Vancouver (not to be confused with its Canadian counterpart) is less than a two-hour drive from every kind of nature most people look for: beaches, mountains, deserts, forests and more, with plenty of parks and trails within the city means you can get your outdoor fix any day you’d like. 

On the downside, housing prices have been on the rise since 2019, and Covid caused a spike. Houses go quickly in Vancouver and for a lot more than you’ll likely think is reasonable. A lot of Portlandians (and SF’ers and Seattleites) escaped their city(s) for Vancouver during the heat of the great migration. This resulted in increased demand and higher prices and dragged along some of the other excesses from those places.



Fresh Air Fever

LookyLOO Review of Vancouver

As noted the lifestyle of Vancouver for most involves getting outside and doing that healthy thing. Everyone’s into some kind of activity in the stunning natural setting (inside and outside the city limits). It is also considered a calm/chill and pretty safe city relative to its immediate neighbor and most of the Pacific seaboard majors. While there is a social scene, including farmer’s markets, bars, restaurants, and plenty of live music in Vancouver, the lifestyle for many involves staying local for quiet nights and heading across the bridge into Portland for bigger nights. 

If you want to see what happens in Vancouver check out the [calendar of events](https://www.cityofvancouver.us/calendar/list). 

We highly recommend visiting Vancouver and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.

Lifestyle 

A substantial percentage of Vancouver residents make the thirty-minute commute to Portland for work. Known for its large tech industry, there are also plenty of job opportunities in manufacturing and athletic/outdoor gear companies. Consider that Nike, Columbia Sportswear, and Adidas North America are all in Portland. Within the city limits, healthcare and business management dominate hiring.


Worklife 

If you’re facing a future in remote work, Vancouver fits the bill for what most are looking for in a hometown: no state income taxes, a beautiful and walkable city, and easy access to both a larger city and outdoor recreation. If that sounds appealing, Vancouver deserves a spot on your short list.


WFH Haven

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**Automatic-Arm-532**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I grew up in Vancouver WA and loved it. As a teenager it had a decent enough bus system that my friends and I could go to each other's houses, meet up downtown , the skatepark, or anywhere else we wanted to go without having to ask our parents for a ride. There's also a bus downtown that goes to downtown Portland and you can connect to the light rail from it, so after school and weekends I was in Portland alot. Vancouver has nice parks, a cool historic downtown, a good library system and easy accessibility to everything Portland had to offer.


For more reviews of what living in Vancouver is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/vancouver/reviews)

Reviews of Vancouver from Locals

Bennington is considered the best neighborhood in the city for young professionals. It has a denser, more urban vibe than the rest of the area and for many it offers a walk to work. The Columbia Tech Park is at the center of the neighborhood so plenty of techsters enjoy the close proximity to work in addition to bars, restaurants and cafes. Downtown in general is a great option as you get a combination of a center for commercial experiences: bars, restaurants etc., plus for some you can then walk to work. You also get waterfront experiences and views which are nice from the many condo/apartment options in the area. 
- Bennington
- Downtown



Young Professionals

Downtown

Vancouver has several neighborhoods that have concentrations of LGBTQ+ residents. Bennington is certainly one of those for anyone who craves living near work. Arnada is another cool neighborhood, with a great variety of older eclectic homes. It’s also filled with artist and boutique shops and cafes. Salmon Creek is also popular. It sits between downtown Vancouver and Portland. It’s also near the Washington State U campus and has stunning outdoor options including 400 acres of green space in a massive park. https://www.gayrealestate.com/news/usa/washington/vancouver/
- Bennington
- Arnada
- Salmon Creek


LGBTQ+

Bennington

In most cities DINKs and SINKs move out of downtown to quieter but still lively neighborhoods so they get a mix of great, somewhat quieter living but also some chiller social spaces. Since Vancouver is pretty chill everywhere there’s a less dramatic shift here. Most of the neighborhoods that appeal to young professionals and LGBTQ+ area also relevant to the single and coupled peeps who are looking for something a bit more sophisticated. Bennington and Salmon Creek are particularly relevant if you’re creating a shortlist for a search. 
- Bennington
- Salmon Creek
- The Village at Fisher’s Landing 


