Vancouver/City Center

From World travel guide

The City Center district is the heart of Vancouver. Unlike many North American cities there is a very high density of residential in the downtown core. This includes the very exclusive high-rise areas of Yaletown and Coal Harbour. Also includes the Stanley Park, West End, Gastown and Vancouver's Chinatown.

The centre of gay culture in Vancouver is on Davie Street in the West End.

Contents 1 Get in 2 See 2.1 Stanley Park 3 Do 4 Buy 5 Eat 5.1 Budget 5.2 Mid-range 5.3 Splurge 6 Drink 7 Sleep 7.1 Budget 7.2 Mid-range 7.3 Splurge

Get in

As the City Center is the destination for most transit users, this area is well served by transit. Parking is as you would expect for a city center, expensive and at times hard to find. Expect to pay between $6-16/day for parking in a parkade. The parking meters are in effect from 9:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week. Many of the streets become no parking zones during rush hour.

See

• Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street, (604) 662-4719, [1]. You can see and learn a lot about Emily Carr in the permanent collection, but the rest of the gallery varies in quality depending on what they have been able to attract as special exhibits. Take advantage of admission by donation on Thursday evenings (5pm - 9pm) and sample what is there before paying the full $12.50 admission.
• Science World, 1455 Quebec Street, (604) 443-7443, [2]. This science centre is located in the distinctive building from Expo 86 at the end of false creek. Has a wide range of participatory exhibits. Get off skytrain at the Main St/Science World station. The building is a unique shaped building that was constructed for Expo 86. Popular with the young and of course those who like science. An Omnimax theatre is in this building as well. $8.50 per person.
• Vancouver Public Library, 360 West Georgia Street, (604) 331-3600, [3]. The central branch of the City of Vancouver's Public Library is located in an architecturally interesting building. It was chosen in a public design competition and is based on a Roman Colosseum. There are large public spaces around the building and a nice atrium space in the lobby. Most of the internet terminals require a library card (residents only). However, many terminals allow access to selected resources (bus schedules, government pages, etc) and there are a few that allow wider access to the internet without a library card.
• Yaletown and the Vancouver Marina are a beautiful micro-community in the heart of downtown. Take a walk through this area, check out the yuppie side of Vancouver. Hamilton & Mainland Streets are in actuality lanes (or back-alleys) with old loading docks, but have been converted into European-style high-curb streets.
• Gastown is supposedly the oldest part of downtown. You will find cobble-paved boulevards and over-priced tourist traps selling every imaginable thing you can print "Vancouver" on. Popular with tourists are the Gastown Steam Clock, supposedly the only active steam clock in the world; the Gassy Jack sculpture immortalizing the legendary Vancouver pioneer; and the newly-opened Storyeum, supposedly an entertaining and performance-based trek through British Columbia's past.
• Sun Yat-Set Garden, 578 Carrall St., (604) 662-3207, [4]. A Ming-dynasty style garden located in Chinatown. The gardens combines traditional Chinese buildings, plants, a small lake, and curved footpaths to create the illusion of a very big place within a single block. Tours available

Stanley Park

With 1000 acres of mostly forested land at the western tip of downtown, this is one of North America's largest urban parks, and quite literally an oasis of wilderness in the middle of the city. The park is ringed by a paved path (seawall); a great place for rollerblading, cycling, jogging or just taking a pleasant walk. http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/stanley

The park includes both heavily forested natural areas, manicured gardens and totem poles. There is a free bus that shuttles visitors the loop to the different parts of the park. The bus operates in the summer, every 12-15 minutes. It takes 45 minutes to do the full loop. There are stops near all of the major attractions including:

• Vancouver Aquarium, [5]. A great place to learn about and see local marine life without getting too wet. Located in Stanley Park near its eastern edge. Open 10am to 5:30pm with extended hours in the summer. Be sure to visit the Amazon River section for some truly unusual and extraordinary animals. Bring $15.95 for each adult and $11.95 for each senior/student/youth.
• Children's Farmyard and Miniature Railway, (604) 257-8531. Young children always like to see and pet farm animals and who doesn't like to ride a miniature railway. At Christmas there is a very popular light display for the miniature railway. Adult $5, less for seniors, children and youth (Slightly higher during special events).
• Second Beach Pool A very large heated outdoor swimming pool. Adult $4.40, Children $2.25 (Family entry at child rate). Alternatively you could swim at the beach or use the spray park near Lumberman's arch for no charge. There are lifeguards at both Second Beach and Third Beach.

