Moving to Burnaby: A Guide to Its Neighbourhoods, Transit and Parks

Burnaby sits between Vancouver and the Tri-Cities, with 11 SkyTrain stations, big parks and a wide choice of condos close to transit. Here is how I describe Burnaby to buyers who are thinking about moving there.

The short version

At a glance

The four town centres

Burnaby is organized around four town centres, each with a SkyTrain station at its heart.

• Metrotown. Burnaby's downtown and regional city centre, around Metrotown Station. It is home to Metropolis at Metrotown, which bills itself as BC's largest shopping centre.
• Brentwood. Around Brentwood Town Centre Station on the Millennium Line.
• Lougheed. Around Lougheed Town Centre Station, served by both the Expo and Millennium lines, close to the Coquitlam border.
• Edmonds. In southeast Burnaby, around Edmonds Station on the Expo Line.

These are the areas to look at if you want a condo or townhouse close to transit.

Getting around

The Expo Line runs through south Burnaby, with stations at Patterson, Metrotown, Royal Oak and Edmonds. The Millennium Line runs through the north and centre of the city, with stations at Brentwood Town Centre, Gilmore, Holdom, Sperling-Burnaby Lake, Lake City Way, Production Way-University and Lougheed Town Centre. Lougheed Town Centre and Production Way-University are also served by the Expo Line.

Parks and the outdoors

• Central Park, an 86-hectare urban park beside Patterson Station.
• Deer Lake Park, with its lake and trails in the middle of the city.
• Burnaby Lake Regional Park, run by Metro Vancouver.
• Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, 576 hectares of forest and trails.

SFU and UniverCity

Simon Fraser University's original campus sits atop Burnaby Mountain, beside UniverCity, a residential community of condos and townhouses with forest trails on its doorstep.

Homes in Burnaby

Most of Burnaby's high-rise condos are in and around the town centres, while established neighbourhoods across the city offer detached homes, townhouses and low-rise buildings. If you are buying a condo or townhouse, the building matters as much as the unit, so read the strata documents to read first. You can also browse homes for sale in Burnaby.

Schools

The Burnaby School District (SD41) runs 41 elementary and 8 secondary schools. The school your children attend depends on your address, so check the catchment before you buy.

Questions buyers often ask me

How many SkyTrain stations are in Burnaby?

Eleven: Patterson, Metrotown, Royal Oak and Edmonds on the Expo Line, and Brentwood Town Centre, Gilmore, Holdom, Sperling-Burnaby Lake, Lake City Way, Production Way-University and Lougheed Town Centre on the Millennium Line.

What are Burnaby's town centres?

Metrotown, which is Burnaby's downtown and regional city centre, plus Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds.

What school district is Burnaby in?

The Burnaby School District, SD41, which runs 41 elementary and 8 secondary schools.

Is SFU in Burnaby?

Yes. Simon Fraser University's original campus is on Burnaby Mountain, next to the UniverCity residential community.

Looking a little further east too? I compared Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. Before you start viewing, get pre-approved so you know your budget.

Population is from the 2021 Census, and transit details are from TransLink at the time of writing. For the City's plans, see Burnaby's town centres.