There is something very obvious about Penticton that most people probably don’t notice and that’s the fact that housing here can only go up. Up as in apartments over houses but also up in price per square foot.
If you take a good look at this picture you will notice something that cannot be said about many other cities in Canada. Penticton is basically the divider that makes Skaha Lake possible. This also has a significant factor on how many citizens it can accommodate. There are really only two things that can happen now; either build up the mountains or build 15 story buildings. The common issue with both of these options is that a they both cost dramatically more money. Nowadays, looking on the east side of Penticton, bare land is selling for over 300k and that’s for just enough to lay a decent house and have room for 3 cars when they are parked bumper to bumper.
Another aspect that I love about Penticton which I mocked previously is that this town is heavily populated with citizens over 60 that will stick their canes and walkers up city councils ass before they make too much more development in this town. The city wants development but is doing it at a crawling pace because of the folks that “want to save Penticton”; and I applaud them. They don’t like traffic just the same as I don’t. They also don’t like crime, air pollution, lake pollution and crowded public areas just like I don’t.
The good news is that the economy is rolling much faster than people can afford and this at least means that the new residents of Penticton will be rich, smart and civilized people. They may be driving Hummer’s, but at least they have no intention of kidnapping kids or stabbing people. And maybe they’ll donate to the golf course, or build something for the homeless. The other positive thing here is that the people that buy homes and apartments are usually near or already retired couples from Alberta or Vancouver that are looking for the Florida closer to home.
And I don’t know about you, but other than driving habits, old people are great.
Think about it…
How true. Growing up in Penticton, I thought the older population was a hindrance, but ultimately they’ve allowed for Penticton to organically grow into a culturally diverse and interesting place. They certainty safeguarded against blocks and block of box stores which hinders community growth, and segments the city into sections of huge stores and sections of cookie-cutter suburbia *cough Kelowna cough*
By: Owen on April 1, 2008
at 1:23 pm
From my vantage point I doesn’t seem that Penticton is doing a better job of hanging on to its community character than is Kelowna. There are highrises going up in Penticton, aren’t there? Nothing destroys community character as effectively as the presence of highrises.
By: John Zeger on May 17, 2008
at 6:48 am
I think Penticton is doing a much better job than many other cities in slowing down the growth rate. I think that “most” of the new developments that are being erected are very tasteful and go well with Penticton’s over all look. In addition, because of the failing economy, it is going to get very hard for developers to get financing for these projects slowing them down further. Finally, look at Penticton now and really analyze what we have for high rises… Cherry lane towers and the towers on lake shore. Are there any other that are over 10 stories and hurting the ‘feel’ of Penticton?
By: aureliusz on May 22, 2008
at 8:13 am
Penticton is a stagnant, isolated, inbred little graveyard. With a few exceptions it is inhabited by people who have traded a life for a view. It offers next to no career possibilities, wages are low and the “sunshine tax” ever present. Just about the most often proclaimed advantage of the town is the mild weather. Well, winters are dark and depressing while the summers oppressingly hot and dry. Crime is high on per capita basis and stabbings are not uncommon. One dead and one wounded just a few days ago. Tourists often find themselves subject of unprovoked violent assaults. Since my presence in this sad little town there have been many instances of truly gruesome crime, some not reported by the media. Let’s not forget the home invasions where some old folks were beaten and tortured. At night, especially during the summer months, bands of bored teenagers wonder the city streets looking for altercations which often end in tragedies. At any given time there are, I was informed, six or seven RCMP officers on duty. That is by far not enough for the increasing levels of violence we are now experiencing. In recent years the Valley has become an object of interest to biker gangs and where that will lead remains to be seen. They certainly are well noticeable in Penticton. My point? Penticton is a great place to visit but one to be avoided as far as setting a permanent residence is concerned. There is much more to life than a golf game and a lake view.
Recently Penticton, locally hailed as the best place on Earth, was rated by the Money Sense magazine quite low. I believe it was number 113 out of around 150 communities. In my experience that rating is right on.
By: Anonymous on May 28, 2008
at 8:49 pm
i would like to say ghrowing up in penticton as we speack yes i am under 16 not goin to say my age but any way penticton isn’t the way your talking about ya it may have people who do bad things because they think it’s cool but what citie dosent have those things. And have you lived in penticton for more then 10 years just wondering and not a good place to settle down well then why are thier so many people settiling down here if you don’t like penticton why searcg it up on the computer and 113 thats not bad at all considering theres over 1 billion cities in canada along and add in the rest of north america good on us. and you know your a big person when you have to put your name as Anonymous i would put my name up but i’m only under the age of 18 there for it was for my own protection so please if you ever wright something like this put your name and that way you seem like your supporting your opinion more
By: me myself and me on August 8, 2008
at 8:13 pm
ive lived in pen for a long time and the beefin has only begun
By: p-dot-hustla on October 25, 2008
at 11:41 am
Vancouver is way worse. Dark dreary rainy winters and summers, usually. You actually have to worry if you’re going to get a real summer or not, cuz you may not. At night in summer you almost always need a jacket, it’s still cold. Bars still close at 2am. crackheads and heroine junkies crapping and pissing in the alleys and breaking into peoples cars. The crackheads can smoke crack out in the open and nothing happens to them. Hell even tax dollars pay for a place for junkies to do heroine. But if you the tax paying citizen try to have an event all night WITHOUT alcohol, the cops come and shut it down. NOT a free country….Unless you’re homeless and on something.
By: Nightshade on July 22, 2009
at 12:47 am