ebook img

The Rough Guide to Vancouver 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) PDF

324 Pages·2007·24.11 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview The Rough Guide to Vancouver 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

J>;HEK=>=K?:;je KVcXdjkZg m_j^L_Yjeh_W"M^_ijb[hWdZj^[=kb\?ibWdZi HEK=>=K?:;I 7Xekjj^_iXeea Hek]^=k_Z[iVgZYZh^\cZYidWZ\ddYidgZVYVcYZVhnidjhZ# I]ZWdd`^hY^k^YZY^cidi]Z[daadl^c\hZXi^dchVcYndjh]djaY WZVWaZidÒcYl]ViZkZgndjcZZY^cdcZd[i]Zb# I]ZYebekhi[Yj_ed^hYZh^\cZYid\^kZndjV[ZZa[dgKVcXdjkZg!hj\\Zhi^c\ l]Zcid\dVcYl]Vicdiidb^hh!VcY^cXajYZhV[jaaa^hid[Yedj[dji#I]Zc XdbZhXWi_Yi![dgegZ"YZeVgijgZ^c[dgbVi^dcVcYdi]ZgegVXi^XVa^i^Zh# I]ZY_joX]VeiZghXdkZgZVX]VgZVd[KVcXdjkZg^cYZei]!\^k^c\ XdbegZ]Zch^kZVXXdjcihd[Vaai]ZViigVXi^dch!l]^aZi]Zb_ij_d]ihZXi^dc \^kZhndji]ZadlYdlcdcVXXdbbdYVi^dc!ZVi^c\!h]dee^c\VcYbdgZ# I]Zekje\j^[Y_joX]VeiZghYZhXg^WZZmXjgh^dch[jgi]ZgVÒZaY# 9edj[njiÒaahndj^cdc]^hidgn!VWdg^\^cVaXjaijgZh VcYWdd`h!l]^aZ^cY^k^YjVaYebekh_di[hji^cigdYjXZ i]Z\gZVidjiYddghVcYZVi^c\dji^cKVcXdjkZg# CZmiXdbZhi]ZicWbbfh_dj!^cXajY^c\YZiV^ahd[]dlidhZcY ^cjeYViZhVcYXdggZXi^dch!VcYVXdbegZ]Zch^kZ_dZ[n# 9ebekhcWfiXdkZg^c\i]ZX^inXVcWZ[djcYVii]ZWVX`d[i]ZWdd`# J^_ij^_hZ[Z_j_edfkXb_i^[Z7fh_b(&&-$ I]ZejWa^h]ZghVcYVji]dgh]VkZYdcZi]Z^gWZhiidZchjgZi]ZVXXjgVXnVcY XjggZcXnd[Vaai]Z^c[dgbVi^dc^cI]ZGdj\]<j^YZidKVcXdjkZg!]dlZkZg! i]ZnXVcVXXZeicdgZhedch^W^a^in[dgVcnadhh!^c_jgn!dg^cXdckZc^ZcXZ hjhiV^cZYWnVcnigVkZaaZgVhVgZhjaid[^c[dgbVi^dcdgVYk^XZXdciV^cZY^c i]Z\j^YZ# JH'-$//86C(($// I SB N 978-1-84353-789-2 5 1 7 9 9 9 7 8 1 8 4 3 5 3 7 8 9 2 The Rough Guide to Vancouver written and researched by Tim Jepson NEW YORK • LONDON • DELHI www.roughguides.com Vancouver color intro.indd 1 7/6/07 2:29:31 PM Vancouver color intro.indd 2 7/6/07 2:29:33 PM Contents Colour section 1–16 " Kids’ Vancouver ............... 200 # Sports and outdoor Introduction ............................... 4 activities ........................... 206 What to see................................ 7 $ Festivals and events ......... 218 When to g o ................................ 9 % Directory .......................... 223 Things not to miss ................... 11 Out of the City 227–276 Basics 17–40 & Victoria ............................. 229 Getting ther e............................ 19 ' The Gulf Islands ............... 251 Arrival ...................................... 23 a Whistler and the Sunshine ..... City transpor t........................... 25 Coast ............................. 259 City tours ................................. 29 The media ............................... . 31 Contexts 277–292 Travel essentials ...................... 32 A brief history o f Vancouve r ... 279 The City 41–124 Aboriginal cultures ................. 285 Books .................................... 288 Downtown........................... 41 Gastown and Chinatown.... . 59 Travel store 293–294 Stanley Park........................ 70 Granville Island ................... 80 Small print & Index 295–304 South Vancouver................ . 87 The University of British Eating out in Coloumbia ......................... . 97 Vancouver colour North Vancouver ............... 107 section following p.144 Listings 125–226 The great outdoors Accommodation ............... 125 colour section following Eating................................ 142 p.208 Drinking ............................ 162 Nightlife............................. 168 The performing arts .......... 174 Colour maps following Gay Vancouver ................. 181 p.304 ! Shopping ......................... 186 3 Granville Island Vancouver’s waterfront Vancouver color intro.indd 3 7/6/07 2:29:36 PM | CONTENTS | Introduction to Vancouver One of the world’s most beautiful cities, Vancouver is centred on a glitzy downtown, fringed by water and set against a spectacular backdrop of mountain peaks. Its setting and surroundings make it an outdoor-lover’s paradise, and locals barely have to move to take advantage of the countless recreational opportunities afforded all year round – whether it’s sailing or swimming in crystal-clear English Bay, biking or Rollerblading in vast Stanley Park, skiing or boarding on the mountains, or wandering through the forests and canyons on the city’s northern shore. Vancouver’s nearly two million residents exploit this spectacular natural setting to the hilt, and when they tire of the immediate re gion they can travel a short distance to the unimagina- bly vast wi lderness o f the British Columbia interior. No wonder, given its su perb natural heritage and outdoor facilities, that in 2003 the International Olympic Committee accepted the city’s bid to stage the 2010 Winter Olympics. Vancouver also has plenty that