Residents of the North Shore may very well be the happiest in the region thanks to a host of natural and cultural attractions, according to a recent Angus Reid Global survey.
With the diverse activities from the mountains to the ocean and everything else in between, 54 per cent of North Shore residents rated the North Shore as an excellent place to live - compared to the regional average of 33 per cent. The online survey polled 1,100 Metro Vancouver residents.
Gail Roxburgh has lived on the North Shore for 50 years and said she isn't interested in living anywhere else. "It still seems special after 50 years," she said. "I think it's everything. The mountains. The water. Everything. If you're sporty it's a wonderful place."
About 81 per cent polled rated the North Shore as being either an excellent or good place to raise children. And 91 per cent of those polled were enthusiastic about the number of parks nearby and variety of outdoor activities.
Roxburgh agreed.
She said living in Deep Cove proved to be a great place to raise her family with accessible recreation facilities, parks and schools.
"The whole North Shore is beautiful," she said. "Overall, I love being in a place that's close to nature.
When you come home, seeing all the trees, you feel like you're going to a special little place."
Community safety also received a high mark with 85 per cent rating it as excellent or good. The regional average was just 49 percent.
However, North Shore residents were less keen about the cost of living.
While 71 per cent believed it's worth every penny to live in the area, 89 per cent of those polled felt housing prices were too expensive for the average resident. More than half considered moving due to affordability issues.
The online poll had a margin of error of plus/minus three per cent, 19 times out of 20.
