Arbutus Ridge, with spectacular views of English Bay and the North Shore mountains, stretches from Mackenzie and Puget Drive to East Boulevard and Maple Crescent, and from 16th to 41st Avenue. The history of Arbutus Ridge is short, even by Vancouver standards. While its development was connected to that of the adjacent areas of Shaughnessy, Dunbar and Kerrisdale, the community was to develop differently as a result of the CPR and due to the swampy nature of the area.

            Arbutus Ridge consisted of uplands surrounding a low-lying marsh known as Asthma Flats. The original inhabitants fished the local streams, although there is no record of settlement. In 1888, the Province turned over 2,100 hectares (5,189 acres) of land in the area to the CPR. Included in this holding was a large portion of what is now the Arbutus Ridge community. Over the years Arbutus Ridge has been part of three municipalities: South Vancouver until 1908; then Point Grey and finally Vancouver in 1929. The crossroads of East/West Boulevard and Wilson Avenue (now 4 1 st Avenue) were the hub of local political activity in those early years.

            The community's uplands area (known to residents as Mackenzie Heights) was first to see residential settlement. These uplands, which filled with gracious middle-class homes between 1912 and the 1930s, became identified with the adjacent communities of Dunbar and Kerrisdale. The B.C. Electric's interurban railway line, which connected Steveston with Vancouver in 1905, passed through the Kerrisdale area (with stops at 37th/ East Boulevard and 41st/East Boulevard) acted as a trigger for early development. The railway was replaced with trolley buses in July 1952. During the 1940s and 1950s sand was brought in from False Creek and the low areas filled in with houses, schools and shops. in the late 1960s a major development occurred within the community when Arbutus Village, a housing and shopping complex was constructed. 

            A number of homes remain in Arbutus Ridge from Vancouver's early settlement years. As of June 1992, there were 18 structures in Arbutus Ridge listed on the Vancouver Heritage Inventory. 

            Every day, more than half a million people enter Vancouver´s Downtown core. The area, also known as the Central Business District, is a triangle of land nestled between Burrard Inlet and False Creek. The area is bordered by Stanley Park, the West End, and Cambie Street and is a patchwork of distinct communities, including Yaletown, Gastown, Coal Harbour, and the East False Creek. 

             Downtown is the city's and region's largest shopping district. Major department stores are located at its centre at the intersection of Georgia and Granville streets. At its eastern end, Gastown's night clubs, restaurants and specialty shops combine with the area's historic charm to make it a major tourist attraction. Similarly, Chinatown's ethnic character and specialty shops combine the area's unique heritage buildings to attract visitors and regional residents alike.

            The late 1960s and 70s saw rapid growth in the Downtown and adjacent areas such as the West End. Vancouver solidified its position as an international financial and business centre and white collar jobs in the city core multiplied. Pacific Centre Mall was developed and Granville Street was transformed.

            Once the city's warehouse district, Yaletown is today a revitalized part of the city and a "trendy" place to live, work, and do business. The area north of Pacific Boulevard, between Nelson and Drake Streets, is home to a mix of art galleries, retail stores, restaurants, office and residential developments.

            Like many areas of Vancouver, Yaletown's early days were shaped by the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887. Yaletown acquired its name when the railway moved its construction equipment and repair shops from Yale in the Fraser Canyon to the railway's western terminus of Vancouver.

            The next 20 years saw many sawmills and shingle mills locate on the north side of False Creek. By the turn of the century, business was booming throughout B.C. and Vancouver had become the wholesaling centre for western Canada.

            Until the late 1970s and 1980s,  the area was home to little more than parking space when young urban professionals discovered that Yaletown's old warehouses were convenient, inexpensive and attractive. Today, former industrial buildings, warehouses and working-class houses have been transformed into offices, restaurants and trendy nightspots. Loft-style residences and new hi-rise developments also proliferate.

 

            Although Coal Harbour is technically considered part of the West End by the City of Vancouver, it has a distinctly different feel than the rest of the neighbourhood. Though its perimeters are a little loose, Coal Harbour falls on the northern shore of the Downtown peninsula, with high rises extending to the entrance of Stanley Park to the west, up to Georgia Street to the south and bordered by the financial district on the east.

