Love Where You Live: Kisses to Kitsilano

Article by Katie Smith, helping you to love where you live.

It’s that part of my morning, when I stop and look up, draw in a sharp breath, and think, sometimes even say out loud, do I really live here? Whether it’s the school drop off, 10 minute commute to work or a weekend with my family that moment inevitably comes. It’s not dependent on the weather, rain or shine the view takes me away. In those moments taking a vacation is the furthest thing from my mind because all in the same glance, I am home and refreshed. I can’t even count the Instagrams I’ve captured of the beach, the mountains and the city scape. I stop mid-stride to snap the scenery or for the token shot as I descend the hill on that early morning walk home from dropping my boy off at school. Sometimes I admit, I go for a run, just to get to the beach and breathe in the fresh ocean air, or as I often call it perspective.

Love Where You Live: Quality of Life

We decided to move to Kitsilano almost three years ago. After a quick love affair with downtown we made the move to our new digs in this neighborhood, accepting it’s offer of a bit more space. Two moves later we’ve settled in, and if I had to place a bet, we are here to stay. Kitsilano wooed us with the promise of work and play all within a 20 block radius. We hear the obvious questions about the cost of living and limited square footage. Some realists beg to know why would we decide to raise our family here, of all places. While it’s most commonly known as the territory of those with a double income and no kids, or the retirees who lived here long before it ever became an attraction, it’s been surprising and delightful to plant roots here with our young family. We have learned so much about quality of life and its importance compared to all the things we used to think made us happy. While we don’t have a fence to call our own, we do claim the city our backyard!

Living the Life you Love

Kitsilano offers the romance of corner shops and local merchants just steps outside my front door. There’s hardly a day when my kids don’t stick out those pudgy baby hands to wave at our friends from the park, the movie store or our local family place. Raising kids in the city is different than the ‘burbs, that’s for sure. But it has a beauty all its own. The street smarts of taking transit, Friday nights out discovering the shops, and a mad dash in the rain from the front door of our building and across the street to one of the highly acclaimed coffee hot spots, kids optional. It’s the life we always dreamed of, the life we are choosing to build. I see my kids light up at the familiar faces and routine of a Saturday morning fresh bread and fresh air. But for me it’s about living the life you love, when you love where you live.

Weekend Adventures in Kits

If you hit ups Kits on your weekend adventures with the kids in tow, be sure to take in the charm and mind blowing meal at Moderne Burger. You can walk that meal off with a trip down to Kidsbooks, after you tick haircuts for the the kids from your to-do list because Melonheads is bang on the way and just a door or two away from the fabulous Toy Box. When you find yourself hungry again, because you will, seek out a cinnamon bun at Grounds for Coffee or the most deluxe hot chocolate ever at Cocoa Nymph. Basically what I am saying is come on over and eat your way through the ‘hood. All you need at the end of the day is a good sweat at Moksha, my favorite local yoga studio in Jericho Village, and you can call all those calories even and a day well lived.

I’ve shared why I love where I live – why do you love where you live?

Katie Smith lists coffee, spin class and laughing among her favorite things. She loves Vancouver and has a serious crush on her husband. When she’s not blogging, she’s checking to see how many comments she have, and despite sleepless nights and the juggle of work + play her kids are the prize of her life. Find her at www.worldbysmith.com or on Twitter where she’s @worldbysmith

*Image credit – The feature image at the top of the post is from youngbudget.ca on Flickr.