Do

• English Bay. The beach right in the west end. A popular place to watch the sunset. Probably the best place to see the festival of lights.
• Vancouver Opera offers world-class performances from some of the world's best composers. Check out their website Vancouver Opera
• Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a great night out at reasonable prices. Vancouver Symphony Website
• Vancouver Canucks Hockey Club is the Vancouver NHL club. The season runs from October into the spring. The games are played at GM place and would probably rank as a more expensive Vancouver event (seats for the Vancouver opera are comparably cheaper). Vancouver has many other sports teams if this is your fancy: there is a competitive Lacrosse team, the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer, the BC Lions Football and a league and team for any sport you can think of, including such activities as Bocce (lawn bowling) and orienteering.
• Festival of Lights (Fireworks) Seen one fireworks show, seen them all? Think again. Most Vancouverites come out to this event to enjoy the beach, the breeze and the hundreds of thousands of people who turn out. The fireworks themselves are just the excuse. Four shows, late July/early August. Make sure you take public transit. For more info see: http://www.celebration-of-light.com/fireworks/
• Lantern Festival at Trout Lake Park Come see the most amazing hand crafted lanterns demonstrated in a parade round the lake on Vancouver's East side. Takes place each July on the 4th Sunday.

Buy

• Robson Street downtown is the main high end shopping district.
• Yaletown is the newest Urban Residential area of Vancouver. Rather yuppie, you will find many beauty shops and self-improvement facilities (such as cosmetic dentistry and plastic surgery). Start your tour at Davie & Hamilton, walk along Mainland St, Pacific, Homer and finish at the spectacular Marinaside Crescent. This was formerly a warehouse district that is now high end residential area with many high end and supposed high end stores. As an illustration of the neighbourhood's character, one cosmetic surgery office has valet parking in front.
• Gastown is the area along Cordova street east of the Seabus terminal. This is a tourist area that has numerous souvenir shops. Some of the shops have nice first nations carvings. If you want a snow globe of Canada Place or a "My grandma went to Vancouver..." t-shirt this is the place to get it.
• Chinatown is centered on Pender Street around Main. This is one of the largest Chinatowns in North America. Many Chinese import shops here.
• Chinatown Night Market 100 & 200 Block Keefer Street, F-Su in the summer 6:30pm-11:00pm. Styled after Asian marketplaces these very popular nights have all kinds of stuff for sale. Watch out for the cheap imitation knock-offs that are commonly available.

Eat

The different parts of the City Centre have different characteristics. The central business district has, as you would expect, a high number of coffee shops and lunch places, the West End has a wide variety of restaurants, Yaletown has a number of high end restaurants, and Chinatown has many Chinese restaurants.

Budget

• Thai Away Home, 1206 Davie St., (604) 682-8424. Open daily from noon to 9:30pm. This small restaurants serve up good Thai food in a casual atmosphere. True to the name, you can eat-in (if you can find a seat) or take the food home and warm it up there. The price is certainly right, ranging from $5.00 to $7.50 for lunch and just slightly more for dinner.
• Moonpennies, 456 Howe Street, 899-1271. Simple food and great coffee in a friendly atmosphere. $6-$8.
• Capers Community Market, 1675 Robson St., (604) 687-5288. Open Mon-Sat 8am-10pm Sun 8am-9pm Self service take away or eat in. A great place for vegetarians and vegans. Food is charged by weight.
• Vancouver Community College Cafeteria, Dunsmuir and Hamilton (located on the second floor), Weekdays Breakfast & Lunch. The cafeteria is run by the culinary arts program so you get gaurmet food at cafeteria prices. Usually have a large sea-food selection. Don't miss the Asian Food program which has a separate service area. As you would expect from students the quality can vary. However, it is hard to complain when you get a fancy meal for less than $8.
• Pita Wrap Cafe, 565 Dunsmuir St., M-Sa 7am-7pm. The usual Falafels, Souvlakis, Shawermas and greek plates, but very well executed. $5-$8.
• Denny's 888 Burrard St. Open 24 hours a day Denny's is part of the large chain of diners. Decent fare at low prices make this a popular location at any time of the day. Main dishes start from just $6.
• Kintaro Ramen 788 Denman St., (604) 682-7568　. Authentic Japanese Ramen shop. Often it's crowded and there's a lineup but it moves fast. Close to Stanley Park and the bike/roller-blade rental shops on the end of Denman St.
• Ezogiku Noodle Cafe, 2 locations on Robson St. One near the north end (1329 Robson St., (604) 683-6111) and the other closer to the Vancouver library (270 Robson St, (604) 685-9466). The speciality here is the Sapporo miso ramen ($6.55), a Japanese noodle soup flavored with miso paste and served with a heap of veggies on top; add in $2.20 for a serve of gyoza dumplings on the side.

