Today, we introduce the famous Vancouver community Kitsilano to everyone. In the video’s conclusion, we will showcase the renowned luxury homes on Point Grey Road, including the founder of Lululemon’s residence and a mansion favored by British Prince Harry and Meghan, as well as waterfront mansions on Point Grey Road. Please stay tuned until the end!
Kitsilano, locally known as Kits, is Vancouver’s most famous residential community, ranked as the second-largest and most well-known community in Canada. It is renowned for its spectacular views and unparalleled oceanfront. Kitsilano stretches along the south shore of English Bay, located between the popular Granville Island and Point Grey. Bounded by the sea to the north, West 16th Avenue to the south, Burrard Street to the east, and Alma Street to the west, with the bustling commercial district on West 4th Avenue and West Broadway.
The area not only boasts exceptional natural geography but also offers a cultural environment with outstanding arts, dining, leisure, and entertainment options.
The famous Kitsilano Beach, named one of the “World’s Top 10 Urban Beaches” by international travel magazines, is ideal for outdoor activities.
History Some interesting history about Kitsilano: at the turn of the century, the area from Burrard to Alma Streets was a lush forest teeming with wildlife. In 1900, a salmon cannery at the foot of MacDonald Street once caught “hundreds of thousands of salmon,” overwhelming its production capacity.
The Burrard Bridge was built in 1932 and served as a crucial route to Kitsilano; many old houses along Kitsilano Beach became multi-tenant residences during World War II, popular among many young students in the 1960s.
Many streets are named after trees such as elm, birch, and cypress. Have you noticed that the streets named after trees are not arranged in alphabetical order? The cartographer who drafted the original street map made a mistake, neglecting to arrange the streets alphabetically.
The Kitsilano Library opened in 1927, the earliest branch of the Vancouver Public Library in British Columbia… There’s too much local history worth recalling, and once you start digging into it, you won’t be able to stop!
A variety of cafes, restaurants, bars, and social venues allow you to enjoy both exquisite cuisine and breathtaking views. With restaurants, top-notch shopping, and panoramic views of mountains and the sea at your doorstep, it’s no wonder everyone wants to live in Kitsilano!
Kitsilano residents come from various fields, from celebrities to international students. Most residents are young professionals, and if there’s one common trait among all Kitsilano residents, it’s a love for outdoor activities.
Kitsilano Beach is one of Vancouver’s most popular beaches. In this Westside community, most recreational activities focus on the waterfront, making Kitsilano Beach a perfect place for cooling off, swimming, sunbathing, and playing beach volleyball in the scorching summer.
Kitsilano Beach, long and silvery, with the azure sky above and the vast sea in the distance, lying on the beach listening to the roar of the ocean is a true pleasure.
Kitsilano also boasts Vancouver’s largest swimming pool, 137 meters long, equivalent to the length of three Olympic swimming pools. It is Canada’s longest swimming pool and the only heated saltwater swimming pool in Vancouver.
On the beachside, there are children’s playgrounds and some beach volleyball and basketball courts. Many people jog on the seawall, run, ride bicycles, and more… In the evening, you can dine at the beachside restaurants while enjoying a beautiful sunset. At dusk, with the sun setting, the entire beach is bathed in golden sunlight, creating a stunning view.
Additionally, many museums in the area offer various community programs. The Maritime Museum, Vancouver Museum, Music Academy, and Astronomy Society provide numerous cultural activities.
Shopping and Dining Kitsilano is home to Kits Beach, one of the world’s top ten city beaches. With such a charming beach, vibrant streets are inevitable nearby. Here, you’ll find various restaurants, cafes, and bars waiting to be explored. There are diverse multicultural restaurants and shops around, including the famous LULULEMON yoga apparel store.
In addition to conveniently located major chain stores, Kitsilano residents can choose from various commercial and retail stores on West 4th Avenue and West Broadway (9th Avenue). From thrift and antique stores, farmers’ markets, wine and book shops, boutique clothing stores, hardware stores, bakeries, and delis, Kitsilano offers a true market experience for avid shoppers.
West Broadway Street is the venue for the annual Greek Day, held within five blocks from MacDonald Street to Blenheim Street. It is also a representative of diverse cultures, featuring restaurants such as Old Beijing Restaurant, Hutong Roast Duck, Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup, Japanese Ramen Dumplings, Thai Curry, New Malaysia Indian Restaurant, Korean BBQ, and more. Although West Broadway Street may not be as bustling as West 4th Avenue, if you want to taste various cuisines and experience diverse cultures, you won’t miss this place!
With so many resources, it serves over 40,000 local residents, middle and primary schools.
Kitsilano is close to downtown Vancouver, approximately 5 km away, a 10-minute drive; about 5.8 km from UBC, a 7-minute drive; about 12.7 km from YVR International Airport, a 16-minute drive; and about 13.8 km from Metrotown Railway Town, a 22-minute drive. It is about 1.6 km from the Arbutus Skytrain Station, which is under construction, with a 4-minute drive.
Schools From this area, your child can reach the UBC campus in less than 20 minutes. UBC is well-known and widely recognized as one of the best higher education institutions in Canada and globally. Here, students benefit greatly and gain knowledge that lasts a lifetime. However, UBC’s reputation is not only in education. Its beautiful campus has top-notch facilities and various exciting activities, allowing students to balance life and study.
