Kitsilano 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"

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"

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"

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