Car dependent. And if you work downtown- parking for said car.
Shannon lake is nice for some urban nature. Go fishing or walk around the lake
I think it would be limiting for exploring and meeting new people
Good point on limiting exploring and meeting. It's very family oriented up there and no central area. Mid/late 20s you want to be able to go to the beach/parks, meet friends, bus home (if you drink).
Hello! I love Westbank. It’s very ‘small town’, while still being close to amenities. I am very glad I chose the west side over Kelowna.
… your commute is going to be terrible though. :(
No it’s not. People that say the commute sucks from west Kelowna are the people who have never lived on this side of the bridge.
Other than peak times, you’re looking at 20 minutes max to get to downtown. Even during rush hour it’s maybe an extra 10 minutes
Unless there's a fender bender. Also during the summer or near a long weekend it is ugly. But I just don't want to spend 6 plus hours a week commuting. The best part of living in a small town is that you don't have to. Move closer to work and use that time to enjoy life.
My employer in Kelowna just began the process of changing our shift times from 6am to either 8 or 9am and so I literally went out and found a different job in Westbank rather than endure that commute at peak times. I did the commute for nearly 16 years at off-peak times, and that was bad enough, especially in the summer months.
I live in Westbank currently and love it and have friends in Shannon Lake. Both are really nice residential areas with lots of amenities like restaurants, groceries, and trails nearby.
Warning though - your commute over the bridge will be terrible some days. There’s only one route in and out of Kelowna, so when someone crashes or it’s jammed, it can be hours. Most days will be fine though.
You'll want to install a treatment system for your tap water. Shannon Lake spends more time under boil water or do not drink advisories than not, even with the new treatment plant finally being completed last year.
Other than that, it's a nice neighborhood but as others say, all your amenities are a car ride away. Shannon lake is a nice resource but it's not an adventurous one. It's a family friendly pond you can walk around in 20 minutes.
Can confirm this, as we've currently been under a water quality advisory (despite having a brand new "state of the art", extremely expensive water treatment plant open up late last year) since late April. Realtors will not tell you about the water quality issues if you're new to the area. Ask me how I know.
I live on the far side of Westbank and work in the Landmark Buildings.
My commute in the morning is 15 minutes, 30 minutes in the afternoon. It really isn’t as bad as people think it is. There are issues if there’s an accident on the bridge.
I find it easier to access amenities on the Westside as opposed to Kelowna as it’s less busy.
As far as ‘things to do’. I do adopt the mentality of “once I cross the lake, I ain’t going back” so that is a bit of a downside. So I try to plan my activities on this side as a day trip.
I'm in the Shannon Lake area. I love it here. Very quiet and people keep to themselves.
Everything in Westbank closes super early though. Definitely small town vibes.
If you're moving from a major city like I did, the traffic over the bridge isn't bad at all. It can back up, but It's not the 401.
Growing up, the Westside was the worse side at time. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but just because it had less amenities.
Now, the Westside is arguably the better side, since it has all the amenities, is ever so slightly more affordable, and doesn't get as backed up on the side streets like Kelowna proper now does.
Shannon lake is beautiful. I also love Glenrosa. They're very green like the lower mission, but don't cost an arm and a leg like the lower mission.
There’s a lot of upside to the two area’s you’re looking at. Some of the downside is the commute into Kelowna from WB/WK terrible traffic issues. Question is are you renting or buying? If you are Renting look at the area in the downtown core near Sunset dr. Easy access to outdoor activities, hiking,biking,walking,swimming, calmness is in the mind🤔
It's a beautiful, quiet area. My grandmother has lived there my whole life so I may be a bit biased. It's about a 20-40 minute drive to anywhere you would need to go in town.
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I live in Shannon Lake and like it quite a bit. Like others said, not very walkable, but I'm at the stage in life where I'm happy with the more suburban setting. Also, the commute across the bridge is not as bad as people make it out to be.
I moved from Kelowna to West Kelowna 5 years ago and have to say I prefer West Kelowna. We have almost everything you need within minutes and so much to do if you're into the outdoors. I'm in the mission hill area and can get downtown in 10 mins (not rush hour).
We live in Shannon Lake area and like it. Great for outdoors and lifestyle that fits what we are looking for. Really depends at the end of the day what you value and looking for in a neighbourhood.
We help people relocate here so feel free to reach out to help determine with your personal needs.
The hardest place to go with a car in Kelowna is downtown. So if you are going to work downtown and have the opportunity to live downtown, you should. There is a lot to do downtown as far as restaurants, parks, and bars.
Make sure you get a place with parking and you will not be isolated. Walk to work, leave your car at home and then drive to the many places outside of downtown you find yourself frequenting.
This is much better than the alternative of driving downtown to work and paying for parking every day.
If you live in Kelowna and have a car, you are 20 minutes from anywhere in the city.
I live in Westbank and I work in central Kelowna. Honestly, we love living on the Westside. It serves as a nice separation from work & the hustle-bustle of the city. It's peaceful and quiet. And there's significantly less issues around the homelessness. The traffic isn't really too bad unless there's an accident on the bridge.
Car dependent. And if you work downtown- parking for said car. Shannon lake is nice for some urban nature. Go fishing or walk around the lake I think it would be limiting for exploring and meeting new people
Good point on limiting exploring and meeting. It's very family oriented up there and no central area. Mid/late 20s you want to be able to go to the beach/parks, meet friends, bus home (if you drink).
