Penticton, Okanagan | Neighbourhood Profile

Penticton in the South Okanagan – Peaches & beaches and so much more.

Penticton’s top ten – the pick of the South Okanagan.

The city of Penticton in the South Okanagan is easily the pick of the crop when it comes to neighbourhoods offering lifestyle, housing & climate. Penticton means ‘A Place to Stay Forever’ and is lovingly located between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. Be it sandy beaches, fruit orchards or a memorable Pinot Noir, Penticton offers so much more in super natural British Columbia – Affordable homes, February start to golf season, award-winning wineries by the dozens and excellent schools & health care for local residents. Discover desirable war time bungalows to expansive beach front estates to first-time-buyer condominiums, the ten neighbourhoods of Penticton are poised-to-please:

Schools

School District #67 in Penticton (Okanagan Skaha) has 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 secondary schools for families. Highlights include Skaha Lake Middle School with a Hockey Academy, a local Indigenous Education Program and International Student Program (IS) making it easy for students visiting Penticton to transition to top Canadian and American colleges and universities. Penticton schools are recognized for well-equipped classrooms, labs, libraries, art studios, trade shops, culinary facilities & gyms, all with wireless access.

Location

The main neighbourhoods of Penticton are Main Street North and South Main, situated between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. North west of downtown is Husula/West Bench/Sage Mesa with expansive city views, country living & orchards. The Columbia/Duncan and Valleyview/Wiltse neighbourhoods are just minutes from the centre of Penticton. K -Streets is located just outside Penticton’s downtown with many streets beginning with the letter “K”, buyers will find beautiful tree-lines streets and numerous renovated post-war homes. The desirable Uplands/Redlands neighbourhoods are north east of town with Okanagan waterfront views. Carmi is in the far east and features valley views, mountains and more. Apex Mountain is Penticton’s famous mountain resort community about a half-hour west of the city with recreation galore and chalet style living with ski in/ski out access. The hub of the South Okanagan, Penticton is centrally located along Highway 97 with easy vehicle access to Kelowna, Oliver and Osoyoos. The industrial area of Penticton has few homes to choose, but entrepreneurs will find a good selection of commercial storefronts and industrial properties.

Residential Housing

Something for everyone is perhaps an overused selling proposition, but with Penticton and its ten neighbourhoods, it’s really true. First-time-buyers, growing families or those looking to retire to a deluxe waterfront home, Penticton delivers. Condos, war time ranchers or custom builds with all the modern conveniences add to Penticton’s appeal. Sendereo Heights in the Carmi neighbourhood is a fine example of new development with wide appeal. Substantial price increases in Canada’s larger urban centres place Penticton at the top of the list for value when relocating or looking for a new place to call home.

Recreation

Parks and beaches are just part of what makes Penticton and its neighbourhoods so appealling. Skaha Lake Park garners 5 stars from Trip Advisor with 21 acres of sand, picnic sites and playgrounds for kids. Golfers of all ages and handicaps will want to tee it up as Penticton features four courses within city limits. Interior powder at Apex Resort means skiing, snow boarding and four season family fun is just 30 minutes from town. Triathletes around the world are drawn by the thousands yearly to Penticton every August. Penticton Community Centre features a 25 meter square lap pool, leisure pool, sauna & steam room, gym, dance studio and home to the Cleland Theatre. McLaren Arena is the destination for public skating, sports games and home to the Junior “A” Penticton Vees Hockey Team.

Restaurants

With world-class vineyards and wineries in the Penticton area, great eating and fine dining are also on the menu. Well known eateries include the Front Street Brasserie for French cuisine, Cellar Wine Bar and Kitchen and Theo’s Restaurant for all things Greek.
Popular family restaurants or for takeout include A&W, Burger King and Penticton Pizza and Subs. In addition there’s favourites like Earl’s, a Chinese buffet and sushi restaurants. Not to be missed is the landmark Peach Ice Cream Shop at Okanagan Lake, for world-famous shakes, sundaes and ice cream treats. Penticton is just minutes from the Naramata Bench, home to award-winning BC wineries and outdoor patios.

Shopping

Shopping in Penticton, as they say you’ll find “everything under the sun”. Downtown Penticton has local boutiques and shops, professional services, cafés & pubs. Penticton Plaza includes Safeway, Shopper’s Drug Mart and Penticton’s Signature Liquor Store. At Penticton Power Centre major outlets include Real Canadian Superstore, Staples and banking services. At the Cherry Lane Shopping Centre anchor tenants include Save-On-Foods, London Drugs and The Bay. One of the most interesting local success stories is Whole Foods Market for organic foods, natural products and artisan breads. We’d be remiss not to mention Penticton’s Downtown Community Market running every Saturday morning from May to September – it’s the biggest of its kind in the Okanagan with food, clothing, jewellery & collectibles.

Transportation

Centrally located on the Highway 97 Wine Route, Penticton is easily accessed from the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 3 and other major B.C. and Washington State highways. Penticton is only a 45 minute flight from Vancouver or Calgary, with winery, brewery, cidery & distllery tours close at hand. BC Transit provides regular bus services in Penticton with connections to Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Summerland, Osoyoos & Kelowna. Penticton’s handyDART is an accessible, door-to-door shared transit service for locals with permanent or temporary disabilities.