contributes to a cultured atmosphere: top- notch museums, superb restaurants – arguably the best in North America after New York and San Francisco – countless cafés, great parks and gardens, and any number of hip bars and clubs. Summer and winter it’s all hedonism and healthy living, typically West Coast obsessions that spill over into its sophisticated arts and culture. Vancouver claims a world-class symphony orchestra, as well as opera, theatre and dance companies at the cutting edge of contemporary arts. Festivals proliferate throughout its mild, if occasion- ally rain-soaked, summer, and numerous music venues provide a hotbed for up-and-coming rock bands and a burgeoning jazz scene. Some idea of the city’s outlook can be gleaned from a slew of lifestyle 4 surveys which show that, per capita, its inhabitants read more, drink more wine, smoke less, spend more on outdoor gear and support more bars and Vancouver color intro.indd 4 7/6/07 2:29:37 PM | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO restaurants than do residents of any Natural Vancouver other Canadian city. Not all is devoted to pleasure “Spectacular by Nature” runs here, however. Business growth the tag line across much of Vancouver’s official visitor continues apace in Canada’s third material, emphasizing (as largest city, much of its prosper- if emphasis were needed) ity stemming from a port that the city’s key attraction: the handles more dry tonnage than stunning mixture of cityscape the West Coast ports of Seattle, and natural environment. Even Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco if you only walk or cycle around and San Diego put together. The the city, you’ll experience some of the thrill of the great port in turn owes its prominence outdoors, from glimpses of to Vancouver’s much-trumpeted snow-capped mountains at the position as a gateway to the Far end of Downtown streets to the East and its increasingly pivotal centuries-old forest and ocean role in the new global market of views of Stanley Park. the Pacifc Rim. Meanwhile, the string of parks Links across the Pacifc, however, of North Vancouver offers super hiking for all levels, as well as are nothing new. After a ll, the city tremendous skiing, snowboarding is closer to China and Japan than and other winter activities, all just it is to Britain, its old colonial twenty minutes’ drive from the master and source of man y of city centre. its twentieth-century immi grants. Just because the parks are And much of the city’s earliest close, don’t be fooled into thinking immigration focused on Vancou- they’re tame; most contain areas of real wilderness for which you ver’s extraordinary Chinatown, should be properly equipped. just one of a number of ethnic Don’t think either that Vancouver’s enclaves – Italian, Greek, Indian great outdoors stops with the and Japanese in particular – which mountains. The ocean provides lend the city a refreshingly down- sailing, kayaking, canoeing and to-earth quality that belies its sleek, diving, among other activities, modern reputation. So, too, do the some of which, such as kayaking, you can pursue from the city itself. city’s semi-derelict eastern districts, whose down-and-out population is shockingly at odds with those pur- suing pleasant lifestyles in the lush residential neighbourhoods. Low rents and Vancouver’s cosmopolitan young have nurtured an unexpect- ed counterculture, distinguished by secondhand sho ps, avant- garde 5 galleries, and hip bars and clubs . Vancouver color intro.indd 5 7/6/07 2:29:39 PM | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO The city’s vibrant feel is catching, its growth and energy almost palpable as you walk the streets. In just fve years, between 1996 and 2001, the date of the last census, the city’s population increased by an extraordinar y fourteen per- cent, and it remains Canada’s fastest-growing cit y: over t he next few years it’s ex pected to grow by as much as ffty per - cent. In res ponse, t he Down - town area is s preading, and the older, run-down districts on its southern and eastern fringes – the areas of Yaletown and False Creek in particular – are feeling gentrifcation’s efect. On the whole, real estate in Vancouver is now more expensive than it is in Toronto. In addition to new residents, flm and TV production companies have discovered the city’s riches, making it North America’s largest production centre after Los Angeles and New York. Yet, in the peculiar way that seems second nature to Canadians, the changes are being handled in a manner that enhances rather than compromises all the city has to ofer. Although there’s plenty to occupy you here, you should also aim to visit Victoria, easily reached by ferry