            When high-rises and condos first started going up in the Coal Harbour area, the neighbourhood really had no cohesive feel or personality, beyond its spectacular views of the harbour, Stanley Park, and the North Shore mountains. Recently, with the construction of the Coal Harbour Community Centre in 2000 and the implementation of greenspace, storefronts and walkways along the shoreline, Coal Harbour is developing into a community unto itself.

            Condo prices in Coal Harbour are some of the highest in the city, and so shops and stores in the new neighborhood tend to be upscale - gourmet restaurants that cater both to tourists and locals, organic grocery stores and high-end boutiques. The community is a popular choice for “empty nesters” moving back into the city, as well as overseas investors who know that Coal Harbour properties are likely to appreciate.

            Coal Harbour is a popular spot for tourists and despite an increasing amount of residences, the  waterfront and parks are still accessible to all Vancouverites and visitors.

 

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            As its name suggests, this area is really two distinct communities, each with its own unique identity. Dunbar, centered on Dunbar Street between 16th Avenue and Southwest Marine Drive, is an attractive community of quiet, tree-lined streets, single-family houses, beautiful parks and a central community centre.

            Southlands, south of Southwest Marine Drive in the low-lying flatland of the Fraser River floodplain, is serene rural farmland where there seems to be more horses than people. No other Canadian city has country living so close to the city, just 15 minutes from downtown. The area's residents greatly value its safe, green, village-like atmosphere and see this quality as what makes their community special. 

            Archaeological evidence indicates that native Indians inhabited the Southlands area as early as 400 B.C. The mouth of the Fraser provided abundant hunting and fishing grounds for coastal Salish Indians who settled in at least three locations: the Angus Lands, Celtic Island and the Musqueam Reserve area. In 1879, the Musqueam Reserve was formally dedicated and in 1892, Southlands became part of the newly incorporated District of South Vancouver.

            In 1912, a section of the University of British Columbia lands was subdivided and lots were laid out based on town planning principles of the day. The streetcar reached Clare Road (now Dunbar Street) in 1913 and went as far as 41st Avenue by 1925. By 1927, the area was served by three streetcar routes. Dunbar-Southlands became part of Vancouver in 1929 when the Municipality of Point Grey amalgamated with the City of Vancouver.

            The first significant land development in Dunbar-Southlands occurred in the mid-1920s and some of the homes built during this period still stand today.

 

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            The last few decades have seen Fairview transformed from an industrial area fronting False Creek, to a family-oriented, inner-city neighbourhood offering waterfront living in the heart of the city. Fairview stretches from Burrard Street to Cambie Street, and from 16th Avenue to False Creek, and includes the neighbourhoods of False Creek, Fairview Slopes, Burrard Slopes and Fairview Heights.

            Fairview residents are just steps away from several of Vancouver's most popular shopping destinations: South Granville and Granville Island. Located along Granville, from the Granville Street Bridge to 16th Avenue, South Granville offers sophisticated, upscale shopping, art galleries, antiques, restaurants and coffee bars. To the north, the old warehouses and factories that once lined False Creek have been transformed into Granville Island; the area's heart and soul. Granville Island is a lively thriving mix of shops, theatres, studios, and its centrepiece, the public market.

            From the early 1920s to the early 1960s, Fairview Slopes was zoned for 3 storey apartments and throughout the 1950s, the area south of Broadway developed as an apartment district. Broadway, as well as Granville and Cambie Streets, became important neighbourhood commercial strips. At the same time, the Slopes were rezoned to industrial use, and some houses were replaced with small industries.

            As the City's plans for False Creek took shape, pressure arose to redevelop the Slopes for high density uses. The area was rezoned in 1972 from industrial to residential/commercial. Fairview Heights, a small fifteen-block area extending south of Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (formerly Vancouver General Hospital), was rezoned in 1984 from a duplex to a low-rise apartment zone. Since then the area has been extensively redeveloped providing additional housing opportunities for those employed in the downtown core and with Vancouver Hospital.

 

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            Grandview-Woodland stretches from Broadway to Burrard Inlet, and from Clark Drive to Nanaimo Street. It might have remained a wilderness of stumps (it was logged off in the 1880s) if not for the Vancouver-New Westminster interurban railway which opened in September 1891; the same year the area's first house was built. It had hourly runs from Carrall and Hastings Streets along Park Drive (Commercial Drive). Construction of 2nd and 3rd Avenues, between Clark and Woodland, by chain gangs from the Powell Street jail in the late 1890's opened the area for development. Arrival of the city water system along Commercial Drive in 1904 allowed for more expansion.

