Why I Love the West End: 3 Residents Share Their Stories

The vibrant community atmosphere and connection to nature make the West End a sought-after home for Vancouver natives and newcomers alike.

Justbeyond the high rises of the downtown core rests a cozy neighbourhood offriendly faces and quiet walking paths just waiting to be explored.

Despiteits many residents, countless enticing options for food and drink andbreathtaking views of both water and forests, Vancouver’s West End retains acertain hidden gem quality that attracts people from far and wide.

“TheWest End is great because you’re still really central, but kind of in thisquiet pocket of the city off to the side,” said Julia Hanbury, a publicrelations associate who’s lived in the area for just over a year. “There’s alsosuch a vibrant community here. My mom lived in the West End in the ‘70s andwould always talk about how much she loved it. I actually ended up moving intothe building across the street from the one she lived in.”

It’sthis ‘oasis in the city’ quality that’s marked the West End as one ofVancouver’s most livable areas— a place where your home is mere footsteps fromStanley Park’s towering treeline, luxury shopping on Alberni, Robson’sexpansive options for Asian cuisine and even signature Vancouver restaurantslike Joe Fortes.

MadisonTaylor, an editor who relocated to the West End from Saskatoon, spoke to theways in which the area’s communal spirit helped her feel at home during thoseinitial months after leaving the Prairies behind.

“When Ifirst moved to Vancouver, I was freelancing, so I spent a lot of time at home,”she said. “I wanted to get out of the apartment but didn’t have a lot of money,so I’d walk to English Bay and sit for hours listening to music or writingwhile watching the boats drift past.”

Forstudent Jayde Atchison, it’s the safety and well-being she feels anytime she walksout the door—whether it’s for lunch with friends on Davie, a solo morning runalong the Sea Wall or a night out on the town—that makes the West End feel likehome.

“I lovebeing able to walk anywhere in the downtown area, and if I am unable to walkthere are so many transit options,” Atchison said. “In the year-and-a-half thatI have lived here, I haven’t had to cab home from a night out. I feel safewalking alone at night, so my social life has become much more lively.”

This small-town vibe wrapped in a big-city aesthetic, which drove Atchison and others like her to choose the West End as their home, speaks to the core ideals of Davie & Nicola. This new property from Vivagrand Developments, being constructed at the heart of the West End, brings with it the ability to own property at the centre of an area as rich in culture and livability as it is in history.

“DowntownVancouver is a very special place, not only in British Columbia, but on a worldstage,” explains Matt Stone, Sales Manager for Rennie, a partner of Vivagrand. “TheWest End really encompasses all that truly makes Vancouver special, the naturalbeauty of the water, to the magnificent mountains—it’s jaw droppinglybeautiful.”

Davie & Nicola boasts a collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom condos, as well as townhomes, all designed with the luxury of the West End in mind. Everything about this community, from the cozy landscaped courtyard to the imported Italian cabinetry and high-end appliances, evokes an old-world charm that meshes perfectly with the Victorian mansions, Tudor-style and mid-century modern apartments that characterize this historic area. Vivagrand is also working on a presentation centre offering a buyers rare private experience and opportunity to become a part of this coveted neighbourhood.  

“Vancouver’sdowntown is able to deliver an urban centre that blends financial, retail and astrong residential community; all co-existing together and contributing to anamazing lifestyle,” Stone adds.

It’sall these attributes—the friendly strangers, walkable streets, invitingrestaurants and awe-inspiring views—folded together into a single welcomingpackage that make the West End more than simply a neighbourhood: they make it ahome worth celebrating.

“There’s just a really harmonious feel to the community. In the summer especially, people are playing music in the street and hanging out at the beach. It makes you remember to just pause and look around,” said Hanbury.