A prestigious family-oriented community with a reputation for excellent schools and quiet tree-lined streets.
Kerrisdale was once a farming community. The name came from one of the original settler’s wives, as it reminded her of her home in Ireland and thus it was named Kerry’s Dale. Today, that farming history is long forgotten and only a few remnants even remain. Kerrisdale is today considered to be one of the premier areas for families to settle…primarily on the strength of the quality of the schools in the area.
Within it’s boundaries, some of Vancouver’s best schools are located. There is the private Crofton House (for girls) and also elementary schools such as Kerrisdale and Maple Grove. The secondary schools, Point Grey and Magee are also at the heart of the community.
Aside from schools, the community has a bustling commercial heart. Along 41st and intersected by West Boulevard there are scores of businesses catering to the community. Shops offer a wide variety of options from gifts to flowers, stationary to electronics, you can find a high quality specialty shop. There are also grocery stores, drug stores and a wide variety of cafes and restaurants.
The demographics of the area skew towards an older population. Many of the apartments and condos are home to retirees, often those who have downsized from larger houses in the area. An older generation of baby boomers still own many of the houses in the area, but this is transitioning to younger families.
This is the community that Sebastian was born in and raised and is still close to his heart. He delivered newspapers as a boy to many of the homes, attended Kerrisdale Elementary and Prince of Wales Secondary and worked at London Drugs as a teenager.
THE MARKET
Kerrisdale offers a number of housing options. At the center of the community, the housing style is primarily condominium (mixed in with rental apartments). Many of them are older, built in the 70s and 80s, and thus surprisingly affordable. There are also a handful of shared co-ops along West and East Boulevard.
In the last 10-20 years developments have become increasingly luxurious, offering excellent options for nearby homeowners looking to downsize. These condos tend to offer large floor plans, often only having one or two suites per floor and are also finished to an extremely high standard.
Beyond the commercial center, the zoning tends to be primarily single family residential. To the north, most of the lots are the standard size of 33’x120’ or so. At the southern end (particularly leaning a little more to the west), you’ll start to find increasingly larger size lots (50’x120’ and 66’x120’) and often more luxurious homes or mansions.
