Port Moody

My name is Jamie and I live in Port Moody with my husband/business partner Eddie and our orange tabby Noodle. We both work remotely and run a business – a real estate marketing agency – together. While we work with clients all over Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Sea to Sky corridor, we personally love it when we get to work with local realtors and real estate professionals in our community within the Tri-Cities.

We moved here in June of 2023. I’d only be half joking if I said it was because of Brewers Row – go try the Roni Boy pizza and a pint of Rainbow Road Tropical Sour at Rewind Beer Co. and tell me you wouldn’t sign a mortgage with a 30-year amortization to be near that place. But all jokes and beers aside, after about a year of debating different neighbourhoods, it became more and more clear to us that this is where we wanted to settle down and build some roots. The price point, compared to where we get to live? It was a no-brainer.

Because we moved here so recently there hasn’t been much change since we moved. But as a born and raised Vancouverite, the change is huge compared to the Port Moody I remember from my childhood. For one, you have to pay for parking at Rocky Point Park now. I mean, we walk anyways, but still. I think small changes like that, while a bit controversial amongst a minority of residents, are signs of positive growth and the city doing what it needs to do to adapt and prepare for even more change ahead.

We live in a one bedroom and den condo in Klahanie, a master-planned community that was built by Polygon in the 2000’s. We love it here. There’s a real sense of pride here for people who are a part of the complex that I’ve never really felt before moving here. Everyone here loves saying “We live in Klahanie!” I swear, one day we should design branded Klahanie t-shirts.

Everyone associates Port Moody with Brewers Row and Rocky Point Park, which is fair – that’s what put us on the map. But I’d say this: if you’re thinking of moving to Port Moody, really take a look at all the different neighbourhoods to see what fits best for you and your needs. Each building and complex really does have its own vibe. You might like the quiet of College Park. Or prefer being near Newport Village. It’s all personal preference.

It’s the same problem everywhere, but it particularly hits any city that’s near a body of water: land. Port Moody is a relatively small municipality, but has big plans for the future. There’s going to have to be a lot of creative, forward thinking from all stakeholders involved to get the housing stock to where it needs to be.

That’s like asking who I love more, my cat or my husband. Because really, I love everything here. I love being able to look out my window and see the trees and mountains, but also be on the SkyTrain on my way Downtown 15 minutes later. It’s really idyllic, and so perfectly located. It’s hard to beat living here.

Vashti Rose Ice Cream. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Rocky Point Ice Cream. But Vashti is along St. John’s so it doesn’t get as much foot traffic so it’s slept on a lot. Try the saffron rose pistachio ice cream and you can thank me later.

RibFest! It’s this annual rib competition where a bunch of the best BBQ masters in the province “compete” against each other. It’s so fun and such an iconic summer tradition. Just a bunch of people out at Rocky Point Park on a summer’s day, with BBQ stains on their face, drinking a beer while listening to live music. It’s perfection.

Eddie and I work with local realtors around Port Moody. It’s great because we understand the market they’re working in, because we’re literally in it all the time. There’s a lot of great local shops here that we love: Grit Studio is probably my favourite coffee shop in the city, it’s in this old heritage home and it also serves as an artists’ gallery.

Coffee: Caffé Divano is really dangerous because it’s literally in Klahanie, so I stop by there all the time. The blueberry Earl Grey bar is pretty much my entire personality.

Dinner: Sushi Modo. I cannot stop eating there even if I tried. But if I did try, I’d go to Mama Said Pizza. So good.

Drink: Brewers Row is a natural. It’s so hard to rank all the breweries, there’s something for everyone. I love the raspberry beer at Twin Sails, the pizza at Rewind, the hazy pale ale at Yellow Dog, the deck at Parkside, the people at Brave, the lobster rolls at Moody Ales. There’s no bad spot on that row and what a gift that is.

I think because it’s so close to the outdoors that people think everyone here are big outdoor buffs. It’s true, but also not true, just like any stereotype. There’s definitely people who love hiking, paddleboarding or biking. But there’s also plenty of people who prefer things like going to the library or the theatre.

Other than the well-known outdoor attractions, Site B is a great community hub. I saw a pro wrestling show there back in May for Cinco De Mayo and it was so awesome. There’s also markets and different events there throughout the year

Fortunately, Eddie and I both get to work from home given our respective careers. But there are times I have to meet our clients, either in the Valley or Vancouver. With Barnet Highway and Highway 1, though, commutes are fairly smooth in general on the times I do have to go out for work.

“Small Big Town.” I don’t even know if that makes sense, but it’s kind of what it is here. It feels like you’re really part of a community, but also within the landscape of the big city vibe of Metro Vancouver.