By Hiu Yan (Nancy) Ping

“I met my wife here,” said Joe Parrish.

After spending 16 years living in the Mission Hill area, Parrish, a 37-year-old realtor, describes the neighborhood as ‘perfect.’

“It’s such a great centralized location. You can get anywhere in the city so easily and there are great restaurants. The people are great. [It] kind of feels like a small town almost within the city.”

Though Parrish has few complaints about Mission Hill, he said housing is getting less affordable.

“Places are so expensive. I think that is a challenge, but again that is a challenge everywhere in the city. This city is just so desirable to live in,” said Parrish. “I am a small business owner, and my wife and I own property in the area. We try to contribute as neighbors. As long as we are living in the city, we want to stay here.”

Parrish said the neighborhood has improved during his time living there.

“It’s gotten nicer. There is more business coming. I think a lot of the properties have been cleaned up, a lot of the places have been bought. It’s really gentrified a lot in the last 16 years.” He added, “There is always demand for Mission Hill.”

About this project

The Scope’s student journalists spoke with community members in Mission Hill. #MissionHill100 is a collection of their stories.