Neighbourhood Profiles: Range Lake
Range Lake is Known For:
- convenient big-box shopping (Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, grocery stores, etc.),
- proximity to the hospital and the airport
- family friendly
- a high percentage of modular homes
- lots of “toys” in driveways (boats, snowmobiles, RV’s, etc.)
- far from downtown and Old Town
- main traffic arteries: Borden Drive, Magrum Drive
History
The Range Lake North neighbourhood was developed in response to the diamond boom of the 1990s. At the time, demand for housing was significant and due to a sense of urgency, planners at the City of Yellowknife created zoning that prioritized manufactured home development. The main advantages of manufactured homes are that they can be installed quickly and at a more modest price than “stick built” homes.
For many who lived in Yellowknife at the time, the Range Lake neighbourhood seemed to pop up almost overnight.
Housing
About three quarters of the streets in Range Lake are lined almost exclusively with manufactured homes. What makes Range Lake manufactured homes a bit different from other neighbourhoods is that most of them have steel pile foundations as opposed to the more typical wood-block foundations. These solid steel foundations, pinned directly to bedrock, provide much greater stability and allow for the construction of additions. Many Range Lake homeowners have taken advantage and have expanded their homes beyond their original rectangular shape and size.
At the southern edge of the neighbourhood backing onto the Range Lake and the airport property, you will find a few streets where custom “stick-built” homes, rather than manufactured, are the norm. Rivett Crescent, Kasteel Drive, Foreman Court, Wong Court and Lovell Court are home to these larger, more varied houses. If you need a garage, chances are you’ll gravitate to one of these streets. Some of these homes are on larger lots backing onto green space and are in high demand.
One thing you won’t find in Range Lake North is apartment-style condominiums. And in fact, there is only one apartment building in the neighbourhood, Bartesko Court. There is also only a single townhouse development, Diamond Park at the south end of Borden Drive.
Home Prices
Homes in Range Lake fall in the middle range of pricing in the city. In 2023, 42 homes sold with a breakdown as follows:
- 79% manufactured homes with a median sale price of $415,000
- 17% stick-built homes with a median sale price of $749,000
- 5% townhouses with a median sale price of $387,000
Amenities
Groceries: No more than a 3-minute drive from most homes, and walking distance from some. Both the Yellowknife Co-op and Rochdi’s Independent Grocer are in the Range Lake neighbourhood
Schools: Range Lake North School (JK to Grade 8) is in the heart of the neighbourhood, but both Yellowknife high schools are pretty far away in the – about a ten minute-drive.
Recreational Facilities: 5-minute drive to the Multiplex and Fieldhouse, 8-minute Drive to Ruth Inch Pool and the new aquatic centre.
Restaurants: While there are some fast food options in the neighbourhood along Old Airport Road, the nearest full-service restaurants are a five minute drive away, in the neighbourhood of Frame Lake South.
The Furthest You’ll Drive on a Semi-Regular Basis: Old Town and Range Lake North are at opposite ends of town from each other – about a twelve-minute drive. And if you work downtown, although it’s only a ten-minute drive away, you will find the traffic to be a factor at the start and end of the workday.
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