LIVING IN KELOWNA BC | Pros & Cons of living in Kelowna, our experience of what it is really like
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
- If you're considering living in Kelowna BC these are the pros and cons you need to know. Our experience in the Okanagan has been great, but like anywhere, there are ups and downs.
CONNECT WITH US:
Our Instagram: / leviandvictoriacreative
Victoria’s Instagram: / victoriaharderxo
Pinterest: www.pinterest.ca/leviandvicto...
Tik Tok: vm.tiktok.com/7Gheyb/
Website: leviandvictoria.co/
OUR SHOP:
Hand Drawn Maps:bodegoods.leviandvictoria.co/
EQUIPMENT WE USE:
Main Camera Body: amzn.to/2VW3BlI
Vlog Camera: amzn.to/2VW3pD0
Camera Microphone: amzn.to/2W3jYgb
Hard Drive: amzn.to/2zzarWT
SD Card: amzn.to/356gGwW
SERVICES WE USE: leviandvictoria.co/resources
disclaimer: there are affiliate links description but they don't alter what you are paying. If you are going to purchase, we would much appreciate if you use them!
⋒ ABOUT US ⋒
We are Victoria & Levi, a creative married couple from British Columbia. We are photographers, entrepreneurs & explorers. The goal of our videos is to share a glimpse of our real life, sharing all things photography, entrepreneurship & creative living.
Do you have anything about Kelowna that you need to know that we missed?!
How’s the crime rate in the city?
How is public transport ? And job employment ? Thanks
@@Dolcebella1989 Public transport is not ideal. It is nowhere near as good as any other canadian city I have been in. It's usable but again not ideal. I lived in Lake Country and there was one bus, same thing for living in the Mission area.
I've had a lot of luck with employment. Many trades are hiring but I wouldnt recommend living here unless you make a fuck ton of money because it is not getting cheaper.
@@Sahib134 Kelowna used to have the highest crime rate in Canada at one point. I wouldn't consider it an unsafe city (except for certain streets maybe?) however theft from cars and houses happen regularly.
Expect to earn less money here and pay more to live here... they call it a sunshine tax... but in reality it is just an excuse to exploit people.
Crime is getting bad everywhere , many gangs and drug problems in Kelowna now. Just like every candian city. Cost of rent is the same as Vancouver. Beautiful Okanagan. Sure beats vancover at least.
Hello, I'm from Russia, two years ago I lived in Kelowna for three months due to a business trip. I can say that it was quite an amazing time that keeps in my memory. Good infrastructure, lot's of nature sightseeing, nice people and just places where to go. It's mix of countryside and big city which is pretty good. Of course main aspect is the place work , it is obvious that living if resorts is not the cheapest way. Some problems due to high season are also exists but anyway , this place will leave in my heart for whole life.♥
It is good here! Smoke is an issue some days but in Toronto, we were ducking bullets. I think Kelowna is family-oriented and if that's what you are looking for and have the money, this is the spot!
Thanks for the making this video. I’m doing research to decide where to move in BC. I’m done with winters in Ab and have spent a lot of time in BC but not so much in the winter.
You have no idea how much I appreciate this video. Cheers.
Agree with all especially needing a new disc golf course. Lived here 20 years and love it. Half the time in Kelowna and other half (& ongoing in Lake Country). Relocate to Lake Country if you want: immediate access to 8+ superb wineries, the Rail (Road :-D) Trail , beautiful beaches on both Okanagan and Kalamalka lakes much less crowded and after time places can be found that almost nobody else knows about. Neighbourhood farm to table fruits fruit , vegetables, honey, eggs etc all grown right there and all fresh and fantastic. LC is perfectly situated for Kelowna, Vernon, Salmon Arm, Kamloops, etc etc and has quick & easy access to everything these have to offer, Must say though that the 4 seasons are not nearly as pronounced as they used to be, Spring is getting harder and harder to distinguish and Winters have not been nearly as harsh or long as in years past. By end of Feb the change to Spring comes and is gone fast and often jumps into summer with March temperatures in the mid twenties. Last year the biggest snow dump was at mid to end October along with minus 10 and leaves still on the trees! Didn't use the snow blower once - unlike the year before when had more snow than I've ever experienced here.
A nice video, well done, I'm retired and my wife and I have been Kelowna residents since 2008. It's a very nice place to live but things in this city have changed drastically since we first moved here. The nice two bedroom apartment we rented when we first arrived is now $2100 per month ( we paid $ 925 ).
