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Originally Posted by apesta
I'll be more specific. I've never been to Surrey much my whole life and I often hear a lot crime activities going on around central Surrey or Surrey in general. So I wonder if Guildford is in that category or it's a nicer area where I can raise children or where I can feel safe in the neighbourhood. I'm currently looking to buy Guildhouse by Mosaic homes just across from Guildford mall. They will be launching some townhomes and I was really drawn to their layout and overall development. I've been to Morgan Crossing and I must say the area there is much nicer and less busy. However, prices over there are beginning to be unaffordable. Guildhouse will probably be a lot more affordable. So I basically just want to know if the area around Guildford mall would be good to start a family. My main issue with Morgan crossing other than pricing is also the fact that it's far from the main cities whereas Guildford is closer to Vancouver, Burnaby.
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People overhype "Surrey Crime" just like they overhype all the "Deadly Animals in Australia." Headlines make for good talking points but are about as factual as claiming the Sun is Yellow.
That said, Guildford is more urban than Morgan Crossing because it is larger, more established, and closer to Central Surrey. And Morgan Crossing is more urban than most of the other areas of "South Surrey" with maybe the exception of the area around Semiahmoo. It is definitely less busy and because it is a brand new area, has the shiny gloss of a new car in the showroom. You pay for that though as you've pointed out.
For raising a family, my advice would be to look at a few other factors. Obviously you want an area where crime is lower overall which is the majority of Surrey. The gang shootings in the news largely happen in a section of Newton in a predominantly Indo-Canadian section between Scott Road and 132nd Street, 68th and 88th Avenue. So Guildford is a fair distance away from that area.
Second thing I'd look for is really just the area itself. Case and point, there's been vocal complaints in the news lately about an area along Kingsway with a chronic problem of disposed needles and condoms and children needing to walk through this all to school. I'd honestly be more upset with my daughter dealing with that then a gang banger shooting another gang banger 30 blocks away. There are areas of Guildford that you're more likely to find that type of stuff though, and while I don't like to generalize, areas south of Guildford town center (toward 108th) and east a few blocks (to about 148th) have a higher probability of that just because of the average income levels.
To judge that point you really just need to get out and walk around the neighborhood (and that goes for any neighborhood you are interested in be it Surrey, Delta, Coquitlam, who knows).
Next thing is depending on if you have children already or are thinking about it very soon, I'd pay attention to amenities and access to things like children's programs, recreation centers, schools, parks, etc. Guildford has a family resource center by the ICBC near McDonalds just west of the mall which has some good programs, and there are quite a few medical facilities around there. Also the Guildford rec center is quite outstanding. West side of Guildford you're also closer to parks like
Tynhead but also on the east side around 104th and 144th bordering Guildford/Whalley is
Hawthorne Park which is quite nice too and
Green Timbers isn't too far either (less than 20 minute walk from Guildford Mall). I've walked Guildford through Green Timbers to Surrey Central quite a few times with my daughter in her buggy or in a carrier. It is actually a nice walk, and about a little more than 1 hour total.
South Surrey has a lot going for it too so other than the driving thing since transit is virtually non-existent out there, you have much the same with respect to parks facilities, schools, etc. A few blocks from Morgon Crossing Surrey just finished the Grandview Heights Aquatic Center which is really nice. The rec center though is a bit of a drive away from that area and is closer to Semiahmoo and basically next to Softball City, but not horribly far away (10 minute drive).
South Surrey also gives you quicker access to beaches like White Rock and Crescent Beach and there are some really nice park areas over in the Ocean Park area and
Redwood Park isn't that far away either which is a great park to visit with a nice play area, picnic areas, and forest trails.
There is definitely a reason why a large percentage of people live in and move to Surrey in order to raise their children. If you can see beyond the "crime" headlines that really represent a small portion of the overall city and quite frankly also affect a small portion of the population, it is a great place to live and grow up and each of the various areas can afford you much different vibes and experiences. Quite frankly that goes for most of the Lower Mainland. I'd have no issue raising my daughter in Kits or Oakridge or West End but I'd think twice about the Downtown East Side. Just common sense.
Personally I looked all the above and price wise what we could afford that (1) left money in our pockets to actually get out, travel, and enjoy life, and (2) was large enough to comfortably live with 1 to 2 children. I think the having some money in your pocket and travelling are important. We have friends who have nice houses but have no money to do anything and spend most of their weeks at home. Whenever we invite them out to go place it is the same story "we don't have any money right now need to save up." What's the point. To me it's like people who wait until they are retired to travel. Miss out on many years, probably their best years, to enjoy the world.
We went out last weekend to Burke Mountain in Coquitlam to check out a new park that way and two weeks before were out at Campbell Valley Park in Langley. If you have shopping close by, some nice amenities, have some money in your pocket because your home didn't cost you $2 million, and can go out for walks an not trip over drug addicts and discarded needles, I think you'd be AOK. Where we are now is not outstanding for local schools so in 4 or 5 years we very well may end up moving elsewhere, but it's the best place for us right now and ticks off all the above so far.
Not sure if the above helps out.
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