 

            Early settlement years saw business activity centre on Park (Commercial) Drive while industry claimed the area's northern fringe (largely influenced by the CPR line and the Port). In the early 1900's, "Park Drive" was renamed "Commercial Drive", and "9th Avenue" became "Broadway". After 1912, building in the area slowed due to a city-wide recession, and a new political and economic focus centered on westside neighbourhoods such as Kitsilano, Point Grey, and Shaughnessy.

            Grandview-Woodland is characterized by a mix of buildings. Elaborate houses on large corner lots sit next to cottages on narrow ones. The largest houses date from the late 1890's and early 1900's, when Grandview-Woodland was initially promoted as a prestigious residential area.

 

            The face of the community changed after the First World War when Italian, Chinese, and East European immigrants arrived in the area. After World War II, a second wave of Italian immigrants made the area home. They renovated old houses and noticeably changed the look of Commercial Drive with new shops and restaurants and Grandview became known as "Little Italy".

            This charismatic area features a diversity of people, housing and land use. Its heart is Commercial Drive, a fascinating collection of ethnic restaurants and food stores, funky coffee bars and hangouts, unusual clothing stores and street activity. The "Drive" is known throughout the city for its cosmopolitan appeal.

 

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            Hastings-Sunrise is a family-oriented neighbourhood, running North-South from the Burrard Inlet to Broadway, and West-East from Nanaimo St. to Boundary Rd (which serves as the boundary between the City of Vancouver and the city of Burnaby).

            Hastings Sunrise, one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods, was originally intended by developers in the mid-1800's to be a resort town, for vacationers from New Westminster (then BC's capital city) to spend weekends. Though the area never developed into the booming port it was planned to be (that port ended up being Gastown), it did see enjoy a reputation as a resort area up until the turn of the century. New Brighton Park, The New Brighton Hotel (destroyed by fire in 1905) and Hastings Park, a half mile race track, drew many seeking leisure in the area. In 1910, the City began holding an annual fair on the ground, since renamed Exhibition Park, and in 1926, a seasonal amusement park, Happyland, was built into the parkway.

            Today, Happyland is known as Playland, and amusements and rides are a permanent feature on the park grounds (open from the end of April to the beginning of September), as it the Hastings Racetrack. There is a stadium and concert hall on the grounds also, which regularly hold sporting events and concerts. The Pacific National Exhibition grounds, as they are, known, are probably the most famous park of Hastings-Sunrise, with the beautiful waterfront New Brighton Park coming a close second.

            The area has historically been a working class, family neighbourhood, with many single-family dwellings divided up to include basement and top floor rental suites.

 

 

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            Kensington-Cedar Cottage is a residential, mostly working-class neighborhood, running East-West from Nanaimo St. to Fraser St., and North-South from Broadway to 41st Ave. Containing the upper, more residential end of Commercial Drive, the busy, commercial stretch of Kingsway and perhaps the highest concentration of Vancouver Specials of any neighbourhood in the city, Kensington-Cedar Cottage would be a fairly normal area if not for Trout Lake Park.

            Trout Lake Park, containing the Vancouver's only lake, is an oasis in the city, a family-friendly area for picnics, tennis, swimming, walks and more. There is a community centre with an ice rink and a gym, and in the summer there are weekend farmer's markets. Trout Lake also hosts the annual Illuminaries Lantern Procession, a wonderful, free event held each summer, which sees thousands of Vancouverites create wildly imaginative paper lanterns to light up the night sky. Truly, it is one of the most magical evenings on the Vancouver Calendar.

            Like most of East Vancouver, Kensington-Cedar Cottage is transitioning from working-class to middle class, as a more affluent, younger demographic moves into the area.

 

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            Kerrisdale is a mature, well-established suburban community filled with single-family homes on tree-lined streets, a mix of low- and high-rise apartments, and a thriving commercial centre along 41st Avenue. The area stretches from Blenheim to Granville Street/Angus Drive, and from 41st Avenue to Southwest Marine Drive and is considered one of the most stable communities in Canada.

