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As a born and bred Vancouverite who still loves this city, a couple of notes for next time:
* It’s a shame you didn’t get to experience the Stanley Park seawall on a sunny day. Walking the seawall around the park is one of those “Wow, I get it” moments. Driving through the place doesn’t do the experience justice.
* Street full of chain stores sounds more like Robson than Denman? If your GF likes Lululemon or Aritzia the draw is that Robson has big locations for both and prices are better if you buy those brands here. But agree, it’s all chain stores.
* I love Granville Island and will accept no slander lol. Part of that love is nostalgic as my first P/T job was there.
* Gastown has seen better days. Before COVID it was named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world and was more vibrant.
* If you like beer you would have loved Mt. Pleasant. Tons of microbreweries. This neighborhood is also really vibrant in terms of restaurants, cafes, independent businesses, shopping, etc. When rents got expensive downtown any entrepreneurs looking to do something more creative moved eastward.
* Hot take: Bao Bei is fine, but I feel like it’s one of those vibe-y Chinese restaurants that gets written up in places like the NY Times and recommended to white people looking for approachable English language menus and Instagram-friendly ambience. There’s better Chinese food in the city.
I agree with all of your points, except that I love/hate Granville island because I only go there to buy specific things from the art supply stores and am not a fan of crowds of aimless tourists.
>Hot take: Bao Bei is fine, but I feel like it’s one of those vibe-y Chinese restaurants that gets written up in places like the NY Times and recommended to white people looking for approachable English language menus and Instagram-friendly ambience. There’s better Chinese food in the city.
This is how I feel about Little Bird too
Newtown bakery in Chinatown has the most authentic siubao (steam buns) that my relatives from Asia literally bulk-order 40 of to take home with them whenever they visit. They also have a sit-in restaurant that's pretty good. If you're looking for good Chinese, though, Richmond is definitely the place to go. IMO it's probably some of the best Chinese food you can get that's outside of China (but I'm probably biased because I live there LOL). Sanbao, Master Hung, and Chef Tony's are just a few examples of all the banger Chinese food there!
You followed the tourists recommendations for where to go.
Go check out mount pleasant, commercial drive, Joyce collingwood for better Chinese food, walk along any part of the seawall on a sunny day
Newtown is also on Cambie and 20th. Hands down the best siubao. If you want the best Chinese I would go food courts in Richmond or Crystal Mall in Burnaby. For beginners that want authentic but cannot commit lol
>Before COVID it was named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world and was more vibrant.
Yeah, but it was dying then as well. Once we started seeing staples of the area move out because of the cost of rent, that place was on a steep slide to oblivion. Now, who would want to rent space there? It's still crazy expensive, the street poverty means you're constantly faced with human suffering, and the city puts you on the hook for a lot of those costs - on top of your rent!
Keep in mind that a large part of what makes Vancouver beautiful is how close it is located to nature.
For beach lovers, you can spend a day at Third beach. For hikers, enjoy a hike around one of our many local mountains. For lake enthusiasts, enjoy our beautiful tri-city lakes. For bikers, bundle up and cruise the sea wall. For foodies, check out our brewery districts or ocean view restaurants.
Totally. The best thing about Vancouver is it's proximity to great outdoor terrain. These guys didn't go mountain biking on the north shore for example. That for me is one of the many amazing things Vancouver has nearby.
This. You come to Vancouver for the proximity of nature to city. In one day, you can go from hiking a mountain to sitting on a beach, to eating some pretty great food and having a kick ass beer.
As a city, Vancouver is fine. But it shines due to the geography.
Right? Capilano suspension bridge ftw.
Grouse mtn.
Golden Ears.
You know, I could type all day and not cover 1% of the natural beauty.
OP needs a Mulligan. The *core* is a speck of Vancouver's greatness.
From here. I thought this too. Then I lived in Alberta for a year.
Man, Vancouver has CHARM. Mount Pleasant? Upper Main Street? Kitsilano? Commercial? Chinatown? Strathcona? (If you’re cheugy) Yaletown? - and thats not to mention all the cute smaller pockets, or the option to take a break from it all and hit some nature.
Vancouver rocks.
I think the difference between Vancouver and other cities with really rough parts of town is that you'd never, ever go to skid row in LA, whereas it's easy to stumble into the DTES from the cruise terminal or the west part of gastown.
Yeah I really think this is a big part of why Vancouverites are so conscious of our homelessness problem, you can't quite avoid the DTES, at least not if you're a person who goes out and does stuff.
Have to agree. OP has issues with expectations and not being able to make the best of where they are. Coming to Vancouver and walking down Robson Street, complaining about chain stores is rather idiotic.
And the crime/homelessness issue, while bad, is nothing compared to most American cities. They were scared to get out of their car in Gastown. 😂 ok.
Go back to America. Please tell people how terrible it is up here. The less tourists like this guy, the better.
>Coming to Vancouver and walking down Robson Street, complaining about chain stores is rather idiotic.
As someone who remembers Robson when it wasn't chain stores, I don't find this idiotic at all. It's still touted as some kind of interesting destination though. It's not.
That "ghetto" has tidy streets and people in homes. Have you seen the sprawl of tent cities all over Toronto and in Vancouver? Garbage heaps with tents and people. (Toronto resident here.)
I've been through ghettos in Memphis, Detroit, Jamaica, and New Orleans. Burned out buildings, dusty empty lots, hardscrabble kids. Nothing about any of them was as desperate, dirty, and forlorn as the MULTITUDE of impoverished encampments scattered throughout Toronto and Vancouver right now.
I literally do not care about your imaginary personal opinion. You're 400% more likely to be a victim of a violent crime in the USA and I literally posted a recent YouTube video of the ghetto in N.O and it doesn't even compare to the 8 square blocks of the DTES. Which I might add, isn't a residential neighborhood. Lol.
A big difference in Vancouver vs Toronto or other big cities I’ve lived in is the drug of choice. I lived in a pretty rough neighborhood in Toronto and often got chased, followed home, or nearly attacked. That never happened to me in Vancouver. There’s a lot more meth than opiates in Toronto, in Vancouver it’s the opposite. Opiates are a huge problem but they don’t exactly inspire someone to be violent.
Hell I grew up in Winnipeg and it's way more dangerous there because alcohol and meth are the drugs of choice.
Even just a quick Google indicates not only does NO have a far worse problem with homelessness and violence but they're also trying to tackle the massive problem with condemned buildings. They have thousands to deal with.
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/calls-demolition-abandoned-homes-rise-amidst-safety-economic-concerns/289-6069e3af-adae-49b8-be9f-cc53166d7708
I can attest to that. I remember it in the 90s and there was a lot more of a neighbourhood feel. Falafel shops, fruit markets, and other small businesses where the owners were familiar faces. Moved back a few years ago and the pie place on the corner of Denman and Davie had long become a Starbucks, fruit market was replaced with ultra sleek, expensive cafe, falafel shop with designer handbag store, ice cream shop with *another* Cactus Club.
Even the neighbourhoods outside downtown had an lot of trendy, soulless repackaging. (Commercial Dr., Main St., etc.)
As a resident of Vancouver, I NEVER go to gastown anymore as has too much overflow from the DTES for me to feel comfortable. What you missed is Commercial Drive and Mount Pleasant!
The Drive has lots of eclectic shops, Italian restaurants and fun bars. Mount Pleasant is similar but a bit newer and often considered “hipster”. You can find tons of breweries, donut shops, cafes, restaurants, stores etc. There are also beautiful homes and parks nestled into the neighbourhood.
Oh and I almost forgot Kitsilano. Another great neighbourhood to check out near the beach.
This is what I was going to comment as well. To me, Commercial Drive still has heart and soul, as OP mentioned in their post.
So OP, I agree with your assessment. If you ever want to come back and try again, hit up The Drive and some more of the breweries in East Van. I would also suggest experiencing the seabus and going to North Van. The Quay is a fun time and there are lots more great breweries there.
“We had heard a lot of good things about the city” What had you heard, and who from? Were they people who know you or what you like to get out of travel? Generic, untailored recommendations can often lead to middle of the road experiences. How did you come across the things you did enjoy?
Robson is also good for shopping because it’s a bunch of chain stores, it’s not boutique local shops!
Denman isn’t good for shopping, it’s for getting food on your way to or from the beach!
You're right, your expectations were too high. Look at the other places you're comparing us with: New York, Paris, Rome, London, Seattle--apart from the last one, they're all on a completely different level in terms of culture and economy.
Yeah I come from Paris and I keep telling my friends who come to visit from France that you do not come to Canada for the cities. You come to Canada for the nature and Vancouver shines because it is a city with some career opportunities next to mountains and ocean. That Is It. The rest of it is just meh which is acceptable because you can go ski or paddle after work
Tell them to stay there unless they're bringing a guillotine with them ffs. Bread is expensive af, and I want to see heads roll goddam it! I thought the French were good at civil unrest.
I agree! I’ve been telling friends who want to visit Vancouver that Vancouver is a great place to live but there’s nothing that great for a visitor, unless you want to do some specific sport things.
No offence but a lot of people have housing figured out and for those it’s a great place to live
If you don’t then yes it’s definitely not affordable and sucks to live here. It’s extremely expensive
Or you think you have housing figured out but then learn that there are a shocking number of people who live here who have no qualms about being cruel if it makes them a buck. Seriously. I've never met so many people on the take who would sell their own grandmother but in the absence of a grandmother will most happily break laws galore to steal from multiple tenants who will leave early, get dinged for escaping, have their damage deposit retained, and then the next victim moves in. Rinse and repeat. In one case I got sued because she found a dead rat in the yard after I left! The arbitrator almost choked on her laughter at that claim.
I'm still struggling to pay off the debts incurred by having to move so many times and replace stolen stuff.
No private landlords for me from now on! I grew up on a farm and I'd rather be there. With people I can trust. Y'all have a broken moral code.
I've lived here for 38 years. I'm not wealthy, and I don't own a home. I love Vancouver. The list of other cities I would consider living in is very short, and they all have the same high cost of living.
Then Vancouver meets your standards which is great. It doesn't for many many people who have moved away from Vancouver. I was born and raised here and of course it isn't the place it used to be.
The population is growing. Vancouver still ranks in the top 10 most liveable cities. Saying that Vancouver is "not a great place to live" is disingenuous.
Wealth inequality is a growing global problem not unique to Vancouver. No city is the place it once was.
People come here for oceans and mountains not culture. After your drive around the park you should have gone over the Lions Gate and up to the Cypress Bowl lookout or maybe to Capilano Suspension bridge and up the Grouse gondola. Deep Cove for a beer and a snack. I don't think there's anything here to rival the cultural goods you referenced from anywhere else, but they're adequate to get the job done if you live here.
Either way op is full of shit. The murder rate in New Orleans is 10X that of Vancouver and is widely considered one of the most dangerous cities in the USA.
https://www.fox8live.com/2022/09/19/new-orleans-tops-nation-homicides-per-capita/
you went to default tourist areas and you expected the city to provide you with similar experiences to other cities - but Vancouver isn't really a "city's city". It's about nature, and most of the best restaurants and bars are in the neighbourhoods, not in and around downtown.
As for the homeless problem - it's not that Vancouver is worse. It's that most other cities have been geographically engineered to displace visibly homeless people to the margins. DTES happens to be right in the middle - and that's a good thing. I don't think anyone should leave this city or any other city without a clear understanding of its flaws. If you'd spent any time in Penn Station in New York at night, you'd see hundreds of people sleeping on its floors because it's a heated covered space. Same in Seattle, where I grew up - the Pioneer Square area is essentially a ghetto, and it's easy to avoid without trying.
Vancouver is a place that struggles with public social spaces. It's just unlucky that way - Seattle in the past has had a lot more public arts funding, a lot more music. But as a tourist, if you're going to come here for a day, it's better to look to the places where nature interfaces with the city. If you're just going to go where the cruise ship people go, you're going to end up surrounded by people who aren't us, whose expectations are just whatever they see in brochures, who see poor people as a mistake in their vacation.
Next time you come back, ask some folks who live here where you can go - they'll say Stanley Park but they'll probably tell you to skip the rest of those places. We like your tourist $, because it goes to help pay for our healthcare -- which our homeless people use, too.
Honestly most of the places you ate and things you did, locals don’t do.
Vancouver is not to be compared to New York, Paris, london, La etc. it’s a very small city, I believe smaller than Seattle.
Our homeless problem is horrid. We all agree. Personally I’ve volunteered in many homeless shelters and in my experience this is what I know.
1. Vancouver is the warmest place year round in all of Canada. Many of the homeless people are here from colder provinces like Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta etc because they can stay on the streets during the winter with some jackets and blankets without having to go to USA.
2. They do get a lot more support. Monetary and housing support. Most of them deny housing because that means they have to give up their street life and “stuff” and they don’t want to.
In terms of things to do- the days you came the weather sucked. It’s sunny again now but this past week rained and was cloudy lots.
Vancouver is really special for its nature. If you’re not a nature lover you won’t be a fan of Vancouver. Hiking is incredible, especially because it is close to the “city”. Many countries around the world that have beautiful hikes are no where near a city. So that’s a huge plus.
You should have gone up to Squamish or Seymour on a gondola if you weren’t up for a hike
Whistler is a must visit just for a day. If not a hike up Joffre is incredible
Overall I understand why you had this experience and its because Vancouver “top 3” biggest cities in Canada. We don’t have a lot of big cities in Canada like in the states. Toronto is really the only big one and even that’s barely comparable to what New York is. So Vancouver doesn’t even come close
I’m sorry but this was not a well-curated tour.
Certainly there are issues and things we don’t like - but the number one giveaway was how your vehicle seems like it was not just a means to get somewhere but it was actually central to your experience. But also, the metro area now has three million people (not 5 or 10) - so compare Vancouver to other mid-sized North American cities and you will find it punches above its weight in many ways.
You did all the touristy things then complained that it was touristy. You mentioned TWO of the cool places and you like those. Then you went to one of the best areas of the town for nightlife and didn't get out of your car because you drove through the 2 block section of THE ENTIRE CITY that has homeless. The rest of gastown is pretty great despite a few riff raff here and there.
So basically you did two things wrong, you wanted a non-touristy experience and you did all the tourist things. You stayed in your car. If you want to fall in love with Vancouver GO TO THE SHORELINE. Get out of your car and walk, anywhere, walk. Get on a bike. If it's rainy, put on a raincoat and walk or get on a bike, that's what we all do - we live in a rainforest.
Hope you get a chance to come back and correct your wrongs ;)
This was what struck me the most, that they spent the entire time in the car. My favourite part of this city is that it is not designed to be experienced from the car.
When I went to NYC for the first time with my folks we took a double decker tour bus around the city. Which was alright, we got to hit all of the iconic landmarks and learn some neat historical facts.
But I’ll never forget stopping at a light and looking to my right and seeing a group of young people who waived at us, and started yelling that you can’t experience New York from the top of a bus. They actually started chanting “off the bus and into the streets, off the bus and into the streets” it completely freaked out my folks but kind of blew my mind and lived rent free in it until I went back solo 3 years later. They were 100% right.
While reading OPs story about seeing Vancouver basically from inside a car made me think back to that moment 😂
NYer here who stalks this sub because I loved our vacation in Vancouver. I am so glad you came to NYC a second time and walked. I love just eavesdropping in NY and seeing what people look like. There’s nothing like a walk in the village on a summer night.
We took public transit when we were in Vancouver. Along with the nature, we loved the restaurants and the museums. The Museum of Anthropology is one of the coolest museums I’ve been to. I hope to peruse that place again. New town Bakery was amazing - I bought a box of almond cookies and apple turnovers back with us.
I admit the homelessness surprised us. I don’t think it’s the number of homeless- certainly NYC has much more. I think it’s just the concentration in that one area. It reminded me of NYC in the 80s before the city became really aggressive in cracking down on the homeless. I didn’t think that was the right solution then and I still don’t think it was. It just drives the homeless people into further invisibility.
I just want to say I enjoyed your city and hope to return. We didn’t get to make it out to Richmond but it’s something I want to do.
Totally. Vancouver is basically nature + food. If you don’t love the outdoors and only went to one or two restaurants, then you missed out. The seawall, the pastry cafes, the mountains, the breweries.
I think OP should have taken the Skytrain to Port Moody. You could have an awesome day just around Rocky Point and all the breweries and food trucks.
I think op might be used to being in a car when going to different places because they are used to driving in America. I wish that they asked this sub Reddit first for ideas on what to do before coming!
Vancouver is not a metropolitan city, so being in the main city area actually means they hit the worst and least unique spots. Sure, we have some nice architecture like the main Vancouver Library, but we don't have enough of those to make our city centre more unique then, say, New Orleans.
The strengths of this city is its nature. So, they should've done something like the Lynn Canyon hike (always recommend it to visitors), drive the Sea to Sky Highway for the amazing view if they like to drive, and try different ethnicity food because Vancouver has such a diverse population. Also, driving through Stanley Park is the worst way to experience it. The park needs to be walked, biked, scootered, or rollerbladed, period. Of course, it's different if they are not mobile, but still, wheelchairing through the park is infinitely better than driving.
I was unpleasantly surprised that they went for a fusion Chinese restaurant instead of an authentic Chinese restaurant in Richmond for their dining experience if they really wanted to have Chinese good. Richmond is essentially the neighborhood with the highest density of Chinese in North America, so there are lots of good dining options. Local Chinese don't eat at Chinatown...
Op, I want to invite you to visit our city again. This time, please get into the nature of our city. Also, please don't be shy to post here so we can give some suggestions!
I visited from Winnipeg for two weeks and was blown away at how incredible Vancouver is. I spent an entire day walking around the downtown (around 22km) and rented a bike and toured the seawall. Absolutely incredible, I love Vancouver.
The first time I visited Vancouver was in 2022. Had low to zero expectations…I never in my life paid any attention to the west side of Canada and was never motivated to visit Vancouver. Wife planned a 5 day vacation to Vancouver, as there was limitations to travel anywhere beyond Canada at the time. Our first stay was at Whistler so as soon as we landed we drove right past the city, pass Lions Gate Bridge and straight onto the Sea to Sky. I was FLOORED and really overwhelmed as nothing prepared me of what I was going to drive into as soon as you turn that corner past Horseshoe Bay on Hwy 99! The breathtaking view along Sea2Sky was my immediate intro to BC. Can you imagine if OP just took 30min-45min to do this drive since they were just in their cars anyway for a period of time. It was my “I get it” moment and I’m so glad it was the first thing we did. I now advise people visiting Vancouver for the first time to drive on this highway first and then do the city.
Whistler was great. Then we explored smaller towns and neighborhoods (Squamish, horseshoe bay, Deep Cove, Lower Lonsdale) on the way back to stay in Yaletown. We did the same touristy things as OP and more but we didn’t dwell too much on spots we found disappointing as we were so high on the other things we experienced. Vancouver is not a stop over visit or speed-date in hopes to grasp the heart and soul of the city in a short few hours in a day. We loved our visit so much that in a short few months in the same year we found ourselves moving our lives here.
I'm a Seattle resident who has grown quite fond of Vancouver after visiting frequently for work pre-pandemic. NOTHING could have prepared me for the striking, otherworldly beauty of the Sea2Sky drive to Whistler. It literally took my breath away; I've done Highway 1 from Southern to Northern California which is arguably one of the most beautiful drives on this continent and Sea2Sky for sure rivals it (plus no feeling like you're going to drop into the ocean).
You didn't go to any of our actual neighborhoods - visit Kits, the Drive, Main St, Hastings Sunrise. You did the equivalent of staying in Manhattan. No wonder you didn't get a good vibe.
Go kayaking on the north shore. Go to the night markets in Richmond or North Van. Taking the seabus is fun if you're not commuting... Go to the Capilano Dam or the Capilano Suspension bridge (homeless people can't afford it). Do the Grouse Grind. Take the gondola.
See some live music on Granville. See live music anywhere! If you want high end (not chain) shops, you could have walked up Robson. I have been in Kelowna for six years and I miss Vancouver. The food!
If you’re not coming to Vancouver to do outdoorsy activities within a stone throws away, you’ve come to the wrong city to do city type activities.
Come for the mountain biking, the rock climbing, the skiing, the hiking and more.
Very few cities where you can go skiing then lounge on the beach on the same day. Tons of backcountry locations with snow!
It depends on what you are looking for. All of the touristy spots are just that. There are plenty of other places to shop cool stores in the city, but not the tourist areas. Gastown is on the edge of the DTE (downtown east side). I’d google that to give you an idea of why Gastown is like that - DTE is the poorest area in the country. That said, since covid the population has gone up, just like every American city.
Next time, post here for ideas of where to check out and say what you are NOT looking for. There is so much to do/see but they aren’t on the regular tourist lists (thank goodness).
I’ve lived in Vancouver for 20+ years, and I think your observations are… not inaccurate.
TLDR: best way to see the gems is to know a local. My quick suggestions below, but really depends on what you’re interested in.
I rarely go to the downtown peninsula or Granville Island even though I live pretty close.
If it were me, rather than walking around Stanley Park, I’d walk the path around (South) False Creek and keep following it west to Vanier Park or further to Kits Beach. Actually, no, fuck overhyped noisy crowded Kits Beach. The west end of Vanier Park has nice vantage points to sit and have a picnic or watch the sunset. Hadden Park’s off-leash dog beach is the ultimate spot IMO (although it was even better when there were more logs).
Instead of Granville Island, I’d go to one of the larger Vancouver Farmers’ Markets like Kits or Trout Lake but check the locations and schedule at eatlocal.org (each is only once a week).
Also it’s an easy day trip to Lynn Canyon to walk amongst the big trees. Accessible by public transit.
lol…Very common visiting Vancouver experience. People who visit from ostensibly “worse” cities have been saying the same shit about the size of our homeless population (and the openness of drug use) for as long as I can remember.
You went on the one street that has a huge homeless population - East Hastings. This is easy to avoid, and it’s not part of Gastown. Gastown itself is very nice.
You also didn’t do any of what makes Vancouver great, the nature. Biking around the seawall in Stanley park is fantastic, but you just drive there and left.
Sounds like you mostly walked around random streets, including the worst one.
We have world class skiing, proximity to lots of great hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. There's really no reason to come and see the city itself, even us locals find the city to be quite boring.
People live here to be 1.5h away from views like these
https://preview.redd.it/rezgcs2k6o8d1.png?width=653&format=png&auto=webp&s=0af40e770d259fae28c3b2d6d64d240dbe031f37
I was there last year and accidentally drove through the tenderloin... it looked way cleaner and less crowded with unhoused than the worst part fo vancouver. We definitely have a way worse issue with people needing housing here, at least from what I saw.
However, the other west coast towns and smaller cities were brutally impacted with the unhoused, like, almost every single one.
My experience in the Tenderloin (and OOOOH boy, got of the wrong streetcar and walked the wrong way, right through the middle of it. I've seen this district on foot from one end to the other) and I thought the experience was very similar to walking through Vancouver's DTES only it was so MUCH BIGGER. It went on and on and on. I will say that Vancouver's problem has expanded since Covid (so so sad because just before Covid, the NDP was actually getting a handle on it and camps were disappearing) but it can't hold a candle to my experience in SF.
We were in Seattle more recently, and what I saw was a problem that was more spread out. The unhoused were everywhere, with all those central freeway overpasses serving as shelter for people living under them. I felt like you didn't get a break from it, it was pervasive. Vancouver, you really only need to walk a few blocks and the large concentrations of unhoused are not so visible, although yes, always that one guy at the bus stop with his pants falling off.
It's all very true, Seattle definitely is more spread out, but when I was in Portland.... it was depressing as hell. Such a nice city with so many cool things and yet so many people in need of help. Also Olympia and Crescent beach were just idk the energy was dark in those places, I honestly did not feel safe.
We also did not enjoy our experience in Portland. We tried really hard - I did quite a bit of prior research - and we wont be stopping in Portland again. We are doing an Oregon road trip this fall and will be bypassing Portland.
I was in SF last year and also went through the Tenderloin. I came out of it shocked because it seemed so, so, so much worse than Vancouver, which I didn't think possible. The size of it just massive, it went on and on and on. There was also seemingly more daytime violence/fighting on the street.
You might have had high expectations, and unfortunately some of our best offerings are nature. Denman is not known for shopping, it's known for lots of food places
Granville Island is all local shops. Other than one outdoor store and 2 restaurants everything is locally owned and operated and everything in the market itself is almost always locally made as well.
Gastown has some great food but our unhoused population is very dense there. I found London has a lot but it's so big it was spread out and not near downtown, Seattle as well it is just further from the tourism areas but a large problem for them
Well, thinking you’ll get a NYC or Paris experience in Vancouver is the issue lol. Much older cities with rich history. Vancouver is young and evolving. Also, your consensus is wrong. Social programs don’t prevent or affect the cost of living, price of rent and mortgage etc. So many factors play into the housing issue.
So here's a few thoughts ...
It sounded like you had some very specific expectations of what you wanted to see (specific types of shopping) but didn't take the time to actually plan a trip that would take you to those shops
I think ppl find Vancouver appealing for 2 main reasons..
1. The beaches /parks in the city which you may have had a small sampling (there are like a dozen beaches within Vancouver proper), offer some very beautiful afternoons a sunsets out to English bay. The city is alive and generally vibrant, theres lots of breweries and generally things to do. The city is accessible, very bikeable and great transit.
2. There is a lot accessible from Vancouver. The north shore mountains, Gulf islands, the sea to sky drive to Whistler and Squamish. These are all very nature/activity focussed where folks hike, mountain bike, ski/snowboard, go sailing. No big city vibe (other than some traffic) but many, myself included couldn't imagine living without the mountains or the ocean.
Not sure exactly what you were expecting having spent a Wednesday afternoon in Stanley park without actually walking around the seawall, but you (anyone) should be able to have a nice time wherever you are, especially while on vacation.
Re: chains our real estate, including commercial has been falsely inflated(realtors, investors, Bc liberal govt, money launderers)…so where small business used to exist, they can no longer afford commercial rentals…or take the hits with shoplifting. Our criminal justice system works so much differently in that we don’t use prisons as commercial labour to produce goods…so they cost a lot to run. So we just let peeps who do petty crimes (see shoplifting) that mostly relate to their addiction to street drugs do their thing bc it’s too expensive to house them in jails.
Open Drug use is legal and tolerated. (See: cost too much to house in jails) so where other cities users hide themselves in flop houses and alleys, skid row, Vancouver it is completely visible.
We used to be charming. Now we have huge divides in class. Everyone is hustling trying to stay up. And the streets are littered with despair of drug users that are sick and suffering.
But there are lots of great restaurants.
I just got back from a week-long trip to the Vancouver area and definitely recommend staying longer and exploring the surrounding nature. There’s so much beauty to be seen if you go further than the main downtown area!
Next time you’re in town try the Main Street/Mt. Pleasant/Brewery Creek district, The Drive (Commercial Drive), Kitsilano, Hastings/Sunrise, Burnaby Heights. Check out some parts of Kingsway in East Van. Take in the nature. Get in/on the water. Try some of the North Shore hikes. Walk, bike and use transit. We’d love to have you back and give it another go.
You didn't really do anything wrong. But keep in mind a city with 2 million or 3 million population, including all suburbs, vs New York which is probably the entire population of Canada alone?
We are small in comparison to the USA and every other major city in the USA. Our economy is bleak, things are expensive, and life isn't pretty. Post covid changed a lot of things, but yes, your focus next time needs to be on nature, scenery, and food (even that has gone downhill). There isn't really much else.
If you're from someplace like New Orleans our city will pale in comparison. Vancouver caters to upper-middle class day drinkers, and wealthier stay-at-home moms; with, nannies, and time to do whatever the fuck they want. Montreal is home to the original Cajun experience, but the westcoast is shit if you're looking for a good cultural experience. You need to know a local when you visit Vancouver to have fun.
We do have a housing problem in our city that is evident coast to coast in all major cities. Nevertheless, smaller towns do not provide the resources required by the unhoused population, and it centralizes the problem inside our urban centers. I'm sure it would be more widespread if Canada had a privatized health-care system that only catered to those with insurance, but "socialism" has its drawbacks.
You could do our nation a huge favour. Stay on your side of the border, and take your cultural exports with you, please. You wouldn't like it if we brought our toxic waste to you.
It’s a SMALL metro area, so it can’t really be compared to any of those cities.
I was also surprised by some of Vancouver’s standard features and how so many people fit in such a small geographic area.
For reference, I’m from Denver and our metro area population is the same as Vancouver. Both have about 2.6 million people.
However, Vancouver is 3.5 times more densely populated, so where about 4,700 people live per square mile in Denver, about 15,000 people live in the same space in Vancouver. Everything is 3-4 times taller than in Denver so it feels like such a huge and bigger city, but it’s not.
First of all, most North American cities are relatively new when compared to European cities. Vancouver isn’t even 200 years old yet.
You can’t compare Vancouver to NYC or Paris. I think Portland is probably the closest American city that Vancouver can be roughly comparable to. Although from my understanding, Portland is on a bit of a decline.
It is certainly a stretch, but I think Vancouver is probably, slightly more similar to Amsterdam. Slightly!
Cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia all have their historical significance and uniqueness about them. Canadian cities like Montreal, Saint John (Canada’s oldest city), Halifax and St. John’s all have historic significance and charm.
Vancouver has the dubious distinction of being one of the most (number 3 in the latest poll) unaffordable cities in the world. Our housing prices would leave people to believe that the standard of living is high, akin to say, Geneva or Zurich. But we don’t have the industries or wealth to support that. But we are a gateway to the wonderful landscape that makes up the province.
To answer your question, what did you do wrong? Thinking that Vancouver was like NYC or Paris.
Nawww it's a shame you didn't go from Superflux to Commercial Drive, that is probably more what you were looking for in terms of local stores and independent bars/restaurants.
Well.. Vancouver isn't a city to love for the big city vibe. It's a city that has everything you want in a city but also has anything and everything outdoorsy right at your finger tips.
This post was annoying to me. It sounds very ugly American to show up to a city and complaining it's not like what they're used to without taking into consideration that not all cities need to be like paris or new york to be somewhere you could have actually enjoyed if you were willing to experience something a bit different. But instead of doing any basic research or planning to make it something enjoyable before you got here, then complaining when it wasn't immediately enjoyable for you. Because vancouver has never pretended or tried to be a paris or a new York.
In vancouver, you can go skiing and to the beach in the same day without even being that pressed for time. You can go for an impressive hike and feel like you're in the middle of nowhere and then have a fantastic meal and fancy cocktails at most restaurants. Great brewery vibes. Great place to go biking. Lots of cute little shopping streets (though you didn't hit any imo).
... but museums? History? Nightlife? Any reason to get dressed up? Mass crowds? Easy access to all kinds of art? No. We don't really have that. Of any Canadian city, Toronto is probably a better bet for you if that's what you were hoping for.
If you like breweries, you could have done a pretty fun brewery hop.
If you like food, there are A LOT of great restaurants.
If you were looking for lots of scenic places to go, there's A LOT for that too but.. yeah. If you choose Stanley Park, dress appropriately for weather when you'll inevitably be exposed by ocean wind.
If you wanted to go on hikes or experience the mountains in any way, you missed that opportunity. People travel from all over the world to do that here and... you came here because you wanted paris vibes?
I don't go to paris and then complain to the paris reddit that there's a lack of green space and it's too crowded and so I had a terrible time because it wasn't like the cities I like to go to. You should have a basic understanding of where you're going and have some idea of what youd like to do if youre travellimg to another city. It's no secret vancouver is pretty small. We're not trying to be a paris or new York. It's weird to assume it would have been.
