It is a mature neighbourhood in Vancouver that is a vibrant mixture of commercial, industrial, single-family and multi-family residential with a rich ethnic history and features.

Much of the neighbourhood is built on the rise that stretches east–west through the eastern portion of Vancouver, making for views across the city proper and the inlet.

A small cove created by a stream running into the inlet became a focal point for early development; the first building was a brewery, followed by sawmills using the forests of the area.

The land along Burrard Inlet was valued by speculators after the Gold Rush, and was the location of the Canadian Pacific Railway when it was built in the 1880s.

Grandview Woodland has been experiencing gentrification since around 2008 as a result of high real estate prices in Vancouver and the heightened popularity of inner-city living.