# New Westminster in Vancouver what's wrong with that area?



## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Hey all,

Been doing some RE research and saw New Westminster. Is there something wrong with that area? I haven't been in Vancouver long, so I don't know about reputation of each place. Please enlighten me.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

In what respect? It's a long way out from the core...


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## cedebe (Feb 1, 2012)

Just a Guy said:


> In what respect? It's a long way out from the core...


About 30 minutes by skytrain. I can't get to some places in Kits from my downtown apartment in that (little) amount of time.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

New Westminster is on the rise... very central to get anywhere in the lower mainland. Lower Columbia Street used to be pretty seedy, but it is in the midst of a nice facelift. Take a drive through the historic Queens Park neighbourhood and see the gorgeous turn of the century heritage homes there.

I love New West, but perhaps I am a bit biased. :tongue-new:


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

New West used to be the seat of government before Victoria regained it. It has not yet been discovered by the people from Shanghai so that may explain its relative value. Aside from the Skytrain, there is no easy way to get out. There is also the uncertainty surrounding the Pattullo Bridge reconstruction (and potential tolling).


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

The traffic between NW and VC is insane.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

cedebe said:


> About 30 minutes by skytrain. I can't get to some places in Kits from my downtown apartment in that (little) amount of time.


I used to walk from kits to downtown in under 30 minutes. Traffic anywhere in Vancouver is insane.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Ok... Thinking future term here.
If you zoom out from google map. It looks like it sits in the middle of all the major urban centers in that little vancouver river bed triangle surrounded by mountains. And it has a huge Lowe's there. 
So from most of the response it is traffic to downtown that's bad. What if I don't need to go to downtown? Is the neighborhood nice? Are there a lot of crime? Is it an ugly area? Is it too mountainous? Drugs? Can't be poverty because the one or two time I was around there, people seems pretty well off. 

For living, I require a room, starbucks and a gym only.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

There isn't anything wrong per se, but there is not much economic growth in that area and housing is quite expensive due to its proximity to Vancouver. It's still a very nice city though, lots of history there.

But the real up-and-coming area is just across the river in Surrey (it's the fastest growing city in BC and maybe Canada). Lots of opportunity and more affordable housing compared to New West.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

I'm originally from Ontario (Milton) - moved to BC with a job offer in the early 1990's. New West is suburb - so - you get the pros and cons of suburbs in the the neighborhoods. I live in on the west side - small houses, very "dense" neighborhoods. New West is easily 30-40 min drive to the downtown. The house prices are lower there. It seems like every other (older) house is getting knocked down in this part of town. You don't get much for your $. In New West you get more space, more house than on the west side - (But I'm happy where I am!)


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

We lived in New West for 15 years and liked it very much. We especially like the school that our children attended. It was small (200 students) and a number of the teachers had actually attended the school in their youth.

Big issues, from our perspective, in New West were traffic, taxes, and politics-though the politics may have changes. New West is scrunched up between the Richmond Connector/99 and Highway 1. Everything dumps into New West yet there are no effective traffic routes through the city.

New West has a very small industrial tax base. We found New West residential tax rates to be high than our Burnaby neighbours.

When we lived in New West, the city council was a disaster. Essentially run by the NW and District Labour unions. Much navel gazing, no concrete plans for development, and lots of unwarranted interference from unelected groups such as what was referred to as the NW Hysterical (Historical) Society. My understanding is that in the past 12 years since we have moved, the quality of the Mayor and City Council has improved dramatically-probably attributable to the changing demographics.

We lived in two areas for those that are familiar with it. On Edinburgh near the high school, and later in Massey Heights.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Ironically, I think it's faster to commute to Vancouver from North Surrey (Fraser Heights area) due to the proximity of the freeway and new Port Mann bridge. Of course there is the bridge toll, but you can also get a nicer house in that area for the cheaper than in New West, with lower taxes as well. It's a pretty desirable area... quite affluent.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

fraser said:


> Everything dumps into New West yet there are no effective traffic routes through the city.


Can you extrapolate more on this?
This is why it caught my eye. If I just do a normal research, it looks like all the highways connect to New West. In my mind that speaks major junction which will allow a business to be accessed by clients in all the cities in the vicinity.
I've also had a few chat with buyers of my used furnitures recently. I noted that they are all Western Europeans and asked why. It seems that the tax in Europe is now causing them all to emigrate.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

It's theoretically true that New West is well-connected, but most of those so-called highways are not designed for heavy traffic and quickly become gridlocked during peak times. It can easily take 20 minutes just to get out the city limits on bad days. If you're looking to get anywhere quickly, you need to use Highway 1, which flows much faster now that the new Port Mann bridge has been completed.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Traffic from the south comes over the Alex Fraser, Pattulla, and Queensborough bridges and is literally dumped into a residential area. In some cases three lanes merge into on. Traffic from the east, from Vancouver, Burnaby either comes along the number 1 highway or along the three lane Marine Way in Burnaby. This three lane road merges with traffic from the south (over the Alex Fraser, Quensborough bridges and Richmond Connecter. It all gets dumped in a residential area and/or a local business area. Lots of traffic lights, lots of traffic jams. We dealt with this for 15 plus years. And NW City council did little or nothing to assist-nor did the province.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

fraser said:


> Traffic from the south comes over the Alex Fraser, Pattulla, and Queensborough bridges and is literally dumped into a residential area. In some cases three lanes merge into on. Traffic from the east, from Vancouver, Burnaby either comes along the number 1 highway or along the three lane Marine Way in Burnaby. This three lane road merges with traffic from the south (over the Alex Fraser, Quensborough bridges and Richmond Connecter. It all gets dumped in a residential area and/or a local business area. Lots of traffic lights, lots of traffic jams. We dealt with this for 15 plus years. And NW City council did little or nothing to assist-nor did the province.


Interesting that they haven't taken advantage of this and develop that area more commercially. Traffic = commerce potential. What's the political play behind this obvious disregard for profit? Is the city lacking funds? Are resident's blocking the move? Or is the city council made up of non business oriented people?


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

There is no physical space. The roads are simply not wide enough, too many intersections. It would cost a great deal of money to change. The city feels that the province built roads that dumped traffic in their city...and they are correct.

We really liked living in the Lower Mainland. But now, after 12 or so years the traffic has become so bad that we no longer want to spend much time there. We did not even consider it for a retirement location. Don't like the taxes-upfront and hidden-either.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Thanks everyone. I think I have a good idea now. Next I will do some scouting on foot.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

It's a bit run down in many areas, some grungy sections and neighbourhoods but also some nicer new developments. There is a fair bit of poverty and associated street problems in the core near the Skytrain. I used to work out there at Westminster Key and always felt that I'd probably not wish to live in New West- mainly because there didn't seem to be any 'funky' walkable strips like Commercial Drive or kits or SOMA- I like areas with coffee shops with live performances and cool stores and produce markets. But it's far cheaper than Vancouver so may appeal to some. If you're a 'buy a house, drive to work' type person then it may be OK.

Personally I'm geared towards the Okanagan at some point- the Lower Mainland is just madness.

"In this here concrete jungle
Where the living is hardest"

-Bob Marley


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