            Early settlers in Kerrisdale, attracted by the semi-rural setting, developed many homes in a variety of styles which still remain today. Architectural styles include English Arts and Crafts, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and the Beaux Art. Kerrisdale has retained many of its original homes and remains one of Vancouver's most pleasant neighbourhoods.

              The first settlers were the Irish McCleery brothers, who came to the area in 1867 to farm the meadows where the golf course now bearing their name is located. When the Steveston fish canneries began to flourish, a need for workers prompted the CPR to construct a railway from Vancouver to Lulu Island. The "Sockeye Special," as it was called, went through the heart of Kerrisdale, providing transportation for the first influx of people.

            Kerrisdale acquired its name in 1905, when the B.C. Electric Railway took over the line from the CPR. Mrs. MacKinnon, one of the area's earliest residents, was asked by the line's general manager to name the tram stop at Wilson Road (now 41st). She chose "Kerrisdale" after her old family home in Kerrydale, Scotland.

            The present Kerrisdale Centennial Park was the site of the original City Hall which at that time contained the Council chamber, municipal offices, the police court and a two cell jail.

  

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            Located in the extreme southeast corner of Vancouver from East 41st Avenue to the Fraser River and from Boundary Road and Vivian Street, Killarney was the last neighbourhood in Vancouver to be developed. Although the first settlers arrived in the late 1800s, Killarney remained an area of second growth forest and farms until after WWII. This once rural area has experienced significant residential growth that began in the 1950s and continues to this day.

            Between 1892 and 1929 Killarney was a part of the District of South Vancouver. In 1929, it amalgamated with The City of Vancouver. In 1913 Westminster Road was paved and renamed Kingsway. Gradually the business area developed at Kingsway and Joyce. When the bog area south of No.1 Road (now 45th Avenue) was drained and developed at Killarney Street, and the new high school and community centre were built, the area became known as Killarney.

            In the 1970s, the southern part of the area was transformed into Champlain Heights. Champlain Heights is now fully developed, and a new comprehensive residential project, Fraser Lands, is proceeding along the area's most southerly boundary, the Fraser River.

            Because Killarney developed long after most Vancouver neighbourhoods, the number of heritage buildings within its boundaries is few. Scattered throughout the neighbourhood are examples of early farm houses early residential development from the 1920's and some excellent examples of modern (1960's) residential developments.

            Some of Killarney's most significant heritage assets relate to the natural environment, reminders of a time when vegetation, not urbanization, dominated the landscape. An example is the line of mature fir trees and small orchard of apple trees planted near the eastern corner of 54th Avenue and Tyne Street.

  

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            Kitsilano - stretching from the English Bay waterfront to 16th Avenue, and from Burrard to Alma Street - is known for its young, active population, its endless beaches, spectacular mountain views, and its proximity to shopping, restaurants and the downtown core.

            At the turn of the century, the area from Burrard to Alma Streets was a dense, wild-life-filled forest, in spite of earlier logging. A salmon canning factory at the foot of Macdonald Street was once unable to cope with the "hundreds of thousands of salmon" caught in 1900.

            During the summer, dozens of vacationing tent campers -- many from the city's fashionable West End -- lined Kits Beach, then called Greer's Beach after one of the area's earliest settlers. East of the beach area was the Kitsilano Indian Reserve, on the site of today's Vanier Park. The Coast Salish village of Snauq was located on the shore of False Creek, slightly to the east of the Museum-Planetarium Complex.

            The CPR (which owned most of the land east of Trafalgar), the B.C. Electric Railway's streetcar line along 4th Avenue to Alma, and the Burrard Bridge built in 1932, all played a role in opening up Kitsilano. However, Kitsilano was not fully developed south to 16th Avenue until the late 1940s. During World War II, most of the old estates and many single-family homes along the slope above Kitsilano Beach were converted into rooming houses. They remained that way until the 1960s, by which time the area had become popular with university students and young people from throughout North America.

            Kitsilano residents have a long history of community involvement. As early as 1907, Kitsilano citizens lobbied for sewers, tram service and other infrastructure for their community. A rezoning of the slope above the beach to allow apartments raised residents' concerns over the future of their community. Further changes in the 1970s, and again in the 1980s, prompted City Council to initiate local area planning programs involving Kits residents, local business people and City staff.

            In the past three decades, there have been numerous physical changes in the Kitsilano area. The most dramatic have occurred in the apartment area, where most original houses have been replaced by new apartment buildings. In the duplex/conversion areas of Kits however, residents have been working hard to restore and preserve the character homes which make the community so distinctive.

