Grandview–Woodland

Grandview–Woodland, also commonly known as Grandview–Woodlands, is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to the east of the downtown area, stretching south from the shores of Burrard Inlet and encompassing portions of the popular Commercial Drive area. It is a mature neighbourhood in Vancouver that is a vibrant mixture of commercial, industrial, single-family and multi-family residential with a rich ethnic history and features.

Grandview–Woodland
Neighbourhood
Commercial Drive in Grandview–Woodland
Commercial Drive in Grandview–Woodland
Location of Grandview–Woodland in Vancouver
Location of Grandview–Woodland in Vancouver
Coordinates: 49.275°N 123.067°W / 49.275; -123.067
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
RegionLower Mainland
Regional districtMetro Vancouver
MunicipalityVancouver
Area
[1]
 • Total4.45 km2 (1.72 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total29,175
 • Density6,556.1/km2 (16,980/sq mi)
The Port of Vancouver is located at the northern end of the neighbourhood.

A central part of the Vancouver area, Grandview–Woodland runs from the south shore of busy Burrard Inlet south to Broadway, one of the city's major east–west roads. The western border of the neighbourhood is Clark Drive, the eastern Nanaimo Street. It is a busy area for transportation, with Hastings Street and First Avenue both cutting through the neighbourhood, while Victoria Drive and Commercial Drive both run north–south through the area.

Much of the neighbourhood is built on the rise that stretches east–west through the eastern portion of Vancouver, making for views across the city proper and the inlet.

History

Local First Nations members have been aware of the Grandview–Woodland area for many years, and referred to the area along Burrard Inlet by the word for cedar trees in their language. A small cove created by a stream running into the inlet became a focal point for early development; the first building was a brewery, followed by sawmills using the forests of the area. The land along Burrard Inlet was valued by speculators after the Gold Rush, and was the location of the Canadian Pacific Railway when it was built in the 1880s. Around that time, the sawmill owners clearcut the entire Grandview–Woodland area, and the construction of the Interurban train line to New Westminster, British Columbia in 1891 spurred the construction of a new community in the area. One legend indicates that the name Grand View was first expressed on a sign hung by a homeowner next to the Interurban stop near the Commercial Drive-1st Avenue intersection.

In 1906, construction started to boom, with homes being built through the neighbourhood, and the railway influencing industrial development along the waterfront. Park Drive became a major commercial route that eventually became Commercial Drive, and people of many ethnic backgrounds made the neighbourhood their home over the years.

Grandview Woodland has been experiencing gentrification since around 2008 as a result of high real estate prices in Vancouver and the heightened popularity of inner-city living.[3]

Attractions

Commercial Drive is perhaps the single most popular part of Grandview–Woodland. A street packed with small shops, it has been a key part of the commercial landscape in Vancouver for nearly a century for its ethnic diversity and the uniqueness of shops that populate it. Known locally as "The Drive", visitors find everything from trendy coffee shops to hangouts for many ethnicities (celebrations during the FIFA World Cup can bring out soccer fans of many nationalities, for example) to sex toys to hemp shops. Little Italy focuses on the Drive, though many of its residents have moved to other neighbourhoods over the years.

Demographics

As of 2006, Grandview–Woodland has 28,205 people, a 3% decrease from 2001. 16.1% of the population is under the age of 19; 38.4% is between 20 and 39; 35.1% is between 40 and 64; and 10.4% is 65 or older. 62.0% of Grandview–Woodland residents speak English as a first language, and 14.4% speak a Chinese language. French (2.3%), Spanish (2.3%), Italian (2.3%), and Tagalog (2.1%) are also common first languages. The median household income is $35,342, and 35.2% of its population lives in low-income households. Its unemployment rate is 7.8%.[4]

Panethnic groups in the Grandview–Woodland neighbourhood (2001−2016)
Panethnic
group		 2016[5] 2006[6] 2001[7]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European[lower-alpha 1] 18,610 64.16% 16,145 57.77% 16,195 55.89%
East Asian[lower-alpha 2] 4,460 15.38% 5,505 19.7% 5,960 20.57%
Indigenous 2,265 7.81% 2,570 9.2% 2,610 9.01%
Southeast Asian[lower-alpha 3] 1,545 5.33% 1,745 6.24% 2,340 8.08%
South Asian 545 1.88% 380 1.36% 535 1.85%
African 505 1.74% 530 1.9% 445 1.54%
Latin American 455 1.57% 550 1.97% 485 1.67%
Middle Eastern[lower-alpha 4] 220 0.76% 230 0.82% 165 0.57%
Other/Multiracial[lower-alpha 5] 395 1.36% 300 1.07% 230 0.79%
Total responses 29,005 99.42% 27,945 99.08% 28,975 99.62%
Total population 29,175 100% 28,205 100% 29,085 100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Notes
  1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
  2. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
  3. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
  4. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
  5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References
  1. "Grandview-Woodland; Community Statistics" (PDF). vancouver.ca. Government of the City of Vancouver. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  2. "Grandview-Woodland; Community Statistics" (PDF). vancouver.ca. Government of the City of Vancouver. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  3. Kasman, Paul. (2015) “Public policy and gentrification in the Grandview Woodland neighbourhood of Vancouver, B.C.” University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/bitstream/handle/1828/6924/Kasman_Paul_Masters_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  4. City of Vancouver community profiles
  5. Open Data Portal, City Of Vancouver (2018-04-10). "Census local area profiles 2016". opendata.vancouver.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  6. Open Data Portal, City Of Vancouver (2013-03-25). "Census local area profiles 2006". opendata.vancouver.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  7. Open Data Portal, City Of Vancouver (2013-03-25). "Census local area profiles 2001". opendata.vancouver.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
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