Where would you buy a house downtown?

[flar]

Specifically downtown, I wouldn't buy except on a couple select streets in Beasley. Central and Durand and Corktown are hit or miss as well, with some great streets and some not. I think Central is the best in the immediate downtown area. There are some absolute gems in these neighbourhoods, but some low rent apartments that introduce sketchiness.

But downtown is the whole lower city to some people, so extending outward, I would consider:

St. Clair/Blakely/Delta area: solid, more modern homes, nice yards and streets, good prices

Stinson: great character, but these are fancy Victorians, so might be looking at some serious renovation and repair costs.

Landsdale: the undiscovered Stinson with amazing housing stock but pockets of extreme poverty

Strathcona and the North End: eclectic homes, developing into nice neighbourhoods

Kirkendall and the southern Durand: already pretty expensive but still a bargain compared to other cities