Burnaby Neighbourhood Guide

Located in the centre of Metro Vancouver, Burnaby is the third-largest city in the province with over 249,000 residents. It is also known for BCIT an Institute of Technology that offers practical applied education with instructors who have direct, hands-on experience in their field. EA Games head office and home to Michael Bublé, 'The Pride of Burnaby'. To learn more about Burnaby's history, please visit the City of Burnaby's Website.

We hope you enjoy this real estate guide where you'll find a list of Burnaby's neighbourhoods, that includes great information many ask about when shopping for a home in Burnaby. This should make buying or selling real estate in Burnaby a little easier.

Buckingham Heights is near Burnaby’s recreational and cultural facilities. It is also close to Deer Lake Park, an urban oasis where you can go canoeing or kayaking, fishing, hiking, and bird watching. The park's northern side is Burnaby's cultural hub with studios and galleries, Burnaby Village Museum, and the famous Shadbolt Centre. It is among Vancouver's best concert venues- annual events such as the Vancouver Symphony, the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival, and occasional touring acts are held there.

Buckingham Heights is also situated in the middle of the two most vibrant commercial centres in the City- Edmonds and Metrotown that offer various services and shopping.

• Buckingham Elementary
• Lakeview Elementary
• Morley Elementary
• Burnaby Central Secondary School
• Moscrop Secondary School

You can access the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1)  easily and quickly from Buckingham Heights via Canada Way. This means you can travel to Vancouver and other parts of the Lower Mainland easily. Several bus routes operate in the neighbourhood and offer connections to the SkyTrain making it convenient to communte.

Brentwood is a quiet and attractive neighbourhood located in North Burnaby. It is north of The Amazing Brentwood, a new shopping mall located between Springer Avenue and Willingdon Avenue. Brentwood is mainly a residential area of single-family detached homes with several high and low-rise apartment buildings close to Springer Avenue. The neighbourhood also has condos near the SkyTrain stations which is ideal for young professionals who commute to Vancouver.

The new Amazing Brentwood is a shopping centre located in the southwest corner of Willingdon and Lougheed. You will find everything you need in the shopping centre, including financial institutions and dental and medical centres. The mall features a newly envisioned food court that redefines casual dining with a range of offerings. The food court is located on Level 2, accessible from the Grand Lobby as well as the Interior Centre.

Nearby restaurants include fast food options, pubs and dine-in restaurants. Here are a few of our favourites:

• Cactus Club
• Browns
• Pasta Amore - Soon to be Claudios and located across Wholefoods
• The Viet Noodle Guy
• The Keg
• JOEY Burnaby
• Pizza Garden

• Alpha Secondary
• Burnaby North Secondary
• Brentwood Park Elementary
• Brentwood Montessori Child Care
• Brentwood Preschool
• Parkcrest Elementary

Brentwood Park is located at the centre of the area. You can spend your leisure time in the park and enjoy the fantastic views of Burnaby Mountain and the North Shore Mountains.

There is also an urban park called Beecher Park located between Springer Avenue and Delta Avenue. It has a playground, hiking trails, forested areas, and a sports field. Beecher’s Creek, a home for local salmon that joins Still Creek, also runs through the park.

Eileen Dailly Leisure Pool and Fitness Centre has a swimming pool, kid's water play section waterslide, sauna, steam room, and fitness classes. Finally, there’s a Public Library branch in Brentwood called McGill.

Brentwood is well served by two stations on the Millenium SkyTrain line;

• Holdom Station
• Brentwood Station

Bus routes run from Brentwood station to Nanaimo Station, The University of British Columbia, Kootenay Loop, Simon Fraser University and Metrotown. Commuters can connect to Vancouver through the Lougheed Highway or Highway 1 at the Willingdon.

Burnaby Heights, or just the Heights, is in the very northwest corner of Burnaby. It is a quiet, vibrant, and family-oriented neighbourhood. The community shares its western edge with Vancouver and runs east to the Burrard Inlet. The area comprises mainly single-family homes, several newer custom homes, some condo developments and townhomes. There are a large number of heritage homes in Burnaby Heights that were constructed by early British settlers, mainly to the north of Hastings Street. There is a strong sense of history and community, parks, trails, recreational amenities, and a thriving business district with beautiful views.

• Gilmore Elementary
• Rosser Elementary
• Confederation Park Elementry
• St. Helens Elementary - Private School

The neighbourhood's largest and most remarkable recreation spot is Confederation Park, at the north end of Willingdon Avenue. The park has a pool, seniors centre, library, sports fields such as basketball courts, playgrounds, lacrosse box, lawn bowling pitch, skate park and a lively informal walking/running track.

