Ryan Sold It

Kitsilano - stretching from the English Bay waterfront to 16th Avenue, and from Burrard to Alma Street - is known for its young, active population, its endless beaches, spectacular mountain views, and its proximity to shopping, restaurants and the downtown core.

In the past three decades, there have been numerous physical changes in the Kitsilano area. The most dramatic have occurred in the apartment area, where most original houses have been replaced by new apartment buildings. In the duplex/conversion areas of Kits however, residents have been working hard to restore and preserve the character homes which make the community so distinctive.

Concentrations of Craftsman-style houses can be found in the area bounded by Macdonald, Stephens, 5th and 6th Avenues. A virtually intact row of "California Bungalows" can be seen on the south side of 5th Avenue between Bayswater and Balaclava.

Craftsman-style houses were built in Kitsilano during the 1910 to1912 boom period and are characterized by decorative brackets, exposed rafter ends, mock trusses in the gable ends, expansive low-pitched gable roofs, and a rich variety of finishing materials and textures.

Tatlow Park, at Point Grey Road and MacDonald, was the location of one of the first movies filmed in Vancouver; Robert Altman's 1960 film That Cold Day in the Park.

The totem pole outside the Maritime Museum at the foot of Cypress Street was carved by Mungo Martin and is a replica of one given to Queen Elizabeth II in 1967. It was the tallest totem pole in the world at the time.

The Kitsilano Branch of the Vancouver Public Library is the oldest branch in the province. It opened in 1927.

 Ever notice that the streets named after trees - i.e. Elm, Birch, Cypress don't always progress in alphabetic order? They were intended to be, but the draftsman who drew up the original street map neglected to alphabetize the list he was given.