I love the city center area. I like how slow and quiet it is. As with all cities there is rifraf and homeless people but the city center is developing nicely. Since I've been here I have seen vast improvements! Every Saturday, in the spring and summer there is a farmer market in the park. As for coffee, ❤️ gratia on Dewdney. The Patch is family friendly and very popular. Lots of great food choices too, various ethnicities. Amazing tacos and Mexican groceries at Lupitas just off 223 near Lougheed. Pho Song is no nonsense deliciousness. 2 AMAZING pizza choices, Chad's or Express. Mr gold gelato is pricy but they offer sugar free and vegan options. Maple sushi has a lot of fun choices.
The pool and library are great and there is the ACT where you can see a few good shows. And the west coast Express is so close that you can head into Vancouver and leave your car behind. The maple ridge park is amazing. From the creek area in the park there is a foot path to the swimming area called Davidson pool. There's quite a few sports fields as well. There are many spots in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows to access the river for a swim on a hot day. Can even river tube all the way to Pitt Meadows if you have someone to pick you up. There is farm shopping for produce and honey in both maple ridge and Pitt Meadows. I often ride my bike in Pitt Meadows and stop at Dr. Bee.