Vancouver often makes it to the top of lists featuring the best places to live around the world – and for good reason.

This laid back coastal Canadian city offers plenty of art, culture, theatre, music and a great culinary scene, yet it is also surrounded by a spectacular natural playground. Health, well being, leisure and quality of life are very important to Vancouverites and those values are reflected in the green and pleasant communities throughout the city.

Vancouver is a large city, by Canadian standards, and there are many different neighbourhoods to choose from. Before you make your move, let’s take a look at some of the neighbourhoods across Vancouver and examine their unique pros and cons.

The 8 best places to live in Vancouver:

1. Central
2. The West End
3. Kitsilano
4. South Vancouver
5. West Point Grey
6. Grandview
7. Mount Pleasant
8. South Granville

1. Central

The Downtown area of Vancouver is the most thriving, hip and popular neighbourhood and it is very popular with young professionals. This is where you will find the Pacific Centre Shopping Mall, the Vancouver Art Gallery, West Georgia Street, the Vancouver Public Library and many other popular Vancouver attractions.

Of course, the closer you are to the downtown core the more expensive the properties will be. You will likely be living within a high rise residential unit. The most exclusive and high end area in the city is the West End.

This beautiful neighbourhood is the access point to Stanley Park and is also home to Robson Street – the most famous shopping street in the city.

The West End has residents of all ages and many people have made their home there for decades, compared to Yaletown which is a very new neighbourhood and is mostly home to young people.

2. The West End

With a laid back charm and a great location, one of the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver for young professionals is The West End. Many people chose to live in the West End and commute to work downtown, as the public transport connections and close proximity make it easy to do so.

The neighbourhood begins on the western side of the downtown Vancouver Peninsula and spans from south of Georgia Street to Burrard Street and is centered around Denman Street.

When it comes to housing here there is a lot of variety to choose from – including heritage houses, high rise condos and apartments and art deco apartment buildings.

3. Kitsilano

This exciting neighbourhood attractions young professionals who enjoy an active lifestyle and health-conscious living. It has a bohemian vibe and it is filled with yoga studios, health food stores, snowboarding and surfing shops, gyms, dance studios and trendy cafes.

There is also a great nightlife scene here with plenty of lively restaurants and bars. It also borders the lovely sandy beaches of English Bay and offers stunning views of the North Shore Mountains and Downtown.

Since this area is in such a prime location close to Downtown Vancouver the housing prices can be high, but the neighbourhood offers an excellent quality of life.

4. South Vancouver

If you are looking for a peaceful family friendly place to live in Canada, South Vancouver is perfect. Take a walk down the quiet tree lined streets of Dunbar and you will see children playing in the parks and large homes built in the early 1900s.

Kerridale has a lively community atmosphere and Marpole offers affordable rental housing. In Renfrew, Collingwood and Kilarney you will find lower income families from a range of different backgrounds, so you can expect a blend of rental housing and service businesses.

5. West Point Grey

West Point Grey is located on the West side of the city and is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver. It is a wonderfully scenic place to live and it is close to two beautiful beaches – Spanish Banks and Jericho Beach.

This area of the city is also known for having an excellent shopping district – Point Grey Village. It has a lovely atmosphere with a lot of charming shops and restaurants and it is also home to the Point Grey Fiesta, a summer carnival.

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6. Grandview

On the East Side of the city you will find Grandview, which is one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Vancouver. The main feature of this neighbourhood is Commercial Drive, simply known as “The Drive”.

It is the hub of the neighbourhood and it features several lovely cafes, restaurants and organic food stores. There is a great atmosphere in this neighbourhood and you are likely to find many late night bars, excellent ethnic restaurants and even coffee shops that regularly host open mics, readings and bands.

Nearby you will also find Trout Lake, which is a pleasant area for swimming and picnicking. The Grandview neighbourhood has many pools, ice rinks and community centres nearby where you will find programs such as day camps.

The cost of housing in this area is generally less expensive than in Kitsilano or the West End because it is located to the east of the city.

7. Mount Pleasant

This attractive neighbourhood on the East Side of the city used to be populated by students and young artists, but these days there is a growing number of young families living there. 60% of the residents of this youthful neighbourhood are younger than 40 years old.

Mount Pleasant has a welcoming and laid back vibe and a strong sense of community. This area also has several great schools, including Florence Nightingale Elementary School, Mount Pleasant Elementary School and Simon Fraser Elementary School.

Another advantage of living here is that there are many transportation options that will take you into the downtown on either the Skytrain or the Canada Line.

When it comes to affordable real estate, take a look at the South Main area for reasonably priced homes compared to other parts of the city.

8. South Granville

This attractive neighbourhood has a lot to offer and is located only a few minutes south of Downtown Vancouver.

Here you will find great transportation links all over the city as well as upscale shops and boutiques, art galleries, bookstores and much more. This neighbourhood has become known as a foodie paradise and there are a lot of unique and innovative restaurants here.

The thriving social atmosphere here makes it one of the best neighbourhoods for young professionals in Vancouver.

Take your time to look at the options so that you can find an area to live that fits your needs.