What are the worst neighbourhoods in Vancouver, and the Lower Mainland?

Are there areas that I should completely avoid as a real estate investor?

First of all, let me start out by saying that Vancouver doesn’t actually have any really “bad” neighbourhoods, unlike most other Canadian cities, and especially compared to most major US cities. Our “bad” neighbourhoods would be considered decent areas in most other major centers, simply because prices are way too high in Vancouver to be “bad.”

Having said that, there are certain areas that are less desirable than others, but these areas are generally great for real estate investors since they might be slightly cheaper to purchase, and still very easy to rent out.

One thing to note is that generally areas that are easily accessible to skytrain can get rougher due to the ease of transportation. This is ultimately a good thing though, as rental demand shoots up if your rental property is near to one of these stations.

Here is a list of the worst neighbourhoods in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland, in no particular order;

1. Downtown East Side. The corridor near Hastings and Main Street is pretty rough, but still super safe to walk, especially during the day. Looks much worse than it actually is, most people here won’t bother you.

2. Marpole in South Vancouver. Great area for investors, prices are slightly lower than everywhere else, but generally older properties exist here.

3. East Vancouver. Areas around the Skytrain nodes can get a little bit rougher, but still very desirable for rentals. Collingwood near Joyce Station, Main Street around 49 St, and areas off Kingsway all fit the bill here.

4. Newton in Surrey around King George and 72 St.

5. Whalley in Surrey, AKA Surrey Central. This has always been a rougher area with a bad reputation, but there is so much going on here you can’t really call it a bad area anymore. Still can get a bit sketchy at night near the Skytrain, though.

6. Downtown New Westminster. This area has always been a little rough around the edges, but there is a massive transformation and gentrification process going on right not to change that. We love New Westminster as an investment opportunity due to it’s central location, historical buildings, and the fact that it sits on the water.

So there you have it, the worst of the best in Vancouver! Would love to hear your opinion on these areas.

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