Point Grey 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"

Money & Brains
Upscale and educated professionals and their families

The residents of Money & Brains seem to have it all: high incomes, advanced degrees and sophisticated tastes to match their credentials. Many of these Canadians are married couples with few children who live in older, fashionable homes on small, manicured lots in urban and suburban areas. With 37 percent holding university degrees, Money & Brains consumers exhibit cultured sensibilities in the marketplace. They tend to support the arts, buy lots of books, listen to classical music radio stations, travel abroad and subscribe to business, news and travel magazines. A politically active cluster, residents here rank high for working on community projects, serving as volunteers and writing letters to public officials.

Upscale $91,815
Older
Ethnic Presence: Low

Money & Brains is one of the top clusters for buying financial products. These savvy Canadians invest in virtually every kind of mutual fund available at rates two to three times greater than the general population. But these households are also home to a significant proportion of teenaged children, and surveys reveal the popularity of a number of athletic activities- -from skiing and windsurfing to squash and tennis- -among both grown-ups and their kids. The residents of Money & Brains like to cultivate both mind and body.

How they think
The residents of Money & Brains have cultivated comfortable and fulfilling lives, and their values reflect both their sense of security and their satisfaction with their current state. Having believed in Saving on Principle and Control of Destiny, these Canadians have taken responsibility for their own well-being, financial and otherwise, and have been rewarded. This is an engaged and curious cluster that seeks relationships of equality-not hierarchy-with young people (Equal Relationships with Youth) and strives to better understand itself and others (Introspection and Empathy). Money & Brains residents are looking not only for fulfillment but also fun as they age: they believe in the Importance of Spontaneity in Daily Life and want to cultivate and express their Personal Creativity. Money & Brains residents are more likely to crave experiences-at least, ones they can share-than physical objects. Attitudes

Attitudes
"I am comfortable with new technologies that are entering all aspects of life"
"I've taken steps so that I have sufficient funds for retirement"
"It should be tougher to obtain welfare and employment insurance"
"It is very important that I exercise my right to vote"
"Managing my time is one of my biggest challenges"

Urbane Villagers
Wealthy middle-aged urban sophisticates

Located in Canada's largest cities, Urbane Villagers is a prosperous world of stately homes and high-end cars, charity auctions and golf club memberships. The nation's second wealthiest cluster, it's characterized by married couples with university degrees and university-aged children, and it includes a significant percentage of European and Asian immigrants. With their hefty salaries - average household incomes top $166,000 - Urbane Villagers members enjoy the trappings of wealth: designer clothes, vacation cottages and frequent trips abroad. But these Canadians also tend to be involved in their communities, the active and philanthropic members of cultural, political and environmental groups.

Wealthy $166,716
Middle-Aged
Ethnic Presence: Low

Slightly younger and less affluent than Canada's top-ranked lifestyle, Urbane Villagers residents are the greatest contributors to RRSPs and second only to the wealthiest cluster in savings. They are a bit more style-conscious and less formal in their consumption patterns. They're more likely to shop at stores like Banana Republic and Club Monaco, the men more likely to wear cologne, the women more likely to wear less expensive jewelry. Although they are able to afford flying business and first class, they're not above flying economy as well. They rank near the top for buying books, personal computers and Australian wine, and are heavily involved in the arts, as both benefactors and patrons of museums, art galleries and orchestras.

How they think
Urbane Villagers is an affluent but not insular cluster. Residents are most distinguished by their commitment to Community Involvement; they are attached to their local environments as well as the people in their neighborhoods. This feeling of connectedness to place and people gives rise to a number of progressive values, including Global Ecological Consciousness, Ethical Consumerism, a belief in the Primacy of Environemtal Protection and a sense of Belonging to the Global Village. Urbane Villagers residents believe that diversity gives life richness: they strongly reject Ethnic Intolerance and their belief in the Importance of Spontaneity in Daily Life and Sensualism suggests that they are seeking rich new experiences. The threads of diversity, spontaneity and community connectedness weave together strongly; Urbane Villagers residents love the idea of vibrant street life championed by urban theorist Jane Jacobs. These Canadians will be attracted to green products and local business.

Attitudes
"I avoid using the products of companies with a poor environmental record"
"I've taken steps to ensure that I have sufficient money for retirement"
"I have great confidence in my creative abilities"
"I feel a personal responsibility to help those worse off than me"
"Capital punishment should not be reinstated in Canada"

Group slams community centre access

The only access to the fitness centre in the gym on the second floor of the West Point Grey Community Centre is a set of narrow, steep stairs.(read more)

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