Summerland
Straddling both sides of Highway 97, Summerland’s 12,000 residents enjoy verdant, dramatic hillsides and picture-perfect beaches. The quaint, Tudor-themed main street boasts plenty of shops, restaurants, and amenities. An interactive history museum, art gallery, and library anchor the downtown, and nearby, the ice arena and recreation & aquatics centre are well-used by locals. Perfect weather and stunning views make for excellent golfing, too! Well-maintained public parks and beaches, playing fields, and hiking trails (not to mention lots of sunshine!) mean there’s plenty of reason to get outside in Summerland.
There’s a great sense of community spirit, here, too. The town has dozens of well-supported social and service organizations, which host events and workshops through the year. There’s always something going on in Summerland!
With its small-town congeniality and ample recreational options, Summerland is favoured by families. A great splash park and a new skate park are very popular. Young and old, alike, enjoy the Kettle Valley Steam Railway ride! Summerland has very good public and private school options for all grade levels, and is convenient to Penticton for even more choice. With its charming, friendly atmosphere, this is a wonderful place to raise a family!
Retirees also appreciate the Summerland’s bountiful opportunities. A quiet and easily-walkable central core, medical centres and amenities, and plentiful opportunities for social and active living make this an attractive place for seniors.
Just as Summerland appeals to residents of all ages and stages, there is a wide variety of housing options, here, too. Downtown’s residential neighbourhoods are filled with older homes on flat, ample lots, along with a few multi-unit buildings and small developments. In the hills above town, agricultural acreages (vineyards, orchards, and farms) offer a rural lifestyle that is minutes from the centre.
Lower Town, on the lakeshore, is a leafy residential area, with gorgeous beaches and parks. Beachfront cottages, townhomes, and spacious lakeview houses make up the housing options, here.
Further down the highway (or the lake, depending on how you travel!), you’ll find Trout Creek. This neighbourhood maintains Summerland’s old-fashioned-beach-town feel, with mid-century bungalows and welcoming, walkable streets, as well as a lakefront bike trail and several stunning beaches.
Like most of the South Okanagan, Summerland is agricultural at its heart. The gateway to wine-country, Bottleneck Drive showcases more than a dozen world-class wineries, cideries, and distilleries, and the list is continuously growing. Fruit stands offer farm-fresh produce from the incredible cherry, apple, and stone-fruit orchards that abound.
Even in the cooler months, Summerland residents have plenty of reason to be proud of their little corner of the world. This is an amazing place to call home!