Anyone planning on moving here one word of advice, bring plenty of money and I do mean plenty. The cost of living here is horrendous, I had a friend that I golfed with, he worked at the airport earning $ 32.00 an hour. For his wife and two girls they rented a two bedroom and den, rent, $ 2850 plus $ 350 for utilities ,, so do the math, approx. $ 4350 take home per month ,, $ 1100 left for food, clothing, etc. etc.
If you are planning on moving here and you are a golfer, good luck, sure there are plenty of fine golf courses in the Okanagan but two of them have been sold ( one to the airport and the other for an industrial park ). There are no yearly golf memberships available anymore here in the Kelowna area and an average round of golf will cost you $ 100 and up. We certainly have our share of homeless folks and drugs are widely available down on Leon. Food prices are outrageous here, they really are and for the most part the markets are doing nothing but price gouging.
By the way, the last place in Canada where you would find a break on fuel prices is Kelowna ,,, most gas outlets have a sign stating ,, " prior to filling up please bend over and grab your ankles ".
Health care here in Kelowna ,,, you would have a better chance at shoving butter up a cougar's ass with a red hot needle than you would of finding a family Doctor. Oh there are plenty of walk in clinics ( that's the most lucrative for the physicians ) so good luck with that.
Yes of course there is the good and the bad regardless of where you might live. I've seen numerous advertisements regarding moving to Kelowna, most of the advertisements placed by real estate individuals who do nothing but totally mislead people by painting a delightful rosy picture. Well then again they are in the real estate business what else could you expect. But all in all we really like it here it certainly has plenty of good over the negative.
And don't forget about the traffic, my wife and I live in SoCal now but we consider the traffic to be as bad (in the summer) to LA just on a much smaller scale
Thank you for the honest review! ❤. I live in the lower mainland and you have convinced me not to relocate to Kelowna - we will just continue to visit in shoulder seasons!
We moved to Kelowna from Alberta 8 years ago, there's no denying the beauty its just amazing. The huge downside are the taxes in this province are killer, my kids are now young adults and they are finding it hard to get started here, you buy a used car you pay extra tax, the gas is higher, the insurance is triple what there friends pay in Alberta. Then try and rent a place with less than 4 roommates because that's what it seems like you need to survive the cost of living. Heavy Taxes and cost of living suck the beauty out of any Paradise.
I totally agree! It is hard place to live for that reason 😅
I kept my Alberta insurance and license they will have to pry it from my dead hands
Pffft... newcomers.
Yep. Moved to BC from AB 8 years ago now and the costs are ridiculous when compared to AB, however, don’t miss those Calgary winters!
I love the distinct seasons, coming from Calgary it's the first time I lived a summer that is hot everyday. Also I like the small community feel. But I don't like how expensive it is and the job options are limited for the cost of living.
totally agree!!
Found your comment about the " extreme temperatures" amusing. I'm currently living 1 hr north of Toronto. Temp range here can go from -35 Deg C in the winter to + 35 deg. in the summer. And we get snow, Some years a lot of it. Our population here is 150 K. A quick google search shows Kelowna with an average ranging from -5 to +28. That's not so bad.
😅 It’s clearly not extreme.
@@rohansofra2629 i have lived there, try 45 degrees Celsius and down to minus 30 celsius. the extreme is during the summer can go from hot, to cold, to rain in minutes
@@kenmcjannet1756 you mean in Kelowna?
Mid 40's and forest fires bro
Go ahead guys keep Filming !
You are doing Great.
Thanx for video
Thanks for doing these posts, found them helpful! We are moving to Kelowna in March. We have lived in Vancouver for a number of years; Calgary, Montreal and the Niagara Regional well. Both of us are really looking forward to the move!
I'm also moving to Kelowna this summer and I've lived in all those places as well it's really not a huge leap from Niagara country but it's much nicer than Vancouver and Calgary
We left kelowna, to vancouver! the theft there is unreal, entitled people and you need to be born there to make ways in the circles lol
Again, super helpful. I'm from a tourist/party town, so this all sounds familiar. Thanks for the great content!
You are so welcome!! Glad you are liking it!
I agree with everything you guys said, coming from someone born and raised in kelowna! Love the video you two!💛
Okay that means so much!! We didn't want to offend anyone who is from Kelowna! Glad you liked it
Aha, another one of the rare ones...
Recently moved from Vancouver to Peachland and though I'm not in Kelowna directly, I visit often to get that "city" aspect I constantly crave. It's so nice to have found your guys' channel! I agree with everything you mentioned, and am glad that the "clique-iness" isn't just in my head lol. Overall, this small part of the world is stellar, and I appreciate how y'all share it!
Nope not in your head. Been here a few years . Found its hard to meet people. Many don't even reply to a hello in passing......crickets.
