The following is a transcript of the video above about Victoria’s most exclusive neighbourhoods and some close alternatives with much more affordable properties.
What are Victoria BC’s most exclusive neighbourhoods? Why are they so expensive, and are they worth it? Today I’m going to visit the six most expensive neighbourhoods in Victoria, find out what makes them special, and suggest some more affordable alternatives to consider.
#6 Rockland
Our first stop is the historic Rockland neighbourhood, lining and weaving its way through and along a rocky crest just to the east of downtown Victoria and north of Fairfield. This storied community has residential development that dates all the way back to the 1860s, with Kerry Castle and some incredibly impressive architectural examples like Craigdarroch Castle that sits behind me. The area now is defined by a lot of these historic and opulent manner-style homes from famed architects like Samuel McClure, but you also have newer renditions of executive-style homes with an incredibly attractive collection of oak-lined streets offering privacy and close proximity to all that downtown Victoria has to offer. Because of the rocky hillside on which this area was developed, there are also a ton of impressive view-style lots here in Rockland, and the highest ever sale was from a more recently completed home built in 2012 on Despard that sold for $4.3 million.
Or, Maplewood
Now, if you don’t have the budget for Rockland but you’re looking for a neighbourhood with a similar aesthetic, I would think about Maplewood in Saanich. Very similar oak-lined streets, rocky outcroppings, clear sunny lots—some with views—and you have similar proximity to amenities. Although you’re not as close to the vibrancy of downtown Victoria, you still have lots of shopping centers right at your doorstep, like at Cook and Quadra, as well as just down the hill at Mayfair Mall, up at Uptown, and you’re really not that far from downtown Victoria. You don’t have the same level of history and big-city opulence, but you do have some really charming character examples and some historic examples littered throughout. Many of the larger manner-style homes from a previous era have been converted into suites, but if you want a bit of that Victoria charm, history, and feel without breaking the bank, you might want to put Maplewood on your maybe list.
#5 Estevan & South Oak Bay
For the fifth most exclusive neighbourhoods in Victoria, I actually lumped two of them together; they’re both in Oak Bay, have similar characteristics, and are pretty close to each other. One is Estevan; the other is South Oak Bay. South Oak Bay is quite a bit larger and has well over 7,000 residents, whereas Estevan has less than 3,000, but combined, they produce two exceedingly charming seaside communities in one of Victoria’s safest areas, that is Oak Bay. Standout features of the Estevan area include one of Victoria’s best sandy beaches at Willows Beach, which you have great access to through many parts of this community, as well as a quaint and charming village at its core.
South Oak Bay, on the other hand, also has a beautiful shoreline around McNeill Bay and the Oak Bay Marina, as well as some mixed housing options which promote some of that density, but you also have Victoria Golf Club, Anderson Hill Park, some really standout outdoor locations, and places to walk throughout the community, anchored by Oak Bay Village at its core. You also have access to great schools in both communities, but one of the things that’s puzzling is that the landscape is dominated by construction from the 30s into the late 50s, which makes you wonder, “How is it so expensive here?” Well, it’s expensive because it’s desirable and people will compromise space and vintage of home for location, but it’s also gotten more expensive because both areas have sprouted up a lot of new development and brand-new spec-built homes.
Both areas are blue-chip real estate in Victoria, and the highest ever sale between the two was actually in South Oak Bay along Banker Row, which is opposite the Victoria Golf Club; that was $11 million last year.
Or, Fairfield
Now, if you like South Oak Bay and Estevan, you’re looking for a fantastic seaside location, you want a village and amenities nearby, but you don’t want the price tag, I would honestly go with Fairfield. You have very similar proximity to downtown Victoria, it’s very safe, you have good schools; it just doesn’t crunch into your wallet quite as hard.
If you want an even more affordable option that perhaps still has a little bit of a stigma, you could also think of the Saxe Point area in Esquimalt, also similarly flat, level, and walkable, close to the water, great village at its core. The only downside is you’d have me as a neighbour, so you might want to nix it for that reason.
#4 Queenswood
The fourth most exclusive neighbourhood is the Queenswood area in Saanich, along a generally calmer section of coastline looking out across the Haro Strait to San Juan Island. This collection of homes and neighbourhoods was established almost 100 years ago, and many of the characteristics from back then still survive today. You have large estate-sized lots, serpentine streets that bear resemblance to another one of the neighbourhoods that we’ll mention later on today, but a real feeling of seclusion and privacy, especially considering the contrast that you have between a 20-minute drive to the vibrancy of downtown Victoria and a short walk or drive away to Cadboro Bay Village and some amenities that you’d need for your weekly shops. You have large treed lots here and a great respect for nature because we’re in Saanich, and also some magnificent waterfront properties. The highest ever sale was along Queenswood Drive on the waterfront for $8.4 million.
Or, Broadmead
Now, this is probably the comparison I’m the least happy with today, but sometimes when you’re hunting for value, you have to stretch the boundaries ever so slightly. Serpentine streets among the forest, privacy—I thought Queenswood, maybe think about Broadmead. Now Broadmead is a touch more park-like and manicured versus the country or more rural feeling in Queenswood, but both neighbourhoods are within striking distance of downtown Victoria with amenities nearby as well as walkable beach access. But the biggest thing is that you go through upper or lower Broadmead, you wind through some of these streets much the same as what you do when you experience Queenswood, and you’re blanketed by these majestic fir trees that really give you a feeling of the West Coast.
