Downtown Nanaimo - also referred to as the Old City - is shaped like a half bowl. At the bottom of the bowl is the harbourfront, commercial district, and condos. Then there are about 18 city blocks of single family homes arranged on the slope of the bowl, overlooking downtown and the harbour.

It's a very convenient place to live, especially if you work downtown, or commute to Vancouver, or attend VIU, or don't want to pay for taxis back from events downtown! And of course, there are tons of beautiful old homes built a century ago.

You can see current listings below, or use this link to read more about the Old City below.

Old City Property Listings

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New
38 Front St Pl01, Nanaimo

$575,000

38 Front St Pl01, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,151 SqFt 1,307 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 933037

460 Realty Inc. (NA)

New
346 Milton St, Nanaimo

$824,900

346 Milton St, Nanaimo

4 Beds 3 Baths 1,739 SqFt 10,890 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 932959

RE/MAX of Nanaimo

New
38 Front St Th05, Nanaimo

$1,049,900

38 Front St Th05, Nanaimo

2 Beds 3 Baths 1,212 SqFt 1,307 SqFt Lot Row/Townhouse MLS® # 933133

460 Realty Inc. (NA)

328 Kennedy St, Nanaimo

$970,000

328 Kennedy St, Nanaimo

0 Beds 1 Bath 1,758 SqFt 13,940 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 932989

RE/MAX of Nanaimo

30 Cavan St 209, Nanaimo

$369,000

30 Cavan St 209, Nanaimo

2 Beds 1 Bath 870 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 932701

eXp Realty

119 Haliburton St 503, Nanaimo

$493,000

119 Haliburton St 503, Nanaimo

1 Bed 1 Bath 727 SqFt 872 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 932591

Sutton Group-West Coast Realty (Nan)

555 Franklyn St 310, Nanaimo

$384,900

555 Franklyn St 310, Nanaimo

1 Bed 1 Bath 690 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 931994

Real Broker B.C. Ltd.

154 Promenade Dr 903, Nanaimo

$699,000

154 Promenade Dr 903, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,161 SqFt 1,307 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 932322

Sutton Group-West Coast Realty (Nan)

150 Promenade Dr 115, Nanaimo

$539,000

150 Promenade Dr 115, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,089 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 931807

eXp Realty

150 Promenade Dr 503, Nanaimo

$1,200,000

150 Promenade Dr 503, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,814 SqFt 1,743 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 931781

RE/MAX of Nanaimo

676 Pine St, Nanaimo

$779,000

676 Pine St, Nanaimo

3 Beds 1 Bath 1,073 SqFt 13,068 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 931888

RE/MAX of Nanaimo

798 Franklyn St, Nanaimo

$739,900

798 Franklyn St, Nanaimo

2 Beds 1 Bath 1,000 SqFt 9,584 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 930967

Century 21 Harbour Realty Ltd.

Old City Real Estate Profile

First, let's clarify that the Old City referred to on this page is not to be confused with the much smaller "Old City Quarter" centered on Fitzwilliam Street. I'm referring to the "Old City" region defined by VIREB (real estate board) which is bordered by the Millstream in the north, down Pine St. to where Fifth St. meets Old Victoria, then up to Milton St., down Milton to the water, and back up to the Millstream Estuary. (See map below)

There are about 800 single-family homes in this area, the majority of which might be called "character homes" by virtue of the architectural details which survive from construction in the 1890s-1940s. These include solid old-growth timber construction, craftsman front porches with chunky pillars and wide steps, stained glass windows, complex rooflines, original wood siding, etc.

One of the highlights of the Old City is the Nob Hill neighbourhood. This is directly above the Victoria Crescent part of downtown (very close to everything) and is characterized by some of the largest character homes in Nanaimo, gathered around little old Nob Hill Park, a quiet place above the fracas, with a good playground and some views of the harbour.

Note: Even the most desirable neighbourhoods in the Old City can be just a block away from a less desirable area. I know the area well and would be happy to discuss it with you. Contact me.

Condos & Apartments in Downtown Nanaimo

Nearby Parks

Old City Nanaimo boundary location map with landmarks

Back to Nanaimo neighbourhoods