There is also an off-leash park for your dog off Penzance Drive. Montrose Park is situated in Burnaby Heights and is part of a pedestrian trail. Burnaby's part of the trail starts at Boundary Road and runs west through Montrose Park.

Burnaby Heights is serviced by bus routes along Hastings Street that connect Simon Fraser University to Downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo Station to Metrotown SkyTrain. There are also bus routes along Boundary Road, Eton Street, and Willingdon Avenue. The Heights also has access to the Trans Canada Highway, with quick connections to the North Shore. The neighbourhood is situated next to the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge for easy access to North Vancouver.

Burnaby Heights offers condos, townhomes, detached houses and apartments for sale. Although you will pay a premium in this neighbourhood, most will say it is worth the investment.

Burnaby Mountain is a low forested mountain in Burnaby and is the location of Simon Fraser University Burnaby campus. The residential area on top of the mountain is called UniverCity. The neighbourhood has modern condos, garden townhouses, shopping centres, restaurants, playgrounds, and an elementary school. It also stretches down to an enclave of single-family homes on the mountain's western slope, east of Duthie Avenue.

The neighbourhood is located on the east side of Simon Fraser University's striking campus. There are shops, services, and restaurants, including a supermarket right along the walk from UniverCity's residential area to SFU.

Burnaby Conservation Area offers hiking and biking trails, a park at its west end that provides spectacular views of the Vancouver skyline, and across the Burrard Inlet to the North Shore Mountains and up Indian Arm. Just below the conservation area is Barnet Marine Park. The park is accessible by hiking the trails or by a vehicle along the Barnet Highway. It features a sand beach, a boat launch, hiking trails including a section of the Trans Canada Trail, and picnic areas.

• Simon Fraser University
• Burnaby Mountain Secondary
• University Highlands Elementary

A major bus loop at the top of Burnaby Mountain links to routes into Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam, and to the Production SkyTrain station. You can easily access routes along Highway 1 and the Lougheed Highway quickly and conveniently along Gaglardi Way.

As its name suggests, the neighbourhood is on and around a hill of North Burnaby. Due to its height and location, Capitol Hill enjoys scenic views of the Burrard Inlet, the Vancouver skyline to the west and the North Shore mountains. Capitol Hill has both Croatian and Italian communities and is a home for university students for its proximity to Simon Fraser University.

There are no restaurants on Capitol Hill however, you will find restaurants, shops, and services all along Hastings Street from the vibrant Heights commercial district just to the west and to the busy Kensington plaza just to the east. Several restaurants are popular with the locals and are also destination restaurants for residents of surrounding areas like Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby Heights, Brentwood Park, and Cascade Heights. You will also find some restaurants with Chinese, Greek, Japanese and Caribbean cuisine.

Burnaby Heights, a short bus ride from Capitol Hill, is a famous outdoor shopping place with unique shops, boutiques and services. You will find a dog bakery, meat market and deli, gourmet bakery, and financial institutions. Brentwood Town Centre, a shopping mall located southeast of Capitol Hill, has a variety of shops and services.

• École Capitol Hill Elementary- K-7 and French
• Confederation Park Elementary K-7
• Burnaby North Secondary 8-12
• Alpha Secondary

Confederation Park along Capitol Hill western edge offers a great recreational and cultural opportunity, including sports fields, lacrosse box, playgrounds, basketball courts, a lawn bowling pitch, Off-Leash dog area, as well as Eileen Daily poll and the McGill Public library. The park is also the home of BC Society of Model Engineers. The Confederation Community Centre for Seniors is a centre of community practices.

Capitol Hill is well served by major bus routes along Hastings Street that take you straight into the heart of downtown Vancouver, Simon Fraser University, and to Metrotown and SkyTrain stations in Burnaby.

Deer Lake is situated at the center of Burnaby, similar to the City Of Burnaby office. There is a cute strip mall at the corner of Canada Way & Springer where you can find a family-owned Pizza place, Indian food and a new Beer & Wine Store. Deer Lake is roughly 5 minutes north of Metropolis, Metrotown’s largest shopping mall. Metropolis has many shops, including big retailers such as Sephora and other designer boutiques. Station Square also features several shops and services, including financial institutions, travel agencies and currency exchange.

The Crystal Mall located at Kingsway and Willingdon Avenue is easily accessible by vehicle and public transit. The mall has stores, a public market, a food court, a computer lane, and professional health and educational services. It also features a Hilton Hotel and convention facility and has the best combination of oriental shops in Burnaby.

