Mount Pleasant is a lively, vibrant neighbourhood whose residents have strong ties to their community.  Main Street and Commercial Drive in particular exhibit a real neighbourhood feel, set amongst trendy boutiques, innovative eateries, cafes, and markets.  Although Mount Pleasant is one of the older neighbourhoods in Vancouver, the vibe is always young and fresh.

Who Lives There

Mount Pleasant is an eclectic community of artists, students, young professionals, and families.  Most residents are between the ages of 20 and 44 and highly educated.  Although 74% or the population has post-secondary education of some sort – above average – the average annual household income for Mount Pleasant is lower than that of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver.  This discrepancy likely reflects the fact that, although 75% of the population above 15 years of age is in the labour force, many are young and employed in arts, culture, recreation and sports rather than business, finance and administration. 

Things to Do

Main Street and Commercial Drive are replete with interesting shops and restaurants.  Try Motherland or Smoking Lily on Main Street for some original finds, or hit up one of the many vintage stores such as Bohemia Gallery.  Mintage on Commercial also has great finds.  Second Time Around is one of several antique stores on Main St, and Dream Designs on Commercial features locally made, 100% organic and 100% natural home furnishings and apparel.  The best way to find what you’re looking for on Main St. or Commercial Dr. is to stroll through the neighbourhood and see what catches your eye, but be prepared to spend a couple hours browsing in the process.

Mount Pleasant is renowned for Vietnamese restaurants; try Pho Linh on Broadway.  The Reef Caribbean Restaurant has two locations, on Main St. and on Commercial Dr.  Commercial Dr. is also home to Havana, serving excellent Cuban fare, and Me and Julio’s, the sister restaurant of Lolita’s South of the Border Cantina.  Me and Julio’s is a great brunch spot, as is Locus on Main, which also has an innovative cocktail list for the evening crowd.   Lucy’s Eastside Diner is Main Street’s most recent addition, and promises the best burgers in town; its sister restaurant, The Whip, is a fun late night hangout.  For those wishing to take their evening to the dance floor, The Biltmore on Kingsway and 12^th Ave. is casual and fun.

The brand new Mount Pleasant Community Centre on 1^st and Kingsway offers numerous programs and activities for adults and children, and a state of the art fitness centre.  Parks in the area include Jonathon Roger, Guelph, Robson and Tea Swamp.

Commercial Drive hosts several cultural festivals throughout the year, including Italian Week each June and the Parade of Lost Souls every October.

Real Estate

Mount Pleasant real estate prices have been increasing faster than other parts of Vancouver, reflecting the new developments in the area.  Most properties are detached, but low-rise apartment buildings and townhouses line the main streets.  New developments such as Quebec Corner Townhouses exemplify the direction in which Mount Pleasant is headed.  The neighbourhood is already well established, and housing prices are relatively on par with the Vancouver average, but newer properties are more expensive, and will bring a new wave of residents to the area as Vancouver expands eastward.

Schools and Safety

Fraser Elementary, Nightingale Elementary and Mount Pleasant Elementary are all in the area, as is Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School.  St. Patrick’s is a private secondary school on W.11^th near Main St.  Langara College is not far from Mount Pleasant, and SFU and UBC can be easily accessed by public transit.

Mount Pleasant is relatively safe, but is bordered by the downtown eastside; this does not render the north part of the neighbourhood unsafe, necessarily, but residents should exercise a degree of caution in this part of Mount Pleasant.  For the most part, however, Mount Pleasant is an extremely friendly community.

Transportation

Once an industrial centre, Yaletown has developed into one of the city’s trendiest and most thriving communities.  Named after the gold rush town of Yale whose residents moved into that part of Vancouver once the Canadian Pacific Railway extended from their home to the city, Yaletown became run down by the late 20^th Century.  After Expo ’86, however, the potential for development in the area became clear, and it was purchased by a Honk Kong investor.  Almost a quarter-century later, one can easily see how that investment has paid off.  Hamilton and Mainland Streets have maintained their historical charm, with refurbished heritage buildings – most of which were once warehouses – converted into lofts, offices, restaurants and shops.  New properties have grown up around this central area, and Yaletown now consist of apartment buildings housing modern condos with fantastic views and amenities.

