The City of New Westminster boasts a historic Downtown district dating to the 1800s. Back then, its riverfront locale made it the ideal commercial hub, where a steady supply of goods reached some of the Lower Mainland's earliest settlers.
Today, Downtown New Westminster remains one of the city's main shopping districts. A range of retailers call the neighbourhood home, including an array of bridal shops along Columbia Street and a number of large antique dealers.
Downtown real estate in New Westminster is heading toward densification, evident in the makeup of residential properties, which mainly consist of apartments, townhouses and condominiums.
The average cost of a home is about $300,000, making the area quite popular with first-time home buyers. View Downtown New Westminster MLS® listings and upcoming open houses
Downtown New Westminster Amenities
Downtown Shopping
Brides across the Lower Mainland know the only place to go for a wedding dress is Downtown New Westminster, which boasts dozens of bridal boutiques along Columbia Street. Other shopping available includes stores selling gifts, antiques, furnishings, collectibles and other specialty items. Westminster Quay, on the riverfront, provides fresh food markets and a variety of restaurants and retail shops.
Schools and Education in Downtown New Westminster
Primary schools
Downtown Cafés and Restaurants
When it comes to eats, there are a variety of options in Downtown New Westminster, including West Coast cuisine at the Heritage Grill, Greek fare at Taverna Greka or Stefanos and comfort food at the Keg or the Old Spaghetti Factory, among others. Or you can grab a quick espresso at the Hide Out Café or Starbucks.
Downtown Sports and Recreation
While much activity in Downtown New Westminster centres on retail, the area's riverfront location affords a number of unique recreational opportunities. Westminster Pier Park, for example, is situated over land, docks and water with support from 3,600 pilings. It includes a boardwalk, concession, elevated viewpoints, a basketball court and two playgrounds.
Downtown Transportation
Downtown, like the rest of New Westminster, is located 20 km east of, and less than 30 minutes by car to Downtown Vancouver. The New Westminster SkyTrain Station also provides rapid-transit service from Downtown New Westminster to Downtown Vancouver or east across the Fraser River to Surrey.
Downtown Property Statistics
Home Prices* Detached $600,266 Semi detached N/A Apartments $301,921 Rentals** Average Gross Rent $807
*Source: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver HPI for New Westminster, Feb 2011(benchmark prices) **Source: B.C. Provincial Electoral District Profile for New Westminster based on the 2006 Census
Downtown Demographics
Population 8,870*
*Source: New Westminster Neighbourhood Profiles: Downtown (2006 Census)
Age* 80+ 3.7% 70 to 79 6.0% 50 to 69 26.4% 35 to 49 27.7% 25 to 34 18.6% 15 to 24 9.3% 5 to 14 4.5% 0 to 4 3.8%
*Source: New Westminster Neighbourhood Profiles: Downtown (2006 Census)
Occupancy* Fully owned 2,910 ("Owners")
*Source: New Westminster Neighbourhood Profiles: Downtown (2006 Census)
Dwellings* Apartment 93.8% Townhouse/Duplex 4.5% Single Family 0.9% Rented Dwellings 40.2%
*Source: New Westminster Neighbourhood Profiles: Downtown (2006 Census)
Neighbourhoods surrounding Downtown
- Queen's Park
- Brow of the Hill
- Uptown
- Glenbrooke South
