Where should I live

[h4ppyc4mper]

I'm an OOP moving to BC and looking to get a place for the duration of medical school. Ideally, I'd want a place where commuting to UBC and VGH is okay via car and or bus. 

I know Kitsilano is a good suggestion. How is downtown area closer to the bridges? In addition, how about areas around the Queen Elizabeth Park? 

[frenchpress]

26 minutes ago, h4ppyc4mper said:

I'm looking to get a place for the duration of medical school. Ideally, I'd want a place where commuting to UBC and VGH is okay via car and or bus. 

I know Kitsilano is a good suggestion. How is downtown area closer to the bridges? In addition, how about areas around the Queen Elizabeth Park? 

What are your other priorities in looking for a neighbourhood. E.g. do you want more quiet residential areas, or closer to the action and stuff to do?

Kits is often recommended because has several buses going east/west that connect it to UBC, and if you’re close to broadway, its also easy to get to VGH. It’s a nice neighbourhood with some stuff to do, close to the ocean, and lots of grocery options. Downtown area close to the bridges has the benefit of there being lots to do in terms of entertainment, close to ocean, and lots of small grocers and restaurants, and it’s pretty easy to get around on the bus - if you’re in an area between the Yaletown skytrain and Granville street there are several bus/train options to get to both VGH and UBC - although getting in/out of downtown with a car can be a pain during rush hour.

Around Queen E is a lovely neighbourhood, but there’s less going on there in terms of entertainment/groceries and bus service is a bit more limited compared to kits. If you’re close to Cambie/King Edward you can take the train up to broadway and then walk/bus to vgh or take the bline to UBC, and theres the 33 /25 buses to UBC as well. 

Have you looked into the Fairview area? Between Granville / Cambie between 16th and 6th ave there’s lots of condos and older walkup apartments - it’s easy to walk to vgh, and if you find something close to one of the 99 bus stops on broadway it is also very fast to get to UBC. It’s a bit lacking in grocery options compared to downtown and kits, but along broadway it’s easy to catch a bus to Cambie to go shopping. And it’s easy to catch a bus in other directions to get downtown or to east van as well if you want to get up to stuff elsewhere. In terms of rents it will be comparable to apartments/condos in Kits, and probably a bit cheaper than downtown.

 

[SillyPanda]

I would highly recommend Fairview area.

An ideal location for the 4 years would be:

(1) in close walking distance to the 99 B line (along broadway) or the 84 (along 4th/6th) for easy access to UBC. [You are there a lot in first year, and a moderate amount in second year]

(2) Walkable to VGH/ Diamond Centre [Very useful in second year and clerkship]

(3) Close to either Granville St to bus downtown or Canada Line to get to downtown/ Saint Pauls [Useful for clerkship/general life]

 

Fairview area pretty much meets all of those.

[heyhellohi]

On 6/29/2019 at 3:16 PM, SillyPanda said:

I would highly recommend Fairview area.

An ideal location for the 4 years would be:

(1) in close walking distance to the 99 B line (along broadway) or the 84 (along 4th/6th) for easy access to UBC. [You are there a lot in first year, and a moderate amount in second year]

(2) Walkable to VGH/ Diamond Centre [Very useful in second year and clerkship]

(3) Close to either Granville St to bus downtown or Canada Line to get to downtown/ Saint Pauls [Useful for clerkship/general life]

 

Fairview area pretty much meets all of those.

I'll 2nd this comment.  All 3 aspects listed are for an ideal location for all years.  Living in this area isn't exactly what you may want in your first year because the commute to UBC for 8am can be rough if you're not a morning person hehe; but if you tough through it, it gets better in 2nd, etc.

just want to add one more comment: finding a place that fulfills all these criteria may be expensive $$$.  So make sure that wherever you look for a place is within your budget!

[Redberries]

Hello! I have a few questions regarding housing:

1) Why do students prefer to live off campus rather than on/near campus? There are quite a few apartments and condos near the Life Science Building which is very beneficial for first year. Moving is always an option to live closer to VGH in second year.

