Central Campbell River

If you live in Campbell River long enough, you end up in Central for something. The hospital is here. So are Carihi Secondary, Phoenix Middle School, École des Deux Mondes and a string of elementary schools from Cedar and Pinecrest down to Sandowne and Rockland. Strathcona Gardens, with its pools and arenas, fills up every weekday after school.

The streets were mostly built out from the 1960s on, so the housing is a mix: post-war bungalows and split-levels on big lots, newer infill, townhomes and a growing number of low-rise condos along the main roads. It's often where buyers find the best value close to the water and downtown.

The east edge is the Island Highway and the ocean. The seawalk runs along it, flat and paved, with benches facing Discovery Passage and Quadra Island. The Museum at Campbell River sits on the bluff near the north end. On the west side, Dogwood Street carries the shopping centres, groceries and big-box stores, and behind it the Beaver Lodge Lands offer hundreds of acres of forest trails.

Robron Park, Centennial Park and Pinecrest Park handle fields and playgrounds. Small pocket parks like Ruby, Charstate and Heritage Meadows are scattered through the residential streets, so most homes are a short walk from green space.