Love Where You Live: Fabulous Fairview and False Creek

Guest article by Gwen Floyd, helping you to love where you live by sharing five fabulous reasons to live in Vancouver’s Fairview neighbourhood.

Do you love where you live? I do. There is a lot to love about my neighbourhood. It was a big part of the reason we moved back to Vancouver after a couple of years in Richmond. While there were a lot of things that were nice about Richmond, none of them held a candle to living in Fairview.

Love Where You Live: Five Reasons to Live in Fairview

1. We can walk everywhere. There are so many amenities nearby that we hardly ever have to drive. There are four grocery stores within a ten minute walk, so we never need to get in a car if we run out of milk. If you really do need to drive, the number of coop car sharing services in our area offer an easy alternative to owning a car of your own. Before we had kids, my husband and I lived without a car for two years. Even with the kids we don’t put more than a tank and a half in our car a month unless we go on a road trip. The Canada Line is convenient with stations at Olympic Village and Broadway City Hall, and Broadway is covered with buses running every few minutes. We are also in a great position to cycle everywhere, which is how my husband commutes 99% of the year.
2. Libraries and bookstores. Within a few minutes radius we have a library and two major bookstores. This is really important if you and your kids love books. The Chapters is also a good place to get out of the rain. There are always a few kids of all ages in the kids area and it is a safe place to play, read and relax. In addition, the Starbucks and grassy area by the Vancouver School Board let your kids run, so you might get a few more minutes reading your book or soaking up the sun (when it comes out). What mom wouldn’t love that?
3. Vancouver restaurant heaven. I love that when I don’t really feel like cooking we can walk a block or two and stop in at Red Robin, or Minato Sushi or the Golden Great Wall for a quick meal. I love that having so many options has opened my boys up to something other than chicken fingers, and that they would rather go get sushi than go to McDonalds. In fact, BC rolls and gyoza are my eldest son’s favourite foods. I love being able to go out with one of my sons to have a tea date at Pekoe and drink out of real tea cups.
4. The seawall and Granville Island. We are down at Granville Island at least once a week. We cycle and walk the seawall all the time. If you want, it is extremely easy to walk, cycle or take a ferry to points all along the seawall like the Vancouver Aquatic Centre or Science World. With all the water traffic, beautiful landscaping, playgrounds and community centres along the way you can always find something to do, with or without the kids.
5. Theatre and festivals for adults and children. The Arts Club – including the Stanley and Revue stages as well – are all walkable from my home in Fairview. You can head down to Granville Island to take in some Improv for a date night, or see one of Carousel Theatre’s productions and introduce your children to live theatre. You can also check out Pacific Theatre at Hemlock and 12th, Performance Works on Granville Island and any number of festivals including the Push, Fringe and Children’s festivals. Closer to the water there is also the Dragon Boat festival each June.

I love where I live. I love that I get to bring up  my children in such a culturally rich and beautiful environment. I love the views of the water and the mountains just outside my doorstep. I love that while my children don’t have their own backyard, the parks and playgrounds all across our neighbourhood give them ample space to play. I love Fairview and False Creek, the Vancouver neighbourhood I call home.

Do you love where you live? Leave us a reply and let us know what makes your Vancouver neighbourhood a great place to raise a family. Or find out how to contribute your own article about why you love where you live.

Gwen Floyd is a by all accounts a marvelous chauffeur to her two sons, ages three and seven. When she isn’t carting her kids to various ballet and theatre classes, she can be found on Twitter as @GwenFloyd or on her blog leftcoastmama.net – or out actually talking to real live grown ups. While she doesn’t have the PhD that her husband has, she does have a vast knowledge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is more useful if you ask us.