            Concentrations of Craftsman-style houses can be found in the area bounded by Macdonald, Stephens, 5th and 6th Avenues. A virtually intact row of "California Bungalows" can be seen on the south side of 5th Avenue between Bayswater and Balaclava.

            In recognition of the special quality of these (duplex/conversion) areas, City Council has adopted changes to the Zoning and Development By-law to assist the retention of older character homes.

  

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            Marpole is one of the city's oldest communities, and the one visitors see first when entering from the south. Stretching from Angus Drive to Ontario Street, and from 57th Avenue to the North Arm of the Fraser River, the region's traffic passes through this neighbourhood, just as it did years ago.

            It is believed the Marpole area was inhabited as far back as 3500 B.C. Two early village sites discovered along the north shore of the Fraser have been documented by archaeologists. Today, a stone cairn and a plaque in Marpole Park reminds visitors of the Marpole Midden, evidence of Marpole's earliest settlement. The Marpole Midden was discovered by workers in 1889 during the extension of Granville Street. Many tools, weapons and other artifacts were found in what proved to be one of the largest village sites discovered in North America.

            First settled by non-natives in the 1860s, Marpole was originally called "Eburne Station" after Harry Eburne, the area's first storekeeper and postmaster. At the time, it was a small town separated from the rest of the city by many miles of forest.

            At the turn of the 20th century, Eburne grew and prospered with construction of the Vancouver Lulu Island Railway and the B.C. Electric interurban train line. Business people realized the riverfront's industrial potential, and gradually sawmills, shingle mills, sand and gravel companies came to the area. In 1916, the area was renamed for CPR General Superintendent Richard Marpole. By 1929, when the community amalgamated with Vancouver, Marpole had become one of the city's major industrial centres.

            When the Oak Street Bridge opened in 1957 the historic business district along Hudson and Marine suffered a serious decline as traffic shifted to Oak Street several blocks to the east. In the 1960s, the area south of 70th Avenue was rezoned and low-rise stucco walkups began to replace the original homes. In 1975, when the Arthur Laing Bridge opened to airport traffic, commercial activity focused once again on Granville Street.

  

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            Mount Pleasant is one of the most diverse communities in the city. The area stretches from Cambie to Clark Drive and from Great Northern Way and 2nd, to 16th and Kingsway and is an eclectic mix of new and old homes, industry, educational facilities, and artist live/work studios.

            The proximity to the business district of Vancouver and the availability of a quality water supply (Brewery Creek) made the area an ideal place for early industry and settlement. Early expectations were that Mount Pleasant would develop as Vancouver's fashionable "uptown." The area high above False Creek was named "Mount Pleasant" in 1888, after the Irish birthplace of the wife of H.V. Edmonds. Edmonds, clerk of the municipal council in New Westminster, was the original owner of much of Mount Pleasant.

            By 1904, Mount Pleasant was home to a tannery, two slaughter houses, four breweries, and a train station. Industrial expansion brought residential development. By 1912, Mount Pleasant had a thriving residential population and community facilities such as an elementary school (the Kingsgate Mail site), a firehall, a first run theatre, and Vancouver's first skyscraper (the Lee Building). Mount Pleasant was also a terminus for the streetcar network.

            During WWI, the tidal flats of False Creek from Main Street to Clark Drive were filled to provide a site for two large railway terminals and railyards. As a result, half of Mount Pleasant's waterfront was lost and the mouth of Brewery Creek was filled in.

            By 1930, the character of the community was already established with block after block of houses on small lots, and a mix of residential and industrial uses. The 1930s brought changes to Mount Pleasant. Industrial expansion north of Broadway between Main and Cambie Streets resulted in the demolition of many homes. These changes transformed Mount Pleasant and it began to lose its residential prestige.

            Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the remaining houses in the industrial area disappeared and more industries, low-rise offices and warehouses moved in. In 1935, the city expropriated park land at 12th Avenue and Cambie Street to build a new city hall. Mayor McGeer felt that the new location would link the area to the rest of the city. (Davis 1979) Today many older homes in south and west parts of Mount Pleasant have been restored.

