Grandview, Vancouver Eastside | Neighbourhood Profile

Live on ‘Drive Time’ in this Iconic Neighbourhood.

A quiet and affordable enclave of Vancouver that is close enough to the eclectic vibes of Mount Pleasant and the vibrancy of the Downtown core to share in the best of all worlds. This Eastside neighbourhood includes both the iconic Commercial Drive and the idyllic Trout Lake.

Schools

Grandview’s community grew with the influx of young families back in the early 50s and 60s. This boon still benefits current residents today, as there is an abundance of educational institutions in the area.

Grandview is home to seven elementary schools alone including: Britannia Elementary, Lord Nelson Elementary, Queen Victoria Annex, Grandview Elementary, Queen Alexandra Elementary, Laura Secord Elementary and Tyee Elementary. The neighbourhood also is home to some of the most storied secondary schools. Gladstone Secondary – just over the Grandview boundary – is located in the Kensington/Cedar Cottage area, and was completed in 1984. This school boasts a beautiful mural on one of the outside walls that depicts the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood. Founded in 1908, Britannia Secondary, located in the northern sector of Grandview, is one of the oldest remaining secondary schools in the Lower Mainland. Templeton Secondary School rounds out the options available to the teenage residents of Grandview.

Several private and independent schools are also close by for residents who are considering that education route for their children. These include Stratford Hall and St. Joseph’s School, both of which are well within an easy commute from anywhere in Grandview.

The availability of public transit in the neighbourhood provides ease and convenience for anyone attending post-secondary institutions like Langara College, Vancouver Community College, and UBC.

Location

Grandview is a rectangular area that mirrors the neighbouring Mount Pleasant. With a northern boundary of Venables Street, a western border of Clark Drive, and an eastern border of Nanaimo Street, the southern edge of the neighbourhood is defined by a zig-zag that starts at East 16th Avenue and Clark Drive and then heads east to Victoria Drive, followed by a jog south across the railway lines to Stainsbury Avenue before extending east to Nanaimo Street.

Housing & History

Grandview is a workable mix of light industrial, commercial and residential housing. It is a solid middle-class neighbourhood appealing to young families, upwardly mobile couples and older residents.

Most residential dwellings were built pre-1946, but as with most areas of the Lower Mainland there has been a post-2000 surge of new construction of low and mid-rise multi-family dwellings. While in some areas of the Lower Mainland the trend is definitely for the “new” to replace the “old”, this does not seem to be the case in Grandview. The renovation and updating of existing properties provides a very large appeal to the resident population. The young, multi-ethnic singles and couples, successful middle-income couples and families, and the new upwardly mobile segment, have all come together with the older residents of Grandview to renovate, rework, and make Grandview their own.

Recreation

Trout Lake is the crown jewel of outdoor recreation available in the Grandview area, offering an abundance of green space, jogging trails, fishing, boating, swimming and picnic areas. The Trout Lake Farmers Market was one of the first, and is now one of the most successful in the Lower Mainland. Renovations recently completed at the facility in John Hendry Park (at 3360 Victoria Drive) features a large fitness centre, an ice rink, performing arts, pottery and art studios, a full-size gym and a pre-school. The new centre offers classes and room bookings for youth and seniors alike. Green space is truly plentiful in all corners of the neighbourhood with such parks as Clark Park, McFadden Park and Grandview Park offering nature’s refuge to Grandview residents.

Shopping and Restaurants

Grandview is the home of the iconic Commercial Drive – “The Drive” as it is affectionately known by locals. “The Drive” features an impressive range of shopping opportunities, from locally owned fashion-forward boutiques such as Barefoot Contessa and Exposure, to the more bargain-minded shops like Wunderbucks, to the mainstays like Donald’s Market, that was voted the Best independent grocery Store in Vancouver by the West Ender.

“The Drive” is also home to an alternative culture that flocks to its affordable and eclectic character. There are many eateries – both first-class and hole in the wall – and even some that truly have it all, such as Falconetti’s East Side grill, which features live music nightly, live comedy, a roof top patio, a complete food and drink menu, and a homemade selection of their famous gourmet sausages. The restored Rio Theatre will surely satisfy the Grandview resident’s need for entertainment with its unique mix of premier independent cinema, first-run feature films, box office hits, and live entertainment.

If the uniqueness of the Drive is not enough, Grandview resides right beside the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant which offers its own brand of neighbourhood eateries, drinking establishments, coffee shops, boutiques and amenities.

Transportation

Grandview sits in an enviable area that is well serviced by both bus and Skytrain. The busy Skytrain station at Commercial and Broadway gives residents easy access to the Downtown core, to the Fraser Valley, or west to the VCC campus on Great Northern Way. The very successful, elongated “B-Line” buses move people quickly and efficiently to the Canada Line station at Cambie and Broadway, providing quick and stress-free access to the airport, as well as further on to the grounds of the University of British Columbia.