Vancouver Travel Advice

[made_in_canada]

I'd suggest Hon's in Chinatown.

[Artemis@BC]

There is a Banana Leaf on Broadway near Main street and might be another one in Kitsilano. If not, Broadway and Main is not far to travel by bus.

Ok, not for Kyle because he's a spice wimp but for others ... there's another Banana Leaf location on Denman, and it happens to be right next door to the fabulous gelato place I mentioned earlier, Mondo Gelato. Mmm, what could be better than Malaysian + gelato on English Bay?

As for the seawall, the 23 km is for the whole shebang, but to go just around Stanley Park is only about 10 km.

[jl]

Food in Kits?

I'm not a big fan of the Eatery myself. Atmosphere is fun and it's a very college crowd but I've never run into good food there.

If you want Western or not-so-spicy foods, I recommend the following, in Kits unless otherwise stated (I live near UBC):

- Pair Bistro, a BC contemporary restaurant with lots of fresh local ingredients. I personally like their squash ravioli and elk medallions most.
- C in downtown, a BC contemporary seafood restaurant with a great variety menu. Too bad I didn't know you were coming earlier or I'd have recommended you buy their tasting menu as advertised on Groupon for $42. Extremely well-done food.
- Kirin, Golden Great Wall, or Imperial Chinese for dim sum in the local area. Jade Palace, Northern Delicacy and Kirin in Richmond. New Town Bakery in either Richmond or Chinatown for buns (large, very filling and extremely cheap).
- Zakkushi, Japanese grill, with lots of beautiful non-sushi items that are a little more exotic and suit the palate. Grilled skewers, stir-fried udon, nothing really spicy but something a little off the beaten path.
- Nat's Pizzeria, New York style pizza with some rather good toppings. I personally like the margerita the most.
- Modern Club, Japanese grill that prepares okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake). Very unique place (at least, when the old owner from Osaka ran it; she was the best).
- Mix: the Bakery, home of my favorite grilled sandwich, the Spanish boca (an egg omelet with tomatoes, bell peppers, etc and Spanish seasoning) as well as the ever-so-addictive ambrosia cookie.
- White Spot, the local version of Earl's/Milestones but quite a bit better IMO on the burgers at least.
- Vera's, the city's favorite burgers.

Oh, and you have to go to Cocoa Nymph in the area. My vote for best chocolates in the city. They also make a drinking chocolate that's Belgian in style (i.e. so thick it's like molten chocolate) in four varieties: I recommend the dark and spicy! Chocolate Arts is also pretty good, better artistry but not quite the same level of taste IMO.

If you have any questions or anything, please don't hesitate to PM me. I'd probably be up to meet for lunch or dinner somewhere (i.e. I have no life ).

Note that most of what I have given you is pretty accessible by bus. The key bus numbers to keep in mind in Kitsilano (to transit between Kits and downtown) are 2/22, 7, 9, 10, 17, and 99.

[deedeelocks]

ITA about Lynn Canyon. Although it's more of a nice-day-outdoor-hiking place than general touristy. It's also not that easy to get to without a vehicle (unlike Capilano, which although touristy, is at least on the transit line).

I went there by bus and I was fine? In my memory it wasn't very far from the busstop...

and I agree it's just great. I also loved to bike along the seawall

[jl]

I know there is a nude beach. Does it count as touristy stuff?

ETA: You don't have to pack anything extra to visit the Wreck Beach!

It's kind of cold, the beach is actually very rocky, and the vast majority of people who go there nude are... north of 49, shall we say?

We went as a 13-year old class, scaled the steps and semi-cliff to go down there. It was quite a experience and not one I want to repeat.

[Japanfan]

We went as a 13-year old class, scaled the steps and semi-cliff to go down there. It was quite a experience and not one I want to repeat.

The point of a nude beach is that you are not supposed to stare.

And I doubt there will be many nudes at Wreck Beach in October, more likely anyone there will be wearing a hat and gloves.

[SandraMGfan]

I'm not really an Art Gallery type... ohh VIFF? Any chance of celebrity sightings? I'm a total gossip monger...

Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine are in town at the moment shooting This Means War. They were shooting Downtown several times this week (Art Gallery, Gastown & Granville St), so keep your eyes open for lines of big trucks in the street which usually means you are close to the action!

[JumpinBug]

I'm a master of Olympic markdown shopping.

What you want is the Gastown area. There's a strip of stores, all with Olympic merchandise of varying prices. The best of them is Hudson House (http://www.hudsonhousetrading.com/), but do go into the others along the street as well. Their website has a map to get you there. It's a 5-10 minute walk from The Bay. Hudson House has the best selection of pins - I got the coveted mittens and torch pin around a month ago for $5. They still had plenty of clothing, but things you likely never saw - mascot clothing, hats, etc.

What you'll find at The Bay... some marked down clothing, not too many options. Large quantities of some things, but often random sizes (think 40 2XL shirts on a rack). Fair number of kids shirts. And, you'll also find the new release of clothing... new quilted jackets, new hoodies, new mittens, etc. Don't expect what you see online, even on the 2010 site store. Even a month ago, there wasn't a ton. I scored on 99 cent pins, not sure if there are any left.

Northern Gifts is a bit tricky on foot, but there are some good bargains on mascots and other random items.

[venja]

Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine are in town at the moment shooting This Means War. They were shooting Downtown several times this week (Art Gallery, Gastown & Granville St), so keep your eyes open for lines of big trucks in the street which usually means you are close to the action!

