Vancouver BC, July 3-6
July 2, 2019 11:11 AM Subscribe
Turns out we'll be in Vancouver this week with not much planned. What great things should we check out?
We've never spent time in the Canadian Vancouver, so we would be down for the best touristy sightseeing/history, live music, food suggestions, etc. Note that we are two adults and one 16-year-old. Also, while we love hiking, we're keeping that to a minimum with an injured foot -- so, please keep that in mind.
Thanks!
We've never spent time in the Canadian Vancouver, so we would be down for the best touristy sightseeing/history, live music, food suggestions, etc. Note that we are two adults and one 16-year-old. Also, while we love hiking, we're keeping that to a minimum with an injured foot -- so, please keep that in mind.
Thanks!
Best answer: I was just in Vancouver in late May, and it was great! Can the person with the injured foot ride a bike? Vancouver is very bike-able, and I'd suggest a half day at Stanley Park on bike if that will be practical. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of BC is pretty great, too. It's not that big, but again I don't know how mobile the foot-injured person is.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:25 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 11:25 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Clarification on mobility: The foot is almost better! Biking would be ok, but not yet for extended walking (one mile would be the limit).
posted by klausman at 11:34 AM on July 2, 2019
posted by klausman at 11:34 AM on July 2, 2019
Best answer: The Khatsahlano street party is happening on the 6th. Lots of live music, street trucks etc. Might be challenging with an injured foot though.
The traditional first time tourist destination is the Granville Island market and artist shops.
The Richmond Night Market is the closest you'll get to Hong Kong / Taiwan style night markets on this side of the planet.
For food, we always steer visitors to either Vij's or Vij's Rangoli. Both are first come first served, so get there early or be prepared to wait a while - around 30 ~ 45 min is normal. (Vij's looks like they now have a few tables available on opentable, so you might get lucky)
posted by cfraenkel at 11:38 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
The traditional first time tourist destination is the Granville Island market and artist shops.
The Richmond Night Market is the closest you'll get to Hong Kong / Taiwan style night markets on this side of the planet.
For food, we always steer visitors to either Vij's or Vij's Rangoli. Both are first come first served, so get there early or be prepared to wait a while - around 30 ~ 45 min is normal. (Vij's looks like they now have a few tables available on opentable, so you might get lucky)
posted by cfraenkel at 11:38 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Do you like records? By some weird currency magic, records are cheaper in Canada, and only partially because of the exchange rate. The list price is often cheaper. So a record costs $20 USD in America, the Canadian list price is $17CAD: this stacked with the exchange rate (assuming you’re coming from the states) usually makes for exponentially growing my record collection every time I go.
Zulu is just one of the best record stores ever anyway and would be worth going regardless.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:09 PM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Zulu is just one of the best record stores ever anyway and would be worth going regardless.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:09 PM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you are at all interested in First Nations culture, I highly recommend the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology. Their permanent collection is jaw-dropping, and their temporary shows and such are always fascinating. Don't miss the Bill Reid Hall, with his monumental wood sculpture of Raven and The First People (picture partway down the page) - it always gives me chills when I see it. Easily accessible by bike or bus.
posted by dbmcd at 12:09 PM on July 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by dbmcd at 12:09 PM on July 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
For a fancy dinner on the less exorbitant side, we really enjoyed Mak N Ming.
If you like escape rooms, Find and Seek is pretty good.
posted by praemunire at 12:54 PM on July 2, 2019
If you like escape rooms, Find and Seek is pretty good.
posted by praemunire at 12:54 PM on July 2, 2019
I second Richmond for awesome food. You can take the Canada Line to Yaohan and Aberdeen Centre, both of which have amazing food courts (it sounds strange, but it's true).
Metrotown in Burnaby also has some great food and shopping experiences. Crystal Mall is someplace I'd like to go (now that I know about it).
Granville Island is always touted as a tourist hot spot, but you can get (sorta) the same experience at Lonsdale Quay. You get there via the public Sea Bus, which traverses Burrard Inlet. Really cheap sightseeing cruise!
posted by JamesBay at 1:19 PM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Metrotown in Burnaby also has some great food and shopping experiences. Crystal Mall is someplace I'd like to go (now that I know about it).
Granville Island is always touted as a tourist hot spot, but you can get (sorta) the same experience at Lonsdale Quay. You get there via the public Sea Bus, which traverses Burrard Inlet. Really cheap sightseeing cruise!
posted by JamesBay at 1:19 PM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Hang out at English Bay for a while, then wander over to Lost Lagoon for the geese, herons and turtles. You might enjoy biking the sea wall part way up and then turn off about half way to the bridge and cross over to Beaver Lake (there is signage to supplement your phone maps). Stanley's bar and Grill could be a nice (if pricey) spot to stop for eats.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:02 PM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:02 PM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Sushi. It's so good there - much better than Ontario.
We rode the Seabus across to North Vancouver and stopped at a little sushi counter just near the ferry - and it was so, so tasty!
Also, I love the aquarium (I love all aquaria), and regret not having more time to explore Stanley Park - bicycles would be best (it's larger than it seems on a map).
posted by jb at 2:44 PM on July 2, 2019
We rode the Seabus across to North Vancouver and stopped at a little sushi counter just near the ferry - and it was so, so tasty!
Also, I love the aquarium (I love all aquaria), and regret not having more time to explore Stanley Park - bicycles would be best (it's larger than it seems on a map).
posted by jb at 2:44 PM on July 2, 2019
The Vancouver Art Gallery is quite good if you enjoy art museums, and eat as much sushi as humanly possible.
posted by TheCoug at 5:58 PM on July 2, 2019
posted by TheCoug at 5:58 PM on July 2, 2019
I did a walking tour last time I was there which may or may not be your family’s kind of thing. The guide was great and I enjoyed it even though it was raining, I felt I learned a bit of local history and managed to hit some key spots without any planning or effort on my part. Full disclosure, I love that kind of thing and try to look one up whenever I am in a new city with an evening to spare. The tour I did was The lost souls of Gastown
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:44 PM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:44 PM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Some restaurant recommendations:
I like the Georgia Cannery museum in Steveston (in Richmond). It's not too big, entry fee is very reasonable, and it is a good glimpse into the main industry of the area. I think the Steveston area also has an interpretive walk that goes through the history of Japanese-Canadians, who were the majority of the fishermen at the time. Steveston is also very quaint in general.
The Lost Souls tour is good, but bear in mind that it is a walking tour. Ours lasted 3 hrs and we were quite dead on our feet by the end. If you have an injury, probably skip it this time. Same with the Richmond night market - the walk from the parking/Bridgeport station to the entrance alone is a long walk for someone who can only do 1 mile.
You could take the Aquabus for a "tour" of False Creek, and the Seabus to get to the North Shore.
posted by tinydancer at 8:08 PM on July 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
- Kaide Sushi Bar (Downtown, Richard's St.), specifically for the butterfish if they have it available
- Kintaro ramen for OG big bowl fatty pork broth, or Ramen Santouka for a yummy tan tan men. Both are near Robson and Denman. That corner has maybe 8 ramen shops within a 3-block radius!
- Jinya Ramen for the best vegan ramen in Vancouver - Robson and Richards, near the downtown public library. Speaking of the public library, their rooftop is open to the public in the summer, if you want to enjoy the sun and the view!
- Liu Yi Shou hotpot, which we go to for their great selection of dipping sauce accompaniments, and the spicy and numbing Sichuan peppercorn-based broth. I'm sure they have other broths, if you're not into that. This is a chain, I know they have a location downtown on Robson St. and one in Richmond, though they one was being renovated back in March.
- Lots of dim sum places in Richmond. We like Parklane at the intersection of No. 3 Road and Westminster Highway. In Vancouver, Sun Sui Wah on Main St.
- Japanese izakaya: Guu (multiple locations), Kingyo, Suika
- Good "chef's choice" experiences: Wildebeest in Gastown, Savio Volpe on Kingsway & Fraser
- Purebread, for an overwhelming number of yummy baked goods, both sweet and savoury
I like the Georgia Cannery museum in Steveston (in Richmond). It's not too big, entry fee is very reasonable, and it is a good glimpse into the main industry of the area. I think the Steveston area also has an interpretive walk that goes through the history of Japanese-Canadians, who were the majority of the fishermen at the time. Steveston is also very quaint in general.
The Lost Souls tour is good, but bear in mind that it is a walking tour. Ours lasted 3 hrs and we were quite dead on our feet by the end. If you have an injury, probably skip it this time. Same with the Richmond night market - the walk from the parking/Bridgeport station to the entrance alone is a long walk for someone who can only do 1 mile.
You could take the Aquabus for a "tour" of False Creek, and the Seabus to get to the North Shore.
posted by tinydancer at 8:08 PM on July 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
A note about the art gallery: if you want to go but your foot is bothering you that day, wheelchairs are available on a first come, first served basis—or you can call ahead and reserve one.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:06 AM on July 3, 2019
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:06 AM on July 3, 2019
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posted by blob at 11:16 AM on July 2, 2019