Kitsilano
Kitsilano is a high-end community in the Vancouver West area, located to the south of Downtown Vancouver. The southern shores of English Bay borders the north end of the community, 16th Avenue West bounds the south end, Alma Street to the west and Burrard Street is the border to the east.
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Back in the '60s Kitsilano was primarily a haven for hippies; nowadays, not so much. Although you can still find some Vegan eateries (Motiv, Kaya Kaya, the Naam, just to name a few), most of Kitsilano has been uber-urbanized, with trendy restaurants, boutiques, cafes, spas, and main-stream supermarkets and pharmacies on West 4th Avenue and West Broadway, the main shopping streets in the neighborhood often referred to as "Kits".
Kits is probably most well known for its beaches- Kits Beach is a major attraction during Vancouver's summer months, and boasts a heated, saltwater outdoor pool. The pool is Vancouver's only saltwater pool and is one of the few in the world, and at 137m it's the longest pool in Canada. In addition to the pool, waterfront recreation (Kitsilano's recreational spots mostly is on the waterfront) includes beach volleyball, tennis courts, the seawall and Vanier Park, the local's favorite. The Vancouver Museum and the Vancouver Meritime Museum are located here.
Vancouver West has a mix of residential sections within more urban communities, and Kits is no exception. Detached homes and multi family units can be found on tree-lined streets just a block or so away from the main shopping strips. There is quite a mix of single family (detached) houses, multi-family homes (duplexes, triplexes), condos and apartments in Kits, and most of the detached homes are adorable heritage houses. As you get closer to the beach you start to see the larger homes, many of them with views of English Bay. There is a mix of newer, modern homes and the older character homes that have been refurbished.
In terms of price range, it's hard to find a decent detached house under a million in Kitsilano, although you can spot condos that need some updating from the mid $200,000's. In 1974 the community was down zoned through the efforts of a Israelian immigrant and has since been forbidden to build highrises. The downzoning has kept Kit's lower key, residential atmosphere in tact.
With it's easy access to Vancouver (you can get to Downtown within 10 minutes by bike, car or bus) and abundance of amenities, Kitsilano is no doubt one of Vancouver's most desired communities. Durring the summer months Kitsilano hosts several festivals, including "Greek Days" which celebrates the Greek culture each June on Broadway Street, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival which is held at Jericho Beach each summer, and the Vancouver Children's Fesitval and "Bard on the Beach", an outdoor Shakespearean festival is hosted at Vanier Park.