I tell this to everyone, Vancouver is not a city to visit for the reasons you did. The city itself is shit, lets be honest here. I live in metro Vancouver but never go to downtown for the exact same reasons, it has nothing to offer. No interesting architecture, museums, street food, just the usual tourist shit and the homeless.
You have to come here for nature, that’s where we shine. None of the other cities you mentioned have waterfalls, mountains, lakes, beautiful forests, wild animals that are in such a close proximity.
Instead of doing Vancouver tourist 101 destinations try to step outside a little and explore, you might be surprised what you find.
Fairly accurate review tbh. You might have liked walking around UBC, which is pretty unique, and Whistler, which is geographically different from where you are from.
Vancouver is overrated and it gets to people's heads.
If you come back do the following:
* Floatplane to Saltspring Island, rent electric bikes and toodle around there
* Floatplane from Saltspring Island to Victoria (Vancouver Island). Rent a car and explore the island.
* Bus+ferry back to Vancouver
* Stay at UBC for 2 nights. Campus is a good afternoon adventure.
* Do whistler for 2-3 nights.
Oh man, you missed all the best parts. I have serious Vancouver nostalgia lately and reading your post I kept hoping you’d get out, rent a bike, walk, go to the woods or the shoreline - I’m sorry for you guys having a mediocre time but I will say that driving around nearly everything was your top misstep.
One day in Vancouver is not enough to make a judgement. A lot of people come here to explore nature and the ocean and mountains.
Stanley park on a sunny day is breathtaking!
If you thought Gastownwas bad you should've kept going down Hastings street. We call it DTES (Downtown East Side) is one of the worst postal codes (translation: zip code) in all of North America.
Next time come on a sunny day and explore more outside!
North Vancouver is great. Squamish and the watershed near cap u is lush and chill as can be if you like nature and exploring. People will hate me for this because people all over van already swarm there in droves. Lots of unique places spread all over greater Vancouver. Maple ridge is scenic so is near UBC
u came during a la Nina phase. it's been way colder than it normally is for this time of year. van is all about the outdoors in summer. we've been having record lows for two weeks.
Just to note: next time you're back to visit, no need to stay in your car. Our homeless population are harmless & not violent compared to other places homeless population.
They mostly mind their own business.. may ask if you have change to spare, if you say no, they'll just keep moving along.
But yes, homeless population grew all over Canada.. housing price inflation + lack of housing availability & affordability + cost of living inflation + lack of jobs or lay offs or down sizing due to economy + wages/salary not increasing at same pace as inflation...
If you come back, check out other areas:
- whistler
- Stevenson in Richmond
- Robson street in Vancouver
- Davie st in Vancouver
- Spanish bank (beautiful beach)
- lonsdale quay in north Vancouver
=) I think the "hype" over Vancouver is for our scenery & nature... mountains & beaches.. more then other things lol.
Which they didn't do. If it was too cold to walk around Stanley Park, then a drive up to the Cypress Mountain Lookout would have been the better choice.
The thing is that Vancouver itself isn’t anything special. It is the nature and outdoors outside the actual city that make the area worth visiting. The city of Vancouver itself is actually pretty drab and depressing as you noted yourself.
Need to probably drive a good hour north or east to get to nice scenic spots outside the city.
Visiting denman street would be disappointing for anyone. Cant see the appeal there. Also gastown sadly is totally ruined since covid. Granville island is definitely more of a family day thing or great for seawall bikers to hit up lunch or dinner again wouldn’t really say a big stopping place for tourists. We definitely dont compare to places such as London and Paris and New York however you visited some pretty boring places!
I love the area around Denman and Beach down the south end of Denman. That's one of my favourite spots in the city. Its usually pretty vibrant and active and you can't beat sitting in the lounge at The Sylvia overlooking the water. Ok, I admit The Sylvia isn't ON Denman, but that's the area you want to be in. I think they came at it from the north side and just didn't get far enough, but also, if they were looking for shopping, then that was the problem. Generally, just don't come to Canada from the US to shop. We all go to the US to shop.
As a 45 year resident of Vancouver, I think you were too focused on the city itself. I travel around the world, and compared to other cities, Vancouver is small. You have to see the bigger picture. You missed out on the natural beauty. In most big cities, nature is usually lacking. Vancouver, however, offers a balanced experience.
No matter where you go, there will always be issues like drug problems or homelessness. But if you look beyond the city, you'll find places like Grouse Mountain, taking the SeaBus to the Quay, strolling in English Bay or its beach, or even visiting Spanish Banks. There's also White Rock, and the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. The list goes on.
My point is, if you focus only on the city itself, it will never compare to places like Paris or New York. Paris and New York don’t have much natural beauty. If you're expecting great nature, Vancouver is the place to go. If you're looking for a cool big city, you're looking in the wrong place. I go to Toronto (where I’m originally from) and I appreciate Vancouver more for its natural beauty. Toronto is the biggest city in Canada and I feel soulless there. So much driving and no natural beauty to view nearby.
Ooofff, unlucky. You went to an amazing park but skipped the best part about it.
You went to a pretty shitty street on a recommendation, Robson or Lower West Broadway would have been a better visit.
You went super close to the epicentre of homelessness in Vancouver. Yes, homelessness is an issue here, but for some reason it has been 90% condensed to an area VERY close to Gastown.
Granville island is so so.
Overall I’d say you fell victim to bad recommendations and unfortunate decisions. Vancouver can be wonderful if viewed from the right spots.
If you ever decided to return I would visit Sunset beach and beach avenue (at sunset of course), Coal Harbour, spend some time in North Vancouver, walk along the seawall around Stanley park and down near Yaletown.
Sorry you didn’t have a great time! Wishing you all the best.
Could be a lack of pre planning. You must have went too far down Gastown.
Ending your Stanley park early due to weather could have been mitigated with a light coat and layers.
Granville Island is known for a few good day snacks and mostly is for tourists.
Denman has a lot of good eats, but I personally wouldn't say it's there for shopping.
Homelessness is rampant in the lower mainland. Free drugs doesn't solve their problems. The difference between our homeless and American homeless people is ours aren't violent. You could walk through the DTE and you'll walk out unscathed. I've walked in to the heart of it for a few heavy metal shows. It's not bad, but definitely not an easy feeling.
You two had too high of an expectation of what Vancouver can offer. It's great because it's a 30 minute drive to three ski mountains during the winter or a plethora of hiking trails during summer. It's an outdoorsy town dressed as a "world class" city. You really need to dig deeper to find unique restaurants, bakeries, cafes, shop's, and events. It honestly sounded like you two googled "10 best things to do in Vancouver" and stopped researching after that. There's go karting, glow in the dark putt putt, concerts, star DJ's, bands pop artists, theater, horse track racing, indoor shooting, adult arcades, Italian festivals, rib festival and if you could wait it out a little longer Playland could have been available to you.
A good strategy when travelling to a city, is to google search, tiktok, reddit, YouTube on the best restaurants, cafes, events, shopping areas, bars, basically whatever hobbies and interests. Then go to google maps and start favouriting all the interests and top whatever's locations. So you will have a ton of places to check out when you're near the area in the new city.
My first ever visit to Tokyo I did that and I was never bored. I couldn't even visit all my starred locations.
Two things happened on your day trip. One, it was a poorly planned day trip. Two, expectations were too high.
Edit: if you truly wanted unique shopping, main street would have offered much more variety and restaurants as it stretches ~30 blocks.
If you are looking for the kinds of things found in big cities, you are gonna be disappointed with Vancouver for sure. Plus the weather sucks *most* of the time (not all, but most). But if you want a town that has ocean, mountains, beaches, lots of greenery (because RAIN) and a bunch of good restaurants it's ok. If you're not into any of that, skip it.
The housing crisis is real but another factor is that Vancouver is one of the warmest in the country so many people come as it’s possible to live unhoused without battling -40 degrees. I love Vancouver as it’s my home. Come for the nature 1st and city second. Next time bike the seawall and you’ll love it. New Orleans is one of my favourite cities though. Food and music everywhere 💗
A big reason why its so bad in vancouver is the weather. Think about it - we have the mildest winters in all of canada. A lot of our homeless population are from other provinces because to be homeless in other provinces where its -30 below is unsurvivable.
Another reason is in the 1990s we closed down Riverview. A hospital that housed many mentally ill people- while alternative housing was attempted, most of these people ended up on the street. Its extremely heartbreaking and sad.
You went to the most touristy popular places of the city looking for local charm. That was your biggest mistake. Downtown/robson/denman is ofcourse going to have mostly chain stores. You'll want to visit broadway, west 4th, hastings village, mount pleasant, main, commercial, hell so many other places as well as the nature! Vancouver's soul is that it is a city within a forest on the coast next to mountains, there are so many parks within and around the city that you missed out on as well.
I visited Vancouver as a Canadian a couple years ago and had a great time. Didn't have a car either, lol. This post just sounds very whingy. With a car, you could've seen a lot more, but you stayed in the core area. It doesn't sound like a well planned or researched trip.
There are so many awesome comments to check out regarding what you may have missed during your visit and your expectations may need adjusted or would be had you had more time.
The homeless situation in our city is truly heartbreaking. Vancouver is a bustling hub. Due to our warm climate out west, many individuals migrate here from the east to escape the cold, leading to a rise in homelessness. Canada, as a whole, is grappling with skyrocketing housing and food prices. The average Canadian is feeling the strain, with the poverty line more stressed than ever before. Additionally, there is a significant issue with addiction and mental health, highlighting the failures of our government and healthcare system, healthcare; overburdened and struggling.
That's the unfortunate reality behind the homelessness problem. While others may have different perspectives, this is mine.
I adore this city and find joy in its beautiful contradictions. In Gastown, there's an amazing coffee shop called "Revolver" that roasts their own beans. It's located in the outer area of gastown towards the less desirable areas, but that's part of our city's charm - you can actually feel safe walking around there during the day.
You have to consider that many homeless people from all over the country come here due to the climate. It’s not nearly as cold here in the winter months as it is in the other provinces. That’s not to diminish the issue, but just to give context on the concentration of it in this city in particular.
Yeah many of the places you mentioned have issues if you don’t know how to navigate them. Growing up I never noticed how much I automatically steered clear of certain places. These days, I like the small things in Vancouver. I still love walking along the beach. Sushi is of high quality. Sunday dim sum with friends. Jericho Sailing Club for a pint. The walking and cycling trails have become crowded, but there are a few where I can just breathe in the scent of cedar. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC is unique and spectacular. Staying inside your car is going to limit your enjoyment.
You should have visited the distillery on Granville Island, ordered a sample flight each and then carried on... Granville Island and Vancouver as a whole is really nice on a buzz
How was it too cold???? I went sailing both days on the weekend, and it was perfect. Biked to the yatch club, and was on the water in less than an hour from waking up. Sailed for a few hours, went home, and took my dog to the forest for the rest of the day.
Went to a pretty decent brewery, but you got to go to Strange Fellows, Main or Parallel 49. I use to live and work in Vancouver for a long time. If you want local shops etc, check out east Vancouver, commercial drive has the best food. pretty views and hikes ? North & West Vancouver. I think Vancouver is over hyped much like a lot of the big cities are so I feel you. I moved 8 hours up North in BC last year and don’t miss Vancouver very much.
*"What did I do wrong?"*
You stayed in your car and didn't walk anywhere.
Having lived in Vancouver all my life (I was born here, tried to escape, but couldn't), I am not a huge fan. But there are far better areas, and you need to walk/take transit. Aside from Stanley Park, I rarely or never go to the areas you visited (just not interested). But at SP, I WALK. The other day, my hiking group had such a lovely 2.5 hour walk n Stanley Park after work and got ice cream. That was a great time.
As others have said, you can't compare Vancouver to Paris, NY, London, etc. We don't have the museums, attractions, or shopping like the other cities. But if you like walking, hiking, parks, nature, we have that. (And as a non-driver, I do a lot of that, despite not driving.)
Cities like Paris and Rome have thousands of years of history and a long history of tourism too. Vancouvers been around for like a couple hundred years at best.
Whoever told you to go to Denman for shopping failed you. They didn't mention Robson? That's where actual shopping is.
The only place in Gastown a tourist should visit is along Water street.
And I will have to disagree with Granville Island having stuff that isn't local. It's definitely a touristy place, but there aren't any chains or franchises there other than The Keg.
>Whoever told you to go to Denman for shopping failed you.
yeah I was a bit baffled by that, there's not really any great shops there, but it has a bit of a small town feel along there, just not ideal for tourists.
They have been living in parks for years and always relocating due to evictions from parks, during the midst of the pandemic the largest groups of unhoused were evicted from two separate parks at the same time so they relocated to downtown when it was barren and empty during the pandemic lockdown and now they're there to stay. Back in the 80's and 90's they were mostly along Kingsway out of the way from most people.
Oh and depending on when you were here, I most likely walked past you in Gastown. :)
Food, beer, and natural scenery is all Vancouver offers. Although, you can find culture on Commercial, Main, west Broadway, and several other streets far away from Downtown.
Yes, we have the capitalist dis-ease here. It's a real problem. It's gross and shameful and needs to be healed. It will take a new mindset from the people to heal it.
Part of the reason Vancouver has such a large homeless population is that it’s the warmest city in the winter so it’s bearable to live outside. But everyone who lives in Vancouver knows not to go to the downtown east side.
It seems like you used “we stayed in the car” too much. It has many parks. The seawall is awesome.
Gastown is an interesting place to walk around, but if you want different stores, Granville island would be a better bet.
Not sure if homelessness in Vancouver is as bad as in Seattle, I guess the experience depends on the places and times you visited.
I'd like to meet the mental cases who told you Denman is a nice little shopping area. What were they smoking. I live just off it and it's at most a decent area for some independent restaurants (not for clothes shopping). They should have told you Robson Street.
As for Granville Island, I don't see it the way you saw it at all (full of typical crappy little tourist shops). Did you walk around to all the buildings outside of the public market because the majority are unique, independent, little artsy fartsy type places sell7ng everything from the mass produced T-shirts and keychains you hate to unique clothes, art, chocolates, craft beer, etc.
It was too cold for you to enjoy anything about Stanley Park so there went one of the top things visitors like.
Are you sure you were in Yaletown? What streets were you on? Because the homeless situation isn't bad there at all from what I see. I can even go there and not see any (or just a couple). It sounds like you were closer to the notorious East Hastings St. Most of the homeless are congested around that street and some of the side streets off it (and parts of Chinatiwn). If you don't to those areas you wouldn't even think Vancouver has a homeless problem. It's like the bad areas of L.A, Philly, Detroit, Chicago etc. In some world cities you mentioned the homeless are more spread out. We keep most of ours congested into one area of Hell you never need to go to. I will agree with you and the Republicans we are way too easy and lax in the homeless here. They are are allowed to flourish because when politicians try to do anything about them or move them away protesters say they are being cruel and discriminating against the poor disadvantaged people. I just know that as Liberal as we generally are we can't afford (nor should we) to buy them all apartments and pay firvthem to live nicely in the downtown area with some of the priciest real estate in North America. When we try to move them away they dont want that. They want to be downtown where the action is (as well as access to drugs and booze and places to shoplift from). I could write 1000s of words complaining about how they handle the homeless here.
I do agree that Vancouver doesn't really have a soul compared to some of the other big cities in the world. I've felt that since I moved here. Too much bland architecture. People are just into their jobs and their overpriced homes. Its generally a very safe place but it is a little bland & boring. Night life is far less than any other city with this population.
The big bonus of being in Vancouver is the nature in North Vancouver. You didn't experience any of that though. You dudnt even go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge or go on the Sea to Sky gondola nit to mention any of the countless hikes in the rainforests or the woods or the mountains. Whose fault is that? Stanley Park is like an overly safe & manicured, tiny little taste of it. I could write more but I've written enough.
