Hastings Sunrise

The Vancouver neighborhood of Hastings Sunrise extends north to south from Burrard Inlet down to Broadway, and east to west from Boundary Rd. (this road is the border between Vancouver and Burnaby) and Nanaimo St.

Hastings Sunrise is one of the oldest neighborhoods in all of Vancouver and was originally slated to be built into a resort town in the 1800s. It was intended as a weekend getaway for residents of New Westminster, and although it never developed as planned, it was seen as a resort destination up until 1900. The booming port of the area ended up being Gastown. Vacationing visitors to the area would come to experience the New Brighton Hotel (fire destroyed it in 1905), New Brighton Park, and an area racing track called Hastings Park. The park was renamed Exhibition Park, and starting in 1910 the city held a fair on that property each year. Happyland, a yearly amusement park and fair, was added into the parkway in 1926.

Happyland is now called Playland, which is open from April to September, and features rides and amusements as a permanent fixture at the grounds. The grounds also feature a concert hall and sports stadium that showcase many music concerts and sporting events. Hastings Sunrise is famous for its parks, with the two most popular being the Pacific National Exhibition Grounds and the fabulous waterfront New Brighton Park.

This neighborhood has long been known as a family neighborhood full of working class individuals, with a large number of one family homes portioned to feature either a top floor or basement rental suite. According to data from the Census Bureau, this area is highly popular among Italian-Canadian people. However, the latest figures show an influx of Chinese-Canadians into the area.