Nanaimo Information | Vancouver Island | Nanaimo Real Estate

If you haven't had a chance to visit Nanaimo, let me tell you a bit about it. There's tons to say really, (which I explore at length on my Nanaimo real estate blog) but let me start by telling you why I chose to make it my home after having lived in Port Alberni, Nanaimo, The Queen Charlotte Islands, Victoria, Nova Scotia, Louisiana, Ontario, Osaka and Tokyo. And having travelled to many places in Holland, England, France, the U.S. and Belgium. Oh yeah, and Monaco.

The point in my listing all of these is that I have had, and continue to have the opportunity to live in all sorts of places all over the world. (As most of us do, if we have the motivation.) But even so, after having seen all that, I decided that Nanaimo would the place for me to settle down a live out the rest of my life.

Here's why:

With a population of 85,512 ( 2010 BC Statistics Estimate ), and growing fast, Nanaimo is small enough so that you can feel like you're part of a community, yet big enough so that there's plenty to keep you occupied.  I personally don't feel very worried about the social ills that are so often associated with cities. The people here are open enough so that it's easy to make new friends, and you can often spark up a good conversation with some you just meet randomly. This may be a strange way to measure a community, but I feel that it's the kind of place feel that if I were to say, have an accident, get lost or have some other problem while in public, people would stop what they're doing and try to help me. This is of course in contrast to what I've seen in cities around the world, people just tend to be more compassionate towards one another out here.

Every few days or so I run into a familiar face or friend while at a concert, movie or while shopping at one of the many malls and have a quick chat. This makes me feel like I'm part of the community, and welcome here. Yet, for me, these details are not the best part. The best part is being among so many truly rare, stupendous, beautiful, precious, and natural places. There are so many parks, lakes, trails, mountains, wildlife and beaches to see, walk, hike, photograph, paddle or simply breathe the clean air from. I remember the first week after moving back from Japan after four years there. Every breath was pleasant, cleansing and easy to breathe. A new experience from a familiar place.

Although a town of this size can't compete with the nightlife of places like Vancouver and other 1 million plus cities, Nanaimo has a very healthy arts scene, from theater, to music, to visual art, to cinema. There are also a surprising number of great places to eat and drink that are varied enough to suit pretty much anyone. (Trust me on this, I'm a food nut extraordinaire.) I often introduce clients who are from out of town to some of these places, and I've had some be so impressed that they decide to move here instead of the neighbouring communities they'd been considering before even knowing
which house or neighbourhood they want to live here in.
There is also so much shopping that unless you're really into something that's totally off the beaten track, you'll find what you're looking for.

Now, if you're like me and you occasionally crave the buzz of city life, Vancouver is just across the water, which is without a doubt the most culturally eclectic place I've ever seen. Getting there is easy, there are a few options regarding ferries, and there are a handful of float planes that will fly you from city to city in about 20 minutes, not to mention regular planes from airport to airport also in about 20 minutes.

In short, for me and I think for many others, Nanaimo is a place that is the balance point of everything I value. But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself. My list of links on this website is a good place to start. Beyond that, you'll have to come to Nanaimo and say "Hi."

*For info that is more detailed and measured, check out my links. You could spend days sifting through them. Having said that, it would be easier for you to send me a question via email if you have a specific question in mind.