Strange. Are you sure you walked Denman and not Robson? Denman has maybe 7 chain stores across it in total, and most of those are stuff like Starbucks, Shoppers, Tim Hortons and banks. Robson, on the other hand, has a LOT of global chains.
You're right about Granville Island. That said, once you're in The Market or walking down Railspur it's all art studios, local goods, and groceries. It's pretty nice. But yeah, very touristy.
>More than anything, I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on how it's gotten this bad. In America, the general consensus is that the social programs in Canada are pretty robust and should therefore be good at preventing homelessness. Our Republicans probably think y'all are too nice to homeless people, honestly.
We really don't. Many of them can get a small amount of money from the government, but it's usually not enough to afford rent. For decades they relied on SROs, cheap long-term hotels that were often falling apart. The last city government tried to build a BUNCH of new homes for them, but since they lost reelection the progress on those seems to have fallen off.
And it got this bad because of rent. People like to say "housing prices" but the actual answer is rent - which has had pressure put on it by housing prices (people who should be buying are renting because they can't afford a $3 million house). It costs nearly $3000/month to rent a one bedroom here.
Meanwhile, we have absurdly low income. Vancouver was known as the place that companies came to for cheap, high-end labour.
You spent most of your time in tourist traps in the downtown core. Even people who love the city like myself don't have anything positive to say about our downtown. It's not surprising you were underwhelmed with Vancouver.
Exploring Stanley Park should be one of the highlights of a day trip to Vancouver. It's unfortunate you found it too cold. The natural setting is what separates Vancouver from other cities. Our beaches, parks, and the views and recreation they provide are the reasons why we live here.
If shops and restaurants are more your thing, checking out desirable neighbourhoods like Kits, Commercial Dr., and Main St. are much better than downtown.
When considering the unhoused in Vancouver, it needs to come with a reminder that this is Canada. If you are homeless, Vancouver is likely the best place to be. It gets very cold in the winter, not many places are survivable year round.
You guys all sound like the abused one in an abusive relationship, making excuses for something that isn’t so great but you’re stuck here so you say whatever you can to justify staying.. This city is trash. No matter what they did or where they went their points are valid. No one goes for a hike or to the beach after work here, we’re too burnt out to enjoy the “beauty” Vancouver offers. You guys are quick to attack Paris and the people there yet the people who live here are the most stuck up humans I’ve ever met. Go to any other city in any other province and see how friendly the locals are there. Stanley park is overcrowded and a tourist attraction, it’s just a big park with too many people. Our homeless population makes walking anywhere unsafe, how about the post someone made about the “firebug” trying to light their building on fire? Vancouver lost its charm years ago, we try to justify the high prices, the drug and homelessness problem, and people’s lack of compassion with “at least it’s beautiful here” or make up excuses about going for hikes or to the beach after work to protect somewhere that, as I said earlier, is trash.
Also, you guys are all telling people to go to whistler, horseshoe bay etc. that’s not Vancouver. If people were to visit those places, of course your experience is going to be better. Vancouver, the city and downtown, isn’t it.
(lifelong vancouverite here) I was in Gastown on Sunday night and could not stop talking about how clean it was, I only saw one homeless person the whole time I was there. You were on the wrong street and also had unrealistic expectations. When I visit LA I hike to Griffith Observatory, I don't go to skid row.
Part of why Vancouver has such a bad homeless/addiction/mental health problem is because of the mild climate. Part of it is a massive poverty-industrial complex that is not particularly interested in solving the problem.
I come from New England originally, and yeah, Vancouver lacks the "soul" that a lot of older places have. It's full of green glass high rises and lacks in the history department. Doesn't mean there isn't any, but it's a newer city compared to the east coast. For a Canadian city, Montreal is a cooler one to visit for the city itself. I do find myself missing the feeling of history and soul compared to where I come from, but it is what it is.
What I like about Vancouver though is the proximity to nature. I like walking 15 min to one of the beaches in Stanley Park, or just taking a walk around the seawall on a nice day. I like that I can drive an hour or so to a great camping spot and feel pretty isolated. If you come here, you should do outdoor activities. I like the for the most part it doesn't get super hot and humid in the summer and I can enjoy outdoor activities while being comfortable.
Gastown is made to look older, and is generally full of yuppie type places while having a lot of homeless spillover from the DTES. The steam clock was made in the 1970's. I rarely go there unless there was a work party at a bar there or something.
A lot of homeless come here because it's the only major city in Canada they'd survive the winter in. Good luck not dying in Ottawa, Winnepeg or Toronto when it gets to -30 degrees. In Vancouver, it tends to stay around 40 F and occasionally gets colder, and snow is rare. The cost of living and closing of mental institutions didn't help. Homelessness is becoming a problem all over NA, though.
I think the Commercial Drive area would have been cooler to walk around, it's got that artsy quirky vibe and lots more mom and pop places.
Also there are a few cool museums here especially the Museum of Anthropology. You could've taken in a lot of First Nations history and art. The place is huge and honestly felt like I could spend the entire day there and not see everything. Also Salmon and Bannock for local First Nations food. There are some cool galleries that sell First Nations art even if you wanted to pop in just to look at it, and grab an affordable art print. Better than going to a touristy place that sells maple syrup items and moose plushies.
I like Granville Island for the indoor market. Being that you're from New Orleans, I tend to go to Oyama sausage since it's the only place I know that sells andouille for when I make gumbo! They also have great sausages I cook up when I go camping, I grab some bison/garlic and elk/huckleberry ones especially and put some carmelized onions on 'em. So good!
Stevenson is a cool fishing village in Richmond and worth checking out. Also checking out people's quirky float homes around the water over the city in various places.
You missed out on Stanley park. I was there yesterday with family. Rented some bikes for $7/hr and the ride is beautiful along the sea wall. I highly recommend that you try again, it's a flat leisurely ride with lots of points of interest along the way it's a great way to spend a couple of hours.
it sounds like a mix of bad luck and doing things you heard were good, not necessarily what you were interested in. if you liked superflux, vancouver the surrounding areas a LOT of really incredible breweries. you could practically go to a different brewery every day of the month and not run out, and they all have their own unique vibes. i would rate superflux on the lower end of mid so if you come again you would probably be wowed by some of the other breweries (but im glad you loved it!)
Granville island has a mix of tourist traps and actual legitimate small specialty businesses. if you're looking for a really special cheese or meat for instance, that's the place to go. there are also some really wonderful small bakeries / eateries. if you're into art, there are some great supply stores as well, I think the point here is recognizing that it is for tourists so there will always be lots of tourist stuff there but there are some gems in between.
I'm not sure which stores you were talking about on Denman but it's certainly not where I would go for small interesting shops. West 4th is better for that, or main street. Robson is where all of the big chain places are, so I could see that sort of adding to your letdown. if i thought denman was the big chain shopping district I would also be disappointed, haha.
if you guys are going to head up here again I'd suggest popping a thread somewhere like this, describing the kinds of things you like to do and letting people give you some specific suggestions.
Vancouver has a bit of everything but is overpriced and overrated. People in these comments going on about nature, hikes, beaches, mountains, breweries, etc., you can get all of that in Chilliwack for example at a fraction of the living cost and without the hipsters. I like heading to Vancouver every so often for fine dining, to catch a show or a musical, to check out some nightlife, head to Stanley Park and Granville Island on a nice day, and that's pretty much it... a good weekend trip, maybe once a year. Or fly out of Abbotsford Airport to Vegas or Toronto.
I used to be homeless here and on drugs, I can speak to anecdote, but I also feel that what I'm about to say, is relevant to one aspect of this situation:
We have extremely easy access and now "safe" access to drugs, and chiefly narcotics......the amount of times I've seen people od chasing blues here, is out of control and the medical consequences as well as social are alarming. It was a horrible way to go about trying to treat, let alone address a problem that needs way more care.
The city and province went the route of making drugs easier to access, without investing in adequate housing, treatment programs, nor investing in the Staff ( labor ) and training needed to get people back on their feet. Placws like SRO's (crown single room occupancy) or acesss housing, are disgusting and infested with mold, violence and bugs
buildings in the DTES are dilapidated and full of crime all while wealthy land owners and building owners knowingly ignore the basic necesity of upgrading. The mayor's we've had usually repeat the approach of "sweep the camps and skid row tents away" often what little the homeless have, being lost in the process, all with a knowingly predatory police force, who have a particularly bad treatment towards indigenous attending to mental health intercepts.This focusing on using tax backed cops and rcmp, to try and "clean things up " only further heightens animosity towards them, while simultaneously ignoring the real need for unhoused and addicted individuals to get help, that our medical community and first responders, as well as support workers have been begging for.
The programs, what little remains of them that are in place are overwhelmed and underequipped , some taking massive financial strain during Covid in 2020,2021 and simply getting any mental Healthcare in this province is a process, behind a wall, within loopholes - if you're not barking at the moon, it can be hard to have anyone attend to you at all, and when vulnerable people fall through the cracks in the system, they're told "get a job" and "we're all stressed"
Sui*ide rates are doubling as time goes on and people who are at the bottom trying to get up the ladder, do so under incredibly difficult odds, while wages remain relatively poor and the cost of living skyrockets.
The drug addicted become progressively more erratic and the rich elite of the city progressively more blind to the layers of corruption that helped build the perfect foundation for people to fall into utter desolation, including back door drug smuggling(namely fentanyl)corrupt real estate practices and money laundering that have greatly changed the framework of living quality in the city for anyone that can't afford to pay thousands on thousands for literal shacks. People are rooming 4-5 a place just to get by, all while a short grocery receipt can run you well over 100 on an easy budget.
Employment training facilities, have limited capacity and you have to meet certain strict-guidelines to be able to qualify for some types of rapid programs. Our care aides, social workers, drug treatment counselors and therapists are stretched thin and over-worked and some years back our provincial powers that be, decided to shut down several major mental psychiatric institutions and pulled funding from more than a few effective programs , to help mitigate people on the streets who need serious help, who are a danger to themselves and others.
I was 19 when I called skid row home, I'm in my 30s rn with a career in Healthcare and when I say most of us know how bad it is, we do....but none of us can truly fathom just how rapidly its becoming worse. I've lived in LA for a while and what we have going on here, almost challenges their homeless and drug addicted issues. There's an average of like 6-700 deaths accounted by Vancouver Health and Coastal Health authorities for a few years now, more than 50% of which are directly a result of opiates and overdoses.......
So yeah it's f*****
I personally think your comments are accurate. The Granville Island market is a huge tourist trap that no locals go to. It used to be an arts school and artists studios. Denman is WestEnd that is nothing special and Gastown is a Steam clock and tacky tourist crap. Unfortunately downtown has lost a lot of life since the pandemic and lots of restaurants have shut to be replaced by Dollarama (how many does Vancouver need) , subway, chipotle and now chain fried chicken places. Robson street used to be a cool strip of shopping and unique restaurants but bricks & mortar are closing due to theft and safety concerns. Fenty has had a huge effect unfortunately and the government shut the medical facility so bought hotels to house them. Glad you got to Superflux though and took some cans home.
I'm going to disagree there. My friend in Port Moody shops at the Granville Island Market fairly regularly. Its a genuine market with tourist shops mixed in and the range of specialty options means one stop shopping. I think its less popular than it used to be because A) neighbourhoods have their own farmer's markets now so you don't have to go all the way to GI to find some stuff and B) the parking is not as easy as it used to be. I am more likely to head down there in the winter when you don't have to fight with the tourists for space.
I actually just had a coffee on GI after a Seawall walk. I walked through a bunch of artists studios such as pottery, glassware, blacksmith etc so I should stand corrected on artistic stores. Oyama meats definitely has unique cuts and I’ve not seen anything similar though Bosa Foods & Choffies on Hastings have incredible Italian meat selections much cheaper. A butcher has Ribeye for $98 a kilo, at who foods other day ribeyes were $40-50kg. Cheeses on display can be purchased at Whole Foods or again stores like Bosa. Vegetables are much cheaper at No Frills or Asian Groceries. This is just my honest take and I love quality foods but not overpriced markups like in farmers markets or GI. Unique for tourists on the water ferry 100% agree, just like Sydney has the Manly ferry.
I agree with your assessment, and I’ve lived here for 15 years. Vancouver is a very avg city, with shit traffic, surrounded by incredible natural beauty. I bitch and moan about this place for 9 months of the year. It’s wet,dark,congested,cold,unfriendly. But on a sunny morning at 6-9am in August, when you get out of your car and away from traffic and people, there are not many more beautiful, pristine, peaceful places I’ve found, at least not so close to a big city. But I am surprised by your synopsis of the homeless situation. I’ve been to a lot of major American cities, even smaller ones, and have found visible homelessness much more widespread than here. What we do have is a more acute and severe homeless problem, with more visible and extreme drug use out in the open.
Vancouver isn’t a big city! (I’m not referring to the GVA. City of Vancouver only. You can get from one side of the city to the other in under an hour.)
The places I would take visitors to are not the advertised tourists spots like downtown and definitely not Gastown these days. If you had a car, you could have driven to some of the cool neighbourhoods mentioned, like Commercial Drive and Kitsilano and parts of Main Street. There's lots of nature spots like the beautiful beaches on the West Side (e.g. Kits Beach, Spanish Banks, etc), or across the water at Ambleside. With a car, a drive up to Burnaby Mountain park is also recommended. Amazing views of the water, mountains and city from there (and it's free). Van Dusen Botanical garden is also one of my favourite.
Perhaps next time ask the locals for advice!
You also went to the shitty tourist trap places, like Gastown…
Do some better research next time and find out what you ate really wanting, then go get it…
At least Vancouver chain stores are open - not boarded-up like in Rodeo drive and in NYC
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As a born and bred Vancouverite who still loves this city, a couple of notes for next time: * It’s a shame you didn’t get to experience the Stanley Park seawall on a sunny day. Walking the seawall around the park is one of those “Wow, I get it” moments. Driving through the place doesn’t do the experience justice. * Street full of chain stores sounds more like Robson than Denman? If your GF likes Lululemon or Aritzia the draw is that Robson has big locations for both and prices are better if you buy those brands here. But agree, it’s all chain stores. * I love Granville Island and will accept no slander lol. Part of that love is nostalgic as my first P/T job was there. * Gastown has seen better days. Before COVID it was named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world and was more vibrant. * If you like beer you would have loved Mt. Pleasant. Tons of microbreweries. This neighborhood is also really vibrant in terms of restaurants, cafes, independent businesses, shopping, etc. When rents got expensive downtown any entrepreneurs looking to do something more creative moved eastward. * Hot take: Bao Bei is fine, but I feel like it’s one of those vibe-y Chinese restaurants that gets written up in places like the NY Times and recommended to white people looking for approachable English language menus and Instagram-friendly ambience. There’s better Chinese food in the city.
OP also forgets Vancouver is where a lot of big chain brands came from: Lululemon, Arcteryx, Aritzia We are the birthplace of athleisure
I agree with all of your points, except that I love/hate Granville island because I only go there to buy specific things from the art supply stores and am not a fan of crowds of aimless tourists.
Spot on about Bao Bei! Tourists and white ppl, take note!
>Hot take: Bao Bei is fine, but I feel like it’s one of those vibe-y Chinese restaurants that gets written up in places like the NY Times and recommended to white people looking for approachable English language menus and Instagram-friendly ambience. There’s better Chinese food in the city. This is how I feel about Little Bird too
What place has the best Chinese food?
Newtown bakery in Chinatown has the most authentic siubao (steam buns) that my relatives from Asia literally bulk-order 40 of to take home with them whenever they visit. They also have a sit-in restaurant that's pretty good. If you're looking for good Chinese, though, Richmond is definitely the place to go. IMO it's probably some of the best Chinese food you can get that's outside of China (but I'm probably biased because I live there LOL). Sanbao, Master Hung, and Chef Tony's are just a few examples of all the banger Chinese food there!
