I just got offered a job in Victoria, which means I have to start looking for somewhere to live there. The problem is, I only know the touristy bits of Victoria. So the question is, what are some good areas to find apartments in the city? I don’t have a car but the place I’ll be working is right on a bus route (31), so I’d like to get something with either easy access to transit or within biking distance of my job, and in a neighbourhood where I can walk to do groceries and so on. Also, if anybody knows of any websites with listings of apartments for rent besides the Times-Colonist, that’d be a huge help.
I’m really excited about this move, not to mention finally having a job!
I love Victoria, and would move there in a skinny minute.I don’t know if these sites will help but they pulled up on a quick Google search:
http://www.rentalo.com/l/ca/british_columbia/victoria/victoria_apartments.htm
http://www.actualhomes.com/Apartments/British-Columbia/Victoria.asp
http://canadianresidentialrentals.com/victoria.html
I’ve only been there as a tourist so can’t offer anything more in-depth.
Good luck to you!
Veb
Thanks! If nothing else, those sites are much better organized than the Times-Colonist classifieds online, where I’ve yet to decipher any rational sorting system.
The 31 is a long bus route, so it’s a little hard for me to give neighbourhood specific advice without knowing a little more info about what part of town you’ll be working in.
Also try Monday Magazine and the papers for the different neighbourhoods published by Newsgroup although I’ve found the TC usually has the most listings. It’s hard to tell what part of town the rentals are in from the online listing, but if your local library has the TC the print classifieds are divided by region instead of listing date and much easier to use.
Good luck, and I’ll try to answer any questions you have.
I lived in Victoria for several years, and moved around quite a bit. I’ve lived in James Bay, Fairfield, and on Cedar Hill X Road.
I found the James Bay and Fairfields locations great because I enjoyed being able to walk downtown, or to walk to Dallas Road and chill out by the ocean. Also both neighbourhoods have grocery stores (Thrifty Foods), drugstores, etc, so you are never very far away from the things you need.
Cedar Hill X Road was a little cheaper, because it was a bit farther out. (I was right by the Cedar Hills Golf Course), and while there were stores and stuff nearby, I found myself having to drive a lot more often to get to places in a reasonable amount of time. But I definitely got more “living space” for my rent money.
So I would say it depends on what your priorities are in terms of what you need to enjoy life. It’s a beautiful place to live and I still miss it (I moved away 9 years ago this summer). I’m jealous!!!
It’s on Glanford at Vanalman (I think that’s spelled right), which may actually be Saanich but I’m not sure, since the company gives their address as Victoria.
Stainz - James Bay and Fairfield sound interesting, though I’ll have to check a map to see where the are exactly. I’m actually not getting too worried about rent because compared to Vancouver, everything sounds cheap!
Yes, that is in Saanich technically but it’s nice and close to town. There are lots of grocery stores and other services in that area so you may want to look for a place to live near there for now anyway. The rents there will be pretty affordable and there are lots of houses and apartments in the area. Anything in Royal Oak will be pretty close to work too. James Bay and Fairfield are both nice areas to live in. If you don’t mind a bit longer trip to work you might want to consider them. They are both near Beacon Hill Park, downtown, and the ocean.
I’ll check with my sis tomorrow - she rented in Victoria for several years, not always with much success, so she may be able to steer you away from some of the nastier areas. (She actually got fleas from one of her apartments. We laughed.)
Thanks for the help everyone, especially TVeblen since I found my place off one of her links. As of July 1, I will have a kick-ass place in James Bay, complete with an incredible view of Juan de Fuca strait. They’re just finishing up renovations, so it’ll have new carpets and a freshly redone bathroom, and it’s only $60 more than I was paying for a bachelor basement suite in Vancouver. I can’t wait to move in! 
That sounds great! Congratulations on finding a good place.