Downtown Lifestyle & Demographics

Grads & Pads
Young midscale urban singles

A collection of young, ethnically-diverse city dwellers living near universities, Grads & Pads represents the nation's most liberal lifestyle. Its residents are a progressive mix of well-educated singles, students and recent grads, service workers and professionals - all living in apartments within mid-sized cities and the satellite centres of major metros. Their incomes aren't high, but these young adults just entering the workforce enjoy the freedom of spending their first paycheques. With three-quarters of the adults unattached, Grads & Pads residents are night owls who frequent health clubs, rock concerts, art galleries and ballet performances. They like to drink: beer, tequila, rum, gin - you name it. They're also political activists who work for social causes, write to public officials and volunteer for political parties and politicians who typically support their liberal views.

Middle $42,289
Young
Ethnic Presence: Some (Mixed)

Grads and pads is home to young and footloose men and women: many have moved into their current apartments within the past year, typically looking for more convenient access to nearby jobs. They're also frequent travelers who are willing to spend a lot of money--$ 1,000-$2,000 on their last trip-to destinations in Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Back in their apartments, they enjoy surfing the Internet (for research and entertainment), cooking gourmet meals and listening to music, especially jazz and alternative rock. When they turn on the TV, it's typically to watch programs with a satiric edge-favorites include "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" and "Malcolm in the Middle"-and Grads and pads residents get all the pop culture references.

How they think
Grads and pads is in many ways the opposite of the stereotype of lazy, disaffected youth. Busy, thoughtful, and happy, these young Canadians are among the most dedicated to Community Involvement, register strong engagement with social and environmental issues (Global Ecological Consciousness, Ethical Consumerism), and are passionate about finding ways to express their Personal Creativity. The Equality of the Sexes goes without saying for this progressive cluster. Residents here see themselves as Belonging to the Global Village not only because their families have in cases arrived in Canada from elsewhere, but because for these wired Canadians, the idea of the world being shrunk by technology is a self-evident truth experienced daily. Residents of this diverse cluster live together happily, eschewing all Ethnic Intolerance and strongly rejecting the Importance of National Superiority.

Attitudes
"Premarital sex improves the later success of a marriage"
"I really pity people who consider their work the be-all and end-all of life"
"The use of marijuana should be legalized in Canada"
"I've been active in a social issue"
"drinking is a part of my lifestyle"

Rooms with a View
Young Multi-ethnic singles in downscale urban high-rises

Rooms with a View represents the nation's high-rise ethnic neighbourhoods, a haven for young single immigrants living in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary. Many households are found near university campuses and contain recent graduates and students still taking classes. With few children in its mix of new immigrants from South Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, Rooms with a View has the air of an immigrant launching pad. These unattached Canadians use dating services, frequent health clubs, go to rock concerts and enjoy entertaining at home - in part because of their low rate of car ownership. And few financial obligations mean residents can buy lots of books, designer clothes, computers and DVDs. And like other youth, they express somewhat hedonistic values, telling researchers that they enjoy "letting myself go."

Downscale $36,721
Young
Ethnic Presence: High (Mixed)

For the residents of Rooms with a View, life is not unlike dormitory living. Many still take classes, have entry-level jobs and wind down playing pickup games of soccer and basketball. Those who work typically hold white-collar and sales positions and find themselves on the road a lot, making this cluster the tops for taking business trips. Back in their apartment towers, they spend a lot of time online, visiting chat rooms and job posting websites. And, while some recent immigrants are the children of wealth who came to Canada to study, most have to stretch their budgets to shop at their preferred upscale stores and take their frequent trips back home.

How they think
Rooms with a View is a cluster living a fun, fashionable, youthful lifestyle on a budget. Strong on Importance of Spontaneity in Daily Life, these young Canadians are looking for excitement and at least a little hedonistic indulgence every day. They delight in buying something new for themselves (Joy of Consumption), especially a new garment or gadget that will impress their friends (Concern for Appearance). This is a young cluster, but not a particular idealistic one: it scores high on Acceptance of Violence and Civil Disobedience; in combination, these trends suggest a streak of rebelliousness. Residents of Rooms with a View are thrilled by the possibilities for entertainment and consumption that new technology provides: it is among the strongest clusters on Enthusiasm for New Technology.

Attitudes
"There should be more public funding for the arts"
"I would prefer to do work that is not particularly interesting but pays well"
"I enjoy shopping for clothes"
"I don't think Canada is becoming too closely linked to the U.S."
"I am more of a spender than a saver"

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"

History Ho Ho

A neon bowl of rice with chopsticks and a three-and-a-half storey stream of steam once illuminated the corner of East Pender and Columbia to advertise Ho Ho Chop Suey House. (read more)

Downtown Eastside market almost ready to go legit

One of the organizers of a new street market in the Downtown Eastside says it's an ideal way for binners to sell the treasures they find in their everyday travels. (read more)

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