That's ok kinda says more about them....and helps weed out people who aren't friendly.
Best people I have met have been while walking dogs.
Cost of living here is definitely higher here...I've heard some Realtors talk specifically about Calgary and how Kelowna is less expensive...housing wise? Yes. Everything else? No. It's now 2023 and the market has corrected, hopefully prices stabilize. Great pros and cons vid! Spot on.
The guide for any move to a new town, city is 5 years to before of the demographic: friends, places, events, work rhythms etc.
You two are seriously the CUTEST and knocked this out of the park. I totally agree, you’re so spot on with these pros and cons ☺️
OKAY THANK YOU! Glad you agree, didn't want to offend anyone 😅
I vote for hype. Born here in 77 and left in 95 but came back in 08. Love it here!
Kelowna is a party place, plain and simple, come to visit, not to live. Job market compared to rental/house prices don’t add up
Took some notes Kenny. Beautiful place to film.
Pros: nice city, nice big lake and mountains. Cons : very expensive real estate and rent, bad traffic, very tourist place
Loved your video! I was wondering why you moved to Kelowna? (And where did you move from? You said a small city in BC?) We have been there a couple of times and its lovely but the summers are very crowded.
great video very informative, thank you both
Hi Levi and Victoria .. Am from Indonesia. Planning to move to Kelowna because my husband live there. It's nice watching your videos about pros and kontras. The other thing I want to ask, since I am a Moslem, how people treat Moslem in Kelowna ? Is there any mosque ? Thanks in advance. Hope you have a great day
oh I wanna try rail roads trails
Strange. I've been in Kelowna for over 2 decades and I'm looking at property near Salmon Arm.
I am considering VGA, GTA (Durham region and Hamilton), London (also fast growing ... close to Lake Huron >>> but bigger than Kelowna) and Kelowna ... would you choose Langley or Maple Ridge ? do you know much about there?
Loved your video... We moved here in 2011 after previously growing up in Toronto and also living in Montreal. We chose Kelowna after visiting many times and my wife has some family here. In hindsight I must've been a little drunk on the visits because what I know now i would never have agreed to move here. You hit the nail on most of the pros and cons. We're older than you guys and retirement was mind when we came. I commuted back east until 2018 when I finally quit.We're lucky to live in Southeast Kelowna on ALR land so it is nice with the horse farms and green space. The horse farms are my favourite part of Kelowna. We had a dog and honestly I found better places for walks in Montreal than here. So many regulations and the greenway with gravel is just not that great. My other cons are how old white conservative it is. Coming from the east I wasn't prepared for all the negativity in the interior towards the government. Lot's of freedom wackjobs here. Also wasn't prepared to not see many black people or even asians. I really don't care about the the overpriced wineries. We have a winery that opened up a few years ago right next to our house. It's noisy , especially on weekends when I want to be on the back deck. The other con is the lack of ethnic restaurants. I love greek, middle eastern, Moroccan and Ukrainian food and there is little to be found. Seafood is a no go. At least there is a couple of Korean places. Like you said though we are going to Vancouver this week and thank god it's not that far. Cheers
Wow! Great review. My hubby and I just spent a couple days in Kelowna. While I travel there quite often for work (live in the Lower Mainland), you are right - came across no black people. We are an interracial couple (white female, black male) and didn’t see many people other than white. However, where we live, we are overrun by East Indians which brings its own issues so I guess no place is perfect
House of the Caribbean amazing Jamaican food and sea food go to codfathers
@@fluffytail6355and what are those issues.
Thank you for your good vlog. Have you encountered any bears while living in Kelowna? In general, what is the probability of encountering bears in Kelowna?
Nice summary.
thank you!
I really appreciate this video. I am seriously considering moving out of the GTA and really like the idea of relocating to BC. I would like a much more relaxed lifestyle now that I am retired. I really love being active in the great outdoors for hiking, cycling, motorcycling but especially photographing nature. The extreme changes of season makes me nervous when considering Kelowna. Do you have other suggestions? Thank you
If you survived in TO, Kelowna will be a cake walk! Plan to have a car - western canada is a car required part of the world. SUV for winter driving and summer adventures is recommended.
@@fluffytail6355 can’t do that unfortunately I hate SUVs ….. 😂
Thank you guys
We moved here in 2016. Lived in west kelowna first for a year which I loved. Not as busy yet you still had good amenities around you. Last 5 years we live in rutland near ben Lee Park which has also been very nice. We came from a boring small city in northern saskatchewan so coming here felt like we had a whole new world of things to do. I know what you mean about cliquey locals and busy beaches. I only have two friends that I hangout with. one is from Morocco the other from Ontario. Easier to make friends with people who are also new to the city. I like to swim in west kelowna or far far down lakeshore road. Nice little beaches down there that aren't as busy. Overall for me its been a great move. I went back to my hometown in sask last year for a visit and was immediately homesick for kelowna lol. My home town is a dump..
