We could probably afford a shoebox-sized room in Yaletown, or an aging apartment in the West End. I get a sense though that both are full of people who are a little myopic. New Westminster seems a little less segregated and privileged; it's connection to reality a bit more intense.
My feelings are not simply for certain physical real estate. The attachment is probably much more emotional in nature. For example, it is not really due to the fact we sit near the geographic center of the region and are easily connected by transit. My love of this city really doesn't have to do with its amenities nor the proximity to any particular facilities.
New Westminster just feels real with a palpable history. It's a good place to call home. It is smaller in size and population when compared to most cities surrounding it. That makes it easy to feel a part of. We're definitely residents of New West. To prove the point, it sure seems to us as though last weekend's Show & Shine antique car show and this weekend's Fraserfest are really ours.