• Deer Lake Preschool
• Buckingham Elementary
• Lakeview Elementary

Residents of the Deer Lake community can easily access Burnaby's recreation hub- Deer Lake Park. There are walking and hiking trails ideal for everyone in the family, including pets. The park offers heritage walking tours in a peaceful landscape, picnic sites and a playground.

The Shadbolt Centre, named after one of Burnaby's most famous artists, Jack Shadbolt, is the City's main art centre. It features two theatres and many studios and galleries.

A short drive east you will find the new Edmonds Community Centre where you can enjoy a range of exciting fitness and social activities for all age groups, including yoga, swimming, cardio and more. Edmonds also hosts youth and seniors centres and a childminding service.

Deer Lake is located between Kingsway and Number 1 Highway, which offers quick routes to Vancouver. There are various transit bus links to major destinations such as Metrotown and New Westminster.

Metrotown is a town centre in Burnaby's southwest district and boasts a lively neighbourhood with plenty to do. The community is conveniently close to Vancouver. It runs from Patterson in the west to Gilley in the East and between Kingsway and Rumble. The neighbourhood has a diverse range of housing, from bungalows to large custom single-family homes, to modern high-rises with beautiful views that stretch from Mt. Baker to Vancouver Island.

Metropolis, located in the neighbourhood, is BC's largest shopping mall with many stores, movie theatres, restaurants and services. The Crystal Mall provides an undisputed Asian shopping experience with unique retailers and restaurants. The malls feature a wide range of independent shops, restaurants and services.

The Bonsor Senior Centre supports active seniors meetings for social activities, fitness classes and gatherings. Nearby, the Bonsor Recreation Complex offers a wide range of arts and fitness activities for everyone, including swimming, basketball, racquetball, dance, crafts, soccer and baseball on its outdoor playing fields.

• Burnaby South Secondary
• Chaffey-Burke Elementary School
• Maywood Community School
• Moscrop Secondary
• Maywood Community School
• Marlborough Elementary School

Being a central commercial hub, this area has easy access to three main SkyTrain stations;

• Metrotown Station
• Royal Oak Station
• Patterson Station

There is also a transit loop at Metropolis with bus links that cross Vancouver's Lower Mainland.

South Slope, sometimes called Burnaby South, is located southeast of Metrotown between Marine Drive and Rumble Street from Griffiths to Patterson Street. The neighbourhood derives its name from the steep slope it is situated in. It is a large established residential community made up of condos, detached homes and townhomes. The neighbourhood is very family-friendly and is serviced by several schools, sports facilities and excellent parks.

South Burnaby or South Slope is known for Byrne Creek Ravine Park which bisects much of the neighbourhood. This park straddles Byrne Creek, an urban waterway that has been lovingly restored to its natural splendour by a dedicated stream. The stream is home to spawning salmon and even trout. A network of trails runs through the forested area along the creek. There is a great trail to walk or bike ride and plenty of picnic areas. 

South Slope in Burnaby includes Rumble Street and everything south until the river. There are small businesses, including shops and services on the intersection of Royal Oak Avenue and Rumble Street however, Marine Way Market is a grocery-anchored shopping centre situated in Burnaby at the intersection of Marine Way and Byrne Road.

• Glenwood Elementary
• Clinton Elementary School
• South Slope Elementary
• Burnaby South Secondary School

The Riverway Sports Complex, in the southwest corner of South Slope, serves as a recreational facility with softball and soccer fields and an outdoor lacrosse box. Riverway Golf Course includes a driving range and neighbours Byrne Creek Ravine Park.

South slope is well served by shuttle buses that run through the middle of the neighbourhood. You can easily access two SkyTrain stations;

• Edmonds Station
• Royal Oak Station

Kingsway and Marine Drive are two major routes that offer easy connections to Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, and New West.

Highgate Village is a retail area located in Middlegate and runs from Canada Way to Imperial Street, Edmonds Street to Gilley Avenue. Boarding New Westminster, the neighbourhood consists mainly of single-family bungalows, condo towers and townhomes.

Highgate Village is a shopping center contains 45 shops including; a grocery store, a large drug store and several restaurants, a bakery, a fitness centre, an optical centre, and financial services. The neighbourhood is supported by independent businesses of all kinds along Kingsway and in Edmonds. The neighbourhood also features a branch of the Burnaby Public Library and the new Edmonds Community Centre which has a pool, fitness and art studios, daycare as well as a gymnasium. The neighbouring park offers a playground and sports courts. Highgate's proximity to Deer Lake Park makes it easy to access the natural beauty and cultural opportunities with its many walking trails around the charming urban lake and several art galleries, studios and performance theatres at the Shadbolt Centre.

