The eastside neighbourhood of Renfrew may not be the flashiest or greenest area of Vancouver but it is home to Vancouver Film Studios where entertainment as diverse as Fringe, Hot Tub Time Machine and New Moon have been produced.
Unfortunately the studio has yet to turn the surrounding Renfrew-Collingwood into Malibu or Beverly Hills but it is one of the fastest growing areas in metro Vancouver.
The original SkyTrain`s Expo Line that opened in the mid-1980s and the more recent Millennium Line kick-started the massive developments that have changed this area of Vancouver over the last two and a half decades.
Single family homes dominate but condo development, particularly around the SkyTrain stations has made it a good place for renters in search of more reasonably-priced housing. Change will continue if the City of Vancouver pushes through plans for future densification.
Renfrew-Collingwood is a very diverse neighbourhood with people of Chinese descent in the majority. The East Asian influence is evident from the businesses that compete for business along Kingsway, a major road running through the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby.
Downtown Vancouver 20 to 30 minute drive through often heavy traffic. Central Park and Metrotown mall in Burnaby are just on the doorstep.
Average condo selling price* (Sept. 2010): $329,000
Average house selling price* (Sept. 2010): $690,500
What it's known for?
› Multicultural community
› Mountain views
Schools
› Windermere Community School offers the Athena Arts Program for students interested in a career in the fine arts and a leadership program.
› The Vancouver Formosa Academy is an independent school for international and immigrant students to help them assimilate into Canadian society.
Vancouver Secondary School Boundaries (Clickable Map)
Vancouver Primary School Boundaries (Clickable Map)
Interactive map displaying all Vancouver schools
Public Transportation
Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines pass through to the north and south of the neighbourhood giving fast access to downtown and Burnaby. Broadway and Kingsway also offer good east-west bus links.
Notable Parks & Attractions
› Nootka Renfrew Park
› Renfrew Community Park
› Renfrew Ravine Park
› Purdy’s Chocolate Factory Store
Interactive map displaying all Vancouver parks
Inhabitants
Working class families, renters and low-income earners.
Location
Renfrew-Collingwood runs from Broadway in the north to East 41st Avenue in the south, and from Nanaimo Street in the west to Boundary Road in the east.
* Source: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver