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Nanaimo & surroundings · An area guide

North Nanaimo

Room for the everyday.

North Nanaimo brings together residential streets, ocean outlooks and the shops and services of the north end. It is an area to consider when you want the coast within reach while keeping errands practical. The experience changes between the main corridors and the streets that turn towards the water.

An Island coastal outlook at sunset from the North Nanaimo guide
Get to know the settingNorth Nanaimo · Nanaimo's north end

01 · Beyond the front door

Living in North Nanaimo

North Nanaimo combines ocean-facing hillsides with a substantial shopping and service district. Its homes include detached houses, townhouses and apartments, with outlooks towards the Strait of Georgia from some streets.

An area guide from Gillette & Associates, Derek Gillette’s Nanaimo real estate practice.

Architectural miniature illustrating the landscape and residential character of North Nanaimo. Concept illustration, not a geographic map.
A study in North NanaimoConcept illustration · Not a map of the area
01

Coastal streets and housing choice

Ocean outlooks and a mixture of housing ages are part of the north end’s character. Established streets, renovations and later developments sit within the same broad area. Look at the particular home’s condition and layout rather than using the neighbourhood as a shortcut for age or quality.

View properties deserve a visit at the time of day you expect to use the main rooms. Consider the relationship between the deck, garden and living space, along with privacy and the approach from the street. Some buyers prefer a manageable strata home to a larger detached property.

02

Everyday services in the north end

Shopping, groceries and other services are a major part of the area’s appeal. Woodgrove Centre and the north-end road network are helpful starting points for understanding where you would run errands. Walking convenience changes substantially between the main corridors and the coastal slopes.

Hammond Bay, Pleasant Valley and Uplands are useful neighbouring comparisons. Each offers a different balance of shoreline, lake access and city services. Compare the same housing type across those areas to see which setting fits your life.

A closer look · Local map data

Around the neighbourhood

Explore the official map

A few places to explore around North Nanaimo. Distances are approximate straight lines from our reference point on Clipper Dr; walking and driving routes will be longer.

Parks & outdoors

  • Carrington ParkPark
    ≈ 150 m
  • Shadow Mountain ParkPark
    ≈ 250 m
  • Rutherford ParkPark
    ≈ 300 m
  • Broadway ParkPark
    ≈ 450 m
More nearby places
  • Kerry Lane ParkPark
    ≈ 450 m
  • Kenwill ParkPark
    ≈ 500 m
  • Monashee ParkPark
    ≈ 500 m
  • Carmanah ParkPark
    ≈ 550 m
  • Sealand ParkPark
    ≈ 600 m
  • McGirr Sports FieldsPark
    ≈ 650 m
  • Daynes ParkPark
    ≈ 700 m
  • Linley Point Gyro ParkPond
    ≈ 750 m

Schools nearby

  • Rutherford ElementaryElementary
    ≈ 300 m
  • Dover Bay SecondaryElementary
    ≈ 600 m
  • Randerson Ridge ElementaryElementary
    ≈ 800 m
  • McGirr ElementaryElementary
    ≈ 950 m
More nearby places
  • Pleasant Valley ElementaryElementary
    ≈ 1.7 km

Proximity does not establish a catchment or admission. Check a home’s school assignment with SD68 ↗

The everyday stops

  • Central Drugs - BrickyardEveryday services
    ≈ 150 m
  • Bodhis Artisan Bakery IncCoffee
    ≈ 850 m
  • Berakah Breakfast And BrunchFood & drink
    ≈ 850 m
  • Kame Premium Japanese CuisineFood & drink
    ≈ 850 m
More nearby places
  • MakiFood & drink
    ≈ 1.3 km
  • Boston PizzaCoffee
    ≈ 1.3 km
  • Serious Coffee Hammond BayCoffee
    ≈ 1.3 km
  • Tablet Pharmacy #3Everyday services
    ≈ 1.3 km
  • Pho Boi - A Taste Of VietnamFood & drink
    ≈ 1.4 km
  • Noodle BoxCoffee
    ≈ 1.4 km
  • Wa-Ku North Ramen IzakayaFood & drink
    ≈ 1.4 km
  • Daily MartGroceries
    ≈ 1.4 km

Changes around you

Permits & proposals

A sample of City files near the Clipper Dr reference point. Open a file for its current details and documents.

A file marked active can be under review or already issued. It does not confirm that construction has started.

All City applications ↗
BP131800 · ACTIVE

5959 Newport Drive

Single / Two Family Alteration

Removing a wall between kitchen & Dining room area / New Kitchen Design

Submitted
May 07, 2026
Issued
May 19, 2026
Read City file BP131800 ↗
BP129957 · ACTIVE

6082 Montgomery Way

Single / Two Family Alteration

To convert an existing attached one-car garage to living space in this existing one-storey single family dwelling house.

Submitted
April 05, 2024
Issued
May 24, 2024
Read City file BP129957 ↗
BP132060 · ACTIVE

5673 Carrington Road

Single / Two Family Alteration

Construct legal secondary suite in basement slab on grade

Submitted
August 14, 2026
Issued
October 01, 2026
Read City file BP132060 ↗
Development permit areas

Development permit areas identify planning requirements for particular land. They are separate from an application for a specific building or project.

There are no confirmed designations to display for this reference point. Check the official map for the particular property; this sample does not describe the whole neighbourhood.

Explore development permit areas ↗

Checked Oct 7, 2026 · Selected places and files around one reference point, not a complete neighbourhood inventory.

Sources: City of Nanaimo and BC school data. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence – Nanaimo.

What to look for

The homes here

The choice includes detached homes, townhouses and apartments, with a range of ages, layouts and upkeep requirements. An expansive upper-floor outlook can feel very different from a ground-level home with a garden. It helps to decide which spaces you will use most.

When comparing a house with a townhouse or apartment, consider outdoor maintenance, parking and ownership responsibilities as well as the rooms.

02 · The local market

Every neighbourhood keeps its own time

A market has a pulse the way a movement has a beat, and it differs street by street. The numbers below are read straight from the MLS® record — counted, not estimated — and refreshed through the day.

dgNORTH NANAIMOMARKET CHRONOGRAPH · NANAIMO TIME—DAYS TO SELL—MONTHS SUPPLY—SOLD · PAST YEAR

LIVE — THE HANDS KEEP NANAIMO TIME · THE INSTRUMENTS READ THE MARKET

—

For sale right now

Homes on the market in North Nanaimo at this moment.

—

Sold in the past year

Completed sales here over the last 12 months, on the MLS® record.

—

Typical sale price

The median of the past year's sales.

— mo

Months of inventory

At the past year's pace, everything for sale would take about — to sell —

03 · Find your place

North Nanaimo homes for sale

If North Nanaimo feels like your kind of place, start with a closer look at the homes.

Gillette & Associates

Loading available homes in North Nanaimo.

From the wider market

More homes on the MLS®

Loading available homes in North Nanaimo.

Active MLS® listings · Courtesy of VIREB members · Availability can change

Find your place in North Nanaimo.

Explore all current listings and narrow the search to what matters to you.

Search North Nanaimo homes

Keep exploring

A little further along.

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