Port Coquitlam Real Estate & Homes For Sale
Port Coquitlam is a small suburban city of about 56,000 (2011) nestled in the centre of the Lower Mainland of Metro Vancouver between the Pitt, Fraser and Coquitlam rivers. Capping off the city’s rugged beauty are the Coast Mountains lying just to the north.
Part of what makes this area so desirable is its warm and temperate climate. Port Coquitlam does receive a fair bit of rainfall (1,700 millimetres annually), which contributes to the sustained maintenance city’s robust green spaces. Average temperatures range from 17.7 °C in July to 1.9 °C in January.
PoCo, the hometown to Canadian hero Terry Fox, is an exceptionally close-knit and caring community that actively supports volunteerism and the arts.
The community is known for its love of the outdoors, evidenced by the 266 hectares of beautifully maintained parkland and winding trail networks that connect the various corners of the city.
Port Coquitlam Homes For Sale
- All Listings
- $900,000 - $1,000,000
- Over $1,000,000
Many families are attracted to the healthy, active and safe community. 34% of households are families with children. 17.4% of all residents are under the age of 14, and 72.5% are between the ages of 15 and 64. PoCo’s also an invigorating place to retire; just ask any of the 10.1% of residents aged 65 and up. (2011)
Employment Opportunities
Port Coquitlam’s median household income is $72,563 with an unemployment rate of 4.9%, well below the province’s average 6%. Industries supplying jobs to the city are metal fabrication, high tech and transportation. The largest percentage of workers are employed in the sales and service sector. (2011)
The largest local employers are School District 43, CP Rail, Lilydale, the City of Port Coquitlam, and Sysco, whose Vancouver headquarters are in PoCo.
Shopping
A downtown stroll reveals Port Coquitlam’s tireless efforts to preserve its cultural and historical roots. Tree-lined streets lead the way to the city’s 1914 Town Hall, which still anchors the city’s charming shopping and dining district.
Several commercial districts and malls offer ample parking for those looking for eclectic and exciting shopping and dining options all in one place.
For a much more local experience, the farmer’s market offers up regional goodies from June through September. Residents also come together to put on an enormous city-wide garage sale each spring to help neighbours renew their connections.
Dining
Sample the Thai, Indian or Greek, but definitely don’t miss the delicious highly-rated Sushi K Kamizato. Even with all of the options, it’s tough to beat lunch, coffee or a pint at one of downtown’s many charming hometown pubs and eateries.
The Burke Beer House, formerly known as the Treehouse, is a great local hotspot serving an impressive array of craft beers and delicious pub fare like the sandwich affectionately called the CBBR - chicken, bacon, BBQ and ranch. Families looking for a special treat might find the authentic Italian desserts from Matteo’s Gelato to be more their speed. Either way, finding hidden foodie gems is a favourite Port Coquitlam pastime.
Transportation/Easy Access
Port Coquitlam’s convenient location in the heart of Metro Vancouver makes it easily to access via car or train from Vancouver or other nearby communities. Translink is well established within the PoCo area and local bus routes connect to the SkyTrain in Southern Port Coquitlam, making it easy to get around town and travel to other Greater Vancouver communities. It takes about an hour to commute from Port Coquitlam to Vancouver by train.
A seven-lane cable bridge has just been built across the Pitt River connecting Port Coquitlam to Pitt Meadows. The new Coast Meridian Overpass will soon give the city better highway access. The Lougheed Highway passes right through town.
The city’s system of trails makes it extremely bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.
Schools
Port Coquitlam has fourteen elementary schools (four of which are French immersion schools), five middle schools, and two secondary schools. L’ecole des Pionniers-de-Maillardville is PoCo’s Francophone primary and secondary school.
Nearby colleges include Ridge Meadows College (Maple Ridge), Concordia International College (Coquitlam) and Coquitlam College (Coquitlam). One of the best universities in Canada, Simon Fraser University is only 18km away in Burnaby and the internationally ranked University of British Columbia is 37km away in Vancouver.
The Arts
Port Coquitlam has a very intense connection with its local arts and a passion for community gatherings, enthusiastically supporting local events like the Sunday Coffee Concerts and Cinema Under the Stars.
The vibrant Leigh Square Community Arts Village offers free outdoor concerts and is also home to the Heritage Centre, a museum which puts on local historically themed events.
Each summer, PoCo celebrates community arts with the Summer in the City Festival of Arts, Entertainment and Culture.
Sports and Recreation
This vibrant sporting community holds gatherings such as the Terry Fox Hometown Run and offers a multitude of teams and clubs for sports like hockey, baseball, basketball, boxing, figure skating, golf, gymnastics, rugby and lacrosse (just to name a few).
Hyde Creek Recreation Centre is a completely renovated aquatics complex with water slides, rock walls, squash courts, weight and fitness room and youth centre.
Port Coquitlam has also developed a bike skills park, 40 sports fields, two free outdoor gyms, an off-leash dog park, and a youth park where kids and teens can skate and play court sports.
Outdoors
An extensive web of trails connects PoCo’s mind-blowing number of outdoor spaces. Families love exploring local parks, hikers and bikers are sated by the 25km Traboulay PoCo Trail that encircles the city, and water-lovers can swim at a number of local beaches.
Investing in Port Coquitlam’s Real Estate
On average PoCo’s home ownership rate and percentage of detached homes is higher than those of neighbouring communities like Port Moody, but prices still remain slightly lower. Much of the recent housing development has been centred in the downtown area and the newly subdivided area east of Woodland Drive.
Its small town atmosphere and abundant green space combined with its robust local economy make PoCo hard for homebuyers to resist. Its well-sized homes and diversity of options as well as good inventory availability and lower interest rates have helped the city join its neighbouring communities in noted upward growth.
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