Burnaby Heights — the Heights, to locals — is the most characterful commercial strip in Burnaby, running along East Hastings Street in the North Burnaby area. The neighbourhood has a large Italian community, and this shows in the shops: Italian delis, espresso bars, bakeries, and family-owned restaurants that have been trading for decades.
It is not a tourist destination in the formal sense, but for anyone who wants to see a genuine neighbourhood with its own identity — not a gentrified strip of concept restaurants, but the real thing — the Heights is worth a visit. Get a coffee at one of the Italian cafes, buy some cured meat from the deli, and sit on the steps outside.