There are a plethora of reasons to fall in love with this ocean-fringed city, including its explorable neighbourhoods, drink-and-dine delights, and memorable cultural and outdoor experiences framed by stunning natural vistas.
Vancouver is the nation’s dining capital, but don’t tell the rest of the country. Forget about your diet and dive into some of North America’s best Asian restaurants, from chatty Chinese eateries to Vietnamese banh mi sandwich shops. Alternatively, let your appetite run wild with a bounty of locally caught, fresh seafood, such as seasonally available spot prawns and tender wild salmon. The West Coast cuisine has also been revitalised by the farm-to-table movement; how about some Fraser Valley lamb served with some foraged morels? And we haven’t even mentioned Vancouver’s renowned craft beer sector, which serves some of the best IPAs, sours, and other beverages in the country.
Downtown Vancouver is just the start. In a few minutes, you can reach one of the city’s many and varied mini-districts by walking or by public transportation. You’ll find this city to be perfect for convenient urban exploration, whether you choose to explore the independent stores on Main Street, the coffee shops on Commercial Drive, the red-brick bars in Gastown, or the heritage-house beachfronts in Kitsilano. Just make sure to strike up a conversation with the locals wherever you go; despite their initial appearance of shyness or aloofness, Vancouverites are eager to brag about their city and share their insider tips.
This city offers a richly textured creative canvas to explore. If you look closely, you’ll see a grassroots environment that is eclectically diverse and functions like a locavore movement for people who enjoy culture. Meet the locals at indie festivals, glittering theatre productions, toe-tapping live music events, Shakespeare performances on the water, and a camera-ready assortment of stunning public art. Additionally, there is a mouthwatering selection of independent galleries, a sizable public gallery that is about to begin construction on a great new structure, and a sizable, festive open-house art crawl that draws both locals and tourists every November.
Those snow-capped giants staring up at you from between the glass skyscrapers of downtown? By vehicle, it takes less than 30 minutes to get there. Although it’s much more enjoyable to take your time and relax, Vancouver residents can actually go skiing in the morning and hitting the beach in the afternoon. While the city itself is dotted with sandy shorelines, kayaking routes, verdant gardens, and Canada’s urban green-space gem, the massive and dearly loved Stanley Park, the city’s North Shore environment doorstep offers snow sports, mountain biking, and rainforest hiking paths.
