#15979 Premium
Modern Family Home in Vancouver, BC. In the ❤️ of Commercial Drive, walk to restaurants and shops, short drive to beaches and mountains.
House • Vancouver BC Canada
Exchange types accepted
Statistics
Listed September 2022
Views 2734
General overview
3 bedroom/3 bath fully renovated house in the heart of Commercial Drive (Vancouver's "Little Italy"). Walk to many restaurants, cafes and shops, Trout Lake (with a weekly summer Farmers Market) and the skytrain (which can take you downtown and to the airport!) Relax in our backyard or on the back deck. Short drive to hiking, skiing (in winter), beaches, lakes.
The space
Ideal for a family of 4 or 5 but there is a pullout sofa bed on the main floor that can accommodate an extra person.
Main Floor:
Living room with TV (Apple TV and Netflix) and wood burning fireplace (for winter use only as per City bylaw)
Kitchen/dining area: Open concept kitchen and dining area with a large bifold glass door that can be opened up to the deck. Kitchen features fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave and wine fridge. Small appliances include toaster, VitaMix, coffee grinder, espresso maker, French press coffee maker, kettle and ice cream maker.
Sitting area is part of the open concept, just off the kitchen with two chairs and a small couch (which is a pullout sofa bed that could be used to accommodate an additional person).
Desk with computer and a window seat are also part of this area.
Half bath located on this level along with coat closet and a closet full of board games.
Office: Our home office is also on this floor but we will probably lock off this room.
Upstairs:
Primary Bedroom has a Queen sized bed, walk in closet, window seat and ensuite bathroom. Bathroom features double sinks, a large bathtub, walk in shower and a linen closet.
Kid room #1 has a single bed, desk and bookshelf.
Kid room #2 has a bunk bed and lots of toys (lego, Keva blocks, stuffies, art supplies, etc.)
Kids bathroom has a tub/shower.
Laundry room: full sized washer and dryer.
There is in floor radiant heat throughout the house.
We have full time tenants who live in our basement suite which is a completely separate space with a separate entrance. You would see them occasionally as they enter/exit the yard but they are a lovely couple with a 2.5 year old.
Backyard: We have a landscaped backyard with pavers and many plants/trees with a small water feature (rock that water gurgles out from) with overhead lights on a timer. Four adirondack chairs and an outdoor dining table with a new Weber BBQ. There is also a propane fire pit which is nice to sit around in the cooler evenings. The kids like to make s'mores (roast marshmallows and then you squish it between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate).
Back deck: Outdoor patio seating on back deck. We have the indoor/outdoor vibe when you open up the glass doors.
Guest access
There are stairs to both the front and back doors of our home as well as stairs between the main and upper floor.
We have one cat who primarily stays outdoors. She will need to be fed once or twice a day (she will let you know) and may occasionally want to come inside for short periods of time but most likely not for strangers. Our neighbours can also feed her if you can't.
Notes
Always open to more local exchanges for weekends or short stays. (Updated our calendar but open to most weekend getaways that are a short drive away).
My family is huge into mountain biking, hiking, SUP and surfing.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Toys
BBQ
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Long term
Weekend
Adventure
Family
Romantic
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
City
Mountains
Beach
Skiing
Culture
Hiking
Cycling
Good public transport
Golf
Cross-country skiing
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets welcome
No smoking
Allergens
Dog free
Smoke free
Low allergen
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
Our house is located near Commercial Drive, which is known as "Little Italy" but features many wonderful restaurants and all types of cuisine. From vegan Mexican to Lebanese to sushi and fabulous pizza places - you really will find something for everyone within walking distance. Tons of cafes and little independent shops also line The Drive. You can walk to a large grocery store (Safeway) and a great fruit/veggie market. The Rio Theatre is an independent movie theatre a 5 minute walk away.
There are plenty of craft breweries in East Van you can discover as well.
We live in a residential neighbourhood (and have fabulous neighbours) that is away from traffic/city noise but so close to everything. A short walk gets you "in the action" or to nearby parks.