Feel this so much! I totally agree that is easier to make friends with people who are also new!!
I am in Regina, sk. Planning to move there.
I can relate. Anywhere in SK is a dump! Used to live there and couldn’t wait to leave. However, it’s hard to make friends anywhere in BC because we are all busy working and hustling to make a living. AB wasn’t much different for me though, except lower cost is living. You will find nice people and new friends in Kelowna just by being friendly and doing things you enjoy!
@@ankit1396 Regina sucks! Kelowna is amazing.
I am seriously considering moving to the area next spring 2025. I’ve been building custom homes for a good chunk of my adult life Ontario, primarily in what they call cottage country, a.k.a. Muskoka, Halliburton, etc. So I’m kinda looking to do the same thing in British Columbia. I don’t want to be in the city. I don’t mind going to work around the city. Kelowna seems OK but obviously Vancouver is a Knogo much like Toronto is a Knogo for me. But I definitely want to be close to where all the luxury homes are being built, and from what myresearch has shown me is that it is along the Fraser river and in and around Kelowna or Whistler but if I was to cater to Whistler, I would only be catering to Whistler as it does seem very isolated. Thoughts?
There are tons of smaller beaches that are never really busy
Hi,
How is the weather in the winter? You said it snows a lot but does it melt or stays till spring like Montreal where I live.
I’m a respiratory therapist and wondering if there is an opportunity in Kelowna. ( fed up of long winter and rainy springs and humid summers!
Thanks for the video.
You guys are awesome 👏
Move to Australia, Brazil or US
Look up Interior Health for jobs. We have a shortage of medical specialist.
Thanks for video keep going 🤠 greeting from Morocco
Don't you guys reckon that not having a railway station is not a con ? There must be scenic places and views wherever you cruise in Canada. Passenger trains aren't common as tourist vehicle and railway network thin across BC ?
I thought I would love Kelowna but hated it... I visited the city in the summer of 2020 and it felt like a ghost town, didn't like the vibe at all
+everything was super expensive
really in the summer felt like a ghost town?
hi guys! Thanks for your info first of all..I am trying to move to Kelowna ,as a student there.I have a problem with finding an apartment to rent there,any suggestion?Much appreciated.
I wish we could help! The rental market is crazy right now 😅
did you say you could get to Langley from Kelowna in 3 hours? It took me 5 hours from Surrey to Kelowna.
Yes, just drove it this eeek. It’s about 3:30 from Abbotsford to Kelowna with a quick stop in Merritt to stretch legs and use a washroom. So add another 30 min to that for the leg of the trip between Langley and Abby for about a 4 hour total trip time up Hwy 5; add more time if you opt for Hwy 3 through Princeton and up the Okanagan (more scenic but longer!)
i have to move here from the US in the future for work- so this is an amazing video to stumble upon
side note, it WAS super hard to find a studio apartment that wasnt heinously expensive for the size. I sort of expected it to be expensive, but I did not expect it to be sooo hard to find even one apartment! they disappear off the websites so quickly, and there's maybe 2 on an apt website at a time!! I have now found one though luckily lol
Question for you two, is Kelowna a place to be concerned about crime? Or is it pretty safe?
Thanks for the video!
Oh yay I am so glad it is helpful!!
@@madsahren2208 There's a crazy shortage of living space in Kelowna right now. There are a bunch of new multi-unit developments about to start construction or in the proposal stage, but it doesn't help anyone looking at the moment.
Kelowna is a safe city, but has a bit of a transient population. There aren't any really bad areas per se, but things like petty crime do persist. Like anywhere that's growing rapidly, change comes quickly, so there will be spikes in crime now and then, especially in the summer.
@@SeaToSkyImages thanks so much!! No one's really had an answer for me about the safety- thanks for the honest answer :)
Hmmmm, I can't say I completely agree with a few observations . . . the extreme heat wave in Kelowna this year was an anomaly . . . I've lived here for 45 years, the first 20 or so without air conditioning, & this year's a first for these high temperatures.
