Kitsilano
Kitsilano Real Estate Development list
General Location within Vancouver:
Kitsilano is bounded by Alma street on the west and Burrard on the east. The northern beach coast of English Bay forms its northern limit while 16th Avenue marks its southern border. The First Nations cultural heritage of the neighborhood is ever present, enshrined in its namesake inspiration, Chief Khatsahlano.
Major transportation arteries:
Directly accessing the Burrard street bridge (which runs north-south), Cornwall street is the main Kitsilano East-West roadway closest to the beach, although there are smaller side streets to the north which directly follow the shoreline. Then comes Fourth Avenue, dotted with many clusters of local neighborhood shopping and residential districts, and Broadway (9th Avenue) with its continuous cosmopolitan complexes of stores surrounded by residential developments. The 10th Avenue through fare, and finally, the 16th Avenue causeway, are major drive-through routes for commuters. Public transport provides easy access along Cornwall, 4th Ave, and Broadway, as well as along Burrard, Arbutus and Alma streets. Traveling west to UBC, north to downtown core, and east to other parts of the city, are equally easy.
Main Attractions:
Kitsilano has been popular as a residential area since the late 1800s and continues as a cherished place in which to reside. The scenic sandy Kits Beach and Kits Point form the key outdoor recreational focus in the neighborhood. Managed by the Vancouver Parks Board, Vanier Park is home to the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the Gordon Southam Observatory and the H.R. Macmillan Space Center. This favorite summer seaside oasis, with its outdoor Kits pool, also provides generous grassy fields, as well as foot and bike paths. It offers a fantastic view of downtown Vancouver. Tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds and washrooms, ensure the continuous presence of locals year-round, and the Kits Park and Kitsilano Beach are a much beloved tourist attraction in the summer months when everyone comes outdoors to soak up the sunshine. The park hosts a variety of festivals during the year.
Kitsilano is home to other smaller parks and green space too. Many streets are tree-lined and eco-friendly, demonstrating the interest this district has in a natural and health conscious lifestyle. The gentrification of the area has always maintained an appealing sense of relaxation and comfort while acknowledging it nearness to the modern city core.
Amenities:
Multi-national in flavor, Cornwall is dotted with clusters of friendly food shops, watering holes and locally owned establishments. Fourth Avenue is also home to a cosmopolitan variety of restaurants and hundreds of shops reflecting the interests of both nearby residents and destination shoppers alike. Health food stores and vegetarian eateries reminiscent of the area’s popularity in the ‘60s’ now share street frontage with big name brand stores, maternity boutiques, comics, cookware shops, active wear & sporting goods retailers, banks, books, beads and beer outlets. The Broadway corridor provides a similar though more extensive selection of both local and international restaurants, shopping opportunities, recreational facilities and specialty establishments. Several public schools, including Kitsilano Secondary School and the French immersion grade school General Gordon Elementary School, among others, are located in ‘Kits.’ The easily accessible Kits Community Center has a large playing field and gyms, furnishing a kaleidoscope of public programs to the neighborhood. The easily accessed amenities in Kitsilano contribute useful and much appreciated services to the resident people; the young, younger, and young at heart, who are fortunate enough to live here.
The People and Homes:
Kitsilano is the dwelling place of long standing permanent residents, both singles and families, as well as an ever-changing student population and valued new comers to the neighborhood. Many are young professionals although Golden-Agers and children also live here. Close to 85% of the folks are apartment dwellers, living side-by-side with those in new and/or older detached houses. A variety of newer housing projects provides residential opportunities much in demand and coveted in Vancouver. The essential character of Kitsilano appeals to the well appointed ‘free spirit’ who prefers to live near all the major amenities of a large urban center and values easy access to the natural and health promoting scenic beauty of the green outdoors. The neighborhood is both stable and accommodating of ‘trendy’ modern initiatives, with an interest in promoting a community profile which emphasizes safety, responsibility and a commitment to quality urban living.
