Best Neighbourhoods in Victoria

Compared to other world class cities, oceanfront properties in Greater Victoria are relatively inexpensive.  There is also a broad selection ranging from condos to cabins, and duplexes to 6000+ square foot single family homes.

Brentwood Bay offers a variety of real estate options including single family homes, townhomes and condominiums.  Many home buyers are drawn to the Brentwood Bay’s small resort town feel and boat lovers appreciate its many marinas.

Broadmead is a very unique neighbourhood of Saanich East. It’s built on a number of modest hills, is heavily treed and has many rocky outcroppings. While most of the housing in Broadmead is single family, there are also a generous number of townhomes.

Cadboro Bay is a seaside community with a quaint village and mostly single family homes. Many of the homes are situated along the ridge rising up from the Ocean and enjoy lovely sea views.

The neighbourhood is primarily made up of single-family homes, although there are apartment buildings and townhouses along the bordering arteries of Shelbourne, North Dairy and McKenzie.

Colwood has great potential with anticipated growth and development in the heart of Colwood and along the waterfront at Royal Bay and Royal Beach. Colwood was rated by Maclean’s magazine as one of the 25 best communities to live in Canada.

Most of the real estate for sale in Cordova Bay is single family homes, but there are a number of townhome developments along the waterfront and a mixed townhome and condo development at Sayward Hill, many of which have beautiful distant ocean vistas.

North Saanich is dominated by single family homes many of which are on acreages, farms or country estates with stables. However, some duplex and townhome developments can be found in select areas.

Unlike large metropolitan cities that can feel a little cold and faceless, Victoria’s downtown still feels hometown and is considered to be one of the premiere travel destinations in the world. In fact, Victoria was recently ranked #2 in the Top 20 Best Small Cities in the World by Condé Nast Traveller Magazine.

The housing stock in Esquimalt has been historically single family. But, because of its relative affordability and its location just across the Blue Bridge from downtown Victoria, Esquimalt has become very popular with young families and other buyers who want to be close to all that downtown Victoria has to offer.

Fairfield is the southern-most neighbourhood in the city of Victoria and is a pleasant mix of low rise apartments and single family homes ­– many of which date to the early 1900’s, and are located on well maintained tree lined streets.

Fernwood is a neighbourhood that has become a magnet for young families who are looking for single family homes close to downtown with a community feel, but are finding the prices of Fairfield or Oak Bay out of reach.

Being adjacent to the University of Victoria, Gordon Head is a favourite location for out of town students renting during the school season. There is a generous supply of single family homes, but there are also many townhome complexes.

The central location of this neighbourhood provides stress free access to shopping and services in nearby Broadmead. The location is composed primarily of single-family dwellings. The area offers southwest view properties and parkland making it very popular with families and those who live active lifestyles.

The neighbourhood is a mix of single family and multi-family options including condominiums, townhomes and apartments. The area has a pleasant mature feeling complete with tree lined streets and grassy boulevards.

Bordering Victoria’s Inner Harbour, James Bay is easy walking distance to everything in Victoria’s Downtown. The housing in James Bay is more widely varied and mixed than perhaps any neighbourhood in Greater Victoria. Beautifully maintained heritage homes can be found on the same street as modern condominium buildings.

The area is home to many health agencies and institutions, including the Jubilee Hospital, Canadian Cancer Association, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. The housing is mostly older homes including early 1900s character homes of more modest pricing.

One of the fastest-growing municipalities in Canada, Langford is a key urban centre and commercial hub in the West Shore region of Greater Victoria. Single-family homes make up most of the housing stock.

Located in the municipality of Sanich East, Maplewood is a favoured neighbourhood for young families. The neighbourhood is mostly made up mostly of single family homes, although there are a few apartment buildings and townhomes, mainly along the busier arteries.

Mt. Doug offers something for everyone with a multitude of serene municipal parks to rugged landscapes for an active lifestyle. The neighbourhood lends to all demographics with some town homes, but mostly single family homes, often with larger lots.

Oak Bay’s proximity to the water and its community spirit make it an ideal location for people who want a small town feel combined with the amenities of a city. Homes in Oak Bay tend to be among the priciest in Greater Victoria.

Oaklands neighbourhood is centrally located in Victoria with a mixture of single-family homes, townhomes and condo/apartments.  A popular neighbourhood with young families because of its parks, schools and proximity to downtown Victoria. 

The neighbourhood was founded as, and remains as one of the tonier neighbourhoods in the city. It contains a notable concentration of grand homes, heritage architecture and lush gardenscapes. Most of the housing in Rockland is single family, but there are a handful of streets that have multifamily low-rise apartments, townhomes or large historic home conversions.

The municipal plan for Rural Saanich defines four neighbourhoods in the area: Prospect Lake, Elk Lake, Layritz and West Burnside. It is valued by its residents and by those from outside the area, for its natural beauty, high biological diversity, agricultural and forested lands. 

The communities of Saanichton and Brentwood Bay are both located here, and Central Saanich has the highest concentration of agricultural production in the region.

Just a 25-minute drive north of Downtown Victoria is the seaside community of Sidney. In the last 20 years, Sidney has undergone a huge transformation in its housing, particularly closer to the downtown core. Townhomes, duplexes and low-rise condo buildings now offer more choices than ever.

Ten Mile Point is an enclave of upscale estate size single-family homes. The area has a rural feel with most lots being half acre or more, mature landscapes,  large trees and  secluded beaches.

This elegant neighbourhood is made up of estate sized lots and serpentine streets. The houses are built to impress and often feature sprawling gardens and views ranging from ocean front to park to the spectacularly appointed Uplands Golf Course and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

The Songhees area is dominated by condominiums and townhomes appointed to take advantage of the ocean and city views. Vic West is set a little further up The Gorge and is bordered by Esquimalt to the north and downtown to the south.

Houses, condominiums and townhomes in View Royal tend to be newer and more affordable, often giving families more bang for their buck. While outside of the “core”, parts of View Royal are on the ocean and it boasts 70 municipal parks, over 25 kilometres of trails.