Ups and Downs in Kerrisdale
Geography and Demography
In the Canadian City of Vancouver, British Columbia, the affluent westside neighbourhood of Kerrisdale lies between 33d Avenue on the north, Blenheim Street on the west, West Avenue on the east, and the Fraser River on the south. Commercial shopping districts are along West 41st Avenue from Larch to Maple streets and along West Boulevard from 37th to 47th avenues.
The 2006 Census reported 14,615 inhabitants. Originally thoroughly British demographically, Kerrisdale has received since the mid ’80s an influx of affluent Hong Kong emigrants, many of whom have built large, modern houses, making Kerrisdale an architectural mixture of lavish new and renovated houses. In 2007, Blocktalk.ca reported an estimated median annual household income of $113,286, much higher than the average for Metro Vancouver generally.
History
In 1862, the McCleery family became the first to farm the land of the present McCleery Golf Course on the river. By the mid-1870s, with many more families farming the area, the logging industry was well underway. A local legend is that “Kerrisdale” is a corruption of “Kerry’s Dale,” the ancestral home in Scotland of an early resident who, when asked to choose a name for a British Columbia Electric Railway station for the area, made that choice. In 1912, the streetcar went from Kerrisdale along then-graveled 41st Avenue to Granville Street, where connecting service took passengers to Downtown Vancouver.
Until 1929, when they merged to form the City of Vancouver, three municipalities, Vancouver, South Vancouver, and Point Grey, which included Kerrisdale, provided local government services. Point Grey Secondary School, founded in 1929, and the Point Grey Golf & Country Club recall those earlier days. The Kerrisdale Community Centre now occupies the block on which the Point Grey Municipal office once stood.
Kerrisdale Business Association
The West 41st Avenue businesses between Larch and Maple streets belong to the Kerrisdale Business Association. In all, about 250 businesses and property owners are members. Established in 1990, it is the oldest business association in Vancouver. Members fund general area maintenance and beautification, hiring a full-time gardener during summer months. The association employs for its properties a nighttime security force that operates during daytime hours as well in December.
Every September, association members elect a board of directors of about 25 individuals who then appoint executive officers. The full board meets on the first Wednesday of every month. Dedicated board members engage fully in committees on beautification, finance, marketing, parking, publicity, and security.
Information Links:
http://www.kerrisdalevillage.com/index.php
http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/kerrisdale.aspx
http://www.kerrisdalecc.com
http://vancouver.ca/docs/planning/arbutus-ridge-kerrisdale-shaughnessy-arks-community-vision-full-report.pdf
An Association Casualty
Inevitably, there must be a downside to the steady rise in Kerrisdale property values. As an example, Thomas Hobbs opened a gift shop on West 41st Avenue near West Boulevard in the heart of the business association area in 1989 and operated it for 23 years until closing in December 2012. Hobbs said the gift shop was Vancouver’s “home store” for which he travelled to Italy and France for high-end merchandise artfully displayed behind his store windows. Hobbs lamented that most shoppers now seem to prefer big box stores over independent retailers.
Hobbs said the gift shop is not the only victim of Kerrisdale’s changing times. To make that point, his 2012 Halloween storefront display had tombstones etched with the names of other Kerrisdale independent businesses that have closed in recent years. Hobbs said annual rent on his retail space had increased tremendously to $120,000, half of which pays the landlord’s property tax. He estimated that he has paid millions of dollars in rent since opening the shop in 1989.
New Kerrisdale Live MLS Listings
Ups and Downs in Kerrisdale
-
5662 ELM Street in Vancouver: Kerrisdale House for sale (Vancouver West) : MLS®# R2853560
5662 ELM Street Vancouver V6N 1A4 
$4,880,000Residential Detached- Status:
- Active
- MLS® Num:
- R2853560
- Bedrooms:
- 5
- Bathrooms:
- 5
- Floor Area:
- 4,396 sq. ft.
Beautifully designed and built by Award-Winning Builder Nexus, Architecture by Margo Innes. This gorgeous home features 2 kitchens and 1 den on main, 4 spacious bedrooms on top floor and 3 F/P. Main floor offers A/C, HRV, Jenn-Air fridge, 2 dishwashers, Carrera marble island, Caesar stone countertops and oak floor; Basement provides a multiple-use space including a wine cellar, media room, nanny’s room, recreation room as well as laundry. Separate entry is perfect for converting to a suite easily. Prime location: walking distance to restaurant, transit, Park, shopping place, Crofton House Private School, Point Grey Secondary and Kerrisdale Elementary (school catchments) . A fantastic opportunity to own your dream home! More detailsListed by Royal Pacific Realty Corp.
