winter!

Location:

• Just west of Granville Island.
• The #84 Express bus is a fast way to get from Kitsilano ("Kits" to the locals) to the campus on Great Northern Way.

Vibe:

• A trendy area close to the beach.
• There is a stretch of coffee shops and small eateries along Cornwall Avenue, and 4th Avenue hosts a wide selection of boutiques, sports shops and restaurants.

Accommodations:

• This can be an expensive neighbourhood to live in.
• Bachelor, basement and one-bedroom apartments are usually more than $1700.
• Two-bedroom apartments are more than $2000+.
• Rooms in a shared house will be less.
• If money is not a problem, there is a wide selection of luxury suites and condos available.

Location:

• These are the areas south of Kitsilano that stretch west across to the University of British Columbia.

Vibe:

• These are residential neighbourhoods with many expensive homes
• This area is popular with UBC (University of B.C.) students, so places for September can be hard to find

Accommodations:

• You can usually find small basement suites here.
• Average prices here range from $1200+ for a bachelor or one-bedroom and $2200+ for two bedrooms.

Location:

• West of Main Street and south of 41st Avenue to Marine Drive.
• On the Skytrain line.

Vibe:

• Houses, apartments and basement suites are all available here.
• A little more residential, though there are hubs of shops and services near the Skytrain stations.

Accommodations:

• Rental rates in this area are more reasonable, ranging from $1200+ for a bachelor suite, $1500+ for one bedroom, although sometimes better deals can be found.