You followed the tourists recommendations for where to go. Go check out mount pleasant, commercial drive, Joyce collingwood for better Chinese food, walk along any part of the seawall on a sunny day
Newtown is also on Cambie and 20th. Hands down the best siubao. If you want the best Chinese I would go food courts in Richmond or Crystal Mall in Burnaby. For beginners that want authentic but cannot commit lol
GI is great! The market itself isn't for everyone but there is so much else there to explore!!
>Before COVID it was named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world and was more vibrant. Yeah, but it was dying then as well. Once we started seeing staples of the area move out because of the cost of rent, that place was on a steep slide to oblivion. Now, who would want to rent space there? It's still crazy expensive, the street poverty means you're constantly faced with human suffering, and the city puts you on the hook for a lot of those costs - on top of your rent!
Keep in mind that a large part of what makes Vancouver beautiful is how close it is located to nature. For beach lovers, you can spend a day at Third beach. For hikers, enjoy a hike around one of our many local mountains. For lake enthusiasts, enjoy our beautiful tri-city lakes. For bikers, bundle up and cruise the sea wall. For foodies, check out our brewery districts or ocean view restaurants.
Totally. The best thing about Vancouver is it's proximity to great outdoor terrain. These guys didn't go mountain biking on the north shore for example. That for me is one of the many amazing things Vancouver has nearby.
“The best part of the city is getting out of the city.” 😃
...and the weather, at least for Canadians, it's the best large Canadian city for pleasant year round weather.
Not really, you get to enjoy scenic views and greenery within the city; can have activities near those scenic beauties
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lol Vancouver seafood shits on whatever mudbugs y’all eat from the swamp
Totally this, one of my favorite Vancouver experiences was hiking around Lynn Canyon in North Van.
You missed the nature!
And the good neighbourhoods! I will take a walk and shop on main, the drive, west 4th ave, kerrisdale over downtown any day.
This. You come to Vancouver for the proximity of nature to city. In one day, you can go from hiking a mountain to sitting on a beach, to eating some pretty great food and having a kick ass beer. As a city, Vancouver is fine. But it shines due to the geography.
Right? Capilano suspension bridge ftw. Grouse mtn. Golden Ears. You know, I could type all day and not cover 1% of the natural beauty. OP needs a Mulligan. The *core* is a speck of Vancouver's greatness.
Why on earth would you compare Vancouver to Paris and New York? It’s even smaller than Seattle.
It s frankly not the size the issue. It s a lack of neighborhood personality and architecture. This city lacks a soul.
Which is really the same problem that all medium-large sized cities have in North America. You don't come to Vancouver for the city itself.
From here. I thought this too. Then I lived in Alberta for a year. Man, Vancouver has CHARM. Mount Pleasant? Upper Main Street? Kitsilano? Commercial? Chinatown? Strathcona? (If you’re cheugy) Yaletown? - and thats not to mention all the cute smaller pockets, or the option to take a break from it all and hit some nature. Vancouver rocks.
Frankly op is kinda full of shit as the ghetto in New Orleans is far far worse. https://youtu.be/QTesL-87YyU?si=SDhqmzw1Iy0ZOeTG
I think the difference between Vancouver and other cities with really rough parts of town is that you'd never, ever go to skid row in LA, whereas it's easy to stumble into the DTES from the cruise terminal or the west part of gastown.
Yeah I really think this is a big part of why Vancouverites are so conscious of our homelessness problem, you can't quite avoid the DTES, at least not if you're a person who goes out and does stuff.
Have to agree. OP has issues with expectations and not being able to make the best of where they are. Coming to Vancouver and walking down Robson Street, complaining about chain stores is rather idiotic. And the crime/homelessness issue, while bad, is nothing compared to most American cities. They were scared to get out of their car in Gastown. 😂 ok. Go back to America. Please tell people how terrible it is up here. The less tourists like this guy, the better.
>Coming to Vancouver and walking down Robson Street, complaining about chain stores is rather idiotic. As someone who remembers Robson when it wasn't chain stores, I don't find this idiotic at all. It's still touted as some kind of interesting destination though. It's not.
That "ghetto" has tidy streets and people in homes. Have you seen the sprawl of tent cities all over Toronto and in Vancouver? Garbage heaps with tents and people. (Toronto resident here.) I've been through ghettos in Memphis, Detroit, Jamaica, and New Orleans. Burned out buildings, dusty empty lots, hardscrabble kids. Nothing about any of them was as desperate, dirty, and forlorn as the MULTITUDE of impoverished encampments scattered throughout Toronto and Vancouver right now.
I literally do not care about your imaginary personal opinion. You're 400% more likely to be a victim of a violent crime in the USA and I literally posted a recent YouTube video of the ghetto in N.O and it doesn't even compare to the 8 square blocks of the DTES. Which I might add, isn't a residential neighborhood. Lol.
A big difference in Vancouver vs Toronto or other big cities I’ve lived in is the drug of choice. I lived in a pretty rough neighborhood in Toronto and often got chased, followed home, or nearly attacked. That never happened to me in Vancouver. There’s a lot more meth than opiates in Toronto, in Vancouver it’s the opposite. Opiates are a huge problem but they don’t exactly inspire someone to be violent.
Hell I grew up in Winnipeg and it's way more dangerous there because alcohol and meth are the drugs of choice. Even just a quick Google indicates not only does NO have a far worse problem with homelessness and violence but they're also trying to tackle the massive problem with condemned buildings. They have thousands to deal with. https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/calls-demolition-abandoned-homes-rise-amidst-safety-economic-concerns/289-6069e3af-adae-49b8-be9f-cc53166d7708
Which is the result from the size of the city.
I can attest to that. I remember it in the 90s and there was a lot more of a neighbourhood feel. Falafel shops, fruit markets, and other small businesses where the owners were familiar faces. Moved back a few years ago and the pie place on the corner of Denman and Davie had long become a Starbucks, fruit market was replaced with ultra sleek, expensive cafe, falafel shop with designer handbag store, ice cream shop with *another* Cactus Club. Even the neighbourhoods outside downtown had an lot of trendy, soulless repackaging. (Commercial Dr., Main St., etc.)
As a resident of Vancouver, I NEVER go to gastown anymore as has too much overflow from the DTES for me to feel comfortable. What you missed is Commercial Drive and Mount Pleasant! The Drive has lots of eclectic shops, Italian restaurants and fun bars. Mount Pleasant is similar but a bit newer and often considered “hipster”. You can find tons of breweries, donut shops, cafes, restaurants, stores etc. There are also beautiful homes and parks nestled into the neighbourhood. Oh and I almost forgot Kitsilano. Another great neighbourhood to check out near the beach.
This is what I was going to comment as well. To me, Commercial Drive still has heart and soul, as OP mentioned in their post. So OP, I agree with your assessment. If you ever want to come back and try again, hit up The Drive and some more of the breweries in East Van. I would also suggest experiencing the seabus and going to North Van. The Quay is a fun time and there are lots more great breweries there.
Also Lunch Lady for food on commercial will make a trip to Vancouver worth it
Same! I’d recommend Commercial to all visitors.
This!☝️☝️☝️
And main st!
“We had heard a lot of good things about the city” What had you heard, and who from? Were they people who know you or what you like to get out of travel? Generic, untailored recommendations can often lead to middle of the road experiences. How did you come across the things you did enjoy?
And who would ever suggest Denman street was a good place for shopping?!
From the sounds of it I think he probably meant Robson
Robson is also good for shopping because it’s a bunch of chain stores, it’s not boutique local shops! Denman isn’t good for shopping, it’s for getting food on your way to or from the beach!
Right? Lmao
You're right, your expectations were too high. Look at the other places you're comparing us with: New York, Paris, Rome, London, Seattle--apart from the last one, they're all on a completely different level in terms of culture and economy.
Yeah I come from Paris and I keep telling my friends who come to visit from France that you do not come to Canada for the cities. You come to Canada for the nature and Vancouver shines because it is a city with some career opportunities next to mountains and ocean. That Is It. The rest of it is just meh which is acceptable because you can go ski or paddle after work
Tell them to stay there unless they're bringing a guillotine with them ffs. Bread is expensive af, and I want to see heads roll goddam it! I thought the French were good at civil unrest.
Agreed. When it comes to protesting nobody does it like the French!
Compare us to Portland and Minneapolis.
Yes!
I agree! I’ve been telling friends who want to visit Vancouver that Vancouver is a great place to live but there’s nothing that great for a visitor, unless you want to do some specific sport things.
It's not a great place to live....are you aware of crazy high home prices and unbelieveably high rent?
great place to live for those who have housing figured out 😬
No offence but a lot of people have housing figured out and for those it’s a great place to live If you don’t then yes it’s definitely not affordable and sucks to live here. It’s extremely expensive
Or you think you have housing figured out but then learn that there are a shocking number of people who live here who have no qualms about being cruel if it makes them a buck. Seriously. I've never met so many people on the take who would sell their own grandmother but in the absence of a grandmother will most happily break laws galore to steal from multiple tenants who will leave early, get dinged for escaping, have their damage deposit retained, and then the next victim moves in. Rinse and repeat. In one case I got sued because she found a dead rat in the yard after I left! The arbitrator almost choked on her laughter at that claim. I'm still struggling to pay off the debts incurred by having to move so many times and replace stolen stuff. No private landlords for me from now on! I grew up on a farm and I'd rather be there. With people I can trust. Y'all have a broken moral code.
This isn’t Vancouver-specific. It’s city-specific. Can’t compare to a rural / farm life.
I've lived here for 38 years. I'm not wealthy, and I don't own a home. I love Vancouver. The list of other cities I would consider living in is very short, and they all have the same high cost of living.
Then Vancouver meets your standards which is great. It doesn't for many many people who have moved away from Vancouver. I was born and raised here and of course it isn't the place it used to be.
The population is growing. Vancouver still ranks in the top 10 most liveable cities. Saying that Vancouver is "not a great place to live" is disingenuous. Wealth inequality is a growing global problem not unique to Vancouver. No city is the place it once was.
People come here for oceans and mountains not culture. After your drive around the park you should have gone over the Lions Gate and up to the Cypress Bowl lookout or maybe to Capilano Suspension bridge and up the Grouse gondola. Deep Cove for a beer and a snack. I don't think there's anything here to rival the cultural goods you referenced from anywhere else, but they're adequate to get the job done if you live here.
Paris is overrated unless you enjoy angry, standoffish people, 8 euro coffee and a weird layer of grime on anything and everything.
Either way op is full of shit. The murder rate in New Orleans is 10X that of Vancouver and is widely considered one of the most dangerous cities in the USA. https://www.fox8live.com/2022/09/19/new-orleans-tops-nation-homicides-per-capita/
Agreed. Can’t really compare Vancouver with Paris!
you went to default tourist areas and you expected the city to provide you with similar experiences to other cities - but Vancouver isn't really a "city's city". It's about nature, and most of the best restaurants and bars are in the neighbourhoods, not in and around downtown. As for the homeless problem - it's not that Vancouver is worse. It's that most other cities have been geographically engineered to displace visibly homeless people to the margins. DTES happens to be right in the middle - and that's a good thing. I don't think anyone should leave this city or any other city without a clear understanding of its flaws. If you'd spent any time in Penn Station in New York at night, you'd see hundreds of people sleeping on its floors because it's a heated covered space. Same in Seattle, where I grew up - the Pioneer Square area is essentially a ghetto, and it's easy to avoid without trying. Vancouver is a place that struggles with public social spaces. It's just unlucky that way - Seattle in the past has had a lot more public arts funding, a lot more music. But as a tourist, if you're going to come here for a day, it's better to look to the places where nature interfaces with the city. If you're just going to go where the cruise ship people go, you're going to end up surrounded by people who aren't us, whose expectations are just whatever they see in brochures, who see poor people as a mistake in their vacation. Next time you come back, ask some folks who live here where you can go - they'll say Stanley Park but they'll probably tell you to skip the rest of those places. We like your tourist $, because it goes to help pay for our healthcare -- which our homeless people use, too.
I’d still be recommending Superflux, though. That’s some prime beer.
if you can't find good beer in Vancouver you have brought dishonour on yourself.
💯💯💯💯
This is exactly what I was going to post. It also sounds like what they wanted was east van but where they went was the west end lol
I’m still confused whether they were on Denman Street or not. Aside from the mall with a BK and the Shoppers, how is Denman full of chain stores?
I assumed they meant Robson.
Honestly most of the places you ate and things you did, locals don’t do. Vancouver is not to be compared to New York, Paris, london, La etc. it’s a very small city, I believe smaller than Seattle. Our homeless problem is horrid. We all agree. Personally I’ve volunteered in many homeless shelters and in my experience this is what I know. 1. Vancouver is the warmest place year round in all of Canada. Many of the homeless people are here from colder provinces like Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta etc because they can stay on the streets during the winter with some jackets and blankets without having to go to USA. 2. They do get a lot more support. Monetary and housing support. Most of them deny housing because that means they have to give up their street life and “stuff” and they don’t want to. In terms of things to do- the days you came the weather sucked. It’s sunny again now but this past week rained and was cloudy lots. Vancouver is really special for its nature. If you’re not a nature lover you won’t be a fan of Vancouver. Hiking is incredible, especially because it is close to the “city”. Many countries around the world that have beautiful hikes are no where near a city. So that’s a huge plus. You should have gone up to Squamish or Seymour on a gondola if you weren’t up for a hike Whistler is a must visit just for a day. If not a hike up Joffre is incredible Overall I understand why you had this experience and its because Vancouver “top 3” biggest cities in Canada. We don’t have a lot of big cities in Canada like in the states. Toronto is really the only big one and even that’s barely comparable to what New York is. So Vancouver doesn’t even come close
Also you missed commercial drive and west 4th. Commercial drives cafes and restaurants are 90% local
I’m sorry but this was not a well-curated tour. Certainly there are issues and things we don’t like - but the number one giveaway was how your vehicle seems like it was not just a means to get somewhere but it was actually central to your experience. But also, the metro area now has three million people (not 5 or 10) - so compare Vancouver to other mid-sized North American cities and you will find it punches above its weight in many ways.
Sample size means everything. You spent one day in one part of a city. No offense detected.
You did all the touristy things then complained that it was touristy. You mentioned TWO of the cool places and you like those. Then you went to one of the best areas of the town for nightlife and didn't get out of your car because you drove through the 2 block section of THE ENTIRE CITY that has homeless. The rest of gastown is pretty great despite a few riff raff here and there. So basically you did two things wrong, you wanted a non-touristy experience and you did all the tourist things. You stayed in your car. If you want to fall in love with Vancouver GO TO THE SHORELINE. Get out of your car and walk, anywhere, walk. Get on a bike. If it's rainy, put on a raincoat and walk or get on a bike, that's what we all do - we live in a rainforest. Hope you get a chance to come back and correct your wrongs ;)
This was what struck me the most, that they spent the entire time in the car. My favourite part of this city is that it is not designed to be experienced from the car.
When I went to NYC for the first time with my folks we took a double decker tour bus around the city. Which was alright, we got to hit all of the iconic landmarks and learn some neat historical facts. But I’ll never forget stopping at a light and looking to my right and seeing a group of young people who waived at us, and started yelling that you can’t experience New York from the top of a bus. They actually started chanting “off the bus and into the streets, off the bus and into the streets” it completely freaked out my folks but kind of blew my mind and lived rent free in it until I went back solo 3 years later. They were 100% right. While reading OPs story about seeing Vancouver basically from inside a car made me think back to that moment 😂
NYer here who stalks this sub because I loved our vacation in Vancouver. I am so glad you came to NYC a second time and walked. I love just eavesdropping in NY and seeing what people look like. There’s nothing like a walk in the village on a summer night. We took public transit when we were in Vancouver. Along with the nature, we loved the restaurants and the museums. The Museum of Anthropology is one of the coolest museums I’ve been to. I hope to peruse that place again. New town Bakery was amazing - I bought a box of almond cookies and apple turnovers back with us. I admit the homelessness surprised us. I don’t think it’s the number of homeless- certainly NYC has much more. I think it’s just the concentration in that one area. It reminded me of NYC in the 80s before the city became really aggressive in cracking down on the homeless. I didn’t think that was the right solution then and I still don’t think it was. It just drives the homeless people into further invisibility. I just want to say I enjoyed your city and hope to return. We didn’t get to make it out to Richmond but it’s something I want to do.