Winters have never been that extreme here . . . with two or maybe three good dumps of snow; the rest of the Winter grey skies are the norm, until mid-March for which West Jet (pre- covid) offers direct flights to Mexico/Return or you can break through the grey ceiling half way up to Big White Ski hill. There are quiet beaches. Long-time Kelowna residents have to trust you won't 'spill' where these gems are before they'll share where they are. It's a great place to raise kids & I know lots of families that are doing that and making a good living working from home via the web . . . the biggest drawback for long time residents is that the Kelowna population explosion has, as you have pointed out, brought many challenges . . . traffic control . . . crime control . . . lack of affordable rental properties . . . all issues that need to be addressed.
Anomaly? It’s going to be the new norm unfortunately
@@XoX1971 . . . hence the 'this year' before the adverb 'anomaly' . . . don't you just hate it when people take a word you've written out of context, lol . . .
You forgot the 3rd highest rent and house prices in Canada, and #1 in crime...
I went through the entirety of Kelowna in 27 footsteps, its pretty but downtown area got boring real fast
Considering moving from Calgary.
i moved from alberta it was well worht it!
Kelowna is HORRIBLE for Cliqueyness !!!!! Some adults still act like they are in high school. Also the Infrastrcture is Horrible too!
hmm how long have you lived in kelowna for?
Salmon Arm is almost to big...Im a hour or so from Kelowna and we've not been there in 5 yrs. Was ok 35 yrs ago but its been downhill since.
Hi guys, my boyfriend just got offered a job to work out in Kelowna and we are going to be moving from Ontario. Just trying to find decent rentals that allow pets, please help me out. Ontario is so different than BC and I’m a tad overwhelmed with this decision. Because it’s kind of last minute and we have about a month to get things sorted.
hey! that is so exciting! i wish we could help you out more, all we can recommend is being quick on facebook marketplace on the rental listings :)
@@leviandvictoria oh my gosh no that was really helpful actually, hadn’t even checked Facebook marketplace yet. And we appreciate the quick reply!
@@leviandvictoria so thank you :)
Best weather in Canada
100% its great here
Greetings friends from Perú
What's high school and universities like in Kelowna? Any good?
We didn't attend high school here so we can't speak to that but both UBCO & Okanagan College are great post-secondary options :)
Is Kelowna walkeable, or you need a car everywhere you go? Is there public transportation?
You need a car
It’s a car town. Everywhere in BC - except downtown Vancouver - requires a vehicle!
@@fluffytail6355 I was Victoria 2 weeks ago, and I managed well to get around without a car.
depends what area you live in
Is it warmer then Calgary?
yes :)
alot warmer
way more downs than ups in kelowna most have to do with the low level of policing on the bad drivers and the weird no left turns randomly all over the city the other is everything closes earlier than a normal city
Lol try driving in Vancouver.
@@XoX1971 try driving on the sun :(
I grew up in Kelowna. I found it almost impossible to get a good paying job there unless you worked close to minimum wage. There is no manufacturing like there was decades ago. Crown Zellerbac - gone! White WesternStar - gone! Brenda mines - forever closed. Hiram and Walker - gone! CP/CNR railroad - gone! No freeways in the city. No decent transit system. If you are going to live in Kelowna bring lots of cash.
Kelowna is so worth it! ❤
Yeah, if you can put up with the unaffordable housing, terrible drivers, and it being one of the most dangerous cities in Canada.
IKEAAAA I agree 100% we need one here
I KNOW RIGHT
Without IKEA, I don’t know I could live there
100%
Biggest con is the drivers they will speed pass you and cut you off if your not speeding then meet you at the red light
Pretty much cause police are non existent in Kelowna
Trade 1000 yuppies for a cop please
You’ll find those drivers everywhere in BC. Too bad the truck’s balls are bigger than the driver’s!
Kelowna is worth to lived?
90s and early 2000s were the best now its meh
Drugs drugs drugs and more drugs and alcoholism and weird politics
Ridiculously expensive real estate, super expensive rentals (bidding wars on them), landlords constantly evicting people to raise rents, near zero rental vacancy rate, terrible road systems/infrastructure, terrible transit system, high crime rate, booming homeless population, constant summer traffic congestion with near daily accidents shutting down main roads. If you hate peace and quiet, being able to get from A to B in a reasonable time frame and want to spend most of your money putting a roof over your head ...you should definitely move here!! It's so amazing. Oh, and very likely has the worst drivers in Canada.
real estate is expensive
Pros…it sucks! Cons…it sucks! Way overcrowded and overpriced.
What means cliquey? Jaja
It means it's hard to make friends.
The biggest PRO is that Kelowna will become a mega centre within 10 years.
so true!
Kelowna is Overated & Overpriced
Please!!! Stop moving your hands around all the time!
Kelowna being like California is a stretch. California is the leftist capital of the world. Kelowna is mostly conservative.
Ikea? The most garbage waste on the planet.