The Vanmag Neighbourhood Guide: Kitsilano

Kitsilano is often the poster child of Vancouver. The classic Kits quadruple-threat view (beach meets city meets forest meets mountains) is on many a postcard, T-shirt and Instagram feed, and this friendly ’hood is chock-a-block with buzzy restaurants, cute shops and endless opportunities to take in the seaside next door. Residents will admit that many Kits stereo­types—wearing athleisure for any occasion, flirting with a plant-based diet, participating in an ocean cold plunge at least once—are absolutely true. There are plenty of rainy-day to-dos here, but Kits really comes to life in warmer weather: people flock to nearby parks and beaches if even a whisper of sunshine dances across their character home or low-rise condo.

Hit the beach

Visiting Kits Beach is a no-brainer; bring your own blanket and lie out on the sand or grass while you watch slackliners and spikeballers show off their very niche skills. This beach is within walking distance of lots of award-winning eats—get a mochi doughnut to-go from Their There (2042 W 4th Ave., theirthere.ca)  or indulge in a full Thai feast at Maenam (1938 W 4th Ave., maenam.ca) post-sunset. A bit further west, Jericho Beach is sandier and surfier; take paddleboarding lessons from Windsure Adventure Watersports (1300 Discovery St., windsure.com) or a kayak tour from Jericho Beach Kayak (1300 Discovery St., jerichobeachkayak.com) for the full coastal experience.

Sweat it out

It doesn’t get more classic Kits than studio workouts, and many of them offer first-timers a free class. There’s Lagree West (2625 W 4th Ave., lagreewest.com)  and Core Community (1926 W 4th Ave., corecommunity.ca) for reformer pilates, the Cycle Collective (2020 Arbutus St., thecyclecollective.com) for stationary biking, Turf (2041 W 4th Ave., ourturf.com) for HIIT workouts and smoothie bowls… fitness classes are always a (heavy) stone’s throw away.

Get a history lesson

Steps away from the shore are both the Vancouver Maritime Museum (1905 Ogden Ave., vanmaritime.com) and the Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St., museumofvancouver.ca). In the former, find artifacts, exhibits and stories relating to local waterways—you can even walk the decks of the RCMP vessel St. Roch, the first ship to ever cross the Northwest Passage from west to east. The Museum of Vancouver is all about civic history and also hosts regular hands-on events (think upcycled leather tutorials and Salish weaving workshops) so you can DIY some coveted treasures yourself.

Shop the block

Window browsers and compulsive buyers alike adore the walkable retail scene here. Shop Makers (1929 W 4th Ave., shopmakers.ca)  features wares from local independent artisans, Old Faithful Shop (1985 W 4th Ave., oldfaithfulshop.com) is a Japandi design enthusiast’s dream, Kidsbooks (2557 W Broadway, kidsbooks.ca) is a colourful, welcoming wonder for young readers and Arc’teryx (2201 W 4th Ave., arcteryx.com) has the high-quality staple outerwear you’ll need when it does eventually rain (sorry).

Chill at a spa

Schedule in some you-time with a treatment at one (or a few) of Kitsilano’s unique spas. Formula Fig (2050 W 4th Ave., formulafig.com) is a serene green treat—the high-tech facials here will make you a total skincare nerd. The nearby Hälsa Float Spa (2028 W 4th Ave., halsa.ca) offers private zero-gravity Epsom salt float pods that bring de-stressing to an entirely new, gloriously futuristic level.