Vancouver West Side BC

Vancouver’s West Side generally refers to the western half of the city, with Ontario Street marking its eastern border, UBC to the west, the Fraser River to the south and English Bay on the north. Known for its beautiful beaches, trails, bike paths and top notch public and private schools, West Side Vancouver is actually made up of a number of smaller neighbourhoods.

For a complete list of Vancouver neighbourhoods and their attractions, click here to go to the Vancouver website – Areas of the City.

Shopping, Dining and Entertainment

The West Side is a shopper’s paradise and attracts people from all over Greater Vancouver. Downtown shopping revolves around Robson Street, with its designer fashion stores, and Gastown, a popular tourist destination full of small boutiques and gift shops.

Fourth Avenue, in the heart of Kitsilano, is another trendy shopping spot. Browse through the upscale boutiques, gift stores and bookstores or grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and cafes. South Granville Street and 10th Avenue also have excellent shopping.

Downtown is home to General Motors Place (hockey), BC Place (football), the Queen Elizabeth theatre, the Vogue and Orpheum theatres and “movie theatre row” on Granville Street.

Parks and Recreation

The West Side is blessed with an abundance of parkland and over 50 kilometres of beaches. Walking along the water you can go from Kits beach to Jericho, Locarno, Spanish Banks and “clothing optional” Wreck Beach.

Stanley Park, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Park, and dozens of smaller neighbourhood parks offer a wealth of recreational opportunities within the city.

For more information visit the City of Vancouver Parks Gardens and Beaches site.

Transportation

Downtown Vancouver is only a 10 to 20 minute drive from most other areas in the West Side. Translink provides access to bus routes, SkyTrain stations and bikeways, makes it easy to get around without a car.

Education

The West Side is part of the Vancouver School District.

A Full list of public schools and information on special programs can be found on the Vancouver School Board Web site.

A list of Independent schools is available at the Federation of Independent School Associations’ Web site.

For school rankings, visit the B.C. Ministry of Education site or contact the New Vancouver School Board for detailed school profiles.

The West Side is home to the University of British Columbia and Langara College. Vancouver Community College, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Simon Fraser University all have downtown Vancouver campuses.

Here is a list of Elementary Schools in Vancouver West Side:

Dr. Annie B. Jamieson

Dr. George M. Weir

Dr. H.N. MacCorkindale

Norma Rose Point School

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Sir Alexander Mackenzie

Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith

Sir William MacDonald

Sir William Osler

Sir William Van Horne

University Hill Elementary

Vancouver Learning Network Elementary

Walter Moberly

Waverley

Here is a list of Secondary Schools in Vancouver West:

Sir Winston Churchill

Templeton

University Hill

Vancouver Learning Network – Secondary

Vancouver Technical

Windermere

(Sources: Vancouver.ca, Realtylinkonline, Google, & Wikipedia)

Vancouver’s West Side generally refers to the western half of the city, with Ontario Street marking its eastern border, UBC to the west, the Fraser River to the south and English Bay on the north. Known for its beautiful beaches, trails, bike paths and top notch public and private schools, West Side Vancouver is made up of a number of samller, established neighbourhoods.

For a complete list of Vancouver neighbourhoods and their attractions, click here to go to the Vancouver website –Areas of the City.