Trout Lake is a man made lake with an off leash dog park on one side and a small beach on the other, with two children's playgrounds, baseball diamonds and a Community Centre. On Saturday's in the summer months, there is a fantastic Farmer's market. On Wednesday evenings during the summer, there is free live music. (No one swims in the lake as it often has too much goose poop) But it's a great place for a walk around the lake as well as to hang out. They also have a cool Lantern Procession around the lake with music, performance art and home made lanterns near the end of August.
The Skytrain is a 5 minute walk away, which gives you easy transit access to downtown, Science World, the airport, the Seabus to get to Lonsdale Quay in North Van or out to Burnaby and New Westminster.
There are tennis courts, basketball courts, many parks and children's playgrounds all within walking distance.
Vancouver is definitely a Foodie city with so many amazing restaurants and every type of cuisine you could want.
https://www.vanmag.com/taste/food-news/breaking-vancouver-now-has-9-michelin-starred-restaurants/#:~:text=Read%20on%20for%20the%202023,restaurants%E2%80%A6%20all%20told%2C%2077(!)
Short drive takes you to many hikes or skiing on the North Shore. 30 minute drive to Grouse Mountain. 45 minute drive to hikes and lakes in Port Moody. Whistler is a 2.5 hour drive away.
Local Mountains are Hemlock, Seymour, Grouse & Cypress. Less than 1 hour drive to the US border for Washington state.
Getting to my home
YVR (Vancouver International Airport) is the main airport. The skytrain from the airport (Canada Line) takes you downtown where you can transfer to the Expo Line to Commercial Drive/Broadway Station and then it's a 5 minute walk. You can also take a taxi or Uber (about 30 minutes and around $50).
If driving, we are about 3 hours from Seattle.
Nearest airport
Vancouver International Airport
Getting around
You really can walk and transit to everything but you may want a car to go further (like Whistler).
Commercial Drive is only 1 1/2 blocks away so walking to many restaurants, cafes and grocery stores, as well as the skytrain station is very convenient.
The Skytrain to downtown only takes 10 minutes to get to more restaurants, shopping, plays, concerts, bars, etc.
There are several bike share options close by.
Map of Approximate Location
People Like Us Local Guide
Happy to meet for a drink or offer advice on local attractions and hidden gems. We do have a pullout sofa in the living area if someone needs an emergency place.
Feedback
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Premium
Lindsie
We are a family of 4 from Vancouver, BC, Canada. Before we had kids, my husband Curtis and I backpacked around the world for a year, spending 4 months in SE Asia, 2 months in Australia and then 6 months in Europe. We returned home pregnant with our first son and with a huge love of travel.
Our family has taken many wonderful trips to both exotic places (like Nicaragua and Thailand), closer destinations (like California, Hawaii and Mexico) and many trips in our own province.
We have done several house swaps over the last 6 years from an ad I saw in a retired teacher's magazine (my mother in laws). Since joining PLU about a year ago, we have done four amazing sim-swaps and two non-sim.
We spent July & August 2023 traveling in Europe on an incredible family adventure. PLU has helped us discover places we wouldn't have considered.
We love the outdoors (hiking, biking, SUP, surfing, etc.) along with good food and wine. My sons are 14 and 11 and both speak English and French (unfortunately my French is terrible). We are looking forward to making new friends and having new adventures!
Curtis is a copywriter and I'm a realtor.
We are non smokers and would be very respectful of your home.
We have one cat, named Lola who is an outdoor/indoor cat. She only wants to come inside when the weather is cold or to eat. Spring/Summer she lives almost exclusively outside (and can arrange for her to only be outside if you are allergic for short stays during warmer weather as long as she gets fed on the back deck).
Travelling group
Desired Destinations
Open to any destination
Dates flexible
"We especially love the South of France."
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
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"We love Europe and there are many places we still want to explore there. Surprise me!"
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
"Open to March break exchange"
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
"Prefer November to April"
Dates flexible
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"This would be a bucket list trip, probably after 2026."
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
"March 2025"
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