Sapperton is New Westminster's eastern neighbourhood, named after the Royal Engineers ("Sappers") who laid out the city in 1859–60. For most of the 20th century it was a working-class neighbourhood anchored by Royal Columbian Hospital — one of Metro Vancouver's largest hospitals and still the biggest employer in the area — and by the nearby BC Penitentiary (demolished in the 1980s). Columbia Street East, the neighbourhood's main drag, is lined with early-1900s workers' cottages, post-war bungalows, and a growing number of new townhouses and mid-rise apartments.

Sapperton got its own SkyTrain station on the Millennium Line in 2002 (originally called Sapperton station, now just Sapperton) and that station reshaped the neighbourhood. It's a 20-minute ride to Waterfront in downtown Vancouver with no transfer, and it puts Sapperton on the direct line to Burnaby, Brentwood, and east to Coquitlam. Royal Columbian Hospital is a 5-minute walk from the station, which makes Sapperton the default neighbourhood for nurses, residents, and other hospital staff.

Rents in older Sapperton apartments run $1,450–1,700 for a one-bedroom, which is among the best value for a SkyTrain-adjacent apartment in all of Metro Vancouver. Newer builds along Columbia Street East list $1,900–2,300. The neighbourhood has a quieter, more down-to-earth character than downtown New West — fewer restaurants and shops, but the Sapperton BIA has been actively working to revive Columbia Street East and new cafés and breweries open most years. It's the calmer side of New Westminster, and often the best fit for first-time Metro Vancouver residents.