Kensington-Cedar Cottage

Kensington-Cedar Cottage is one of the most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods in east Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The neighbourhood, which is 7.23 square kilometres in area, is bordered by Fraser St. on the west, Nanaimo St. on the east, 41st Avenue on the south and 16th Avenue and Broadway on the north. The area was first settled in 1888 when Arthur Wilson bought a plot of land and began the Cedar Cottage Nursery. [http://www.vancouver.ca/community_profiles/kensington-cedar/history.htm]

Kensington-Cedar Cottage is younger and more diverse than the rest of the city. [http://www.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/Census2001/Kensington03.pdf] Only a third of residents (34.7%) in Kensington-Cedar Cottage speak English as a mother tongue, compared to roughly half of residents in Vancouver as a whole. Chinese is the second most common mother tongue, spoken by 34.1% of residents. The average 2001 family income in Kensington-Cedar Cottage is $46,244, lower than the city average of $60,544.

Like most of East Vancouver, Kensington-Cedar Cottage used to be predominantly working class but rising house prices have made the area increasing popular with young professionals and families who can no longer afford houses in areas such as the west side.

The KCC neighbourhood includes several notable schools, including Charles Dickens Elementary, which was rated one of Canada's top 40 schools. [ [http://www.todaysparent.com/education/general/article.jsp?content=20040730_103736_4748&page=9 Great Schools 2004 ] ]

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