Once the capital of the new-born Colony of British Columbia in 1858, New Westminster has grown tremendously since its early days.
Located on the right bank of the Fraser River, the “Royal City” boasts a population of 70,996 and a continuous sense of excitement.
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New Westminster has a unique blend of local businesses, which has made it an ideal home for many young people and families. Continued real estate development in the city will ensure that it grows in the coming years.
We’ve compiled a list of reasons why New Westminster is a great city to live in.
Reasons Why New Westminster Is A Great City To Live In
The Local Food & Drink Scene
Where do we start?
New Westminster is home to the annual Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest, the largest one-day food truck fest in Canada. It always has an overwhelming amount of food, hundreds of vendors, eight beer gardens and live music lining Columbia Street.
Columbia Street is also home to a number of can’t-miss restaurants, such as El Santo, Big Star Sandwich and Shawarma Corner. You also have to check out the River Market at the New Westminster Quay that boasts Freebird Chicken Shack, La Perla Ballroom and Longtail Kitchen.
In need of a cold one? Steel & Oak is calling your name.
Parks
The small city of New Westminster has 45 parks. That’s a lot of space for you to explore and spend your time at. These parks includes amenities such as a seasonal petting zoo and spray park, waterfront boardwalks, playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts and an urban beach!
These include:
- Queen’s Park
- Grimston Park
- Pier Park
- Quayside Park
- Moody Park
Local Transportation
Driving can be a challenge across Metro Vancouver and many would opt to take public transit instead. New Westminster has two skytrain stations for you to access the system from: New Westminster and Columbia station. Numerous Translink bus routes operate throughout the city and go to major transportation hubs across Metro Vancouver.
Events
Events are hosted in New Westminster throughout the calendar year. Night markets, food truck festivals, music concerts and bike races are just a couple of the type of events you can see during the summer months. Fall and winter bring themed shopping markets, parades and other seasonal celebrations.
Job opportunities
New Westminster has a handful of large corporations that have huge employee numbers in the city. They include:
- Royal Columbian Hospital
- Douglas College
- TransLink
- New Westminster School Board
- Corporation of the City of New Westminster
- Telus
- TD Bank
- Wal-Mart Canada Corporation
- Justice Institute of BC
City life
New Westminster is close enough to downtown, but you don’t even need to leave the city for many of the activities you’d want to do. For example, New Westminster has a Landmark Movie Theatre at the skytrain station. Numerous bars line the streets of New Westminster, making for a perfect night out in the city. You should also keep an eye out for theatre performances that take place at venues across the city.
Featured photo: City of New Westminster / Facebook
The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by either the REBGV, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the REBGV, the FVREB or the CADREB.
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