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.
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The Ascot- quality built concrete boutique building in the heart of Kerrisdale. 2 suites per floor with South, East and North facing VIEW. Sub-penthouse, so spacious that can fit in your house size furniture. 2 bedrooms both with ensuites plus a powder room. Formal living and dining room, Family room can be a 3rd bedroom. Big in-suite storage has a double utility sink. AIR- COND, Hardwood floor, gas fireplace and hot water radiant heating, south facing balcony. 2 side by side parking and locker plus visitor parking. Walking distance to banks, restaurants, shops, community centre, Arbutus greenways, Shoppers Drug, bakery etc. 1 pet. Quick possession is possible. Come and explore the Kerrisdale living.More details
Located at the corner of 43rd Avenue and Balsam Street in Kerrisdale, a desirable premier address with an excellent location, you are in close proximity to local transportation hubs & major thoroughfares so that getting in/out of the neighbourhood is convenient & quick. The notable landmarks around are Elm Park, Kerrisdale Arena, Library + Kerrisdale Community Centre, McCleery Golf Course and of course famous Kerrisdale shopping corridor, outdoor cafes & boutique stores. Nearby schools incl. Magee Secondary (Churchill French Imm), Maple Grove Elementary, many private education centres. Your next home features 3 bedrooms, high ceilings, huge windows, generously sized balconies, A/C, in-suite laundry, nu-heat, a den + in-suite storage + 2 parking! Perfect for families, move in yours today!More details
Concrete 4-story building designed by renowned WA Architect: The boutique luxury residences at elm41 consists of 23 spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes. Every element of the interior design has been hand selected from the award winning design firm Area3 Design. Every fine finish and natural texture contributes to an unequalled expression of modern luxury. Chef-inspired gourmet kitchen with high performance kitchen appliance package from Gaggenau with 5-year warranty, reverse osmosis water filtration system, and quartz backsplash and countertops. Hotel-inspired bathrooms featuring luxurious details including sleek frameless glass walk-in showers with Grohe fixtures, smart toilet and European designed cabinets. Air-conditioning and energy-recovery ventilation provides year-round comfort.More details
Welcome to The Wilshire. One level over 2000 square feet of space renovated to the highest standard. Open concept principal rooms. A dream kitchen with eating area is complete with Miele Steamer, Oven, Warming Tray, Fridge, Induction cooktop. Two Fisher & Paykel Dishwashers.3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, the master bedroom ensuite and main bathroom both offer Nu Heat in floor radiant heating. Separate Laundry room. Facing North/West/South there is lots of natural light. Cozy gas fireplace in the living room to relax by. This beautiful home comes with 3 parking stalls and a storage locker. Central Kerrisdale location close to all the shops and restaurants. Landscaped grounds with a garden waiting for your green thumb or perhaps a game of Bocce while you BBQ. Open SAT Jan 28th 1-3More details