Today’s neighbourhood feature is an area called Uplands, located in the northern central part of Nanaimo just above Long Lake. You will drive by Long Lake if you’re taking Island Highway north and the homes on the ridge are what is considered Long Lake Heights. More on this later!
The Uplands location is really great for a few reasons! It runs parallel to the highway so you can easily get to areas like downtown in no time, but the highway is on the other side of Long Lake so it’s not noisy. It’s the location for two of Nanaimo’s larger shopping centers, North Town Center and Country Club Center. Both of which have everything you need- from groceries to liquor stores, fashion and a movie theatre and each one is just a 5-minute drive from the other. Woodgrove Center, the largest shopping mall on Vancouver Island, is also very close.
Homes in Uplands were mostly constructed between 1961-1980, many on tree-lined and flat residential streets but also some interesting cliffside and rocky terrain, mainly in Long Lake Heights. Long Lake Heights is a Bareland Strata community located on Long Lake. This freshwater lake is a hot spot for kayaking, swimming on a sandy beach and fishing! The views of the lake and beyond Mount Benson are really great as you feel perched up above the city taking everything in! A downside to this is the hilly landscape makes the roads in the neighbourhood very steep and dangerous in the wintertime. If you’re not familiar with what strata living entails, make sure you get in touch with a real estate professional like me. We looked at a few homes in Long Lake Heights before realizing they were strata and ultimately decided it wasn’t for us. The Knowledge I’ve gathered from those I’ve met is that it’s a well-run strata and a well-maintained area, including frequent snow removal for the steep roads I spoke about.
Single-family detached homes in the Uplands community over the last 30 days were sold at a median price of $672,500. There are also many condominium and townhouse complexes, making it a great starter neighbourhood for families.
There are other great reasons that make Uplands a great neighbourhood for families! It’s rated highly for being quiet and safe, and the school here is called Uplands Park Elementary which is a feeder school for Wellington Secondary not too far away in Departure Bay. Both schools are highly regarded in the city of Nanaimo. Uplands is home to one of the city's best recreation centers, Oliver Woods Community Center. So many of Simon’s summer and school break camps take place here and he’s always enjoyed them and the camp staff are amazing with kids! It doesn’t have a pool but facilities can be rented out for birthday parties and events.
There are some great local parks in Uplands that you can walk to and the neighbourhood is home to a smaller hike called Rutherford and Radar Ridge, a 3.5 km loop up Cottle Hill where you can take in views of the Valley below from the top.
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat on date night, consider Eve Olive. This is the best plant-based restaurant in Nanaimo with a cozy vibe you’ll really love!
If this sounds like somewhere you’d like to be and are considering a move to Nanaimo or Vancouver Island, be sure to get in touch with me soon!
