North Burnaby has something for everyone. There’s a wide range of people in the area: You have a mix of young families, people that are new to the country, and a whole bunch of young SFU students. You’ll walk away happy if you spend a day exploring the hood, and here are 6-steps to get you started on your North Burnaby adventure..
Step 1 - Go check out McBarge
Some of you might not know what this is. Alright, it’s likely that most of you don’t know what it is, but think back to the days of Expo ‘86. A prominent feature of that year’s Expo was a floating McDonalds, aka a McBarge. In its heydey it was moored in False Creek, slinging burgers to attendees of Expo ‘86, but now it sits derelict in Burrard Inlet. Right here to be precise. It’s a weird and unique sight to see. If you want, it’s actually pretty easy to swim or kayak out to it. Don’t hang out on it though, the authorities tend to come pretty quickly. Don’t ask me how I know that.
Step 2 - Pitch and Putt at Kensington
It’s not immediately evident that it’s there, but just off Hastings St. at Kensington is a fine little pitch and putt course. The eighteen holes of glory that make up Kensington Pitch and Putt are tucked in behind Burnaby North Secondary school, home of the Vikings. As that is the largest secondary school in BC, there’s a lot of other stuff to do right around there. There is a driving range, baseball diamond, and on a sunny summer day the Dairy Queen at Kensington is just a few minutes away.
Step 3 - Chocolate at Chez Christophe
It’s chocolate. Chocolate. You know? That incredibly delicious stuff? Yeah, you’re going to love this place. Even if you weren’t already planning on heading in there’s almost no way you can walk past this storefront without being lured in by the aromas of chocolate. If for some reason you don’t have much of a sweet tooth then the fresh-baked croissants will surely be right up your alley.
Step 4 - A fine Italian meal at Cotto Enoteca or Anton’s
Cotto Enoteca was voted best pizza in the city by Vancouver Foodster, and it’s hard to disagree. Cotto serves up authentic, VPN-certified, neapolitan pizzas. Oh, and the caprese salad is outstanding. It’s not the only place to get great Italian in Burnaby though. If you don’t mind waiting in a big ol’ line, Anton’s serves up great pasta in improbably large sizes. They’re so big that if you finish a serving on your own they give you a pen. A pen you can treasure forever as evidence of your undefeatable appetite.
Step 5 - The sunset from Burnaby Mountain
It may be on a mountain, but the actual park is one big, gently-sloping, grass hill that looks perfectly west over the city. Bringing a blanket is a nice touch, but you can enjoy this view just from the grass. Any youngsters will be happy running amok on the park’s playground and any young couples will feel romantic swinging on the swings at the park’s playground. It’s a win-win.
Step 6 - Topping it off with some beers at Stan’s Pizza Joint
I know you already went to an Italian place for dinner, but trust me on this one. Stan’s is a fun neighbourhood bar with some good drink deals and a fun staff. It’s nothing fancy, and it’s great because of that. And if you aren’t full from dinner the pizza there is excellent. I suggest trying out the the signature Stan’s Beef.
Bonus Step - The Hats Off Day Parade
Alright, this is only one day of the year, but it’s awesome enough that it gets a shoutout. It’s a day where all the awesome shops of Burnaby Heights “take their hats off” to their customers and to the community. Catch the parade in the morning and then the street festival lasts through the afternoon. The whole community comes out, so you can see everyone from young families getting in some quality time to SFU students that are partaking in some light day drinking. Everyone is happy.
