Countryside Woods

The four decades' worth of contemporary houses in east Vancouver's Countryside Woods neighborhood provide a glimpse into how home and neighborhood design has changed since the early 1980s.

Countryside Estates sits in the middle of Vancouver's Mill Plain, the largest of nine flat, empty meadows European settlers mapped out when they set up Fort Vancouver in the mid-1800s. The plain's even terrain, rocky soil, and historic lack of trees made it an inviting spot to build houses for the tens of thousands of people who moved to Vancouver during the 1980s.

Built out in the early 1980s, Countryside is the neighborhood's oldest subdivision. Its curvilinear streets follow a winding path that fills the neighborhood's bottom third before spilling into a cul de sac or a simple dead end. This subdivision's garage-fronted contemporary houses sit atop yards of many varying sizes – some even take on a triangular shape – because their streets don't follow a grid. Further north, newer subdivisions like Maple Place, which was platted in the mid-1990s, return to a grid-style street layout and keep more consistent lot sizes. The lots in Countryside and Maple Place also have enough space for a four-bedroom house with a well-manicured front lawn and a fenced backyard.

That extra space disappears when you cross into the Stonebriar subdivision in the neighborhood's northwest corner. The developers behind Stonebriar didn't leave any space between its houses when they built out the subdivision in the mid-2010s to fit as many as possible in a limited amount of space. Stonebriar's houses also have more standard features – a three-car garage, varying roof lines, and a decorative portico over the front door – than those built in any of the neighborhood's older subdivisions.

Three- and four-bedroom houses in the Stonebriar subdivision fetch Countryside Woods' highest prices -- $650,000 to $800,000 – because they're the newest ones in the neighborhood. Houses in the subdivisions surrounding Stonebriar range from $500,000 to $700,000, while those in the Countryside subdivision fetch $500,000 to $600,000 because they're the neighborhood's oldest. Sidewalks are universal in this neighborhood, and a few patches of Douglas firs tower about its houses and add some shade to what's already cast by the trees some people have planted in their yards.

You'll find one of these tree stands in Countryside Park, the neighborhood's only park, along with a basic set of playground equipment and a few walking paths that circle its open lawn. And about half a mile east of the neighborhood's center, you'll find the off-leash dog area, extreme sports area for BMX riders and skaters, and basketball courts at Clark County's Pacific Community Park. The Mill Plain Town Center's Target Grocery Store is a mile south of the neighborhood's center. Those interested in dining out should head to its northeast corner, where Petra House Mediterranean restaurant and McMenamin's East Vancouver Pub await at the 162nd Place Shopping Center.

Students living in Countryside Wood's southern half will attend Mill Plain Elementary School, just north of the Mill Plain Town Center's Target. Those in its northern half will attend Hearthwood Elementary School, about a mile and a half west of the neighborhood's center. After this, everyone will attend Pacific Middle School and Evergreen High School – both of which received a B- on Niche.com.

Whether you like your contemporary houses with large lots on winding streets or packed tightly in a grid, you'll find it in the Countryside Woods neighborhood. This housing selection and location close to parks, restaurants and schools make this east Vancouver neighborhood a great place to call home.

Written By

Mac Mclean

Photography Contributed By

Elizabeth James

Video By

Mike Dunleavy