            Mount Pleasant still has many significant homes dating from the 1890s through to the 1920s. Mount Pleasant's notable residential buildings range from a collection of modest houses from the community's first phase of development, to more substantial and elaborate Queen Anne/Edwardian type residential buildings constructed during the first two decades of the 20th Century. 

            Mount Pleasant West was the home of Vancouver's Olympic Village for the 2010 Winter Olympics, now called Creekside. The surrounding indusrtial area is undergoing major rejuvenation and is one of the city's up-and-coming neighbourhoods.

 

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            Although Oakridge is a quiet suburban neighbourhood, it is shopping that many people think of when they hear the area's name. Since it opened in 1959 at the corner of 41st and Cambie, Oakridge Shopping Centre has drawn customers from throughout the Lower Mainland.

            The actual community of Oakridge is much more than a shopping centre. Centred on Oak and Cambie Streets, between 41st and 57th Avenues, it is a mature, stable residential community characterized by large lots. It is named after nearby Oak Street, and sits on the ridge of land that slopes down to the Fraser River.

            Although neighbouring Marpole and Kerrisdale experienced steady growth between 1908 and 1929, the community of Oakridge remained in its natural state until the early 1950s, when the CPR developed its land holdings for residential and commercial use. Development included the construction of single-family homes and the creation of Vancouver's first shopping center - Oakridge, built on a 32-acre plot of land at 41st and Cambie.

            During the 1960s, construction continued and a large number of young families moved into the community. Schools and hospitals were built to meet the increasing demand, and facilities such as the Jewish Community Centre and the Home for the Aged were built to serve the growing community.

            One of Oakridge´s predominant architectural forms, the classic bungalow, may not classify as heritage, however it is noteworthy and may be considered a heritage structure sometime in the future. The bungalows are characteristic of the type of dwellings built during the post WWII boom.

            The area is now undergoing a massive change with many homes making way for condo developments along the main thoroughfares of Cambie and Oak Streets, 41st Ave and Marine Drive, to increase housing density in the city.

 

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            Known for its community spirit, Renfrew-Collingwood is a family-oriented community on the slopes of east Vancouver. The area is bounded by Broadway and the Lougheed Highway on the north, Nanaimo to the west, 41st Avenue and Kingsway on the south, and Boundary Road to the east.

            Prior to 1890, this area had a significant wildlife population, but only a handful of residents.

Ducks, geese, cougars and black bears all made their homes near lakes that no longer exist; Moody Lake, where the SkyTrain line is today, and three smaller beaver-built lakes, where Grandview Highway now runs.

            In 1891, the inter-urban railway tram brought new people to the area. The electric railway, the first of its kind in Canada, connected Downtown Vancouver and New Westminster. Many of the early houses and stores were built near the Collingwood East Tram Station, at Vanness Avenue and Joyce Street.

            By most accounts, the name Collingwood originated with some of the principals from the Tramway company who had previously resided in Collingwood, Ontario. Then, as now, the area was frequently coupled with its neighbour to the north, Renfrew. After the area was cleared, people settled along Westminster Road (Kingsway) west of Boundary Road.

            In 1896, what is now the oldest school in Vancouver, was built. The two-room Vancouver East School accommodated all 30 Collingwood students. The school was the source of great community pride and many of the area's streets were named after the families of the school's first students. Battison Road is named after the Battison brothers, while Earles Road is named after Florence Earle. Joyce Road is named after the first school board secretary, A. Joyce, while Vivian Road is named in honour of the first child born in the area, Jennie Vivian, born in 1892. In 1908 the name of the school changed to Collingwood Heights. It changed once again in 1911 to Sir Guy Carleton.

            By 1913, Collingwood was home to a grocery store, a branch of the Bank of Vancouver, a butcher shop, a Methodist Church, and a doctor (F. J. Buller). Westminster Road was paved and renamed Kingsway, and the streetcar system between Victoria Drive and Earles Street was extended to Joyce Street. This, along with a new bus system eventually led to a decline in the ridership of the inter-urban tram, and encouraged businesses to grow in the district around Kingsway and Joyce.

            This development, and the amalgamation of the Municipality of South Vancouver with Vancouver in 1929, eventually led the community to change from being semi-agricultural to a residential suburb.

            Although the interurban closed in 1954 after 63 years, its legacy lives on. In 1986, construction of the SkyTrain route along the old interurban route spurred the development of lowrise and highrise apartments near station stops, just as the interurban had done so many years before.

