Guest Post by Alexis Bonari
I don’t know about you but I rely heavily on the Internet community when making a decision about relocating. Unless you have a close friend you can really count on to give you a fair and unbiased impression of the area or family you trust, where can you get the information you need? For me the answer is Google. Say I was to inquire about Vancouver. I would type a string into Google that looks something like “what are the worst places to live in Vancouver?”. Why, you may ask, would I ask for the worst sections? Naturally to narrow my search options and secondarily to make sure my real estate agent, future landlord or friend is current on the goings on of the neighborhood they are touting. The last thing I want is to blindly trust a stranger that has their own agenda and needs before mine. I also feel better about them when they pass simple tests. Yes, I admit it, I set them up. “So”, I casually remark .“My friend told me East Vancouver is decent and the prices look good, what do you think of that area? Pause, two, three. The correct answer, according to google is “Well, maybe you could find something there but I think you would like it much better…
Guest Post by Alexis Bonari
I realize that this may not be the most scientific approach, however, in my numerous moves throughout my life I’ve found the opinions of others on forums extremely accurate. I have just typed in “worst places to live in Vancouver” and “ areas to avoid in Vancouver”. So here’s the recent buzz on Vancouver’s dirty little underbelly. Can you guess what the top four areas to avoid are by consensus? If you guessed Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Gastown, Surrey your on the money. It can even get more detailed than that. Some people use language like “I would avoid Bagley Downs, Esther Short, and Rose Village neighborhoods like the plague”. Not the best reviews if you ask me but remember this is just peoples opinion…right?
Whether you are a buyer, seller or real estate agent, it is vital to know what the buzz is about the area you are discussing. Normally people relocate for four reasons, job opportunity, family, a new start, or health reasons. In each of these decisions there is one common bond, “What areas are good and where should I avoid locating to?” Above finding your perfect community I think what people are getting at boils down to three main things: is it close to my job/school, is it affordable, and will I feel at home walking down the street? So let’s flip the scenario and take a look at some of the best areas according to the web. The Heights, Salmon Creek, Orchards, and Victoria came up many times. This is great news for agents and a hot tip for buyers.
What about the general opinion of moving to Vancouver as a city? The results are an astonishing polar opposite. Most reviews rate it either top 10 cities to live or worst 10 cities to live. How can this be? Is it the best or the worst? I look at results like this as extremely positive result for an area. When people either strongly like or dislike something it means the city has a strong character and with that comes a strong opinion, one way or another. It can indicate a vibrant social scene and healthy economy. So pay attention to the buzz. If you live in Vancouver and don’t like what people say about your community take this as an opportunity to make a change or start speaking out positively about your community. If your neighborhood has glowing reviews, bravo, you are setting a fine example. Bottom line, pay attention to the buzz, but don’t let it make your entire decision for you.
Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at onlinedegrees.org, researching areas of “http://www.onlinedegrees.org”>online colleges</a>. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
