Neighbourhoods & village areas

SilverStar’s village areas, with honest pros and cons

Five residential areas and the rural road below them. Each has its own ski access, lot types and rental rules, and the differences are bigger than the brochures suggest.

Updated September 2026 · by Sean Phillips, REALTOR®

SilverStar is a small place. The residential areas sit close around the village, and most are a short walk or a free shuttle ride from Main Street. But owning in Alpine Meadows is a different deal from owning in The Ridge, and a Village hotel condo has almost nothing in common with a Cabin Colony chalet. This page walks through each area: what’s there, how you get to the lifts, what the rental and suite rules are, and the honest downsides.

A naming note. You’ll hear “Vance Creek” and “Putnam Creek” a lot. They are ski faces with their own lifts, not neighbourhoods. The residential areas are the five below. Some listings also use building names (Pinnacles Peaks, The Pinnacles Suites, Firelight, Snowbird Lodge, Silver Views, Putnam Station Hotel) or the informal “Silver Queen area”, meaning homes near the Silver Queen chair.

Map is a simplified illustration based on public descriptions, not a survey. Official zoning: RDNO Silver Star Zoning Bylaw 1926, Schedule A.

1. The Village

The mid-mountain core around Main Street, which is closed to cars and becomes a ski run in winter. Property here includes luxury condos, townhomes, original mountain homes, cottages and hotel condominiums, which are usually the most affordable way into SilverStar ownership. The Schumann Summit Express gondola and the Silver Woods chair are right there, and restaurants, pubs, the tube park, bowling and health and wellness offices are a few minutes’ walk. A free ski shuttle connects the Village to the other areas.

Property typesCondos, hotel condos, townhomes, cottages
LiftsGondola, Silver Woods chair
SuitesBuilding by building
RentalsAllowed; resort association membership if you rent

Pros

Walk to everything; you may not need to drive all winter.
In our view, the strongest nightly rental demand on the mountain, because guests want to walk to dinner.
Turnkey hotel-condo ownership is simple to manage from away.
Hotel condos are the most affordable way in for most buyers.

Cons

More noise and activity, especially on holiday weeks and event weekends.
Strata fees, and in some buildings a rental pool agreement that limits when you can use your own unit.
Smaller units and limited storage for a family’s gear.
Parking can be tight; check what’s assigned to the unit.

Best for: investors who want managed nightly rentals, couples, and families who want the kids to walk to the lifts. Check before you buy: the building’s bylaws, rental pool or management agreement, strata minutes and contingency reserve fund.

Sources: area profile; Tourism North Okanagan.

2. Cabin Colony

“The Original.” Cabin Colony dates from 1959, the year after the ski hill opened. The subdivision was finalized in 1991 with 23 single-family lots and 12 bare-land strata lots. Lots are 0.11 to 0.39 acres and are natural, heavily treed and relatively steep. Homes are classic arch-rafter chalets and modified Craftsman-style cottages. Road access is by Silver Lode Lane, with organized plowing of common areas. The Village is about two minutes’ walk, and the Alpine Meadows chair and the gondola are close.

Established1959
Lots35 (23 single-family, 12 bare-land strata)
Lot size0.11 to 0.39 acres
AccessSilver Lode Lane

Pros

Real mountain character that newer areas can’t copy.
Trees give privacy and shelter from wind.
A very short walk to the Village and lifts.
Small enclave of just 35 lots, so it stays quiet.

Cons

Steep lots make additions and rebuilds expensive.
Older chalets may need roof, insulation, foundation or wiring upgrades.
Few listings; you may wait a season or two.
Strata fees on bare-land strata lots, and resort association fees if you rent.

Best for: buyers who want a character chalet close to the Village and are ready for some upkeep. Check before you buy: roof age and snow-shedding, foundation and drainage, wood stove or fireplace certification, and whether the lot is single-family or bare-land strata.

Sources: area profile; Salt Fowler.

3. The Knoll

SilverStar’s first major residential development, opened in 1989 with about 190 properties on the southeast ridge overlooking the Village. The Victorian look continues here with stone entrances and period streetlights, and many homes look east to the Monashee Mountains. Lots are 0.11 to 0.51 acres on slopes, with a mix of single-family and multi-unit homes. Suites are permitted. Many homes are ski-in/ski-out near the Silver Queen and Silver Woods chairs and Skyways, and you can walk to Tube Town and skating on Brewer’s Pond. Roads are paved and lit year-round, and the area is pet-friendly. Silver Views, a semi-detached complex, sits at the highest point of The Knoll.

Established1989
PropertiesAbout 190
Lot size0.11 to 0.51 acres
SuitesPermitted

Pros

The classic family area: established, walkable and close to kids’ activities.
Suite potential to help carry costs or house extended family.
Paved, lit roads and Monashee views.
A wide range of home types and ages, so more listings to choose from.

Cons

Sloped lots mean stairs, retaining walls and tricky driveways in winter.
Ski access varies street by street; “ski-in/ski-out” on a listing needs checking.
1990s homes may be due for roofs, windows and mechanical updates.
Resort association fees if you rent.

Best for: families, full-time residents and owners who want a suite. Sean has a longer write-up of the area on his Vernon site: The Knoll, SilverStar’s ski neighbourhood.

Sources: area profile; kelownahomes.ca.

4. Alpine Meadows

A bare-land strata of 49 lots in the Attridge area, originally named “Meadowlands” and renamed by a 2005 zoning amendment. Lots range from 6,028 to 22,300 sq ft. The minimum home footprint is 700 sq ft, and every lot can take a home of 1,500 sq ft or more over three levels. Access is direct ski-in/ski-out to Christmas Bowl and the Alpine Meadows chair, and you can walk to the Village. Legal suites are allowed and the area is pet-friendly. Strata fees cover hydro, grooming and common maintenance.

