Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
I think "inner city = low income, suburbs - higher income" is a myth. Property prices in neighbourhoods near the core like Mission, Kensington, Eau Clair, Sunnyside, etc. are much higher than comparable homes in suburban developments. That list of communities doesn't even include the most affluent neighbourhood in the entire city (Mount Royal).
To put things in perspective, my wife and I purchased our first home, a two bedroom condo in the Beltline, four years ago. At the time, we could have bought a similar-sized unit (only newer and nicer) in the suburbs for about half the price, but we were more than willing to pay a hefty premium to live in a more desirable (to us), central location.
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I never said (and didn't mean) that the inner city doesn't have some upper class neighbourhoods, just that the inner city is more economically diverse compared to new suburbs, which tend to be almost strictly upper and middle class.
You mention Mission and it's a perfect example: it has some expensive homes, but also some very affordable housing (cheapest apartment I ever had was in Mission). It's got 25% low income residents, higher than most suburban areas. Upper Mount Royal is one of the richest neighbourhoods in the city, but it's bordered by neighbourhoods like Mission, Bankview, and Lower Mount Royal, which all have upwards of 25% low income. This ratio is more or less on par with more famous low income neighbourhoods like Forest Lawn. In the neighbourhoods you mention -- Sunnyside, Eau Claire, Mission, and Kensington (not actually a neighbourhood but a business zone so I'll use Hillhurst instead), home prices are high, but low income percentage is also high due to a large number of affordable rental units.
Compare this to the northwest arm of the city along crowchild, where you've got a massive area of neighbourhooods all without any of them above 12% low income residents. Which is fine. As the city continues to expand to the northwest, these neighbourhoods will age and diversify, as most neighbourhoods have over time.