02 The story
North Surrey’s shopping crossroads
Guildford grew up around one of the Lower Mainland’s earliest large shopping centres, which opened in the 1960s near the new Highway 1 and Port Mann Bridge. Today Guildford Town Centre is one of the largest malls in the region, with department stores, chain shops and a big food court. The mall even stretches over 104th Avenue, with the Guildford bus exchange tucked underneath.
Around the mall, 104th Avenue and 152nd Street are lined with plazas, apartment buildings and restaurants, including a growing number of Korean, Chinese and Middle Eastern spots. Beyond the commercial core, Guildford becomes a mix of family homes and townhouses.
Green spaces nearby
Guildford has easy access to some of Surrey’s biggest natural areas. Green Timbers Urban Forest, to the southwest, has trails through second-growth forest and a small lake. Tynehead Regional Park, to the southeast, has meadows, forest trails and a salmon hatchery on the Serpentine River. To the north, Surrey Bend Regional Park protects wetlands and forest along the Fraser River.
The Guildford Recreation Centre has an aquatic centre, fitness facilities and an arena, and the Guildford library is close to the mall.
Guildford suits families and commuters, especially those who drive east along Highway 1. Traffic around the mall is heavy on weekends and during the holiday season, so the bus or an early start helps. The future SkyTrain line along Fraser Highway will pass to the south, improving transit links to Fleetwood and Langley.
