Vancouver is small by global standards — roughly two million people if you include the entire metropolitan area. And it’s a fair distance from the hot political and cultural centers ofthe world. This may be a disadvantage, but it also works in our favor. The same planner also sees Vancouver as a “sanctuary city,” and I think that just about sums it up. Vancouver is peaceable, lush, clean, affluent, and relatively safe.
A strength is obviously its natural setting. The city is shaped around a gorgeous inlet with mountains to the north, and a tremen¬dous river to the south. And while admittedly it rains a lot, the cli-mate is temperate enough to make it ideal for year-round outdoor activity. Hey, mountain biking (covered in this guide) was practically born on the North Shore.
Another plus is the people who’ve settled here in the past quarter century. Building on a largely (though not exclusively) European population, hundreds of thousands of Asian immigrants — particu¬larly Chinese-speakers from Southeast Asia, but also a large contin¬gent from the Indian subcontinent — have added a dimension that can’t be undervalued or underestimated; they’ve made this city an immensely more attractive and interesting place.
Finally, Vancouver is shaping up to be one of the best examples
of New Urbanism in North America. This movement aims to make inner cities livable again, and attract at least some suburbanites back to the denser, richer atmosphere of the central city. It’s happening. Residential growth on Vancouver’s downtown peninsula — from False Creek through the Downtown South to Coal Harbour — is far exceeding expectations.
This guide is intended to help you explore these and other lesser-known facets of this city — deliberately omitting the clichés and tourist traps such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge (wonderful though the canyon is), overpriced Robson Street, and the Gastown Steam Clock. In short, it’s meant to get you off the tourist track, below the surface, and into the places and cultures that make Vancouver really livable. Travel (by electric trolley bus or passenger ferry), dig deep, walk, explore, talk to the locals dance with them, for that matter. Above all, enjoy yourself. There’s more to this city than its good bones. Check the best of Vancouver here:
Aboriginal Art
Aboriginal Attractions
African Restaurants and Cafes
Airport
Al Fresco
Alternative Media
Antiques
Aromatherapy
Art Glass
Arthur Erickson
Artisan Breads
Asian Malls
Asian Teahouse
Aviation
Bagels
Bakeries
Beach Party
Billiards and Bowls
Bistros
Blackberries
Boards and Bikes
Bodywork
Books
Breakfast Restaurants
Breweries
Buddhist spots
Buildings and Architecture
Burgers Restaurants
Caribbean Restaurants and Cafes
Cds and Vinyl
Cheap Stuff
Chinatown
Chinese restaurants
Chocolate Shops
Churches
Cigars
Cinema
Clubs and Cabarets
Coffee
Cooking-school Dining
Cycling
Dance Clubs
Diving and Snorkeling
Eagles and Bird Watching
Emily Carr
Enclaves
Environment
Ethnic Eateries
Farmers Markets
Fashion
Feng Shui
Ferries
Festivals
Finn Slough
Foodies
Footwear
Francophone Style Spots
Froufrou
Galleries and Arts
Gardens
Gay and Lesbian Life
Gelato
Golf
Graffiti
Granville Island
Greek
Grouse Grind
Haircuts
Hemp
Herbalists
Hiking and Walking
Hollyburn Mountain
Home Stuff
Indulgences
Inline Skating
Internet
Irish Restaurants and Bistros
Italian Restaurants and Bistros
Japanese Confections
Japanese Culture
Japanese Restaurants
Jazz Life
Jewish Restaurants
Juice Bars
Kayaks and Canoes
Kids Attractions
Kite-Flying
Kitsilano
Latin American Restaurants and Bistros
Library
Licorice
Lions Gate Bridge
Liquor Shops
Literature
Lodging
Luxury Interior
Magazines
Maps and Guides
Markets
Martial Arts
Martinis Bistros
Microclimate
Mountain Biking
Museums
Neon
Outlooks
Oysters
Paper Shops
Parks Attractions
Pauline Johnson
Photography Service
Pig Out
Pizza Restaurants
Pot Culture
Poutine Restaurants
Public Art
Punjabi Market
Raccoons
Rags for Hipsters
Rough and Seedy
Running
Seafood Restaurants
Seawall
Sex Shops
Shelter
Sightseeing
Singles Bars
Soup and Sandwiches
South Asian Life
Stars and Entertainments
Steam and Spas
Steveston
Stravinsky
Sweets
Tapas and Bistros
Tea Houses and Salons
Tennis
Theater
Clocks
Theater in Parks
Toilets
Trains
Trees and Parks
24 Hours Cafes and Clubs
Trolleys and Buses
Vegetarian Restaurants
Video Clubs
Vintage and Collectibles
Volleyball and Ulty
Walks with Clapham
Wedding Attractions
Wildlife
Wrought Iron
X-Files
Yoga Studios
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