Ask someone outside of the Lower Mainland what they think about North Vancouver, and you might get a picture of a rainy suburb on the side of a mountain, separated from the city proper by two (very) busy bridges. And while those descriptions are often true (especially the bridge part), there is so much more to North Vancouver than meets the eye.

Chilliwack - the city that’s fun to say and, despite popular opinion, is also fun to visit. Situated about an hour east of Vancouver in the lush Fraser Valley, the Wack, as it's affectionately called, is a community on the up.

Squamish - a nation, a language and one of the fastest growing communities in BC. Located halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, Squamish was once a town where daytrippers would come off the Sea to Sky Highway for a coffee break and not much else. But today, it’s a destination on the up with world-class tourist attractions and vibrant new neighbourhoods drawing visitors and prospective residents alike.

Burnaby is a suburb that punches above its weight. Not only is it the birthplace of some of Canada’s most famous children - Michael J Fox, Carrie-Anne Moss and Michael Bublé to name a few - it’s also home to some of the country’s tallest buildings.

Nestled between the mountains and the Fraser River, Coquitlam is a city with a plan - a master plan, actually. The growing Vancouver suburb is carefully managing its future, with old neighbourhoods being densified and new communities appearing in what was once swaths of forest.

When the Golden Ears mountain summits frame your view every morning, you know you’ve woken up in a special place. Maple Ridge is more than just a sleepy Vancouver suburb - it’s a quintessentially-Canadian community with some pretty spectacular local scenery. It’s also BC’s fifth-oldest municipality, after New Westminster, Victoria, Langley and Chilliwack.

Just a stone’s throw from the US border, South Surrey and White Rock are unique communities in the Lower Mainland. Where else can you get stunning beaches, killer island views and a tight-knit community, all within a short drive of Vancouver?

For many visitors to the Lower Mainland, Richmond is their first glimpse of what life in this west coast metropolis looks like. Landing in YVR, Vancouver’s airport, they see a city of riverside towers, coastal views and snaking highways.

It’s not always easy being Surrey. BC’s second largest city has dealt with a tough reputation over the years, with many people in the Lower Mainland equating it with crime, drugs and gangs. But these outdated stereotypes are far from reality. Today, Surrey is a fast-growing city with beautiful scenery, incredible restaurants and a tight-knit sense of community.

West Vancouver has a hard-earned reputation to maintain. Not only does it hold the crown as BC’s bougiest city, it also has some of the most expensive property in all of Canada. From the beachfront condos of Ambleside to the mountain mansions of the British Properties, West Vancouver has a lot to offer - for a price.

Coal Harbour is not only downtown Vancouver’s newest neighbourhood, it’s also arguably its most exclusive. Waterfront towers with epic mountain views dot the skyline, while luxury condos and high-end shops line the aptly-named Billionaire’s Row.

A visit to Mission is like a trip back in time. With 1950s-style diners, turn of the century homes and an aptly-named Heritage Park, you’d be forgiven for thinking Mission is stuck looking to the past. But the Fraser Valley town has big ideas for the future, including building new communities and revitalizing old ones.

The Sunshine Coast manages to feel like a well-kept secret, even though it’s a mere 40-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. Although technically connected to the BC mainland, the stretch of quaint waterside communities give off strong island vibes with a very different character to the rest of Greater Vancouver.

Is Mount Pleasant Vancouver’s coolest neighbourhood? It certainly has a lot going for it - great shops, award-winning restaurants and fun nightlife, all attracting a young, trendy population.