Grandview – Woodlands
General Location:
The neighborhood of Grandview Woodlands is bordered on the south by East Broadway (9th Avenue) and stretches north to Burrard Inlet where the waterfront forms it northernmost limit. Clark Drive defines the area’s western edge, while Nanaimo Street marks the eastern boundary.
Major Transportation arteries:
Running north-south, both Clark Drive and Nanaimo Street are major traffic routes. Between these, Commercial Drive, as well as Victoria Drive, provide popular and easy passage through the central area of this neighborhood. The main east-west routes in the northern section of Grandview Woodlands are Powell Street and Hastings Street, while Prior, coming in from the west leads in toward Victoria Drive. Terminal Avenue turns into 1st Avenue as it crosses Clark Drive and cuts through the whole area. From the west, Great Northern Way leads to Clark Dr., where, with a slight jog, it transforms into Grandview, creating a small triangle in the south western corner of the neighborhood. East Broadway is the main thoroughfare on Grandview Woodland’s southernmost limit. Sky train has one of its busiest stops at Broadway and Commercial. Transit runs buses down both Commercial Drive and East Broadway, as well as along Hastings and Powell Street.
Main Attractions:
The many restaurants and one-of- a-kind shops attract Vancouver’s artistic and theater crowd. Live music can often be heard through café door and windows, where folks gather to enjoy exotic coffee drinks while socializing. The Havana café is an outstanding example which includes an outdoor dining area, an art gallery and performance space. Café Deux Soleil provides a vegetarian menu and active family focus. Vancouver’s East Cultural Center on Venables St. remains a major long standing venue for theater, music and poetry events. While Grandview Park (see below) is the site of a variety of community activities, there are many green spaces nestled amongst the residential developments. The list below includes the most popular.
Alice Townley Park – 1775 Woodland Drive at East 2nd Avenue
Cambridge Park – 2099 Wall Street at Cambridge St.
Garden Park 1851 Garden Drive at East 3rd Avenue
Grandview Park – 1657 Charles Street at Commercial Drive
McGill Park – 2305 McGill Street at Garden Drive
McSpadden Park – 2125 Victoria Drive at East 5th Avenue
Mosaic Creek Park – 1475 Charles Street at Mclean Drive
Oxford Park – 2050 Wall Street at Oxford St.
Pandora Park – 2325 Franklin Street at Garden Drive
Salsbury Park – 1806 Adanac Street at Salbury Drive
Templeton Park – 700 Templeton Drive at Adenac Street
Victoria Park – 1415 Victoria Drive at Kitchener Street
W.C. Shelley Park – 1500 East 8th Avenue at Woodland Drive
Woodland Park – 705 Woodland Drive at Adanac Street
Amenities:
The Britannia Community Center is a central focal point in the Grandview Woodland area. Not only does it provide a wide array of recreational, social and educational programs, but the building complex includes a swimming pool, ice rink, track and field space and schools. The Britannia Library is also situated in this vibrant family facility. This large development serves a population of mixed ages and diverse interests. While a number of family and specialty grocery stores dot the neighborhood, at the corner of Broadway and Commercial Dr. a large chain store with an equally large parking lot provides a wide variety of services and brand products. Health care and dental services can be accessed through various qualified practitioners located nearby.
People and Homes:
The community in Grandview Woodlands has large heritage homes, some dating to the early 1900s, on corner lots, can be seen beside smaller detached homes on smaller lots. Many multi-story apartment blocks surrounded by well-manicured lawns line the bright tree-lined streets just off the main transportation routes and commercial areas. This community has a stable core of long-time residents and is also home to university students seeking shorter term living space.
The wide ranging amenities and colorful, welcoming flavor of Grandview Woodland make it a desirable location in central Vancouver.
