Steveston

Steveston sits at the southwest corner of Lulu Island where the Fraser River meets the Strait of Georgia. It's the oldest part of Richmond — founded as a salmon-cannery town in the 1880s — and it remains the most distinctive neighbourhood in the city, both visually and culturally. The core of Steveston is the Steveston Village commercial district along Bayview Street, with fish-and-chips shops, independent cafés, antique stores, and a working fishing boat harbour where you can still buy fresh spot prawns off the dock in season.

Residential Steveston is a mix of older West Coast bungalows from the mid-20th century, new townhouses built in the 1990s–2000s, and a handful of waterfront condo complexes. The schools are among the best-regarded in the Richmond School District (Steveston-London Secondary is a consistent top performer). The neighbourhood has the kind of small-town village feel that newcomers often don't expect in Richmond — many residents describe it as feeling like Vancouver Island while being 30 minutes from downtown.

Rents are lower than City Centre but the housing stock leans family-sized. Rental detached houses and townhouses in the 3-bedroom range list in the $2,800–3,500 range; one-bedroom apartments are harder to find and run around $1,600–2,000. If you're a family who values walkability, character, waterfront access, and strong schools — and you don't mind the bus being your main transit — Steveston is a rare find.