Allan Morris and his wife first moved to the Quayside neighbourhood in 2005, he was planning his retirement and a condo seemed like a more suitable lifestyle choice.
So, they traded their home in Burnaby to get closer to the Fraser River. Morris bought a condo with a view of the water, and he and his wife enjoy nothing more than the continuous activity on it.
"We decided retirement included significant travel for extended periods of time and owning a condo or townhouse would suit that lifestyle better than a house with gardens," he told The Record. "Our search brought us to the Quay as we had always wanted to have a view of water."
With the SkyTrain close by, the River Market in walking distance and the new Westminster Pier Park nearby, Morris said they love the options and freedom to get around easily at their doorstep.
"The other benefit we have experienced is the feeling of living in a small town even though we are in a large metropolitan area," he added.
Morris said the annual Quayside Boardwalk Festival and Sale is an example of how much the residents not only get involved in the community, but support it, as well.
For resident Nellie Cavell, the only challenge she had came when she first moved in 21 years ago.
"There was a lot of leaky condos soon after we came," she said. "Ours was one, the strata decided ours was in trouble. So, we did get all the people organized. Actually, when they began to (renovate) it was not bad did some work, it was not too serious. The assessment was not too high. We were one of the lucky ones."
Cavell moved in right before the leaky condo fiasco rocked the province in the 1990s, and New Westminster was known to be the worst area.
"My sister wasn't as lucky," she noted. "I don't know how much in assessment they paid, I tell you, it was monumental. Another friend lived (close by), I don't know how many times they had to renovate her place. It was awful. It was incredible. It was unbelievable, in fact."
But now the Quayside neighbourhood has recovered, and Cavell says the community is a great place to live.
"They're all very friendly as far as I can say," she added. "I like all my neighbours, I really do. I love living down here. They have a lot of celebrations like the Hyack Festival, they have fireworks from time to time. There's always something on in the river, like tugboats carrying an impossibly long series of boats. I wonder how they do it."
New Westminster's "citizen advocate" has also lived in Quayside for 13 years, and he says it's because it offered a lifestyle choice and being close to water.
"The Quay with all the incredible hidden gardens and activity on the boardwalk never gets boring," James Crosty said. "It would best be described as a compact reflection of what New Westminster represents."
Crosty is the past president of the Quayside Community annual boardwalk sale and other events.
"While over 4,600 people live in this area ... you feel like you're part of a small town," he said.
"The one thing that makes it unique is people who live here appreciated ownership take pride in its appearance. People that rent here, like we did in the beginning, often end purchasing a home here and staying."
Crosty said the neighbours take care of each other.
"I would say when you walk down boardwalk and say hello, you sense that, yes, is a close-knit community," Crosty added.