 

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            Located atop Vancouver's highest point, Riley Park-Little Mountain is home of Queen Elizabeth Park,  Mountainview Cemetery, & Hillcrest Community Centre. Residents of this area - stretching from 16th Avenue to 41st Avenue and from Cambie Street to Fraser Street - live in homes ranging from mini-estates surrounding Queen Elizabeth Park, to modest bungalows east of Main Street.

           Trendy Main Street, running north/south through the city, is Riley Park's popular urban hangout. Main Street contains many unique local shops, restaurants, pubs, antique stores & coffee houses and hosts one of Vancouver's Car Free Day block parties each summer.

            Riley Park's origins date back to 1893, when pioneers logged Little Mountain and cut trails around its base. By the early 1900s, a scattered community began to thrive on upper Main Street. Its residents were primarily Little Mountain quarry workers, who mined volcanic rock for use surfacing the area's first roads.

            In the 1920s, one of the rock quarries was converted into the city's water reservoir. In 1940, Little Mountain became Queen Elizabeth Park and the water reservoir was covered to serve as the park's parking lot. Another of the open pit rock quarries was transformed into a beautiful sunken garden, now a tourist attraction and a favourite site for summer wedding photographs.

            By 1911, the area had its first post office and Main Street was lined with shops. By the1930s the area had evolved into a close-knit neighbourhood with small houses crowded onto small lots.

            This neighbourhood has roots in Vancouver's baseball history. The Vancouver Capilanos baseball team opened Capilano Stadium (now Nat Bailey Stadium) at the foot of Little Mountain in 1952. Vancouver was a member of the Northwestern League starting in 1907 and has had various professional teams over the years. Professional baseball was also played at Recreation Park (formerly at Smythe and Hamilton) and Athletic Park (6th and Hemlock). Nat Bailey Stadium continues to be a much beloved venue for various events to this day, especially the Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

 

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               Shaughnessy is largely residential, with a higher-than-average proportion of heritage houses from the first half of last century. Several major arteries and the Canada Line subway serve this otherwise serene area. Local residents enjoy shopping areas in Arbutus to the west and Cambie Village to the northeast. The eastern side of this area has two hospitals and the gorgeous VanDusen Botanical Gardens. Shaughnessy is the city's geographic heart, between Queen Elizabeth Park and Arbutus.

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Strathcona, Downtown Eastside (DTES), Chinatown, Gastown, and Yaletown are the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver. These historic neighbourhoods are a part of Vancouver's past, and will continue to play an important role in Vancouver's future. These vibrant neighbourhoods host a huge variety of interesting arts and cultural events, festivals, facilities, and services. Details on what's new and what's happening in Yaletown are found on our Downtown area page. You can stay up to date with news and events affecting our other historic neighbourhoods on the Hastings area page.

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Sunset is an ethnically diverse, working-class area filled with single family homes, low-rise apartments, and small retail shops. The area is an Indo-Canadian hub in Vancouver. Both Main Street and Fraser Street are vibrant shopping areas lined with many independently owned stores and restaurants. Sunset is in south-central Vancouver, east of Langara Golf Course, and slopes from the Mountain View cemetery down to the Fraser River.

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Fraserview encompasses a large area of residential and commercial development. It is a multiculturally diverse area, with a large Indo-Canadian population, and a great destination for fresh produce, sarees, fabrics, imported goods, and international cuisine. Fraserview is on Vancouver's south slope to the Fraser River, between the Knight Street Bridge and Killarney.

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West End

The West End lies west of Downtown, and, on three sides, is bounded by water: English Bay, Coal Harbour, and Lost Lagoon in world-famous Stanley Park. Recreational amenities are within walking distance for residents of this high-density area. The West End includes Davie Village—traditionally a hub for the city's gay community—and Denman Street, which together provide local shopping and restaurants. This area also has high-end retail on Robson Street.

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Point Grey is one of Vancouver's older neighbourhoods, with many long-time residents. The area is known for two of the city's popular beaches, Jericho Beach and Spanish Banks. Both beaches are great for watching the sunset, over English Bay and the mountains. Point Grey Village serves as the area's shopping district, where many independently owned businesses contribute to a village-like atmosphere. Point Grey runs along English Bay, between the University of British Columbia and Kitsilano.

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