• Morley Elementary
• Windsor Elementary
• Edmonds Community School
• Second Street School
• Stride Community School
• St. Francis De Sales School
• Clinton Elementary School

Highgate is well-served by major bus routes that run along Kingsway to Vancouver and New Westminster. Edmonds SkyTrain is situated in the southern part of the neighbourhood.

Sullivan Heights is the neighbourhood located northwest of Cariboo. It is surrounding the Lougheed Town Centre shopping mall along the border between Burnaby and Coquitlam. Sullivan is marked by North Road to the east, Lougheed Highway to the south, Broadway at the north, and Gaglardi Way to the west.

Sullivan Heights has a collection of restaurants, cafés and boutiques. It is famous for its central Lougheed Town Centre- Burnaby's second-biggest new master-planned community. The mall is popular due to the Ihop restaurant and the fact that it takes part in monthly promotions.

• Stoney Creek Community School
• Lyndhurst Elementary
• Cameron Elementary
• Burnaby Mountain Secondary

Cameron Recreation Complex in the neighbourhood comprises indoor sports courts for tennis, basketball and racquetball, a library and community rooms. The area is also surrounded by a great park with walking trails, an outdoor fitness circuit and a spray park.

The community is near the recreational hub of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. There are hiking and biking trails in the forested mountainside, most of them climbing up toward the summit.

Lougheed SkyTrain station is centrally situated and easily accessible to the people of Sullivan Heights. Vancouver is only a quick train ride away from Sullivan Heights. The Evergreen line runs east to Port Moody and Coquitlam. The station is also a centre for buses on routes connecting to New Westminster and other destinations in the Lower Mainland.

Westridge is a small residential community that stretches across the Barnet Highway, between Hastings Street and the Burrard Inlet, in Burnaby's northeast corner. It has small, good-looking single-family homes, larger custom houses and several townhouse developments.

Westridge's closeness to the Barnet Highway and Hastings Street makes it a quick commute into Vancouver, or east towards Simon Fraser University, Coquitlam and Port Moody. The community possesses some eye-catching views of the North Shore Mountains and Burrard Inlet. Its small park consists of tennis courts and an outdoor wading pool to cool off during summer.

This neighbourhood is very close to the forested hiking and biking trails of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. The only sandy beach of the city at Barnet Marine Park is also accessible.

Shops, restaurants and other services can be found at the nearby Kensington Square shopping plaza and a small commercial strip along Hastings Street. A bit further west, the bustling multicultural Heights area is attractive with its French cafés, Italian deli's and Vietnamese Pho restaurants.

The actual catchment for schools in Westridge Burnaby is limited to Westridge Elementary School, however there are several schools within a short walk or driving distance including;

• Burnaby North Secondary School
• Lochdale Community School
• Simon Fraser University
• Westridge Elementary School

Its proximity to Barnet Marine Park makes it attractive and family-friendly. You can enjoy the fantastic views of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm. The small Westridge Park located west of Inlet Drive, close to where it joins with Hastings Street offers a great children's playground and some tennis courts. A short 10 minute drive west to Willingdon and you will find Confederation Park which offers a public swimming pool, lacrosse field and a large grass field area for sports and picnic areas.

Major bus routes operate along Hastings street at Duthie Avenue from Simon Fraser University to downtown Vancouver. They also join with routes to Skytrain at Brentwood station.

Similar to amanities to Burnaby Heights as it shares Hastings Street, you can find local shops including deli's, numerous restaurants and grocery stores.

With access to excellent parks, Trans Canada hiking trails, and spectacular views of Vancouver's skyline, the Burrard Inlet, and the North Shore Mountains.

• Gilmore Elementary
• Kitchener Elementary School
• Alpha Secondary School (École)
• Confederation Park Elementary
• Burnaby North Secondary School

The neighbourhood's largest and most remarkable recreation spot is Confederation Park, at the north end of Willingdon Avenue. The park has a pool, seniors centre, library, sports fields such as basketball courts, playgrounds, lacrosse box, lawn bowling pitch, skate park and a lively informal walking/running track.

There is also the Confederation Park Off-Leash Trail for your dog off Penzance Drive. Montrose Park is situated in Burnaby Heights and is part of a pedestrian trail. The Burnaby's part of the trail starts at Boundary Road and runs west through Montrose Park. The park is also renown with birdwatchers as it is just off the Burrard Inlet.

Burnaby Heights is serviced by bus routes along Hastings Street to Simon Fraser University, Downtown Vancouver, Nanaimo Station and Metrotown and SkyTrain stations. There are also bus routes that serve along Boundary Road, Eton Street, and Willingdon Avenue. The Heights also has access to the Trans Canada Highway, with quick connections to the North Shore. The neighbourhood is situated next to the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge for easy access to North Vancouver.