Queensborough is a colourful community in the City of New Westminster. It's located on the eastern end of Lulu Island and is set apart from the main portion of the city by the north arm of the Fraser River.
Immigrants from Japan, China, India, Italy, Greece, Russia, Ukraine and Finland first arrived in the area in the late 19th century looking for work at the local sawmills, canneries, shipyards and farms. They bought up the inexpensive Queensborough real estate that surrounded their workplaces and established family homes, cultural halls and churches.
The neighbourhood was formally established in 1911 when Italian immigrant Anthony Sprice opened the Queensborough Post. Today, Queensborough is one of New Westminster's premier shopping and entertainment destinations, with restaurants, outlet stores and a five-star casino all conveniently located at Queenborough Landing.
Queensborough real estate has also seen a steady rise in the number of single-family homes, providing a constant draw for new families to the area. Many of these newer Queensborough houses are built to resemble old, heritage-style homes.
In fact, Queensborough's steady growth makes it a popular choice among homebuyers looking to beat the housing climb. Some of the new developments in this waterside community include Port Royal, Thompson's Landing, Eagle Crest Estates and Alexander Walk.
An average house price for a Queensborough home is around $600,000, while a condo can fetch an average price of around $300,000. View Queensborough MLS® listings
Queensborough Amenities
Queensborough Shopping
Queensborough Landing is one of New Westminster's premier shopping destinations. It includes fashion retailers, electronics stores and home-improvement centres.
Schools and Education in Queensborough
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Queensborough Cafés and Restaurants
There are plenty of places in Queensborough to replenish yourself, from pizza to sushi and Mexican to Greek food, you'll find a restaurant to suit your taste. Tim Horton's and Starbucks provide a quick coffee fix and the Starlight Casino, which boasts five restaurants and nightly live entertainment, has become one of New Westminster's favourite dining-out destinations.
Queensborough Sports and Recreation
Queensborough's public neighbourhood and community parks include Ryall Park, with an All-Wheel Park for skateboarders and BMX bikers, and Queensborough Neighbourhood Park, with a children's water play channel and outdoor fitness circuit.
The central Queenborough Community Centre, which is due to be expanded in 2012, offers a fitness centre, weight room and programming for people of all ages. It also organizes popular events, such as Queensborough Day and the Urban Farmers Fall Fair, as well as a monthly Family Fusion Dinner.
Queensborough Transportation
Queensborough is connected by the Queensborough Bridge to the rest of New Westminster. It's also linked to Annacis Island in Delta by the Derwent Way Bridge. The area is served by Highway 91A. New Westminster itself is located 20 km east of, and less than 30 minutes by car to Downtown Vancouver. New Westminster is also part of Metro Vancouver's TransLink bus system and boasts five SkyTrain rapid-transit stations.
Queensborough Property Statistics
Home prices* Houses $600,266 Townhouses 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
Queensborough Demographics*
Population* 57,805 Age* 80+ 1.1% 70 to 79 2.6% 50 to 69 18.0% 35 to 49 27.5% 25 to 34 17.2% 15 to 24 12.2% 5 to 14 13.5% 0 to 4 7.4% Occupancy* Fully owned 1,315 Dwellings* Apartment 23.5% Townhouse/Duplex 13.9% Single Family 30.3% Rented dwellings 25.5%*Source: New Westminster Neighbourhood Profiles: Queensborough (2006 Census)