Who Lives There

The Yaletown population has grown considerably in the last decade, and consists primarily of young professionals in their late 20s to late 30s.  Although there are significantly fewer children in Yaletown than Metro Vancouver as a whole, many young families choose to stay in the area until the time comes to purchase a larger home.  Artists and sales and service people also populate the neighbourhood.  While Yaletown became renowned for multimedia offices during the dot com boom, it now houses a broader array of businesses and its population reflects this. 

Things to Do

Mainland, Hamilton and Homer Streets are replete with hair and nail salons, boutique clothing and gift stores, lifestyle and home furnishing stores, restaurants, and lounges.  Check out Blo Blow Dry Bar or Bombay Brows for some pampering, or Atomic Model for a selection of original clothing.  Fine Finds also features clothing and accessories by local and international designers, and a selection of gifts that rivals that of Beauty Mark down the street.  For vintage finds, stop by Retro Rock Vintage Clothing on Davie and Seymour, arguably one of the best vintage stores within the downtown area.  Urban Fare, Choices Market and Nester’s Market serve the community with a large variety of grocery options, from gourmet to organic to locally grown products.

Yaletown residents are known to keep fit, and Exhale Yoga Pilates Dance Studio at Cambie and Nelson offers a wide variety of classes.  Running, walking, cycling or rollerblading the seawall is another favourite local pastime, and it now runs all the way to Spanish Banks in one direction and Stanley Park and Canada Place in the other.  David Lam Park features free tennis courts and is one of several, including an off leash dog park.  The Roundhouse Community Centre offers activities and programs for all ages, and the Yaletown Marina provides moorage for boating enthusiasts.

Restaurants abound in this part of town.  Try Brix, Glowbal or Blue Water for fine dining, or Cactus Club or Rodney’s Oyster Bar for more casual fare.  Phat and Bojangles create great sandwiches, and Provence at the marina, although open all day, boasts some of the best brunch in Vancouver.  Yaletown’s most recent addition, 100 Days in the Opus Hotel, is a concept restaurant modeled after the pop-up restaurant trend that began in New York City, and combines art and food in one experience.  Bar None is open late for those wishing to check out the club scene.

Real Estate

Yaletown showcases some of the best properties Vancouver real estate has to offer.  The new developments promise elegant, modern design, fantastic amenities, and great views.  Yaletown condos are on average relatively small, however, and prices can be higher than most other Vancouver real estate of similar proportions.  Properties such as the Grace on Richards St. embody the style and sophistication of Yaletown real estate, boasting an indoor/outdoor pool, biometric fingerprint security, and suites featuring granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and limestone tile floors. 

Schools and Safety

Elsie Roy Elementary School has a beautiful location across from False Creek, next to David Lam Park.  Dorothy Lam Centre is also located here, and offers childcare and programs for children.   King George Secondary in the West End is the closest secondary school.  CSLI (Canadian as a Second Language Institute) has a campus on the corner of Cambie and Nelson, and the Vancouver English Centre is one block away on Smithe.

Yaletown is usually busy whatever the time of day, and the streets are well lit with many businesses open late.  The neighbourhood can be considered quite safe, but one should exercise caution along the unlit seawall after dark.

Transportation

Yaletown is easily accessible from any part of town.  The recent addition of the Canada Line facilitates commutes north to the downtown core (one stop) and Waterfront Station, or south to South Cambie, Oakridge, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport.  The Aquabus ferries have two stops in Yaletown, one at the Yaletown Marina and one at David Lam Park.  The Aquabus offers an efficient and stress-free way to travel around False Creek.