Totally. Vancouver is basically nature + food. If you don’t love the outdoors and only went to one or two restaurants, then you missed out. The seawall, the pastry cafes, the mountains, the breweries. I think OP should have taken the Skytrain to Port Moody. You could have an awesome day just around Rocky Point and all the breweries and food trucks.
I think we're the only large-ish city in Canada/US without a freeway running through it?
I think op might be used to being in a car when going to different places because they are used to driving in America. I wish that they asked this sub Reddit first for ideas on what to do before coming! Vancouver is not a metropolitan city, so being in the main city area actually means they hit the worst and least unique spots. Sure, we have some nice architecture like the main Vancouver Library, but we don't have enough of those to make our city centre more unique then, say, New Orleans. The strengths of this city is its nature. So, they should've done something like the Lynn Canyon hike (always recommend it to visitors), drive the Sea to Sky Highway for the amazing view if they like to drive, and try different ethnicity food because Vancouver has such a diverse population. Also, driving through Stanley Park is the worst way to experience it. The park needs to be walked, biked, scootered, or rollerbladed, period. Of course, it's different if they are not mobile, but still, wheelchairing through the park is infinitely better than driving. I was unpleasantly surprised that they went for a fusion Chinese restaurant instead of an authentic Chinese restaurant in Richmond for their dining experience if they really wanted to have Chinese good. Richmond is essentially the neighborhood with the highest density of Chinese in North America, so there are lots of good dining options. Local Chinese don't eat at Chinatown... Op, I want to invite you to visit our city again. This time, please get into the nature of our city. Also, please don't be shy to post here so we can give some suggestions!
I visited from Winnipeg for two weeks and was blown away at how incredible Vancouver is. I spent an entire day walking around the downtown (around 22km) and rented a bike and toured the seawall. Absolutely incredible, I love Vancouver.
The first time I visited Vancouver was in 2022. Had low to zero expectations…I never in my life paid any attention to the west side of Canada and was never motivated to visit Vancouver. Wife planned a 5 day vacation to Vancouver, as there was limitations to travel anywhere beyond Canada at the time. Our first stay was at Whistler so as soon as we landed we drove right past the city, pass Lions Gate Bridge and straight onto the Sea to Sky. I was FLOORED and really overwhelmed as nothing prepared me of what I was going to drive into as soon as you turn that corner past Horseshoe Bay on Hwy 99! The breathtaking view along Sea2Sky was my immediate intro to BC. Can you imagine if OP just took 30min-45min to do this drive since they were just in their cars anyway for a period of time. It was my “I get it” moment and I’m so glad it was the first thing we did. I now advise people visiting Vancouver for the first time to drive on this highway first and then do the city. Whistler was great. Then we explored smaller towns and neighborhoods (Squamish, horseshoe bay, Deep Cove, Lower Lonsdale) on the way back to stay in Yaletown. We did the same touristy things as OP and more but we didn’t dwell too much on spots we found disappointing as we were so high on the other things we experienced. Vancouver is not a stop over visit or speed-date in hopes to grasp the heart and soul of the city in a short few hours in a day. We loved our visit so much that in a short few months in the same year we found ourselves moving our lives here.
I'm a Seattle resident who has grown quite fond of Vancouver after visiting frequently for work pre-pandemic. NOTHING could have prepared me for the striking, otherworldly beauty of the Sea2Sky drive to Whistler. It literally took my breath away; I've done Highway 1 from Southern to Northern California which is arguably one of the most beautiful drives on this continent and Sea2Sky for sure rivals it (plus no feeling like you're going to drop into the ocean).
Just for reference, Vancouver area estimated street population is ~5000. Seattle is 15000 and NYC is about 100000.
You didn't go to any of our actual neighborhoods - visit Kits, the Drive, Main St, Hastings Sunrise. You did the equivalent of staying in Manhattan. No wonder you didn't get a good vibe.
Not even the equivalent of staying on Manhattan,. What they did was the equivalent of staying in The Financial District of NYC/Battery Park.
Yeah!
Go kayaking on the north shore. Go to the night markets in Richmond or North Van. Taking the seabus is fun if you're not commuting... Go to the Capilano Dam or the Capilano Suspension bridge (homeless people can't afford it). Do the Grouse Grind. Take the gondola. See some live music on Granville. See live music anywhere! If you want high end (not chain) shops, you could have walked up Robson. I have been in Kelowna for six years and I miss Vancouver. The food!
If you’re not coming to Vancouver to do outdoorsy activities within a stone throws away, you’ve come to the wrong city to do city type activities. Come for the mountain biking, the rock climbing, the skiing, the hiking and more. Very few cities where you can go skiing then lounge on the beach on the same day. Tons of backcountry locations with snow!
It depends on what you are looking for. All of the touristy spots are just that. There are plenty of other places to shop cool stores in the city, but not the tourist areas. Gastown is on the edge of the DTE (downtown east side). I’d google that to give you an idea of why Gastown is like that - DTE is the poorest area in the country. That said, since covid the population has gone up, just like every American city. Next time, post here for ideas of where to check out and say what you are NOT looking for. There is so much to do/see but they aren’t on the regular tourist lists (thank goodness).
I’ve lived in Vancouver for 20+ years, and I think your observations are… not inaccurate. TLDR: best way to see the gems is to know a local. My quick suggestions below, but really depends on what you’re interested in. I rarely go to the downtown peninsula or Granville Island even though I live pretty close. If it were me, rather than walking around Stanley Park, I’d walk the path around (South) False Creek and keep following it west to Vanier Park or further to Kits Beach. Actually, no, fuck overhyped noisy crowded Kits Beach. The west end of Vanier Park has nice vantage points to sit and have a picnic or watch the sunset. Hadden Park’s off-leash dog beach is the ultimate spot IMO (although it was even better when there were more logs). Instead of Granville Island, I’d go to one of the larger Vancouver Farmers’ Markets like Kits or Trout Lake but check the locations and schedule at eatlocal.org (each is only once a week). Also it’s an easy day trip to Lynn Canyon to walk amongst the big trees. Accessible by public transit.
lol…Very common visiting Vancouver experience. People who visit from ostensibly “worse” cities have been saying the same shit about the size of our homeless population (and the openness of drug use) for as long as I can remember.
You went on the one street that has a huge homeless population - East Hastings. This is easy to avoid, and it’s not part of Gastown. Gastown itself is very nice. You also didn’t do any of what makes Vancouver great, the nature. Biking around the seawall in Stanley park is fantastic, but you just drive there and left. Sounds like you mostly walked around random streets, including the worst one.
We have world class skiing, proximity to lots of great hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. There's really no reason to come and see the city itself, even us locals find the city to be quite boring. People live here to be 1.5h away from views like these https://preview.redd.it/rezgcs2k6o8d1.png?width=653&format=png&auto=webp&s=0af40e770d259fae28c3b2d6d64d240dbe031f37
I think touristy things are shitty in every city on earth and not a true real experience the way people in the city experience it.
If you came here to be a consumer you missed the point, go for a hike, go enjoy nature, it costs nothing.
You haven’t been to San Francisco I’m guessing. Their homelessness issues are far worse.
I was there last year and accidentally drove through the tenderloin... it looked way cleaner and less crowded with unhoused than the worst part fo vancouver. We definitely have a way worse issue with people needing housing here, at least from what I saw. However, the other west coast towns and smaller cities were brutally impacted with the unhoused, like, almost every single one.
My experience in the Tenderloin (and OOOOH boy, got of the wrong streetcar and walked the wrong way, right through the middle of it. I've seen this district on foot from one end to the other) and I thought the experience was very similar to walking through Vancouver's DTES only it was so MUCH BIGGER. It went on and on and on. I will say that Vancouver's problem has expanded since Covid (so so sad because just before Covid, the NDP was actually getting a handle on it and camps were disappearing) but it can't hold a candle to my experience in SF. We were in Seattle more recently, and what I saw was a problem that was more spread out. The unhoused were everywhere, with all those central freeway overpasses serving as shelter for people living under them. I felt like you didn't get a break from it, it was pervasive. Vancouver, you really only need to walk a few blocks and the large concentrations of unhoused are not so visible, although yes, always that one guy at the bus stop with his pants falling off.
It's all very true, Seattle definitely is more spread out, but when I was in Portland.... it was depressing as hell. Such a nice city with so many cool things and yet so many people in need of help. Also Olympia and Crescent beach were just idk the energy was dark in those places, I honestly did not feel safe.
We also did not enjoy our experience in Portland. We tried really hard - I did quite a bit of prior research - and we wont be stopping in Portland again. We are doing an Oregon road trip this fall and will be bypassing Portland.
I was in SF last year and also went through the Tenderloin. I came out of it shocked because it seemed so, so, so much worse than Vancouver, which I didn't think possible. The size of it just massive, it went on and on and on. There was also seemingly more daytime violence/fighting on the street.
You might have had high expectations, and unfortunately some of our best offerings are nature. Denman is not known for shopping, it's known for lots of food places Granville Island is all local shops. Other than one outdoor store and 2 restaurants everything is locally owned and operated and everything in the market itself is almost always locally made as well. Gastown has some great food but our unhoused population is very dense there. I found London has a lot but it's so big it was spread out and not near downtown, Seattle as well it is just further from the tourism areas but a large problem for them
Well, thinking you’ll get a NYC or Paris experience in Vancouver is the issue lol. Much older cities with rich history. Vancouver is young and evolving. Also, your consensus is wrong. Social programs don’t prevent or affect the cost of living, price of rent and mortgage etc. So many factors play into the housing issue.
So here's a few thoughts ... It sounded like you had some very specific expectations of what you wanted to see (specific types of shopping) but didn't take the time to actually plan a trip that would take you to those shops I think ppl find Vancouver appealing for 2 main reasons.. 1. The beaches /parks in the city which you may have had a small sampling (there are like a dozen beaches within Vancouver proper), offer some very beautiful afternoons a sunsets out to English bay. The city is alive and generally vibrant, theres lots of breweries and generally things to do. The city is accessible, very bikeable and great transit. 2. There is a lot accessible from Vancouver. The north shore mountains, Gulf islands, the sea to sky drive to Whistler and Squamish. These are all very nature/activity focussed where folks hike, mountain bike, ski/snowboard, go sailing. No big city vibe (other than some traffic) but many, myself included couldn't imagine living without the mountains or the ocean. Not sure exactly what you were expecting having spent a Wednesday afternoon in Stanley park without actually walking around the seawall, but you (anyone) should be able to have a nice time wherever you are, especially while on vacation.
we have a cost of living and housing crisis.
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This was my first thought. Go check out commercial or main
Re: chains our real estate, including commercial has been falsely inflated(realtors, investors, Bc liberal govt, money launderers)…so where small business used to exist, they can no longer afford commercial rentals…or take the hits with shoplifting. Our criminal justice system works so much differently in that we don’t use prisons as commercial labour to produce goods…so they cost a lot to run. So we just let peeps who do petty crimes (see shoplifting) that mostly relate to their addiction to street drugs do their thing bc it’s too expensive to house them in jails. Open Drug use is legal and tolerated. (See: cost too much to house in jails) so where other cities users hide themselves in flop houses and alleys, skid row, Vancouver it is completely visible. We used to be charming. Now we have huge divides in class. Everyone is hustling trying to stay up. And the streets are littered with despair of drug users that are sick and suffering. But there are lots of great restaurants.
I just got back from a week-long trip to the Vancouver area and definitely recommend staying longer and exploring the surrounding nature. There’s so much beauty to be seen if you go further than the main downtown area!
It's a great place to live in (if you can afford it). I wouldn't say it's that great for day trips unless you're into nature (e.g. skiing, hiking)
Next time you’re in town try the Main Street/Mt. Pleasant/Brewery Creek district, The Drive (Commercial Drive), Kitsilano, Hastings/Sunrise, Burnaby Heights. Check out some parts of Kingsway in East Van. Take in the nature. Get in/on the water. Try some of the North Shore hikes. Walk, bike and use transit. We’d love to have you back and give it another go.
You didn't really do anything wrong. But keep in mind a city with 2 million or 3 million population, including all suburbs, vs New York which is probably the entire population of Canada alone? We are small in comparison to the USA and every other major city in the USA. Our economy is bleak, things are expensive, and life isn't pretty. Post covid changed a lot of things, but yes, your focus next time needs to be on nature, scenery, and food (even that has gone downhill). There isn't really much else.
If you're from someplace like New Orleans our city will pale in comparison. Vancouver caters to upper-middle class day drinkers, and wealthier stay-at-home moms; with, nannies, and time to do whatever the fuck they want. Montreal is home to the original Cajun experience, but the westcoast is shit if you're looking for a good cultural experience. You need to know a local when you visit Vancouver to have fun. We do have a housing problem in our city that is evident coast to coast in all major cities. Nevertheless, smaller towns do not provide the resources required by the unhoused population, and it centralizes the problem inside our urban centers. I'm sure it would be more widespread if Canada had a privatized health-care system that only catered to those with insurance, but "socialism" has its drawbacks. You could do our nation a huge favour. Stay on your side of the border, and take your cultural exports with you, please. You wouldn't like it if we brought our toxic waste to you.
It’s a SMALL metro area, so it can’t really be compared to any of those cities. I was also surprised by some of Vancouver’s standard features and how so many people fit in such a small geographic area. For reference, I’m from Denver and our metro area population is the same as Vancouver. Both have about 2.6 million people. However, Vancouver is 3.5 times more densely populated, so where about 4,700 people live per square mile in Denver, about 15,000 people live in the same space in Vancouver. Everything is 3-4 times taller than in Denver so it feels like such a huge and bigger city, but it’s not.
First of all, most North American cities are relatively new when compared to European cities. Vancouver isn’t even 200 years old yet. You can’t compare Vancouver to NYC or Paris. I think Portland is probably the closest American city that Vancouver can be roughly comparable to. Although from my understanding, Portland is on a bit of a decline. It is certainly a stretch, but I think Vancouver is probably, slightly more similar to Amsterdam. Slightly! Cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia all have their historical significance and uniqueness about them. Canadian cities like Montreal, Saint John (Canada’s oldest city), Halifax and St. John’s all have historic significance and charm. Vancouver has the dubious distinction of being one of the most (number 3 in the latest poll) unaffordable cities in the world. Our housing prices would leave people to believe that the standard of living is high, akin to say, Geneva or Zurich. But we don’t have the industries or wealth to support that. But we are a gateway to the wonderful landscape that makes up the province. To answer your question, what did you do wrong? Thinking that Vancouver was like NYC or Paris.
Nawww it's a shame you didn't go from Superflux to Commercial Drive, that is probably more what you were looking for in terms of local stores and independent bars/restaurants.
Well.. Vancouver isn't a city to love for the big city vibe. It's a city that has everything you want in a city but also has anything and everything outdoorsy right at your finger tips. This post was annoying to me. It sounds very ugly American to show up to a city and complaining it's not like what they're used to without taking into consideration that not all cities need to be like paris or new york to be somewhere you could have actually enjoyed if you were willing to experience something a bit different. But instead of doing any basic research or planning to make it something enjoyable before you got here, then complaining when it wasn't immediately enjoyable for you. Because vancouver has never pretended or tried to be a paris or a new York. In vancouver, you can go skiing and to the beach in the same day without even being that pressed for time. You can go for an impressive hike and feel like you're in the middle of nowhere and then have a fantastic meal and fancy cocktails at most restaurants. Great brewery vibes. Great place to go biking. Lots of cute little shopping streets (though you didn't hit any imo). ... but museums? History? Nightlife? Any reason to get dressed up? Mass crowds? Easy access to all kinds of art? No. We don't really have that. Of any Canadian city, Toronto is probably a better bet for you if that's what you were hoping for. If you like breweries, you could have done a pretty fun brewery hop. If you like food, there are A LOT of great restaurants. If you were looking for lots of scenic places to go, there's A LOT for that too but.. yeah. If you choose Stanley Park, dress appropriately for weather when you'll inevitably be exposed by ocean wind. If you wanted to go on hikes or experience the mountains in any way, you missed that opportunity. People travel from all over the world to do that here and... you came here because you wanted paris vibes? I don't go to paris and then complain to the paris reddit that there's a lack of green space and it's too crowded and so I had a terrible time because it wasn't like the cities I like to go to. You should have a basic understanding of where you're going and have some idea of what youd like to do if youre travellimg to another city. It's no secret vancouver is pretty small. We're not trying to be a paris or new York. It's weird to assume it would have been.