2) Approximately what percentage of first year med students live on/near campus (within walking distance from the Life Science Building)?

3) Social life is quite important to me, so are most first year parties close to campus or near Kits/Fairview/downtown area? Is it common for students living near campus to take a taxi to the bars in downtown?

4) Would it be isolating living on campus?

I'm really dreading taking a bus to 8am PBL classes.. but if most people in first year med are living in Kits/Fairview area then I'd rather commute than sacrifice my social life. Thank you for your help!

[frenchpress]

3 hours ago, Redberries said:

Hello! I have a few questions regarding housing:

1) Why do students prefer to live off campus rather than on/near campus? There are quite a few apartments and condos near the Life Science Building which is very beneficial for first year. Moving is always an option to live closer to VGH in second year.

2) Approximately what percentage of first year med students live on/near campus (within walking distance from the Life Science Building)?

3) Social life is quite important to me, so are most first year parties close to campus or near Kits/Fairview/downtown area? Is it common for students living near campus to take a taxi to the bars in downtown?

4) Would it be isolating living on campus?

I'm really dreading taking a bus to 8am PBL classes.. but if most people in first year med are living in Kits/Fairview area then I'd rather commute than sacrifice my social life. Thank you for your help!

The apartments at UBC tend to be quite expensive, and there are better housing deals to be had in Kitsilano and Fairview (although they have their share of expensive condos too). 

I have lived at UBC campus in the past, before Med school, and while it was nice and quiet, I did find it quite isolating and a bit boring. Fairview /VGH area is a bit boring itself, but it’s very easy via bus or car share to get downtown and to east van, where there’s more going on, and to UBC for classes. In first year of med I found that most people I knew lived off campus and most social activities I engaged in were off campus. But I am sure the experience is different for everyone - things definitely do happen on campus, and there’s lots of intramurals and study groups and other things that you can do on campus.

If you live in Fairview near Granville street you can catch a bline at 7:30am and show up right on time to CBL, it’s really not that bad. Even less time if you’re in kits near the arbutus stop. And then you don’t necessarily have to move between first and second year.

[heyhellohi]

On 7/7/2019 at 6:00 PM, Redberries said:

Hello! I have a few questions regarding housing:

1) Why do students prefer to live off campus rather than on/near campus? There are quite a few apartments and condos near the Life Science Building which is very beneficial for first year. Moving is always an option to live closer to VGH in second year.

2) Approximately what percentage of first year med students live on/near campus (within walking distance from the Life Science Building)?

3) Social life is quite important to me, so are most first year parties close to campus or near Kits/Fairview/downtown area? Is it common for students living near campus to take a taxi to the bars in downtown?

4) Would it be isolating living on campus?

I'm really dreading taking a bus to 8am PBL classes.. but if most people in first year med are living in Kits/Fairview area then I'd rather commute than sacrifice my social life. Thank you for your help!

1) I wouldn't say students prefer to live off campus, its definitely just a matter of opinion on what an individual seeks in a living situation.  You can definitely live on/near campus in first year to be close to the LSC and then move to live closer to VGH in second year if you want to live near classes in both years.  

2) super hard to answer this, especially because even if you live on campus, you still may not be in walking distance to the LSC considering how large the campus is.  And if you live off campus, but near campus, there's no way you'll be in walking distance to the LSC because the pacific spirit forest is inbetween UBC and West Point Grey. 

3) Unsure what type of social life you're into, but parties usually happen at clubs downtown (which are easily accessible if you live downtown, in Fairview/kits).  You can definitely take taxi's downtown, but they are pricey so it's best to split it with other people.  You can also take a bus downtown (takes a bit longer but its free with your compass card).  People obviously do have parties on campus too.  The other thing is that MANY social events happen at the MSAC, which is in Fairview/close to the VGH.  So if you live on campus it'll be a 45 min commute to the MSAC each time you want to do an event in the evening. 

4) wouldn't be isolating living on campus ... you can leave whenever you want and theres a lot of M1s that live there, so you'll find others that live there and chill with them.  

Taking early busses isn't that bad! you get used to it quickly.