Elementary schools: Gordon Primary, Bayview Primary, Tennyson Primary, and the iconic Henry Hudson Primary.
Secondary school: Kitsilano Secondary School is located in the heart of the area.
Kitsilano Secondary School was founded in 1917, dedicated to providing a safe learning environment, respecting students, and fully inspiring their enthusiasm for learning. In the upcoming school year, the school aims to increase students’ sense of belonging and participation in the school community, as a means to improve social and emotional well-being and academic performance. Building cultural awareness and strengthening connections with the local community are priorities.
Enrollment grades: 8 to 12
Number of students: 1525
ESL: Yes
Fraser ranking: 79/251
School strengths
- Provides high-quality academic courses.
- Electives include music, art, graphic design, drama, animation, and business courses.
- Strong in sports: has cultivated numerous city and provincial sports champions and produced many Olympic athletes.
- Students have received international awards in provincial exams, the Rhodes Scholarship, Governor General’s Awards, school newspapers, and yearbooks, continuing to excel in arts, drama, and music.
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is a graduate of this high school.
Next to Kitsilano Secondary School is the Kitsilano Community Center, a major sports, fitness, and entertainment venue.
Architectural Style Craftsman-style homes are concentrated in the area bordered by MacDonald, Stephens, West 5th, and West 6th Avenues. Between Bayswater and Balaclava south of West 5th Avenue, you can see almost an entire row of “California bungalows.”
Over the past thirty years, the Kitsilano area has undergone many physical changes. The most significant changes have occurred in the apartment buildings, with many existing homes being replaced by new apartment buildings. However, in Kits’ duplex/redevelopment areas, residents work hard to restore and preserve the special features that make the community unique.
Given the outstanding quality of these (duplex/redevelopment) areas, the City Council has passed amendments to zoning and development regulations to help protect old houses.
Planning The City of Vancouver has developed the Broadway Street Plan. On November 4, 2021, the City of Vancouver released detailed planning direction documents, which have been approved by the City Council. The new plan proposes to increase the height of the old rental apartment area from 3 floors to 20-25 floors while ensuring that 20% of the units are below market rent. The floor area ratio (FAR) is increased from the original 1.0 to 1.2 to 7.5. Of course, it also ensures and strengthens the protection of existing tenants.
It can be seen that in the planning direction, both the floor area ratio and building height will be significantly increased. It is expected that the future subway line will add 50,000 residents and 42,000 jobs along the line.
The Arbutus subway line in the Kitsilano community is under construction and is planned to be completed in 2015. In the future, this subway line will run along West Broadway Street, through the entire Kitsilano community and West Point Grey community, directly to UBC.
Kitsilano Community Construction and Real Estate Introduction – Kitsilano Real Estate While the majority of real estate in Kitsilano is single-family homes, about 89% of the population resides in apartments, mostly multi-story apartments and not very tall high-rise apartments. Here, there are not only wealthy people but more young people and working-class individuals who love living by the seaside. Those oversized houses are often divided into smaller units, such as duplexes or even fourplexes. Relatively speaking, buying an apartment in Kitsilano is cheaper than in downtown. South of 10th Avenue is mostly dominated by single-family homes, with occasional small apartments.
The famous Point Grey Road runs through the Point Grey and Kitsilano communities. According to data from the province of British Columbia, as many as 14 luxury homes on this street are listed among the top 100 most expensive properties in Vancouver.
Kitsilano is the birthplace of the world-famous yoga apparel brand Lululemon Athletica. The founder Chip Wilson’s mansion was chosen as the most expensive residential property in Vancouver, recently valued at CAD 75.8 million.
On this street, there is another famous mansion. This mansion was once the most expensive listed house in Canada. Rumor has it that this house was also visited by British Prince Harry and Meghan. According to reports by The Sun, Harry and Meghan toured this mansion on Point Grey Road. The front yard of this mansion faces south, and the backyard overlooks English Bay. At the time, the listing price was CAD 35.88 million, making it the most expensive house on the Canadian market. The mansion has an area of about 12,300 square feet, with a three-story building area of 6,857 square feet. Unfortunately, in the spring, Harry and Meghan eventually did not stay in Vancouver, and the couple settled in California, USA. This mansion quickly found its new owner.
Observing the mansions on Point Grey Road from the sea is quite unique. From west to east, we can see UBC campus, West Point Grey, and nearby beaches such as Spanish Banks and Jericho Beach. Going east along Point Grey Road for 2 to 3 kilometers, you can reach Kistilano Beach, and walking 1 to 2 kilometers along the promenade from Kits Beach, you can reach under the Burrard Bridge. After crossing the Burrard Bridge, it is downtown Vancouver, with Downtown, West End, and the snowy mountains as the backdrop. English Bay’s First Beach and Second Beach face Kits Beach across English Bay. Second Beach is backed by the famous Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver. Crossing Stanley Park through the famous Lion’s Gate Bridge, you can reach West Vancouver and North Vancouver.
The Vancouver International Fireworks Competition in July each year attracts tens of thousands of people to English Bay Beach to watch. On the sea, there are also various sizes of boats for watching fireworks and the coastal scenery.
If you are interested in buying property in Kitsilano, feel free to visit the direct link below to search for Kitsilano real estate.
This document was collected and compiled by Vancouver real estate broker and developer Gary Gao. Gary Gao can help you with your needs for buying and building houses in Greater Vancouver.
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