Chineside

Chineside sits in central Coquitlam with its northern edge against Port Moody, immediately adjacent to Harbour Chines. Its defining feature is the outlook: many Chineside properties look out over Indian Arm and the northern mountains, which is unusual at this price level in Coquitlam.

It is predominantly a detached neighbourhood with a smaller selection of condominiums and townhouses, and unlike some of Coquitlam more uniform pockets it holds a genuine mix of older and newer houses on the same streets.

The housing

Mostly detached, spanning several decades, with original mid-century houses, later additions and renovations, and modern rebuilds all present. The condominium and townhouse stock is limited but does exist, which gives the area more entry points than its detached reputation suggests.

Schools and amenities

School access is one of the strongest arguments for Chineside. Baker Drive Elementary is a short walk to the north, Hillcrest Middle School sits at the edge of Mundy Park a few blocks away, and Dr. Charles Best Secondary is nearby. Mundy Park itself runs along the southern side, with running trails, sports fields, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, an outdoor pool and playgrounds. Como Lake Village, with everyday shops and services, is about five minutes by car.

What to check before you buy here

• Confirm the era of the specific house. Chineside genuinely mixes decades on a single block, so the inspection questions that matter depend entirely on the individual property.
• Aluminum branch wiring. Common in Canadian homes built from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s, and a standing insurer question.
• Poly-B plumbing. Grey polybutylene pipe went into Lower Mainland homes built roughly between 1978 and 1995. It degrades from the inside against chloramines in Metro Vancouver treated water, usually with no visible warning, and insurers now price or decline for it. Confirm whether it is present and whether it has been replaced.
• Buried oil tanks. Homes from the pre-1960s era were often oil-heated. A decommissioned or undiscovered tank is an environmental and cost question, not a cosmetic one.
• Slope and drainage. Perimeter drains, grading and retaining structures deserve real attention on sloped lots. Water management is the recurring issue. The views here come from elevation, which means drainage deserves attention.

Thinking about buying or selling in Chineside?

Kristy Mattiazzo works throughout Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities. Get in touch to talk through whether this is the right pocket for you, or to find out what your home here is worth in the current market.

For the full picture of how Kristy works with buyers and sellers across the city — her process, her staging background and the questions she gets asked most — see her Coquitlam Realtor page.