#3 Gonzalez
Our third most exclusive neighbourhood, and one of my personal favourites, is the Gonzalez neighbourhood in Oak Bay. There’s nothing else quite like it, and I often relate it to Malibu in Southern California: sheer rocky cliffside, tons of change of elevation that gives you these dramatic views across the Juan de Fuca Strait to the Olympic Mountain Range, tons of property bathed in sunshine, brand-new gorgeous and sexy modern homes on the waterfront, and beautiful historic examples dotted along the hillside. You have all the advantages of being in Oak Bay, close to great shops and stores with great schools nearby, as well as being incredibly safe, but you’re among some exceedingly unique topography and unique properties that go along with it. There are some magnificent south-facing waterfront properties that are unique for Victoria, and the highest ever sale price was along King George Terrace for $7.5 million.
If you like the idea of having a stairmaster right at your doorstep, this could be a great area to consider, and it definitely is one of the more unique ones on our list today. I love it because of these dramatic outlooks, but there are flat, walkable, and quiet pockets in the Gonzalez area, like down around Harling Point, where only residents tend to travel to. Whether you’re looking for a view or you’re looking for a stellar waterfront property, Gonzalez is pure magic.
Or, Cordova Bay
If you’re looking for dramatic views like those at Gonzalez, you might want to consider Cordova Bay. Although we’re a little bit further out from town at the northernmost point of Saanich, you have some coveted waterfront properties as well as steep hillside that offers panoramic views to the east instead of the south, which you’ll see in Gonzalez. Instead of looking at the Olympics, you’ll be looking at Mount Baker and San Juan Island, but this seaside outlook from Cordova Bay could capture your heart if Gonzalez speaks to you.
#2 10 Mile Point
For the second most exclusive neighbourhood in all of Victoria, we find ourselves back in Saanich and this time on 10 Mile Point. It shares a lot of the same characteristics that we covered with Queenswood, but on a larger scale, with a lot more variety. We’re 10 nautical miles from the entrance to the Esquimalt Harbour by sea and about a 20-minute drive to downtown Victoria. Once again, the thing I love is the contrast; you feel that connection to nature, seclusion, and privacy on 10 Mile Point, but you’re still just a short drive or bike ride away from Cadboro Bay Village and all of the amenities that you need.
To me, the standout features of 10 Mile Point include a fantastic trail and park network that connects the newer and older sections of the neighbourhood. You also have just so much coastline here and all of these little nooks and crannies and ways to get down to the sea in private little beach enclaves that are accessible to the public and all the residents here, so even if you don’t own waterfront on 10 Mile Point, you still have lots of great access points to it. I find the variety of home and property types on 10 Mile Point to be pretty compelling; you have enchanting 100-year-old manors and cottages all the way up to ultra-modern homes with striking lines and oversized glazing. The thing I keep going back to, though, is the seclusion and privacy element; there are no streetlights out here on 10 Mile Point, and you definitely feel connected with nature wherever you are. You can feel like you’re quite distant from the city, but in actual fact, you’re still just a short drive away. There’s a really magical feeling that I get whenever I turn onto Tudor Avenue and get out onto the point; it’s a really special neighborhood, and some of the most coveted streets in this area, like Seaview Road, have some of Victoria’s best south-facing, sun-catcher waterfront property, and for that reason the highest ever sale price was along Seaview just shy of $9 million.
Or, Gordon Head
So from here on 10 Mile Point, I actually just swam over here to Glenco Cove because this is an area you should consider. It’s the northernmost point of Gordon Head, and when I say Gordon Head, a lot of you wouldn’t typically think of executive-style homes because you’re used to seeing a lot of 70s construction BC boxes, even rentals as you get close to UVic. But a very specific section of it at the northernmost point, between here at Glenco Cove all the way down to Gordon Point, is very similar to 10 Mile Point. Often when I’m driving down Ferndale Road, I feel like I’m driving down Tudor; mature fir trees on both sides and a beautiful seaside neighbourhood. Many of the areas with similar vintages of construction, you’ll go by Gordon Point Estates which has large executive-style homes similar to newer parts of Wedgewood, as well as some of these older areas of the subdivision along Paul’s Terrace, Shoreway, and down over closer to Balmacarra Beach off Seaward, Taten, and Balmacarra; beautiful shoreline, rocky, private beaches that mainly the residents seem to access. Give Gordon Head some thought.
#1 Uplands
We finally arrived at the most exclusive neighbourhood in all of Greater Victoria: the Uplands in Oak Bay. This 465-acre subdivision that was created at the turn of the century from a former farm, Upland’s Farm, earned National Historic Site designation in 2019 because of the work of esteemed landscape architect John Olmsted, the nephew of Frederick Olmsted, who created and drafted the plans for Central Park in New York City. John Olmsted himself remarked, after broad experience in all kinds of residential subdivisions across North America, that Uplands was unquestionably the best adapted to obtain the greatest amount of landscape beauty in connection with suburban development. That still rings true today, and many of the intentional design choices from Olmsted still live in this neighbourhood: serpentine streets that make it feel like you’re winding your way through a park, large estate-sized lots, calm shoreline with sheltered bays and views across to distant islands and mountains, those signature ornate lamp posts and gates to designate the subdivision. You had residential development initiated in about 1907, and some historic Arts and Crafts homes from that era that give the neighbourhood a distinctly English feel. Standout features of the neighbourhood include access to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, Uplands Golf Course across the street, as well as the remarkable Uplands Park, and Cattle Point with its own boat launch. You have access to amenities in either direction at Cadboro Bay Village, Estevan Village, or even down to Oak Bay Village, and you’re just a stone’s throw from world-class education at the University of Victoria. It’s a special neighbourhood with some jaw-dropping homes, and the highest ever sale price was north of $13 million.
If I had to make a comparison, I would say maybe think about Queenswood, but there really is no comparison to make to the Uplands.
If you’re interested in relocating to one of these amazing areas or looking for information about the Victoria BC real estate market, co.