Mid-range

• Elbow Room, 560 Davie St., (604) 685-3628, [6]. "Food and Service is our name and Abuse is our game (so have some fun)" A restaurant that is famous for abusing its customers. Expect to line up to get in on weekends. Open for breakfast and lunch.
• Wild Rice, 117 W. Pender St., (604) 642-2882, [7]. Located in Chinatown, Wild Rice is a very tasty alternative to more traditional North American Chinese restaurants. Expect to spend between $10 and $15 per person.
• The Irish Heather, 217 Carrall St. (at the east end of Gastown), (604) 688-9779, [8]. Seven days a week, noon-midnight. Nice atmosphere, excellent pheasant, and apparently the only place in Vancouver that serves real Guinness. About $10 for lunch or $15 for supper (not including drinks).
• Earls On Top, 1185 Robson Street. Part of the nation chain of restaurants, Earls offers a moderate selection of contemporary foods ranging from steak and chicken to seafood and pizza. More hip and happening than most of the chains outlets this isn't the place for a quiet meal. Good service and food make this a popular spot.
• Stephos Souvlaki Taverna, 1124 Davie St, tel. 604-683-2555. A Greek restaurant in downtown Vancouver, famous for long lines of customers waiting for a table, hungry for Stepho's abundant and delicious platters of Greek favourites. Almost all the dishes on the menu are under $10.
• Umberto's is a chain of restaurants throughout Vancouver, most of which are upscale joints serving west-coast variations of Italian classics.
• Caffe Artigiano* Excellent coffee shop featuring total commercialization of "latte art," but it's still great. IntelligentsiA coffee available, really, really nice espresso.

Splurge

• Joe Forte's Seafood & Chop House, 777 Thurlow St., (604) 669-1940. Open daily for Lunch and Dinner; reservations strongly recommended. Usually mentioned amongst the top 5 restaurants in Vancouver, here you will find great food and great service. In the lavishly decorated open space, you may even catch a glimpse of a movie celebrity as you savour the oysters that are a specialty here. With glamour comes a price; expect to spend about $70/person for a complete dinner.
• Hy's Encore, 637 Hornby Street, (604) 683-7671. The most amazing service in Vancouver. This steak house is some fifty years old. Charcoal steaks are the house specialty, although the service is even better. The servers do an incredible job and the food is excellent.
• Le Gavroche, 1616 Alberni St., (604) 685-3924, [9]. Open daily for Dinner; reservations required. The romantic and intimate setting in an old Victorian house will heighten your senses and put you in the right mood for French cuisine with a West Coast twist. The beautiful view of the mountains is no less impressive than the great food and service you will get here. Be prepared to spend $70/person or more for a memorable experience.

Drink

There are many nightclubs in the City Centre area. Most of them are located in Vancouver's Entertainment District along Granville Street from Robson Street to the Graville Street Bridge.

• Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville St. This is a large venue frequent location for live concerts. Has a large famous 'sprung' dancefloor. Capacity is 900 people. Most nights tickets are required to get in.
• Roxy's, 932 Granville Street, the house band Dr. Strangelve covers some of the best of the recent 'classic rock' and dance music.
• Richard's on Richard's, The best spot for great up and coming bands.

Sleep

If you are planning to stay in a hostel downtown, it is probably better to ensure it is located West of Main street and caters mainly to backpackers (tourists on a budget.) Staying downtown keeps much of the frequently visited spots in walking distance. If you were planning to find a cheap (significantly less than $90) hotel downtown, you should know that it is likely to be located in the "East Side", infamous for its heroin and other drug problems.

Budget

• American Backpackers Hostel, 347 West Pender St., (604) 688-0112, [10]. The real alternate location for cheap and cozy lodging in the real center of Vancouver, best prices, best friends. Long term rates! $10-$30 (6-person room to private room).
• HI Vancouver (Downtown), 1114 Burnaby St., (604) 684-4565, [11]. Hostelling International's first downtown Vancouver location. $20-$28 (a bed in a 4-person room).
• Global Village Backpacker's Hostel, 1018 Granville St., (604) 682-8226 (or toll-free (888) 844-7875), [12]. Another appealing downtown option with some package deals and other good pricing choices. $20-$25 (a bed in 4-person room).

Mid-range

• Comfort Inn Downtown, 654 Nelson St., (604) 605-4333 (or toll-free (888) 605-5333), [13]. A reasonably-priced, well-situated hotel with some decent package deals as well. $89 (smallest room in winter).
• Victorian Hotel, 514 Homer Street, (604) 681-6369 (or toll-free (877) 681-6369), [14]. A historic hotel that has recently been renovated. Close walk to most attractions, but note that it is near a rough area of town. Some rooms have shared bathrooms. $79-139 (less in the winter).
• Hampton Inn & Suites, 111 Robson Street, (604) 602-1008 (FAX (604) 602-1008), [15]. Near BC Place stadium, from $129.

Splurge

• Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 W. Georgia St., (604) 684-3131, [16]. Beautifully decorated and a firmly established part of Vancouver's history. $250-$400.

• Four Seasons Vancouver, 791 W. Georgia Street, (604) 689-9333, [17]. Classy luxury hotel in the heart of Vancouver, decorated in classic style but kept up to date with Internet and whatnot. $270 and up.

• Pan Pacific, 300-999 Canada Place, (604) 662-8111, [18]. A harbor location just steps away from Stanley Park. If you are staying here, consider paying extra for a view of the coast mountains. At these prices, it would be a shame to miss out on the view. $300-$500.

• Crowne Plaza Hotel, 801 W. Georgia St., (604) 682-5566, [19]. All you would expect from a great hotel, including its wonderful location across from the Vancouver Art Gallery. $300 (as low as $110 for advance purchases and off-season).