Kitsilano vs Strathcona / Grandview Woodland?
We are an immigrant couple living in a condo in Olympic Village and looking to move into a house. We love our current location due to the transit access, walkability, and bikability. We'd love to stay here but unfortunately there are no houses in this neighborhood.
We often spend lots of time in either Kitsilano or Commercial St and really like those areas. However a house in Kitsilano will really stretch out budget and be in much worse condition than one in Grandview Woodland and Strathcona.
Our only concern is the school catchments. We don't have kids yet but expect this to be our forever home. We've been reading online that Britannia, Van Tech, and Templeton are not as good as Kitsilano due to crimes, bullying, and ethnic gangs!?. Our friends who grew up in these neighborhoods also confirm these and those who went to Kitsilano loved it. Those we know who were living in the East also move the West after they have a kid. We are visible minorities ourselves so this is really important to us. Are these problems still the case nowadays?
Is there anything else we should be aware of about either of these neighborhoods?
Is it worth getting a worse deal in the West for the better schools or are the issues in the East greatly exaggerated?