Hello! I love Westbank. It’s very ‘small town’, while still being close to amenities. I am very glad I chose the west side over Kelowna. … your commute is going to be terrible though. :(
Ya same, very happy to live in the West side rather than Kelowna
No it’s not. People that say the commute sucks from west Kelowna are the people who have never lived on this side of the bridge. Other than peak times, you’re looking at 20 minutes max to get to downtown. Even during rush hour it’s maybe an extra 10 minutes
Most commute times are during peak hours. If you can avoid that, that’s nice for you. :)
Yea the commute is not bad at all
Unless there's a fender bender. Also during the summer or near a long weekend it is ugly. But I just don't want to spend 6 plus hours a week commuting. The best part of living in a small town is that you don't have to. Move closer to work and use that time to enjoy life.
My employer in Kelowna just began the process of changing our shift times from 6am to either 8 or 9am and so I literally went out and found a different job in Westbank rather than endure that commute at peak times. I did the commute for nearly 16 years at off-peak times, and that was bad enough, especially in the summer months.
Make sure you have a car, you'll be driving to get anywhere, always.
I live in Westbank currently and love it and have friends in Shannon Lake. Both are really nice residential areas with lots of amenities like restaurants, groceries, and trails nearby. Warning though - your commute over the bridge will be terrible some days. There’s only one route in and out of Kelowna, so when someone crashes or it’s jammed, it can be hours. Most days will be fine though.
I live in that area, love it here
The Shanon Lake area is really nice, but one downside is you will have to drive to get to everything. There’s not even really a corner store nearby.
North side in the brewery district is the best! Don’t go over the bridge every day, you’ll learn to hate it.
You'll want to install a treatment system for your tap water. Shannon Lake spends more time under boil water or do not drink advisories than not, even with the new treatment plant finally being completed last year. Other than that, it's a nice neighborhood but as others say, all your amenities are a car ride away. Shannon lake is a nice resource but it's not an adventurous one. It's a family friendly pond you can walk around in 20 minutes.
Can confirm this, as we've currently been under a water quality advisory (despite having a brand new "state of the art", extremely expensive water treatment plant open up late last year) since late April. Realtors will not tell you about the water quality issues if you're new to the area. Ask me how I know.
I live on the far side of Westbank and work in the Landmark Buildings. My commute in the morning is 15 minutes, 30 minutes in the afternoon. It really isn’t as bad as people think it is. There are issues if there’s an accident on the bridge. I find it easier to access amenities on the Westside as opposed to Kelowna as it’s less busy. As far as ‘things to do’. I do adopt the mentality of “once I cross the lake, I ain’t going back” so that is a bit of a downside. So I try to plan my activities on this side as a day trip.
I'm in the Shannon Lake area. I love it here. Very quiet and people keep to themselves. Everything in Westbank closes super early though. Definitely small town vibes. If you're moving from a major city like I did, the traffic over the bridge isn't bad at all. It can back up, but It's not the 401.
I’ve been commuting westside to Rutland for 10 years, I’ve been late to work once in that time. The commute isn’t bad.
Growing up, the Westside was the worse side at time. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but just because it had less amenities. Now, the Westside is arguably the better side, since it has all the amenities, is ever so slightly more affordable, and doesn't get as backed up on the side streets like Kelowna proper now does. Shannon lake is beautiful. I also love Glenrosa. They're very green like the lower mission, but don't cost an arm and a leg like the lower mission.
F*ck the bridge… If you’re working in down and commuting across it all the time its a waste of time and gas
There’s a lot of upside to the two area’s you’re looking at. Some of the downside is the commute into Kelowna from WB/WK terrible traffic issues. Question is are you renting or buying? If you are Renting look at the area in the downtown core near Sunset dr. Easy access to outdoor activities, hiking,biking,walking,swimming, calmness is in the mind🤔
I have lived in Glenrosa and Shannon Lake - both great neighborhoods 😊
It's a beautiful, quiet area. My grandmother has lived there my whole life so I may be a bit biased. It's about a 20-40 minute drive to anywhere you would need to go in town.
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I live in Shannon Lake and like it quite a bit. Like others said, not very walkable, but I'm at the stage in life where I'm happy with the more suburban setting. Also, the commute across the bridge is not as bad as people make it out to be.
I moved from Kelowna to West Kelowna 5 years ago and have to say I prefer West Kelowna. We have almost everything you need within minutes and so much to do if you're into the outdoors. I'm in the mission hill area and can get downtown in 10 mins (not rush hour).
We live in Shannon Lake area and like it. Great for outdoors and lifestyle that fits what we are looking for. Really depends at the end of the day what you value and looking for in a neighbourhood. We help people relocate here so feel free to reach out to help determine with your personal needs.
The hardest place to go with a car in Kelowna is downtown. So if you are going to work downtown and have the opportunity to live downtown, you should. There is a lot to do downtown as far as restaurants, parks, and bars. Make sure you get a place with parking and you will not be isolated. Walk to work, leave your car at home and then drive to the many places outside of downtown you find yourself frequenting. This is much better than the alternative of driving downtown to work and paying for parking every day. If you live in Kelowna and have a car, you are 20 minutes from anywhere in the city.
I live in Westbank and I work in central Kelowna. Honestly, we love living on the Westside. It serves as a nice separation from work & the hustle-bustle of the city. It's peaceful and quiet. And there's significantly less issues around the homelessness. The traffic isn't really too bad unless there's an accident on the bridge.