Cambie Lifestyle & Demographics

Electric Avenues
Young upper-middle-class urban singles

Urban lifestyles typically attract young singles and couples, and Electric Avenues is no exception. These neighbourhoods - concentrated in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa-Hull and Montreal - are known as havens for university graduates who rent apartments (in low- and high-rise buildings), have white collar jobs and pursue yuppie lifestyles. While residents here have average household incomes, their spending power appears greater because so many are childless households. Like their younger cousins in Grads & Pads, they spend freely on entertainment, designer clothes and cultural events. But being more established, they devote more time to tracking their investments and less time patronizing the local nightclub. While no one would consider Electric Avenues residents conservative, they are less liberal in their outlook than Grads & Pads.

Upper-Middle $62,094
Young
Ethnic Presence: Low

Electric Avenues bring together a diverse mix of cultures in a vibrant city setting: apartment-dwelling singles from a dozen Asian and European countries all united by a youthful, educated sensibility. As Consumers, they're big on travel, books, health foods and yoga. And though supermarket surveys would seem to indicate they are starving-spending less than $50 weekly on groceries-they frequent all types of restaurants. Electric Avenues residents like nothing more than to meet friends at coffee bars, making it the top-ranked cluster for drinking cappuccino.

How they think
Electric Avenues is a cluster of autonomous, flexible and engaged Canadian youth. Electric Avenue residents' flexibility and openness to change is evident particularly in their orientation to matters of gender, sexuality, and family: this cluster is among the strongest on Flexible Definition of the Family, Gender Equality, and Sexual Permissiveness. Electric avenues residents question rules and received wisdom. They want the freedom to make their own decisions without deferring to the wishes of a boss, father, religious leader, or other authority figure: this cluster is strong on Control of Destiny and Adaptability to Complexity in Life. There is a dash of youthful thrill-seeking here, evident in the cluster's high scores on Penchant for Risk-Taking and Importance of Spontaneity in Daily Life. But these young Canadians find no thrill in showing others they're richer or better off; this cluster is among the weakest on the trends Ostentatious Consumption and Concern for Appearance.

Attitudes
"I am willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly products"
"I am more independent than most people"
"I am interested in discovering more ways to improve my intuition"
"The use of marijuana should be legalized in Canada"

Asian Up-and-Comers
Successful middle-aged Asian families

Divided between Vancouver and Toronto, Asian Up-and-Comers is often the first stop for new immigrants from China and, to a lesser degree, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Asia. These middle-aged families typically are well-educated and ethnically diverse. More than a third speak Chinese, nearly two-thirds speak a language other than English and 60% are foreign born. While their incomes are just average, this cluster's above-average savings levels and lofty home values - averaging nearly $309,000 for their suburban houses - result in decidedly upscale spending patterns: wardrobes filled with designer clothes and jewellery, driveways lined with sporty luxury cars, nights spent at the theatre. Self-described early adopters, Asian Up-and-Comers residents are especially fond of the latest in computers, consumer electronics and Internet technology - often to stay connected to relatives back home.

Upper-Middle $60,082
Middle-Aged
Ethnic Presence: High (Chinese)

The residents of Asian Up-and-Comers are relatively recent immigrants: nearly half came to Canada since 1990. But these large, often multigenerational families are beginning to prosper in their adopted country. Some have recently moved or bought their first home, and the 27 percent who still rent their residences will be a future market for houses. Already, many adults have university degrees and white collar jobs. And they apply their smarts when shopping, first researching products on the Internet to get the best deals. They're big on travel to Hong Kong and the western United States. And they're active in the community, not just in patronizing local shops and restaurants, but in writing public officials and donating money to political groups.

How they think
Asian Up-and-Comers is a cluster that is modern, autonomous and idealistic in its values. Among the strongest clusters on the trend Introspection and Empathy, these Canadians are living rich, thoughtful lives. This cluster is enthusiastic about consumption-especially technology, but not obsessed with material things. Asian Up-and-Comers is strong on a number of idealistic trends from Global Ecological Consciousness to Ethical Consumerism to Equality of the Sexes. This cluster delights in the non-rational: strong on Intuitive Potential and Personal Creativity, Asian Up-and-Comers residents like to feel as well as think, and create as well as produce. Asian Up-and-Comers is flexible and open; it has no particular Aversion to Complexity in Life and has little time for Ethnic Intolerance or the Acceptance of Violence.

Attitudes
"I find it enriching to talk to different kinds of people"
"I tend to be the first to own new electronic products"
"I read newspaper inserts before Shopping"
"Being Canadian is part of my identity"
"It is important for me to feel connected to my cultural roots"

Young Digerati
Young and well-off urban trendsetters

Young Digerati consists of the nation's tech-savvy singles and couples living in fashionable in-town neighbourhoods in a handful of big cities. Affluent, highly educated and ethnically mixed, Young Digerati communities are typically filled with tasteful, high-rise apartments and expensive condos with home offices, fitness clubs, clothing boutiques, casual restaurants and all types of bars - from juice to coffee to microbrew. With their deep pockets, Young Digerati residents enjoy shopping for the latest styles at Banana Republic, The Gap and Eddie Bauer. But they're not simply acquisitive materialists; many are socially-conscious consumers who support arts causes and donate money to environmental groups.

Upscale $92,228
Younger
Ethnic Presence: Low

In Young Digerati, residents have used their higher education-more than half hold university degrees-to pursue technology- and information-intensive lifestyles. With household incomes averaging $92,000, they're big purchasers of laptops and PDA's, DVD players and digital cameras. They go online daily to bank, shop, invest, conduct research and play games. These active residents typically are too busy to sit still for traditional media, but among their preferences are cable networks like A&E and CTV Newsnet, as magazine titles such as Report on Business and Toronto life. And though they're frequently on the move-travelling for business and pleasure-they still find time to read books and join bookstore loyalty clubs at high rates.

How they think
The values of Young Digerati residents are as cutting-edge as their laptops. These young Canadians see themselves as Belonging to the Global Village and show their recognition of the shrinking world in their Global Ecological Consciousness. While they are eager to succeed, they don't want to climb an outdated corporate hierarchy to do so; their Need for Autonomy and belief in their ability to chart their own course (Control of Destiny) suggest that they are confident in their ability to both achieve success and enjoy its fruits without being under the wing of large institutions like corporations or churches. In addition to seeking autonomy for themselves, members of Young Digerati believe others should have the same freedom from the dictates of tradition and convention: they believe strongly in the Equality of the Sexes and espouse a Flexible Definition of Family. These young Canadians shape and inhabit the neighborhoods others love to visit: diverse, easy-going and lively communities where there's always something happening. Young Digerati residents don't insist on Utilitarian Consumerism-they'll pay for some bells and whistles, especially when it comes to technology-but they're too savvy for superficial frills.

Attitudes
"I like activities which push my mental and physical limits"
"I am prepared to pay more for products that are a little bit different from those one sees all over"
"There should be more public funding for the Arts"
"I enjoy shopping for clothes"
"New Technologies are solving more problems than they are causing"

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