The rule to know: rentals in Alpine Meadows must be managed through SilverStar Central Reservations.

Lots49 (bare-land strata)
Lot size6,028 to 22,300 sq ft
Ski accessChristmas Bowl, Alpine Meadows chair
RentalsCentral Reservations only

Pros

Some of the most direct ski-in/ski-out on the mountain.
Legal suites allowed.
Strata handles grooming and common maintenance.
Managed rentals mean nothing to organize from afar.

Cons

Mandatory rental management reduces flexibility and, usually, net income.
Strata fees on top of property tax.
Only 49 lots, so resale supply is thin.
Building rules (footprint, levels) shape what you can design.

Best for: ski families who want to click in at the door, and owners who want hands-off rentals. Check before you buy: the current Central Reservations agreement and fee, strata bylaws and budget, and design rules if you plan to build.

Sources: area profile; RDNO Bylaw 1926 (Bylaw 2057 amendment).

5. The Ridge

The newest area, introduced in 2006, on the North Ridge at the western edge of the village. Lots are about 0.14 to 0.46 acres on slopes, with custom homes, some half-duplexes and vacant lots on Purcell Drive and Cathedral Drive. Ski access is via the Alpine Meadows, Silver Queen and Split Decision chairs, the Chris Cross run and the Attridge Run Out, with two skier overpasses (ski bridges) that carry skiers over the road. Views take in the Monashees, the Okanagan Valley, the lights of Vernon and the lakes.

The rules: no legal suites, but short-term rentals are allowed with no mandatory rental management. Owners pay an annual fee for road and ski-bridge maintenance.

Established2006
StreetsPurcell Dr, Cathedral Dr
Lot sizeAbout 0.14 to 0.46 acres
SuitesNot permitted

Pros

Newer construction built to more recent codes.
The biggest views on the mountain.
Choose your own rental manager, or self-manage.
Vacant lots for a custom build.

Cons

No suites.
An annual road and ski-bridge fee.
A longer walk to the Village than Cabin Colony or The Knoll.
Sloped lots add building costs.

Best for: second-home families who want newer builds, investors who want to control their rental operation, and people building custom. Listings here have ranged widely, from about $399,000 to $1.43 million, according to one brokerage’s area profile (undated, so treat as illustrative only).

Sources: area profile; Salt Fowler; kelownahomes.ca.

6. Silver Star Road acreages (off-resort)

Below the village, Silver Star Road runs up from Highway 97 in Vernon through rural property: acreages, hobby parcels and small subdivisions such as Tamarack Estates, described as nearly 80 acres about four minutes from the resort. These are country properties with a mountain on the doorstep, not ski-in homes.

Pros

Space, privacy and room for a shop, toys and a garden.
Often more house and land for the money than in the village.
Closer to Vernon for school, work and shopping.

Cons

You drive up to ski and back down after.
Services vary: check water source, septic, internet and hydro for each parcel.
The provincial short-term rental exemption covers only the mapped resort area; a parcel down the road may be outside it.
Winter driving every day on a mountain road.

Best for: full-time families who want acreage and a short drive to skiing. For more valley options, see Sean’s guide to Coldstream acreages and neighbourhoods.

Sources: kelownahomes.ca; BC principal residence requirement.

Side-by-side comparison

SilverStar residential areas at a glance
Area	Ski access	Suites	Rental management	Walk to Village
The Village	In the core; Main Street is a run	Varies by building	Building rules; association if renting	You’re in it
Cabin Colony	Walk to lifts; some near-ski	Check lot type	Your choice; association if renting	About 2 minutes
The Knoll	Many ski-in/ski-out; varies	Permitted	Your choice; association if renting	Short walk
Alpine Meadows	Direct to Christmas Bowl	Permitted	Central Reservations required	Walkable
The Ridge	Via connectors and ski bridges	Not permitted	No mandatory management	Longer walk
Silver Star Road	Drive	Parcel zoning	Check resort-area boundary	Drive

All areas: the provincial short-term rental registry applies to rentals, and strata bylaws can add restrictions. See short-term rental rules and what ski-in/ski-out really means.

How zoning maps onto the areas

The RDNO’s Silver Star Zoning Bylaw 1926 sets out residential zones for single dwellings (R1), duplexes (R2), medium density (R3) and single dwelling with suite (R4), plus Village Commercial, Neighbourhood Commercial, the Silver West comprehensive development zone (CD1), a Heritage Conservation zone, Resort Use, Service Utility and open space zones. Short-term rental accommodation is a permitted use in the single, duplex, medium density and CD zones, capped at five sleeping units per dwelling. A 2024 amendment added a densification provision in line with the Province’s small-scale multi-unit housing rules. Always confirm a parcel’s zone on the zoning map before you plan a suite or rebuild.

Not sure which area suits you? Try the SilverStar area quiz or read best areas by lifestyle.

Questions? Call or text

Ask a local before you commit to a mountain property

Sean Phillips lives full time in Okanagan Landing, down in the valley below the mountain, and works SilverStar and Vernon every week. Ask him about a street, a strata, a rental rule or what your place might sell for. Straight answers, no pressure.

Call 778‑363‑0542 Text Sean Email

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The Knoll homes for sale

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Listings from the Association of Interior REALTORS® MLS® System, updated Sep 28, 2026, 6:40 a.m. (Pacific). Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Listing brokerage shown on each card. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and REALTOR® are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Presented by Sean Phillips, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Executives Realty.