I believe that Tom Hardy (from Inception) is in Vancouver shooting a movie right now, also. Aren't there lots of shows that are filmed up there like Supernatural, Smallville, Stargate Universe, Psych, Fringe, etc.?

[The Accordion]

Ok, not for Kyle because he's a spice wimp but for others ... there's another Banana Leaf location on Denman, and it happens to be right next door to the fabulous gelato place I mentioned earlier, Mondo Gelato. Mmm, what could be better than Malaysian + gelato on English Bay?

.

Oh my goodness! I was alone in Van for my birthday once and that is the exact meal I treated myself to!

[shiningstar]

Take the Seabus and take the 236 bus up to Cleveland Dam. On a nice clear day there are fantastic views of the local mountains and Capilano canyon. From there, you can bus or walk to Edgemont village for some good local food. The Galleria has awesome sandwiches, the Bakehouse is a great brunch type plac with good sandwiches or the local family owned coffee joint Delany's!! All locally owned businesses!

ETA: Parts of the Twilight saga were filmed in the park at Cleveland dam!!!

[kylet3]

Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine are in town at the moment shooting This Means War. They were shooting Downtown several times this week (Art Gallery, Gastown & Granville St), so keep your eyes open for lines of big trucks in the street which usually means you are close to the action!

Chris Pine = haha so I may go downtown and see if I can't find them around just because I will be in the area anyways but I won't be going out of my way just to look for them. Will be too busy on my own and exploring the great signs and sounds of Vancouver and shopping to be too worried about that.

I am still debating whether to SkyTrain in it out to the Warehouse or not or whether I can find enough Olympic Merchandise downtown to keep my suitcase full. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to be try the cultural food that you guys love. Living in Alberta and being a picky eater I'll probably stick to my traditional eats lol sorry!

So I think I am going to do Granville Island, Gastown, Yaletown, Davies and Robson Street, Stanley Park and the Aquarium, not sure what else I think I will decide as I go.

Should be a ton of fun!

[JumpinBug]

I think you'll find tons in the Gastown area... browse through at least the three main stores first, as the prices vary for the same items, then go back and buy where the prices were best.

If you have the time, the warehouse trip might be interesting... I'd budget 1.5-2 hours for the round trip from downtown.

[kylet3]

I will try gastown, and hopefully that will have enough of what I'm looking for. I guess I should have been a bit more specific. Will I be finding official 2010 Merchandise on Sale? Would you still suggest gastown to find all this kind of stuff? The clothes and such is what I'm looking for, more actual Vancouver 2010 clothes and such, not so big on the mascots or Team Canada stuff.

Thanks to everyone again for the help and I'm looking forward to next week! Not just my merchandise exploration but to see many of the sites and sounds of Vancouver once again! Going to be a blast I'm sure

[The Accordion]

Have fun!

[JumpinBug]

The stores in Gastown have a wide selection of clothes, but without more detail on exactly what it is you're after, I can't answer that. If you mean Canada shirts and hoodies, not so much. But then, for that there's the re-release at The Bay. You won't find that stuff anywhere else, it sold out during/shortly after the Olympics. If you mean other genuine 2010 shirts, jackets, etc., yes. And hats, toques, scarves, gloves, mugs, buttons, lanyards, pins, ornaments, pens, keychains, yes.

In terms of clothing, things that I saw when I was last there, not necessarily in the sizes I'm linking...

http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...TT3141445.html
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...rod717161.html
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...TT3111454.html
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...TT3219439.html
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...TT3111450.html
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...TT3111330.html
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/c...prod10302.html

I think you'll have fun browsing around, and I know you'll find things to bring back home. Some of the best bargains have past (London Drugs DURING the Olympics, the stores at YVR when closing down (mini Oly torch, $100!), the RC products sale with insane sales), but you'll still find things. I'm amazed every time I keep finding things, such as the $1 pins at Pharmasave and The Bay the last time I was over.

I'm actually heading over to Vancouver in less than two weeks, and am planning to have another poke around myself. I'll let you know what I see/find.

[kylet3]

Hi There,

I'm not looking so much for Team Canada stuff, I have a ton of that even got my hands on a Red Podium Jacket that was only available for the athletes too. I'm looking for Vancouver 2010 clothes, and the stuff you mentioned, sounds like I'm not going to have to venture out to the warehouse in Burnaby which is fabulous. I'm really close to downtown by bus and just off of West 4th in Kits so I will be really close to dt. I think I know how to manouvre from February.

I love downtown, I of course will be searching at the Bay, and all the stores in Gastown to see what I can find. I know things will be there so hopefully I can find lots that I like. Of course Vancouver 2010 merchandise shopping isn't the only thing I am planning to do. Stanley Park, Vancouver Aquarium, Chinatown, a bit of the Seawall (I'm way too out of shape to do the whole thing ) Does anyone know what the most photographic part of the seawall is? In their opinion? I haven't done Chinatown in about 15 years so it will be interesting to go through it again... I hope i will be able to manage on my own.

I get to Vancouver at 6 AM on Wednesday morning so I think I will let ya know JumpinBug Should be a blast!

Next week, I'm off to Oklahoma

[viennese]

I had the best time in Vancouver. What a beautiful city.

Yes! Visit Lynn Canyon park for a hike and Wreck Beach for swimming/sunbathing.

[JumpinBug]

How was the trip??