or sea plane. An eminent ly charming old town – albeit one that slightly overplays its ersatz Englishness – it has enough sights and interest to merit an overnight stay. En route to the city by air or sea you’ll pass the Gulf Island s, an arc hipelago scattere d across the Strait of Geor gia between the mainland and Vancouver Island. All the islands make peaceful and bucolic retreats, with plenty of laid-back accom- modation, good restaurants, sleepy villages and pleasant (an d easy) hiking, cycling and other outdoor opportunities. Like Victoria, they also ofer tre - mendous opportunities for whale-watching, increasingly one of the region’s most popular visitor activities. If you hanker for more demanding outdoor pursuits, Vancouver is per- fectly placed for excursions into the Coast Mountains to the north, notably the peaks near the year-round ski resort of Whistler, and for trips along the 6 mainland Sunshine Coast facing Vancouver Island, an area known, above all, for some of the world’s best diving. Vancouver color intro.indd 6 7/6/07 2:29:43 PM Glass condos near Canada Place | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO What to see radled between the Paci fc an d snowca pped peaks, Vancouver’s dazzling Downtown district flls a narrow peninsula bounded by Burrard Inlet to the north, English Bay to the west and False CCreek to the south, with Greater Vancouver s prawling south to the Fraser River. Edged around Downtown’s id yllic waterfront are fne beaches, a dynamic port and a magnifcent swath of green – Stanley Park – not to mention the mirror-fronted ranks of skyscrapers that look across Burrard Inlet and its busy harbour to the residential districts of North and West Vancouver (the North Shore). Beyond these comfortable suburbs, the Coast Mountains rise in stee p, forested slopes to form a dramatic counter- point to the Downtown skyline and the most stunnin g of the cit y’s many outdoor playgrounds. You’ll inevitably spend a good deal of time in Downtown Vancouver, which is where you’ll fnd the city’s most visited sights: Canada Place, an impressive waterfront complex; the Harbour Centre and its panoramic views; and the Neoclassical grandeur of the Vancouver Art Gallery, home to the works of celebrated Canadian painter Emily Carr. The Down- town core spills southward into Yaletown, a revitalized former warehouse district that’s full of cafés, restaurants, galleries and interesting shops. East of Downtown is its Victorian-era neighbour, Gastown, now a renovated and less-than-convincing pastiche of its past. Moving east - ward, Gastown blends into edgy Chinatown, which could easi ly absorb a morning – it contains more than its share of interestin g shops and 7 Vancouver color intro.indd 7 7/6/07 2:29:44 PM | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO Market in Chinatown restaurants along its busy streets, plus the area’s main attraction, the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden. At the northern tip of the Downtown peninsula, you’ll fnd abundant recreational pleasures in Stanley Park, a huge area of semi-wild parkland and beaches. Beyond the Downtown peninsula in the southern portion of the city are other worthwhile destinations, notably Granville Island, by far the city’s most tempting spot for wandering and people-watching, situated in the waters of False Creek. Neighbouring Kitsilano to the west is home to the Vancouver Museum and the other museums of the Vanier Park com- plex, all easily accessible from Granville Island. West of Kitsilano and at the westernmost point of Vancouver lies the sprawling University of British Columbia and its formidable Museum of Anthropology, fanked by the protected area of Pacifc Spirit Regional Park. At a push, you could cram t he city’s essentials into around three days. If you’re here for a longer stay, though, you’ll want to venture further from Downtown. Trips across Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver are worth making for the views from the SeaBus ferry alone (see p.26) – t hey also provide a diferent panoramic perspective on the peninsula and take you into the mountains and forests that provide Vancouver with its tremendous setting. The most popular trips here are to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, something of a triumph of public relations over substance, and to the more worthwhile cable-car trip up Grouse Mountain for some staggering views of the city. 8 The area of Vancouver east of Chinatown is a vast collection of suburbs, lacking in specifc attractions and therefore not covered in the guide. Vancouver color intro.indd 8 7/6/07 2:29:45 PM The Naam, Kitsilan o | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.