A city that almost has it all
Written: May 26 '00 (Updated Sep 02 '00)
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Pros: Lots of stuff to do
Cons: Rain, rain and more rain!
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| maceyr's Full Review: Vancouver |
After being a past resident of Vancouver for some 20 some odd years, I can't help but recommend Vancouver as a nice place to visit. Vancouver almost has it all, the metropolitan buzz, the food, the multicultural influences in all aspects, the air (although it's getting worse, but which metropolitan doesn't have smog problems?), the seasons (including rain 365 days a year, well, maybe 300), the mountains, and scenery.
Activities are abound. You can sightsee, hike, ski, sail, fly, swim, bungee jump, golf, etc. almost all year round. Where else can you do almost anything all year? Seattle probably but Vancouver is cheaper. Our dollar ("loonie") is about 65 cents to the US dollar and plunging.
For sightseeing, you can go to the usual places like Stanley Park, UBC (University of British Columbia), Vancouver downtown (Robson Street),Gastown, Granville Island, Vancouver Chinatown, Harbour Centre tower (ex-Sears tower, a pale comparison to the Needle in Seattle), Capilano Suspension Bridge (North Vancouver), etc. which can be found in most tourist sightseeing info map or brochure.
The food is diverse and very authentic. You can go have authentic Chinese food dishes in Richmond (although they can be pricey), all you can eat sushi pretty much all over Vancouver and Richmond (they're sprouting everywhere. C$10 for lunch and C$20 for dinner), Thai, Italian, Greek, etc.
Transportation wise, you can travel by foot (in downtown Vancouver), taxi (although a bit expensive), public transportation like Skytrain (light rapid transit), Seabus (to cross from Vancouver to North & West Vancouver), and bus. A cheaper way of discovering Vancouver is to buy a day pass for public transit and use a tourist attractions brochure to guide you around. It currently costs $7.00 for a day pass for unlimited ride throughout the Greater Vancouver region (Vancouver, North, West Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, , Coquitlam, Surrey, Ladner, Delta, New Westminster, etc) on buses, Skytrain, and Seabus. Vancouver transit s divided into several "zones". Vancouver is one zone, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and New Westminster is another zone, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Surrey, White Rock, Tsawwassen, Langley and Lions Bay are another zone. When you go from one zone to another, it costs more than if you travel within a zone. Transit fares start at $1.75 for one zone, $2.50 for two zones, $3.50 for three. You can request for a transfer that allows you to travel in any direction within an hour and half time limit. You can also buy discounted fare tickets at the nearest 7-Eleven or other corner stores or smoke shops. A book of 10 one zone tickets cost $16.00 ($1.50 savings), two zones are $22.75 ($2.25 savings), and three zones $32.50 ($2.50 savings). You can get more information via the web site:
http://www.cmbuslink.com/transitguide/default.asp
or
http://www.translink.bc.ca
(Vancouver is one of the few cities that tries to encourage bicycling (to reduce smog) and at a number of streets, you can find bicycle lanes. Especially in downtown, bike couriers can really get in your way (if you're driving) as they tend to come from nowhere and cut you off. As Vancouver is a west coast city, the pace is a lot more laid back than other eastern metropolitan cities. People tend to be a bit less rude although road rage is turning to be a problem.
As for the weather, Vancouver is practically known as the raining capital of the world. It can be quite depressing to see grey skies day after day, but if you go to Vancouver in the summer, chances are good that you'll see more sunshine than in any other season. So bring those umbrellas!
My picks for places to visit are: Granville Island (for the fresh fruits), Steveston (in Richmond) for the fresh seafood, Commercial Drive for the Italian feel and food, not to mention espresso, Robson Street (Van's Rodeo Drive, Van downtown) for the shopping (although stuff are expensive), Richmond's Chinatown (along Number 3 Road) for a Hong Kong feel of shopping, Metrotown shopping center (in Burnaby, a multi-mall complex) for the shopping and for the multi-game complex, Playdium.
Vancouver may not have it all, but it sure has a lot.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
maceyr
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Location: Canada
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I hardly have time for Epinions anymore but do try to read and rate.
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