Just past Cutthroat Creek, as you leave UBC and continue down Millionaire Row (the residential strip along Southwest Marine Drive that resembles a rainy version of Beverly Hills), you will-in a matter of minutes- arrive in Southlands. The lush Musqueam-owned suburb, where horses strolling by are as common as overpriced coffee shops in Kits, acts as a connector for the Dunbar area and the Endowment Lands. Lined with your choice of several golf courses (the Musqueam Golf and Learning Academy, Point Grey Golf & Country Club, and the public McCleery? Golf Course-site of where the first pioneer family settled in the province-are just a few), it borders the girthy Fraser River, explored by the likes of Simon Fraser himself back in the late 1800s when he mistook it for the Columbia.

This laid-back country neighbourhood 15 minutes from urban life has a fascinating commercial history, a sense of being of another world altogether, and a real-estate market that's topped the country's charts as far as property values go. (If prices keep going in the same direction, this zone could be on par with the United Arab Emirates soon.) Southlands is also one of the fastest-changing areas in town these days, with historic buildings being demolished in preparation for 6,000-square-foot homes and private estates. It'll be interesting to watch how it evolves over the next few years with developers moving in, but in the meantime, there are many great things about Southlands both historically and in the here-and-now. Here's a brief look at what makes the area so attractive.

Best Place to Buy Property …50 Years Ago

When Vancouver families were buying land in Southlands in the 1940s and '50s, the going rate averaged around $800 per acre. Since then, with immigration trends what they have been, the dot-boom and other industry crazes, and a generation of prosperous baby boomers cashing in long-term stocks and bonds for retirement purposes, that number has shifted. That $800-per-acre rate has jumped significantly (to put it mildly) to a hefty $1.5 million. Those who invested half a century ago (whether strategically or not) are laughing at purchasers of $800,000 two-bedroom condos downtown, and regretting they only bought one lot and not seven. The land is so valuable, in fact, that developers have opted to destroy and build over Southlands' infamous Celtic Shipyards-now rented out by the Musqueam Native band to artists, woodworkers, and other industrial users-even with the City of Vancouver's $3-million-plus fee that's been put in place to cover the cost of maintenance for the surrounding lands.

Best Place to Watch the Salmon Run…Away

Southlands resident Terry Slack, who has lived and fished in the Fraser River region for more than 50 years (and who worked in the shipyards for 25), says watching the salmon run upstream each year is certainly a highlight unique to the area, despite decreasing numbers of fish. "In 1897 there were roughly 40 to 50 million sockeye passing through here," he said. "Now that number is more around three million." With 96 percent of the salmon's habitat gone, these chordates are missing something to eat and somewhere to hide from predators. But the sight of "all those pinks" and oolichan going by in the slough near Deering Island each fall is spectacular. "You really have to watch your step with all those seagulls circling for fish and pooping overhead," said Slack. If you're lucky, you may also spot a bald eagle or two while you're there.

Best Place to Wear Chaps outside a leather bar

This equestrian-friendly pocket of Vancouver is highly unique for a large city because of its close proximity to downtown. In 20 minutes you can go from sipping a double-tall nonfat latte on Mainland Street to taking in the aromas of stable life and watching people of all ages ride on what feels like endless acreages. The Southlands Riding Club, for example, has eight hectares designated for pony clubs, high-level horse shows, and competitions (like the Pacific Regional and British Columbia Dressage championships in August), horse-related clinics, and interaction with groups like the Pacific Riding for the Disabled Association. As the area's demo?graphic shifts, though, and things move away from rural living and more toward an upscale private-estate lifestyle, there is concern that land where public stables currently stand will be no more. Horse lovers worry that the decreasing number of public horsey homes will no longer accommodate the area's 400-plus creatures when new developments move in. So members of the community are taking steps to prevent this. They are invoking the city's help to preserve some of these important shelter regions, as well as improving their own horse facilities to get people excited about the sport, so that horsey types will continue to be a mainstay of the region. Southlands Riding Club finally introduced its new covered arena as part of this movement: it's a California-style open-air concept that provides more space for jumpers and trotters to practise indoors when the rain comes. (They previously only had one indoor option, and there were concerns about horse traffic jams.) Groups like Maynard's Southlands Tack Shop and Southlands Riding Club are putting time, money, and a great deal of passion into maintaining (and upgrading) what they hold dear. They are determined to keep a grip on this peaceful riverside zone, where you feel as though you've stepped off Stress Avenue and into a welcoming ranch in 100 Mile House.