03 About Burnaby
A city of town centres and green space
Burnaby is often described as the place you pass through on the way from Vancouver to the Fraser Valley, but it is worth getting off the train. The city has grown around four official town centres, Metrotown, Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds, each built around a SkyTrain station and each with its own mix of towers, shops and services.
Between those centres you find leafy residential streets, ravines and some of the largest parks in Metro Vancouver. Central Park, Deer Lake, Burnaby Lake and the conservation area on Burnaby Mountain give the city a lot of breathing room for its size.
North, central and south
North Burnaby runs along Hastings Street and the Burrard Inlet slopes. The Heights and Capitol Hill have an older, neighbourly feel, with local shops on Hastings and views to the North Shore mountains. Brentwood and Lougheed are the newer high-rise hubs, and Burnaby Mountain is home to Simon Fraser University and the UniverCity community.
Central Burnaby is anchored by Metrotown, the city’s main business district and home to Metropolis at Metrotown, one of the largest shopping centres in Canada. A short trip east, Deer Lake is the cultural heart of the city, with the Burnaby Village Museum, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and the Burnaby Art Gallery.
South Burnaby centres on Edmonds and Kingsway, a diverse, down-to-earth area with community facilities, ravine parks and quick Expo Line access. Further south, the land drops toward the Fraser River.
Who Burnaby suits
Burnaby works well for people who want to live or stay near transit without paying downtown Vancouver prices. Families like the parks, recreation centres and libraries. Students and staff gravitate to SFU and the transit lines that serve it. Food lovers come for the wide range of cuisines found around Metrotown, Brentwood and North Road, reflecting a population with roots all over the world.
For visitors, Burnaby is an easy add-on to a Vancouver trip. You can ride the SkyTrain to Metrotown for shopping, spend an afternoon at Deer Lake, or take the bus up Burnaby Mountain for the view over Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm.