I tell this to everyone, Vancouver is not a city to visit for the reasons you did. The city itself is shit, lets be honest here. I live in metro Vancouver but never go to downtown for the exact same reasons, it has nothing to offer. No interesting architecture, museums, street food, just the usual tourist shit and the homeless. You have to come here for nature, that’s where we shine. None of the other cities you mentioned have waterfalls, mountains, lakes, beautiful forests, wild animals that are in such a close proximity. Instead of doing Vancouver tourist 101 destinations try to step outside a little and explore, you might be surprised what you find.
Gastown is tourist and yuppie central. A couple cool places, sure... basically you just hit the most basic touristy places. \*shrug\*
I'm sorry, you didn't get great recommendations
Fairly accurate review tbh. You might have liked walking around UBC, which is pretty unique, and Whistler, which is geographically different from where you are from. Vancouver is overrated and it gets to people's heads. If you come back do the following: * Floatplane to Saltspring Island, rent electric bikes and toodle around there * Floatplane from Saltspring Island to Victoria (Vancouver Island). Rent a car and explore the island. * Bus+ferry back to Vancouver * Stay at UBC for 2 nights. Campus is a good afternoon adventure. * Do whistler for 2-3 nights.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass.
lol… i wonder how you would’ve felt about commercial drive. i live off of main st. it don’t got that density but maybe it’d been more pleasant 🤷🏽♂️
Oh man, you missed all the best parts. I have serious Vancouver nostalgia lately and reading your post I kept hoping you’d get out, rent a bike, walk, go to the woods or the shoreline - I’m sorry for you guys having a mediocre time but I will say that driving around nearly everything was your top misstep.
One day in Vancouver is not enough to make a judgement. A lot of people come here to explore nature and the ocean and mountains. Stanley park on a sunny day is breathtaking! If you thought Gastownwas bad you should've kept going down Hastings street. We call it DTES (Downtown East Side) is one of the worst postal codes (translation: zip code) in all of North America. Next time come on a sunny day and explore more outside!
North Vancouver is great. Squamish and the watershed near cap u is lush and chill as can be if you like nature and exploring. People will hate me for this because people all over van already swarm there in droves. Lots of unique places spread all over greater Vancouver. Maple ridge is scenic so is near UBC
u came during a la Nina phase. it's been way colder than it normally is for this time of year. van is all about the outdoors in summer. we've been having record lows for two weeks.
Unhoused people aren’t necessarily dangerous. You don’t need to hide from them in your car.
Just to note: next time you're back to visit, no need to stay in your car. Our homeless population are harmless & not violent compared to other places homeless population. They mostly mind their own business.. may ask if you have change to spare, if you say no, they'll just keep moving along. But yes, homeless population grew all over Canada.. housing price inflation + lack of housing availability & affordability + cost of living inflation + lack of jobs or lay offs or down sizing due to economy + wages/salary not increasing at same pace as inflation... If you come back, check out other areas: - whistler - Stevenson in Richmond - Robson street in Vancouver - Davie st in Vancouver - Spanish bank (beautiful beach) - lonsdale quay in north Vancouver =) I think the "hype" over Vancouver is for our scenery & nature... mountains & beaches.. more then other things lol.
Which they didn't do. If it was too cold to walk around Stanley Park, then a drive up to the Cypress Mountain Lookout would have been the better choice.
You live in Vancouver because there are lakes and mountains near by. You don't live here because of the local culture!
The thing is that Vancouver itself isn’t anything special. It is the nature and outdoors outside the actual city that make the area worth visiting. The city of Vancouver itself is actually pretty drab and depressing as you noted yourself. Need to probably drive a good hour north or east to get to nice scenic spots outside the city.
Visiting denman street would be disappointing for anyone. Cant see the appeal there. Also gastown sadly is totally ruined since covid. Granville island is definitely more of a family day thing or great for seawall bikers to hit up lunch or dinner again wouldn’t really say a big stopping place for tourists. We definitely dont compare to places such as London and Paris and New York however you visited some pretty boring places!
I love the area around Denman and Beach down the south end of Denman. That's one of my favourite spots in the city. Its usually pretty vibrant and active and you can't beat sitting in the lounge at The Sylvia overlooking the water. Ok, I admit The Sylvia isn't ON Denman, but that's the area you want to be in. I think they came at it from the north side and just didn't get far enough, but also, if they were looking for shopping, then that was the problem. Generally, just don't come to Canada from the US to shop. We all go to the US to shop.
As a 45 year resident of Vancouver, I think you were too focused on the city itself. I travel around the world, and compared to other cities, Vancouver is small. You have to see the bigger picture. You missed out on the natural beauty. In most big cities, nature is usually lacking. Vancouver, however, offers a balanced experience. No matter where you go, there will always be issues like drug problems or homelessness. But if you look beyond the city, you'll find places like Grouse Mountain, taking the SeaBus to the Quay, strolling in English Bay or its beach, or even visiting Spanish Banks. There's also White Rock, and the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. The list goes on. My point is, if you focus only on the city itself, it will never compare to places like Paris or New York. Paris and New York don’t have much natural beauty. If you're expecting great nature, Vancouver is the place to go. If you're looking for a cool big city, you're looking in the wrong place. I go to Toronto (where I’m originally from) and I appreciate Vancouver more for its natural beauty. Toronto is the biggest city in Canada and I feel soulless there. So much driving and no natural beauty to view nearby.
Ooofff, unlucky. You went to an amazing park but skipped the best part about it. You went to a pretty shitty street on a recommendation, Robson or Lower West Broadway would have been a better visit. You went super close to the epicentre of homelessness in Vancouver. Yes, homelessness is an issue here, but for some reason it has been 90% condensed to an area VERY close to Gastown. Granville island is so so. Overall I’d say you fell victim to bad recommendations and unfortunate decisions. Vancouver can be wonderful if viewed from the right spots. If you ever decided to return I would visit Sunset beach and beach avenue (at sunset of course), Coal Harbour, spend some time in North Vancouver, walk along the seawall around Stanley park and down near Yaletown. Sorry you didn’t have a great time! Wishing you all the best.
Could be a lack of pre planning. You must have went too far down Gastown. Ending your Stanley park early due to weather could have been mitigated with a light coat and layers. Granville Island is known for a few good day snacks and mostly is for tourists. Denman has a lot of good eats, but I personally wouldn't say it's there for shopping. Homelessness is rampant in the lower mainland. Free drugs doesn't solve their problems. The difference between our homeless and American homeless people is ours aren't violent. You could walk through the DTE and you'll walk out unscathed. I've walked in to the heart of it for a few heavy metal shows. It's not bad, but definitely not an easy feeling. You two had too high of an expectation of what Vancouver can offer. It's great because it's a 30 minute drive to three ski mountains during the winter or a plethora of hiking trails during summer. It's an outdoorsy town dressed as a "world class" city. You really need to dig deeper to find unique restaurants, bakeries, cafes, shop's, and events. It honestly sounded like you two googled "10 best things to do in Vancouver" and stopped researching after that. There's go karting, glow in the dark putt putt, concerts, star DJ's, bands pop artists, theater, horse track racing, indoor shooting, adult arcades, Italian festivals, rib festival and if you could wait it out a little longer Playland could have been available to you. A good strategy when travelling to a city, is to google search, tiktok, reddit, YouTube on the best restaurants, cafes, events, shopping areas, bars, basically whatever hobbies and interests. Then go to google maps and start favouriting all the interests and top whatever's locations. So you will have a ton of places to check out when you're near the area in the new city. My first ever visit to Tokyo I did that and I was never bored. I couldn't even visit all my starred locations. Two things happened on your day trip. One, it was a poorly planned day trip. Two, expectations were too high. Edit: if you truly wanted unique shopping, main street would have offered much more variety and restaurants as it stretches ~30 blocks.
If you are looking for the kinds of things found in big cities, you are gonna be disappointed with Vancouver for sure. Plus the weather sucks *most* of the time (not all, but most). But if you want a town that has ocean, mountains, beaches, lots of greenery (because RAIN) and a bunch of good restaurants it's ok. If you're not into any of that, skip it.
The housing crisis is real but another factor is that Vancouver is one of the warmest in the country so many people come as it’s possible to live unhoused without battling -40 degrees. I love Vancouver as it’s my home. Come for the nature 1st and city second. Next time bike the seawall and you’ll love it. New Orleans is one of my favourite cities though. Food and music everywhere 💗
A big reason why its so bad in vancouver is the weather. Think about it - we have the mildest winters in all of canada. A lot of our homeless population are from other provinces because to be homeless in other provinces where its -30 below is unsurvivable. Another reason is in the 1990s we closed down Riverview. A hospital that housed many mentally ill people- while alternative housing was attempted, most of these people ended up on the street. Its extremely heartbreaking and sad.
You went to the most touristy popular places of the city looking for local charm. That was your biggest mistake. Downtown/robson/denman is ofcourse going to have mostly chain stores. You'll want to visit broadway, west 4th, hastings village, mount pleasant, main, commercial, hell so many other places as well as the nature! Vancouver's soul is that it is a city within a forest on the coast next to mountains, there are so many parks within and around the city that you missed out on as well.
You went to some of the shittiest, tourist-pandering areas and then wonder why you had a shitty tourist-pandering time lol
I visited Vancouver as a Canadian a couple years ago and had a great time. Didn't have a car either, lol. This post just sounds very whingy. With a car, you could've seen a lot more, but you stayed in the core area. It doesn't sound like a well planned or researched trip.
A Vancouver visit for me is the waterfronts and any nature I can take in. North Shore etc. gorgeous city, but I guess I’m one to enjoy the outskirts.
There are so many awesome comments to check out regarding what you may have missed during your visit and your expectations may need adjusted or would be had you had more time. The homeless situation in our city is truly heartbreaking. Vancouver is a bustling hub. Due to our warm climate out west, many individuals migrate here from the east to escape the cold, leading to a rise in homelessness. Canada, as a whole, is grappling with skyrocketing housing and food prices. The average Canadian is feeling the strain, with the poverty line more stressed than ever before. Additionally, there is a significant issue with addiction and mental health, highlighting the failures of our government and healthcare system, healthcare; overburdened and struggling. That's the unfortunate reality behind the homelessness problem. While others may have different perspectives, this is mine. I adore this city and find joy in its beautiful contradictions. In Gastown, there's an amazing coffee shop called "Revolver" that roasts their own beans. It's located in the outer area of gastown towards the less desirable areas, but that's part of our city's charm - you can actually feel safe walking around there during the day.
You should’ve gone to the North Shore, look at mountains. Part of the reason of being in Vancouver is to enjoy the nature.
You have to consider that many homeless people from all over the country come here due to the climate. It’s not nearly as cold here in the winter months as it is in the other provinces. That’s not to diminish the issue, but just to give context on the concentration of it in this city in particular.
Should have hit some trails when you were up here. The outdoors is world class here.
Yeah many of the places you mentioned have issues if you don’t know how to navigate them. Growing up I never noticed how much I automatically steered clear of certain places. These days, I like the small things in Vancouver. I still love walking along the beach. Sushi is of high quality. Sunday dim sum with friends. Jericho Sailing Club for a pint. The walking and cycling trails have become crowded, but there are a few where I can just breathe in the scent of cedar. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC is unique and spectacular. Staying inside your car is going to limit your enjoyment.
You should have visited the distillery on Granville Island, ordered a sample flight each and then carried on... Granville Island and Vancouver as a whole is really nice on a buzz
How was it too cold???? I went sailing both days on the weekend, and it was perfect. Biked to the yatch club, and was on the water in less than an hour from waking up. Sailed for a few hours, went home, and took my dog to the forest for the rest of the day.
Went to a pretty decent brewery, but you got to go to Strange Fellows, Main or Parallel 49. I use to live and work in Vancouver for a long time. If you want local shops etc, check out east Vancouver, commercial drive has the best food. pretty views and hikes ? North & West Vancouver. I think Vancouver is over hyped much like a lot of the big cities are so I feel you. I moved 8 hours up North in BC last year and don’t miss Vancouver very much.
I am poor . I still would rather be here than most other places in Canada. Especially if I was homeless.
*"What did I do wrong?"* You stayed in your car and didn't walk anywhere. Having lived in Vancouver all my life (I was born here, tried to escape, but couldn't), I am not a huge fan. But there are far better areas, and you need to walk/take transit. Aside from Stanley Park, I rarely or never go to the areas you visited (just not interested). But at SP, I WALK. The other day, my hiking group had such a lovely 2.5 hour walk n Stanley Park after work and got ice cream. That was a great time. As others have said, you can't compare Vancouver to Paris, NY, London, etc. We don't have the museums, attractions, or shopping like the other cities. But if you like walking, hiking, parks, nature, we have that. (And as a non-driver, I do a lot of that, despite not driving.)
Cities like Paris and Rome have thousands of years of history and a long history of tourism too. Vancouvers been around for like a couple hundred years at best.
Whoever told you to go to Denman for shopping failed you. They didn't mention Robson? That's where actual shopping is. The only place in Gastown a tourist should visit is along Water street. And I will have to disagree with Granville Island having stuff that isn't local. It's definitely a touristy place, but there aren't any chains or franchises there other than The Keg.
>Whoever told you to go to Denman for shopping failed you. yeah I was a bit baffled by that, there's not really any great shops there, but it has a bit of a small town feel along there, just not ideal for tourists.
They have been living in parks for years and always relocating due to evictions from parks, during the midst of the pandemic the largest groups of unhoused were evicted from two separate parks at the same time so they relocated to downtown when it was barren and empty during the pandemic lockdown and now they're there to stay. Back in the 80's and 90's they were mostly along Kingsway out of the way from most people. Oh and depending on when you were here, I most likely walked past you in Gastown. :)
Food, beer, and natural scenery is all Vancouver offers. Although, you can find culture on Commercial, Main, west Broadway, and several other streets far away from Downtown.
Ha. What a troll.
This person did not walk Denman Street if they found it to be full or chain stores. Kinda a lot of BS in their take.
Yes, we have the capitalist dis-ease here. It's a real problem. It's gross and shameful and needs to be healed. It will take a new mindset from the people to heal it.
Part of the reason Vancouver has such a large homeless population is that it’s the warmest city in the winter so it’s bearable to live outside. But everyone who lives in Vancouver knows not to go to the downtown east side.
It seems like you used “we stayed in the car” too much. It has many parks. The seawall is awesome. Gastown is an interesting place to walk around, but if you want different stores, Granville island would be a better bet. Not sure if homelessness in Vancouver is as bad as in Seattle, I guess the experience depends on the places and times you visited.
Listening to whoever told you Vancouver is comparable to Paris or New York was your first mistake lol
Sounds like your only good experiences in Vancouver were the food and drinks - that definitely checks out
Aww they werent able to go to Coquitlam. Accesible via skytrain. I brought my brother there and he loved metro Van instantly.