- Aedis Realty
- 604-688-8669
- 604-657-1111
- Contact by Email
-
6527 MAPLE Street in Vancouver: Kerrisdale House for sale (Vancouver West) : MLS®# R2716537
6527 MAPLE Street Vancouver V6P 5P1
$4,700,000Residential Detached- Status:
- Active
- MLS® Num:
- R2716537
- Bedrooms:
- 4
- Bathrooms:
- 5
- Floor Area:
- 3,858 sq. ft.
Developer & Investor Alerts -Vancouver Secured Rental Program Land Assembly, Located at Kerrisdale Central Education Point, right beside Crofton House School, 10 mins to UBC, Point Grey and St. George Secondary. Do not miss the chance to acquire 2 Lots Land Assembly 6527 and 6507 Maple Street: Total Lot Size 20,956.10 sfqt. The project got potential for a 4-6 story rental housing development. The neighbour properties also show interest in selling as a land assembly project. More detailsListed by RE/MAX Crest Realty - Aedis Realty
- 604-688-8669
- 604-657-1111
- Contact by Email
-
3030 W 44TH Avenue in Vancouver: Kerrisdale House for sale (Vancouver West) : MLS®# R2787194
3030 W 44TH Avenue Vancouver V6N 3K6
$4,480,000Residential Detached- Status:
- Active
- MLS® Num:
- R2787194
- Bedrooms:
- 4
- Bathrooms:
- 4
- Floor Area:
- 4,368 sq. ft.
Fabulous family home on a serene, tree-lined street, 5 generous bedrooms, 4 baths in this 4,400 sf home. Entertaining is a dream w/ elegant living & dining rooms, a crowd-size kitchen & family room. Sun-drenched yard w/ pool. This home was extensively renovated in 1994. The home's designer was Chart McCullaugh w/the construction was by Melo. Garden design by award-winning Blazig Landscape. Kitchen by Meritt. An independent home inspection is available for all to see. Please do not enter the property without permission. More detailsListed by Royal Pacific Realty Corp. - Aedis Realty
- 604-688-8669
- 604-657-1111
- Contact by Email
-
6491 MACKENZIE Place in Vancouver: Kerrisdale House for sale (Vancouver West) : MLS®# R2833949
6491 MACKENZIE Place Vancouver V6N 1H6
$4,390,000Residential Detached- Status:
- Active
- MLS® Num:
- R2833949
- Bedrooms:
- 5
- Bathrooms:
- 3
- Floor Area:
- 3,180 sq. ft.
All measurements are approximate, Buyer or buyer's agent need to verify if important. 24 hrs showing notice. This Listing is with a Team and disclosure of Team is required. More detailsListed by LeHomes Realty Premier - Aedis Realty
- 604-688-8669
- 604-657-1111
- Contact by Email
-
1928 W 43RD Avenue in Vancouver: Kerrisdale House for sale (Vancouver West) : MLS®# R2697542
1928 W 43RD Avenue Vancouver V6M 2C6
$4,100,000Residential Detached- Status:
- Active
- MLS® Num:
- R2697542
- Bedrooms:
- 6
- Bathrooms:
- 5
- Floor Area:
- 3,562 sq. ft.
Located in one of the best block of prime Kerrisdale. This home is well maintained and lovingly cared for. Fully equipped with a/c, central ventilation, and radiant heating. Four bedrooms upstairs and two bedrooms in the basement. Den, gourmet kitchen/wok kitchen, luxury living room, dining / family room at main floor. Large recreation room in the basement. South facing back yard that offers a lot of sunlight to the house & three car garage. Walking Distance to Kerrisdale Shopping District, community center, Arbutus Greenway, clinics, library, Transit, restaurants, and schools. Kids can come home for lunch from school. School Catchment: Maple Grove Elementary & Magee Secondary. Easy drive to Crofton House, York House, St. George's, YVR, Downtown & UBC. A must see! More detailsListed by RE/MAX Select Properties - Aedis Realty
- 604-688-8669
- 604-657-1111
- Contact by Email
