Burnaby Neighbourhood Guide: Metrotown, Brentwood, Edmonds, Lougheed and North Burnaby

Burnaby does not have one downtown. It has Metrotown as its downtown, three more town centres at Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds, and thirteen smaller villages along the SkyTrain lines. Here is how each main neighbourhood actually feels to live in and visit.

Metrotown — Burnaby's downtown

Metrotown is Burnaby's downtown core. Expo Line SkyTrain, Metropolis at Metrotown — the largest mall in BC — and Central Park at your doorstep. Dense towers, the deepest resale market in the city, and the easiest place in Burnaby to buy and to sell.

Best for: walk-everywhere urban living, transit users, families who want everything in one place.
Stations: Metrotown, Patterson, Royal Oak.
Prices in August 2026, Burnaby South: detached $1,887,800, townhouse $933,600, apartment $731,500.

Brentwood — the new north hub

Brentwood is the newer, glossier alternative to Metrotown, around Brentwood Town Centre station on the Millennium Line. The Amazing Brentwood towers, Whole Foods, new retail and restaurants, and a rapidly growing skyline. Slate by Beedie Living, a 45-storey tower at 5180 Lougheed Highway near Holdom Station, is completing in 2026. South Yards, Anthem's 8.3-acre masterplan at 4500 Dawson Street, is targeting 2027, with 800 homes from $579,900.

Best for: new-build, amenity lovers, people who want a newer neighbourhood.
Watch out: strata fees in amenity towers often run $700 to $1,000 or more per month.
Prices in August 2026, Burnaby North: detached $1,816,500, townhouse $888,200, apartment $669,700.

Edmonds — southeast, more affordable

Edmonds is in southeast Burnaby, on the Expo Line. It is generally more affordable than Metrotown and Brentwood, with older walk-up buildings alongside new towers, and a growing town centre. One8 Burnaby, a new high-rise condo in Edmonds Town Centre, is redefining the area.

Best for: value, first-time buyers, people who want SkyTrain without Metrotown prices.
Prices in August 2026, Burnaby East: detached $1,694,900, townhouse $852,700, apartment $707,600.

Lougheed — northeast, three SkyTrain lines

Lougheed Town Centre is a major interchange for the Expo and Millennium Lines, with growing towers, shopping and access to Burnaby Mountain and Coquitlam. The City of Lougheed, by SHAPE, is the only masterplan in Metro Vancouver with three SkyTrain lines, a major bus loop, cycling and walking trails and shopping on site. Tower THREE at the City of Lougheed offers move-in ready homes from $555,900, completed March 2026.

Best for: transit, families, people who want a master-planned community.
Stations: Lougheed Town Centre, Production Way-University.

North Burnaby — the Heights, Brentwood and the mountain

North Burnaby along Hastings Street and Willingdon Avenue includes the Heights, a village-style shopping street, and Brentwood. The northwest quadrant, with Brentwood and the Heights, had 55,037 residents and was growing fastest at 15 per cent over five years.

The Heights has independent shops, Italian delis like Cioffi's, Anton's Pasta Bar at 4260 Hastings Street, and North King Noodle House at 4621 Hastings Street. Burnaby Mountain and Simon Fraser University are at the top of the hill in this quadrant.

Best for: village feel, food, families who want a quieter street with SkyTrain nearby.

Central Burnaby — Deer Lake and Burnaby Lake

The green middle around Deer Lake and Burnaby Lake includes Garden Village, Buckingham Heights, Cascade Heights and Douglas-Gilpin. It is quieter and greener, with the Shadbolt Centre, Burnaby Village Museum and Burnaby Art Gallery around Deer Lake, and Burnaby Lake Regional Park for birdwatching and the 10 km loop.

Best for: families, nature lovers, people who want parks over towers.
Garden Village is also one of the more affordable rental pockets — 2-bedroom medians around $2,200 in March 2026.

How to choose

Pick by transit first, then by building type. Almost every neighbourhood decision in Burnaby is really: which SkyTrain station do you want to live near, and do you want a tower, a townhouse or a house? Test the commute on the TransLink trip planner during rush hour before you decide.

Sources: Greater Vancouver Realtors, August 2026; City of Burnaby Official Community Plan, adopted December 9, 2025; Presale Properties, Best Presale Condos in Burnaby 2026, November 2026.