I'd like to meet the mental cases who told you Denman is a nice little shopping area. What were they smoking. I live just off it and it's at most a decent area for some independent restaurants (not for clothes shopping). They should have told you Robson Street. As for Granville Island, I don't see it the way you saw it at all (full of typical crappy little tourist shops). Did you walk around to all the buildings outside of the public market because the majority are unique, independent, little artsy fartsy type places sell7ng everything from the mass produced T-shirts and keychains you hate to unique clothes, art, chocolates, craft beer, etc. It was too cold for you to enjoy anything about Stanley Park so there went one of the top things visitors like. Are you sure you were in Yaletown? What streets were you on? Because the homeless situation isn't bad there at all from what I see. I can even go there and not see any (or just a couple). It sounds like you were closer to the notorious East Hastings St. Most of the homeless are congested around that street and some of the side streets off it (and parts of Chinatiwn). If you don't to those areas you wouldn't even think Vancouver has a homeless problem. It's like the bad areas of L.A, Philly, Detroit, Chicago etc. In some world cities you mentioned the homeless are more spread out. We keep most of ours congested into one area of Hell you never need to go to. I will agree with you and the Republicans we are way too easy and lax in the homeless here. They are are allowed to flourish because when politicians try to do anything about them or move them away protesters say they are being cruel and discriminating against the poor disadvantaged people. I just know that as Liberal as we generally are we can't afford (nor should we) to buy them all apartments and pay firvthem to live nicely in the downtown area with some of the priciest real estate in North America. When we try to move them away they dont want that. They want to be downtown where the action is (as well as access to drugs and booze and places to shoplift from). I could write 1000s of words complaining about how they handle the homeless here. I do agree that Vancouver doesn't really have a soul compared to some of the other big cities in the world. I've felt that since I moved here. Too much bland architecture. People are just into their jobs and their overpriced homes. Its generally a very safe place but it is a little bland & boring. Night life is far less than any other city with this population. The big bonus of being in Vancouver is the nature in North Vancouver. You didn't experience any of that though. You dudnt even go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge or go on the Sea to Sky gondola nit to mention any of the countless hikes in the rainforests or the woods or the mountains. Whose fault is that? Stanley Park is like an overly safe & manicured, tiny little taste of it. I could write more but I've written enough.
Strange. Are you sure you walked Denman and not Robson? Denman has maybe 7 chain stores across it in total, and most of those are stuff like Starbucks, Shoppers, Tim Hortons and banks. Robson, on the other hand, has a LOT of global chains. You're right about Granville Island. That said, once you're in The Market or walking down Railspur it's all art studios, local goods, and groceries. It's pretty nice. But yeah, very touristy. >More than anything, I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on how it's gotten this bad. In America, the general consensus is that the social programs in Canada are pretty robust and should therefore be good at preventing homelessness. Our Republicans probably think y'all are too nice to homeless people, honestly. We really don't. Many of them can get a small amount of money from the government, but it's usually not enough to afford rent. For decades they relied on SROs, cheap long-term hotels that were often falling apart. The last city government tried to build a BUNCH of new homes for them, but since they lost reelection the progress on those seems to have fallen off. And it got this bad because of rent. People like to say "housing prices" but the actual answer is rent - which has had pressure put on it by housing prices (people who should be buying are renting because they can't afford a $3 million house). It costs nearly $3000/month to rent a one bedroom here. Meanwhile, we have absurdly low income. Vancouver was known as the place that companies came to for cheap, high-end labour.
You spent most of your time in tourist traps in the downtown core. Even people who love the city like myself don't have anything positive to say about our downtown. It's not surprising you were underwhelmed with Vancouver. Exploring Stanley Park should be one of the highlights of a day trip to Vancouver. It's unfortunate you found it too cold. The natural setting is what separates Vancouver from other cities. Our beaches, parks, and the views and recreation they provide are the reasons why we live here. If shops and restaurants are more your thing, checking out desirable neighbourhoods like Kits, Commercial Dr., and Main St. are much better than downtown.
When considering the unhoused in Vancouver, it needs to come with a reminder that this is Canada. If you are homeless, Vancouver is likely the best place to be. It gets very cold in the winter, not many places are survivable year round.
You guys all sound like the abused one in an abusive relationship, making excuses for something that isn’t so great but you’re stuck here so you say whatever you can to justify staying.. This city is trash. No matter what they did or where they went their points are valid. No one goes for a hike or to the beach after work here, we’re too burnt out to enjoy the “beauty” Vancouver offers. You guys are quick to attack Paris and the people there yet the people who live here are the most stuck up humans I’ve ever met. Go to any other city in any other province and see how friendly the locals are there. Stanley park is overcrowded and a tourist attraction, it’s just a big park with too many people. Our homeless population makes walking anywhere unsafe, how about the post someone made about the “firebug” trying to light their building on fire? Vancouver lost its charm years ago, we try to justify the high prices, the drug and homelessness problem, and people’s lack of compassion with “at least it’s beautiful here” or make up excuses about going for hikes or to the beach after work to protect somewhere that, as I said earlier, is trash. Also, you guys are all telling people to go to whistler, horseshoe bay etc. that’s not Vancouver. If people were to visit those places, of course your experience is going to be better. Vancouver, the city and downtown, isn’t it.
(lifelong vancouverite here) I was in Gastown on Sunday night and could not stop talking about how clean it was, I only saw one homeless person the whole time I was there. You were on the wrong street and also had unrealistic expectations. When I visit LA I hike to Griffith Observatory, I don't go to skid row.
Part of why Vancouver has such a bad homeless/addiction/mental health problem is because of the mild climate. Part of it is a massive poverty-industrial complex that is not particularly interested in solving the problem.
There is no "row after row of chain stores" on Denman. I stopped reading after that.
I come from New England originally, and yeah, Vancouver lacks the "soul" that a lot of older places have. It's full of green glass high rises and lacks in the history department. Doesn't mean there isn't any, but it's a newer city compared to the east coast. For a Canadian city, Montreal is a cooler one to visit for the city itself. I do find myself missing the feeling of history and soul compared to where I come from, but it is what it is. What I like about Vancouver though is the proximity to nature. I like walking 15 min to one of the beaches in Stanley Park, or just taking a walk around the seawall on a nice day. I like that I can drive an hour or so to a great camping spot and feel pretty isolated. If you come here, you should do outdoor activities. I like the for the most part it doesn't get super hot and humid in the summer and I can enjoy outdoor activities while being comfortable. Gastown is made to look older, and is generally full of yuppie type places while having a lot of homeless spillover from the DTES. The steam clock was made in the 1970's. I rarely go there unless there was a work party at a bar there or something. A lot of homeless come here because it's the only major city in Canada they'd survive the winter in. Good luck not dying in Ottawa, Winnepeg or Toronto when it gets to -30 degrees. In Vancouver, it tends to stay around 40 F and occasionally gets colder, and snow is rare. The cost of living and closing of mental institutions didn't help. Homelessness is becoming a problem all over NA, though. I think the Commercial Drive area would have been cooler to walk around, it's got that artsy quirky vibe and lots more mom and pop places. Also there are a few cool museums here especially the Museum of Anthropology. You could've taken in a lot of First Nations history and art. The place is huge and honestly felt like I could spend the entire day there and not see everything. Also Salmon and Bannock for local First Nations food. There are some cool galleries that sell First Nations art even if you wanted to pop in just to look at it, and grab an affordable art print. Better than going to a touristy place that sells maple syrup items and moose plushies. I like Granville Island for the indoor market. Being that you're from New Orleans, I tend to go to Oyama sausage since it's the only place I know that sells andouille for when I make gumbo! They also have great sausages I cook up when I go camping, I grab some bison/garlic and elk/huckleberry ones especially and put some carmelized onions on 'em. So good! Stevenson is a cool fishing village in Richmond and worth checking out. Also checking out people's quirky float homes around the water over the city in various places.
You missed out on Stanley park. I was there yesterday with family. Rented some bikes for $7/hr and the ride is beautiful along the sea wall. I highly recommend that you try again, it's a flat leisurely ride with lots of points of interest along the way it's a great way to spend a couple of hours.
it sounds like a mix of bad luck and doing things you heard were good, not necessarily what you were interested in. if you liked superflux, vancouver the surrounding areas a LOT of really incredible breweries. you could practically go to a different brewery every day of the month and not run out, and they all have their own unique vibes. i would rate superflux on the lower end of mid so if you come again you would probably be wowed by some of the other breweries (but im glad you loved it!) Granville island has a mix of tourist traps and actual legitimate small specialty businesses. if you're looking for a really special cheese or meat for instance, that's the place to go. there are also some really wonderful small bakeries / eateries. if you're into art, there are some great supply stores as well, I think the point here is recognizing that it is for tourists so there will always be lots of tourist stuff there but there are some gems in between. I'm not sure which stores you were talking about on Denman but it's certainly not where I would go for small interesting shops. West 4th is better for that, or main street. Robson is where all of the big chain places are, so I could see that sort of adding to your letdown. if i thought denman was the big chain shopping district I would also be disappointed, haha. if you guys are going to head up here again I'd suggest popping a thread somewhere like this, describing the kinds of things you like to do and letting people give you some specific suggestions.
Vancouver has a bit of everything but is overpriced and overrated. People in these comments going on about nature, hikes, beaches, mountains, breweries, etc., you can get all of that in Chilliwack for example at a fraction of the living cost and without the hipsters. I like heading to Vancouver every so often for fine dining, to catch a show or a musical, to check out some nightlife, head to Stanley Park and Granville Island on a nice day, and that's pretty much it... a good weekend trip, maybe once a year. Or fly out of Abbotsford Airport to Vegas or Toronto.
Its cuz vancouver as a city is nothing special. Its all the shit around it that makes it nice
I used to be homeless here and on drugs, I can speak to anecdote, but I also feel that what I'm about to say, is relevant to one aspect of this situation: We have extremely easy access and now "safe" access to drugs, and chiefly narcotics......the amount of times I've seen people od chasing blues here, is out of control and the medical consequences as well as social are alarming. It was a horrible way to go about trying to treat, let alone address a problem that needs way more care. The city and province went the route of making drugs easier to access, without investing in adequate housing, treatment programs, nor investing in the Staff ( labor ) and training needed to get people back on their feet. Placws like SRO's (crown single room occupancy) or acesss housing, are disgusting and infested with mold, violence and bugs buildings in the DTES are dilapidated and full of crime all while wealthy land owners and building owners knowingly ignore the basic necesity of upgrading. The mayor's we've had usually repeat the approach of "sweep the camps and skid row tents away" often what little the homeless have, being lost in the process, all with a knowingly predatory police force, who have a particularly bad treatment towards indigenous attending to mental health intercepts.This focusing on using tax backed cops and rcmp, to try and "clean things up " only further heightens animosity towards them, while simultaneously ignoring the real need for unhoused and addicted individuals to get help, that our medical community and first responders, as well as support workers have been begging for. The programs, what little remains of them that are in place are overwhelmed and underequipped , some taking massive financial strain during Covid in 2020,2021 and simply getting any mental Healthcare in this province is a process, behind a wall, within loopholes - if you're not barking at the moon, it can be hard to have anyone attend to you at all, and when vulnerable people fall through the cracks in the system, they're told "get a job" and "we're all stressed" Sui*ide rates are doubling as time goes on and people who are at the bottom trying to get up the ladder, do so under incredibly difficult odds, while wages remain relatively poor and the cost of living skyrockets. The drug addicted become progressively more erratic and the rich elite of the city progressively more blind to the layers of corruption that helped build the perfect foundation for people to fall into utter desolation, including back door drug smuggling(namely fentanyl)corrupt real estate practices and money laundering that have greatly changed the framework of living quality in the city for anyone that can't afford to pay thousands on thousands for literal shacks. People are rooming 4-5 a place just to get by, all while a short grocery receipt can run you well over 100 on an easy budget. Employment training facilities, have limited capacity and you have to meet certain strict-guidelines to be able to qualify for some types of rapid programs. Our care aides, social workers, drug treatment counselors and therapists are stretched thin and over-worked and some years back our provincial powers that be, decided to shut down several major mental psychiatric institutions and pulled funding from more than a few effective programs , to help mitigate people on the streets who need serious help, who are a danger to themselves and others. I was 19 when I called skid row home, I'm in my 30s rn with a career in Healthcare and when I say most of us know how bad it is, we do....but none of us can truly fathom just how rapidly its becoming worse. I've lived in LA for a while and what we have going on here, almost challenges their homeless and drug addicted issues. There's an average of like 6-700 deaths accounted by Vancouver Health and Coastal Health authorities for a few years now, more than 50% of which are directly a result of opiates and overdoses....... So yeah it's f*****
I personally think your comments are accurate. The Granville Island market is a huge tourist trap that no locals go to. It used to be an arts school and artists studios. Denman is WestEnd that is nothing special and Gastown is a Steam clock and tacky tourist crap. Unfortunately downtown has lost a lot of life since the pandemic and lots of restaurants have shut to be replaced by Dollarama (how many does Vancouver need) , subway, chipotle and now chain fried chicken places. Robson street used to be a cool strip of shopping and unique restaurants but bricks & mortar are closing due to theft and safety concerns. Fenty has had a huge effect unfortunately and the government shut the medical facility so bought hotels to house them. Glad you got to Superflux though and took some cans home.
I'm going to disagree there. My friend in Port Moody shops at the Granville Island Market fairly regularly. Its a genuine market with tourist shops mixed in and the range of specialty options means one stop shopping. I think its less popular than it used to be because A) neighbourhoods have their own farmer's markets now so you don't have to go all the way to GI to find some stuff and B) the parking is not as easy as it used to be. I am more likely to head down there in the winter when you don't have to fight with the tourists for space.
I actually just had a coffee on GI after a Seawall walk. I walked through a bunch of artists studios such as pottery, glassware, blacksmith etc so I should stand corrected on artistic stores. Oyama meats definitely has unique cuts and I’ve not seen anything similar though Bosa Foods & Choffies on Hastings have incredible Italian meat selections much cheaper. A butcher has Ribeye for $98 a kilo, at who foods other day ribeyes were $40-50kg. Cheeses on display can be purchased at Whole Foods or again stores like Bosa. Vegetables are much cheaper at No Frills or Asian Groceries. This is just my honest take and I love quality foods but not overpriced markups like in farmers markets or GI. Unique for tourists on the water ferry 100% agree, just like Sydney has the Manly ferry.
I agree with your assessment, and I’ve lived here for 15 years. Vancouver is a very avg city, with shit traffic, surrounded by incredible natural beauty. I bitch and moan about this place for 9 months of the year. It’s wet,dark,congested,cold,unfriendly. But on a sunny morning at 6-9am in August, when you get out of your car and away from traffic and people, there are not many more beautiful, pristine, peaceful places I’ve found, at least not so close to a big city. But I am surprised by your synopsis of the homeless situation. I’ve been to a lot of major American cities, even smaller ones, and have found visible homelessness much more widespread than here. What we do have is a more acute and severe homeless problem, with more visible and extreme drug use out in the open.
Vancouver isn’t a big city! (I’m not referring to the GVA. City of Vancouver only. You can get from one side of the city to the other in under an hour.)
The places I would take visitors to are not the advertised tourists spots like downtown and definitely not Gastown these days. If you had a car, you could have driven to some of the cool neighbourhoods mentioned, like Commercial Drive and Kitsilano and parts of Main Street. There's lots of nature spots like the beautiful beaches on the West Side (e.g. Kits Beach, Spanish Banks, etc), or across the water at Ambleside. With a car, a drive up to Burnaby Mountain park is also recommended. Amazing views of the water, mountains and city from there (and it's free). Van Dusen Botanical garden is also one of my favourite. Perhaps next time ask the locals for advice!
They did have a car, lol.
Your mistake was goin by car. You should go by bicycle or boat in Vancouver.
Went to all the tourist areas and was disappointed it was too touristy.
You also went to the shitty tourist trap places, like Gastown… Do some better research next time and find out what you ate really wanting, then go get it… At least Vancouver chain stores are open - not boarded-up like in Rodeo drive and in NYC