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.
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.
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 details
BEST LOCATION IN CLASSIC KERRISDALE!! Located in private & quiet beautiful area with 6215 sf lot. High quality & thoughtful practical designs. 7 bedrms, 8 bathrms, 10' high ceiling, extensive crown mouldings. A/C, HRV, radiant heat, steam shower, Jacuzzi, Chef's & Wok kitchens with high end appliances & cabinetry. Basement has 2 Rental suites for mortgage helper!! Famous Arbutus Club & Arbutus Mall are nearby. Convenient transit along 41st, 49th & Boulevard. Walking distance to most popular Kerrisdale Community Centre, public library, swim pool, tennis court, park, & shopping. Close to Best schools: Crafton House and Vancouver College Private School, Magee Secondary, Maple Grove Elementary and easy transit to UBC. Best Value!!! Open house Sun June 19 from 2-4 pm.More details
Developer & Investor Alerts -Vancouver Secured Rental Program Land Assembly, Located at Kerrisdale Central Education Point, Near Crofton House School, 10 mins to UBC, Point Grey and St. George Secondary. Do not miss the development opportunity for this over 20,960 sf. Lot. 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 details
South facing 1926 built classic home on a huge 16,065 sqft lot (85X189) in the prestigious Kerrisdale area. Across from McCleery Park and Marine Crescent. The original home has 3 levels totalling 3,219 sqft with 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Large sized beautiful backyard for your enjoyment clear of neighbours. Nice views from upstairs. This property with character is waiting for your remodelling or redevelopment ideas. Close to Kerrisdale shopping area, community centre, schools, parks, golf, transit, and UBC. Don’t miss this rarely available property on the Westside of Vancouver!More details
Located in one of the most sought after areas of Kerrisdale. This beautiful spacious home has 3,968 sq.ft. of living space. Open concept main floor with 5 beds upstairs and huge recreation room on lower. Perfect for entertaining with grand dining and living rooms. Sun soaked family room opens to a private garden. Spacious kitchen features Wolf gas range, eating area with french doors lead to covered patio. ??This home is well maintained and in immaculate condition. Perfect for a family with great schools near by. Local catchment-Kerrisdale, Kerrisdale Annex and Point Grey High. Blocks away from Kerrisdale shops and 2 major bus routes direct to UBC.More details