West Central Real Estate & Homes For Sale
With its far western reaches touching the banks of the Fraser River, and bordering nearby neighbourhoods like Haney, Albion, and Webster’s Corners, the community of West Central combines the best of small-town living with the added convenience and diversity of being close to parks, the river front, shopping, and more. Visitors and residents in the area enjoy a generally mild climate with temperatures averaging 22-28°C in summer and 2-4°C in winter; Maple Ridge gets around 1,788 mm of precipitation annually.
Since the city of Maple Ridge is set for growth, West Central is a prime area for families and individuals wanting to leave busier areas of the city in favour of a quieter, private community with larger homes and proximity to recreational activities as well.
Maple Ridge has been ranked as the #2 “Top Place to Live for the Lifestyle” for four consecutive years by the Real Estate Investment Network, with a population of just over 77,000 (2012) residents, and a median age of around 40 years. The city’s average household income is $91,000 (2012) and most homes in the West Central community are nice-sized 3-bedroom houses that are fairly newer, as well as 2+ bedroom condos and townhomes.
West Central Homes For Sale
- All Listings
- $800,000 - $900,000
- $900,000 - $1,000,000
- Over $1,000,000
Employment Opportunities
Early settlers of Maple Ridge primarily worked in agriculture and forestry, with the latter continuing to be one of the city’s larger industries, as well as retail, health care/social assistance, manufacturing, construction, and educational services. Top employers in Maple Ridge are: School District #42 (1,673 employees), Ridge Meadows Hospital (with 1,343 employees), District of Maple Ridge (610 employees), Overwaitea Food Group (495 employees), and Target® stores (with 250 employees), as of 2012.
The city has a 7.3% unemployment rate (2010). Most of the city’s population have a 30-minute (or sometimes more) commute to their jobs, with a smaller percentage staying within the community for work.
Shopping/Restaurants
From large shopping centres and small boutiques to family dining venues and upscale restaurants, there’s plenty to enjoy in Maple Ridge. Just a few of the city’s best restaurants include Big Feast, GM Restaurant (serving up authentic Indian cuisine), Kanaka Creek Coffee, Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, and Sushi Bar Lori. Other excellent options include Thai cuisine, an alehouse, Italian, and more.
The city boasts a plethora of shops and boutiques in Downtown Maple Ridge, including outlet stores, electronic stores, and shopping centres like McIntosh Plaza, Maple Ridge Square Shopping Centre, Haney Place Mall, and ValleyFair Mall.
Transportation
Residents of the West Central community primarily use personal vehicles to commute in and out of the city and nearby neighbourhoods, as well as making use of the city’s Translink system, with the Haney Place Exchange being the main bus exchange nearby, the West Coast Express, the Dewdney Trunk Road and Highway 7, and the Golden Ears Bridge which connects Maple Ridge to Langley and Pitt Meadows.
Schools
West Central is served by School District #42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, which operates 18 elementary schools, five secondary schools, a community college, an adult learning centre, and a few other learning facilities in the city. A few of the elementary schools located close to West Central are Kanaka Creek Elementary and Yennadon Elementary School (located in the Kanaka Creek and Yennadon communities, respectively). Three colleges are located within the city: BCIT, Douglas College, and Sprott Shaw College.
The Arts
Visitors and residents of the West Central community can enjoy the city’s Arts Centre and Theatre for performing arts venues, the bandstand at Memorial Peace Park, and the Maple Ridge Art Gallery (located in the ACT). Maple Ridge also hosts several annual festivals and parades, including the Jazz & Blues Festival, the Caribbean Festival, and the Rogers Santa Claus Parade, always popular with families.
Recreation/Sports
Those who live in the West Central community and love the outdoors have plenty to choose from around their area and the city of Maple Ridge, including Golden Ears Provincial Park which offers residents hiking and walking trails, mountain biking, bird-watching, and more. Kanaka Creek Regional Park (located in the neighbouring community of Kanaka Creek) has hiking and walking trails, canoeing and kayaking, a boat launch, fishing, and lots more.
Investing in West Central Real Estate
West Central offers abundant benefits and advantages to its residents, and plenty of reasons to relocate to Maple Ridge, including excellent employment options, affordable housing, great schools for families, lots of shopping and dining venues, and plenty of wholesome outdoor activities to do.
Not only is Maple Ridge set to see dramatic growth (its projected 2040 population is around 132,000 compared to 77,000 in 2012), but additional amenities and new growth can be expected to cause property values to soar, which is great for investing.
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