Kitsilano
49°16′ N 123°09′ WNeighbourhoodPop. 43,045Kitsilano and the West Side
Kitsilano suits couples and families who want a beach neighbourhood on English Bay with cafés along West 4th Avenue, and the trade-off is a bus ride downtown, because the SkyTrain extension under Broadway is scheduled to reach Arbutus Street in late 2027.
Photo by Anthony Maw on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Town · No. 011 · checked 16 Oct 2026
For the winter market, park on West 12th or West Broadway.
Who should base here
Stay in Kitsilano for early walks on Kits Beach and the seawall to Granville Island, then climb a few blocks to West 4th for dinner. The Sunday winter farmers market at Kitsilano Secondary School runs from 8 November 2026 to 25 April 2027.
The name
X̱ats'alanexw
Kitsilano is an English spelling of X̱ats'alanexw, which was the Squamish name of August Jack Khatsahlano.
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Charles Hill-Tout claimed in 1931 that he had changed the local name from Greer's Beach to Kitsilano. The spelling of X̱ats'alanexw comes from Wikipedia's citation of J. S. Matthews and still needs the Squamish Nation's own form.
SourceEat in Kitsilano
The NaamRestaurant
The vegetarian and vegan kitchen at 2724 West 4th Avenue calls itself the city's oldest natural foods restaurant. Weekday breakfast runs until 4 pm, and the full weekend breakfast stops at 1 pm.
Things to do in Kitsilano
Kitsilano BeachBeach
The beach looks across English Bay to the North Shore mountains. City lifeguards worked it from 16 May to 7 September in 2026.
Kitsilano Winter Farmers MarketMarket
More than 50 farms and producers sell at Kitsilano Secondary School on Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm, 8 November 2026 to 25 April 2027. The market closes on 27 December and 3 January.
H.R. MacMillan Space CentreMuseum
Go here on a wet afternoon. It stands in Vanier Park at the east end of Kits Beach.
Vancouver Maritime MuseumMuseum
The museum shares Vanier Park with the Space Centre, so the two make one rainy-day outing.
Kitsilano runs from Burrard Street west to Alma Street and south to 16th Avenue. Its shops and restaurants line West 4th Avenue and West Broadway, and heritage houses fill the tree-lined streets between them. Kits Beach looks north across English Bay to the North Shore mountains, and the seawall path from the beach rounds Vanier Park on its way to Granville Island. Destination Vancouver times the walk from Kitsilano to Granville Island at 37 minutes.
Destination Vancouver calls Kits Pool the longest saltwater pool in North America. The City of Vancouver scheduled its 2026 season to close on 13 September, and it says the pool has passed 50 years and reached its end-of-life phase. City lifeguards covered Kits Beach from 16 May to 7 September in 2026, so nobody watches the water in winter. On a wet day, walk east to Vanier Park, where the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and the Vancouver Maritime Museum keep you dry.
On Sundays from 8 November 2026 to 25 April 2027, the Kitsilano Winter Farmers Market sets up from 10 am to 2 pm at Kitsilano Secondary School on West 10th Avenue at Trafalgar Street. More than 50 farms and producers sell there beside food and coffee trucks. It skips 27 December and 3 January. The Naam at 2724 West 4th Avenue has cooked vegetarian and vegan food for 50 years, and on weekdays its breakfast menu runs until 4 pm.
At the foot of the Burrard Street Bridge, the Squamish Nation community of Sen̓áḵw (Kitsilano IR 6) is now renting homes on the site of an old village. Its own site calls Sen̓áḵw a modern Sḵwx̱wú7mesh village. The name Kitsilano is an English spelling of X̱ats'alanexw, which was the Squamish name of August Jack Khatsahlano.
Worth knowing
- For the winter market, take a Broadway bus to Macdonald Street and walk two blocks east to Trafalgar Street and one block south.
- Drivers heading to the winter market should park on West 12th Avenue or West Broadway, because the streets beside the school keep their parking for residents.
Quick answers about Kitsilano
Is Kitsilano a good place to stay in Vancouver in winter?
Yes. Kitsilano puts Kits Beach and the seawall to Granville Island at the door, and its Sunday winter farmers market runs from 8 November 2026 to 25 April 2027. Buses on Broadway and 4th Avenue carry you downtown.
Is Kits Pool open in winter?
No. The City of Vancouver scheduled Kitsilano Pool's 2026 season to close on 13 September 2026, and it says the outdoor pool has passed 50 years and reached its end-of-life phase.
How do I get from YVR to Kitsilano by transit?
Take the Canada Line from YVR to Broadway–City Hall station and change to the 99 B-Line west along Broadway. The SkyTrain extension under Broadway is scheduled to reach Arbutus Street in late 2027.
Where does the name Kitsilano come from?
Kitsilano is an English spelling of X̱ats'alanexw, which was the Squamish name of August Jack Khatsahlano.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby
Within 12 km
