The City of North Vancouver is a compact municipality on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet, directly across the water from downtown Vancouver. It is surrounded on three sides by the much larger District of North Vancouver and covers roughly 12 square kilometres. Despite its small size, it has a dense, urban character with good transit connections and a walkable commercial core that makes it one of the more liveable communities in the Lower Mainland.
Lonsdale and Lower Lonsdale
Lonsdale Avenue runs north from the waterfront through the city’s commercial heart, with Lower Lonsdale at the bottom becoming one of the more active mixed-use districts on the North Shore. The Lonsdale Quay Market, at the foot of Lonsdale, sits adjacent to the SeaBus terminal that provides a twelve-minute ferry connection across the inlet to Waterfront Station in Vancouver. The area around the quay has been significantly redeveloped with residential towers, a hotel, and a public market, drawing people from across the North Shore. Further up Lonsdale, the Central Lonsdale area has a denser concentration of restaurants, independent shops, and older apartment buildings.
Connections and Character
The city is bisected east-west by several ravines cut by creeks draining the mountains above, including Lynn Creek on its eastern boundary. The Spirit Trail, a greenway along the waterfront, connects the city’s shoreline to the broader North Shore walking and cycling network. North Vancouver’s proximity to Vancouver by transit and ferry, combined with a quieter residential character and North Shore mountain access, makes it a popular choice for people who want easy access to the city without living in it. The seawall views across Burrard Inlet to the downtown Vancouver skyline are a constant presence in the urban experience of the city.