Hastings Sunrise Real Estate

The eastern reaches of Hastings Street — traditionally called “Hastings-Sunrise” and more recently “The East Village” — has undergone a great deal of change over the years. Vancouver’s most northeastern area, Hastings Sunrise is split into a mix of light industrial to the west and north, commercial along Hastings Street and residential everywhere else. It may sound like a typical East Vancouver neighbourhood. Look a little bit closer, and you’ll see that it’s anything but.

Aside from the commercial strip along Hastings and the large entertainment area to the north, the bulk of the neighbourhood is made up of sleepy residential streets. More family-oriented than other Vancouver neighbourhoods, Hastings-Sunrise includes a good mix of parks and schools, split up by occasional strip malls. If you’re in the market for single-family homes in Vancouver, you could do worse than Hastings-Sunrise. Houses for sale in this neighbourhood tend to range from 1 to 3 million, but this will probably go up with Vancouver real estate and upscale developments in this region. Finally, East Vancouver real estate listings tend to be filled with their share of tear-downs and renovation properties. Hastings-Sunrise is no exception: this neighbourhood has seen a particularly high number of buyers “flipping” houses less than a year after purchasing – and making an impressive profit.

Though single family dwellings and duplexes are the most common Hastings East homes, they aren’t the only options. Major new developments are changing the face of Hastings East: condos for sale are appearing along major thoroughfares, like Renfrew and Nanaimo. These new units are going for upwards of $300,000, which is significantly lower than new units downtown and in more westward East Vancouver neighbourhoods.

Businesses in the neighbourhood have generally catered to locals. These reflect the large populations of Italian and Chinese immigrants. Lately, however, a new wave of younger, hipper enterprises, like the Gourmet Warehouse and Tacofino Commissary, are cropping up along Hastings. This has revitalized interest in the area among a whole new demographic of young families and professionals. While Commercial Drive and Main Street have long been considered “hip” areas in Vancouver, most locals agree that Hastings-Sunrise is an area on the brink of change, and could make an excellent investment.

East Hastings may be a primarily residential neighbourhood, but don’t think that that’s all it offers; East Hastings is one of Vancouver’s first destination neighbourhoods, though, throughout the years, the neighbourhood’s tourist offerings have changed significantly. In the 19th century, its beachfronts were an immensely popular recreation spot for local working people. Though many of the beachfronts have been claimed for port or industrial use, there is still waterfront access to the north, via New Brighton Park. Hastings East is home to Canada’s oldest amusement park, Playland (and the PNE), in Hastings Park. This is also the location for the Coliseum and the Hastings racetrack. These venues make East Hastings a major pleasure destination for visitors from all over the Lower Mainland. In the Winter and Spring, you can catch a Vancouver Giants game at the Coliseum (the old home of the Canucks). Year-round, thousands of people come to the neighbourhood to experience the thrills at the Hastings Racetrack or enjoy concerts at the Coliseum.

In addition to its iconic entertainment offerings, Hastings East is a neighbourhood that rewards those who dig a bit deeper. Consider the western part of East Hastings, often referred to as “The East Village.” Less residential, this has some overlap with the Grandview/Commercial Drive and Hastings neighbourhoods. Following patterns set down by old industrial neighbourhoods in other major North American cities, it has sprouted from a rough patch into a hot bed of artists and artisans. But this isn’t your everyday reclaimed industrial district; there’s a pretty good chance that this is where your favourite beers get made. If Vancouver is the craft brewing capital of Western Canada, the East Hastings area is the craft brewing capital of Vancouver, featuring Parallel 49, Storm Brewing, Doan’s Craft Brewing, Bomber Brewing Co., Off The Rail Brewing, Callister Brewing Company, Powell Street Craft Brewery, Coal Harbour Brewing and more. Throw the hot little bistros and local micro-distilleries into the cocktail, and you’ve got an adventurous (and tasty) night out for a group of adults.

Home seekers typically complain about high real estate prices in Vancouver. In Hastings Sunrise, Vancouver real estate remains relatively affordable — for now. A wave of new interest and development in the area, however, means that it probably won’t stay low. Many smart home buyers are already snapping up properties in this area, and, as new residents move in, new businesses and amenities spring up to service them. Spend a day looking for Hastings East homes for sale and you’ll probably agree: Hastings Sunrise is a neighbourhood on the way up — fast.