DINKS/SINKS

Salmon Creek

Vancouver has stunning neighborhoods for families. The most popular, particularly among young families is Fisher’s Landing East. There are plenty of housing options, including homes, townhomes and apartments/condos to suit any family size or socio-economic situation. Some of the bigger employers are nearby also so the commutes are short. There’s also a local social scene including bars, restaurants and cafes so you don’t have to give up going out in your neighborhood entirely just because you have the kiddos milling about. Fisher’s Creek is another great option with the particular benefit of having amazing outdoor spaces for the kids to run around and enjoy. Biking, hiking and just general recreating happens throughout the neighborhood but even better it also has a commercial area for getting a beer or meal when the mood strikes you. 
- Fisher’s Landing East
- Fisher’s Creek
- Cascade Highlands
- The Village at Fisher’s Landing
- South Cliff


Families

Fisher's Landing East

Vancouver

**Automatic-Arm-532**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉


I grew up in Vancouver WA and loved it. As a teenager it had a decent enough bus system that my friends and I could go to each other's houses, meet up downtown , the skatepark, or anywhere else we wanted to go without having to ask our parents for a ride. There's also a bus downtown that goes to downtown Portland and you can connect to the light rail from it, so after school and weekends I was in Portland alot. Vancouver has nice parks, a cool historic downtown, a good library system and easy accessibility to everything Portland had to offer.

superm0bile
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Uptown Village
Grew up in Vancouver and lived in the Bay for a couple years before settling back down here.

We moved back because we wanted to buy a place, have decent schools, and not live two hours away from the core metro area. It’s far safer than pretty much anywhere outside of rich Bay Area enclaves.

Yes, we do still have property crime. Yes, there are some unhoused. You have to move off the west coast completely to not deal with that.

If you like walkability, bikability and transit friendly places, there are definitely some great options toward downtown. Wish I could bottle up Bay weather and bring it here, especially in winter, but that’s pretty much the only thing I miss.

RaeMasterHomes
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I moved here from Southern California for a more down to earth lifestyle (coming from Newport Beach), lower cost of living (making homeownership achievable), tolerance of a greater variety of lifestyles, and just to be surrounded by more green and nature. I can say I achieved all of that and haven’t looked back. It was so easy to make great friends up here (even during the pandemic!) I love all the seasons, even when it feels like winter is running a little long come May… I love the vicinity to Portland but also have a super soft spot in my heart for many restaurants, bars and breweries right here in Vancouver. Everyone has been super friendly, took a little while to find my favorite things to do, but overall been a really positive experience. My partner is also from Ca and before we met he had lived in Portland. I got him to move across the bridge with me, and he had some reservations initially, but I’m pretty sure he’s been converted and loves living in Vancouver even more now!

**grounds_**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Here’s a post I wrote breaking down the area in reply to a similar question a while ago:

Here’s generally how I’d break things down.

Downtown/uptown: cute houses, lots of good bars, restaurants, and shops. Very walkable and bikeable. Little bit of a homeless issue.

Salmon Creek/Felida (and some parts of Hazel Dell): larger single family homes, nice quiet area, still plenty of stores and such, nice nature trails, but in general kiss walking to stores goodbye.

Central Vancouver: there can be some crime issues around Fourth Plain, but honestly I think this area is a little underrated. A lot of good restaurants, fairly walkable in places, and you can get anywhere by car quickly. The Vine on Fourth Plain and Mill Plain can take you right downtown.

East Vancouver/Orchards: very suburban and sprawling. Plenty of nice houses and all the chain stores you need to get by, but not my cup of tea personally.

Vancouver, Washington

The Couve

Looklyloo Score: 92