Kitsilano, or often Kits for short, is a very popular area of Vancouver for people to not only call home, but to stretch out on the beach on the weekends, take their bikes for a joyride or to simply spend a day inspecting the popular shops and bustling eateries.
Named after August Jack Khatsahlano, an Indigenous/Aboriginal chief of the Squamish people, the area originally offered plenty of resources for those who lived here to hunt, fish, trap and gather.
Location & Background
Located along the southern shores of English bay, just across the bridge from the famous Granville Island Public Market and sitting cosily between the neighbourhoods of West Point Grey and Fairview, this area eventually developed into a ‘hippy hangout’. Since then, it has emerged into a neighbourhood loaded with culture, where its apartments and homes are filled with young urban professionals and families who get to continue enjoying the relaxed and chill vibes. The current population is predominantly those in their 20s and 30s (helping the number of younger children to be rising here also) but remains home to a steady number of those in a more senior age bracket.
Activities
A total hotspot in the summer, ‘Kits’ Beach fills up with volleyball tournaments, picnickers, sun-soakers, and those choosing to have their saltwater dip in the public swimming pool right next to the beach. The birthplace of Lululemon, you’ll find Kitsilano abuzz with activity every day of the week. Here’s you’ll find many lifestyle shops to peruse and popular beachside restaurants to sample, family-friendly activities such as the Vancouver Maritime Museum as well as annual events and festivals that place here. Speaking of events, don’t miss the Khatsahlano Street Party (Vancouver’s largest free music and arts festival), which is returning this year after a two-year hiatus (running July 9, 11am-9pm).
But this isn’t just a place to keep busy. Along with its renowned beach for relaxing, Kitsilano is home to 17 incredible parks where you can take your dog for a walk or let run around off-leash, where the kids can explore and play on the six different playgrounds or where you can take an easy-going bike ride all the way along the waterfront to Downtown Vancouver, Granville Island and through to Stanley Park!
Daily Life & Housing
Here, you can choose to retain as much of the neighbourhood’s hippy roots as you like. Daily life can be relaxed and easy going, or it can be social and vibrant with the option to easily blend the two together. It’s a deeply connected beachside community that just so happens to offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains and cityscape as well as plenty of places to continuously explore. And it doesn’t matter if you work in the area or downtown – it’s easy to get around by bike or bus, and if you do drive, a bonus is the friendly parking around these parts.
Residents who live in the area are as diverse as the properties available. A mix of options include new condo developments, bungalows, heritage homes, townhouses, and duplexes – there really is a place to call home in every shape or form. If you’re a family or parent with children, Kitsilano offers a wide variety of schooling options too, including Kitsilano Secondary School, Tennyson Elementary and private schools like St. Augustine and St. John’s School.
If you’re spending your weekends driving around the various areas of Vancouver, we highly recommend making a stop in Kitsilano. Grab a coffee, walk down West 4th and Broadway and soak up the energy that you get from this neighbourhood. If it’s an outdoor lifestyle that meets laidback living you’re hoping to find, this might just be the perfect seaside spot for you to find your new havn.
Curious? Let one of our expert Vancouver REALTORS® help show you around, answer any questions you have about the location or the current market, and make your buying journey a very fittingly beachy breeze.
