FRASER ST
SW
AY
Median Age of Residents
Population
47,470
57% 43% Own Rent
Avg. Monthly Rent
$
974
$
69,785
Avg. Total Household Income
DATA SOURCES
NG
NANAIMO ST
KI
39
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E BROADWAY
E 41ST AVE
Fraser Street
of those high-profile haunts tourists typically put on their itinerary, but it should be. As the chief attraction in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood, Fraser Street (and its retail-meets-eatery locus at Kingsway, Fraser and 15th Ave., known as “Fraserhood”) is the latest up-andcoming area full of cute shops and great restaurants, and its quiet village feel makes it a great place to stroll and enjoy.
THIS ISN’ T ONE
Spool of Thread
3 THINGS TO DO
Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge 649 E 15th Ave., spoolofthread.com
Grubwear
Grubwear
617 Kingsway, grubwear.com
Skip the basic touristy gear and go to Grubwear, a custom-printing shop with its own cheeky merch: tees featuring the Dude Chilling Park sign, “CANUCK AF” and East Van cross print underwear.
The Pie Hole
3497 Fraser St., thepiehole.com
The Pie Hole
58
CITY GUIDE 201
After years of working out of a shared kitchen, pie master Jenell Parsons debuts her bricksand-mortar shop on Fraser. Inside it’s bright and white with geo tiles and a country diner feel, and the pies are all decadent and toothsome, from the raspberry cream crumble to savouries like mac and cheese.
RE AL ESTATE
Welcome to the New Main Street For decades, real estate prices in Kensington-Cedar Cottage lagged because much of it was a no-man’s land between Main and Commercial. But as the popularity of Commercial spreads west, Main spreads east and the whole city pushes south, it’s no longer considered off the beaten track. Fraser is often called “the new Main,” and the charming Fraserhood pocket of shops and restaurants has become a hotspot, with price hikes to match—but the boggy land keeps some developers steering clear. At the other end of the area, Trout Lake has taken off, becoming an in-demand locale for families as well as for developers, who have hundreds of units in the works along Kingsway and Victoria Drive. “People used to joke about needing passports to come this far east,” says realtor Lisa MacIntosh. “But now there are lots of west-side folks moving in.” FOR SALE
$689,000
738 E 29th Ave. 2 bed, 2 bath
$1,288,000
2306 E 28th Ave. 4 bed, 4 bath
$2,600,000
2255 E 30th Ave. 5 bed, 4 bath
TOP IMAGE: ARIANA GILLRIE
Even a beginner who’s never touched a sewing machine can walk away from a class at this teaching shop with a custom self-made skirt, bow tie or tote bag.