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Visitor's Guide

Vancouver Public Art

Keep an eye out for these key installations around town

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Best B.C. Wines

Vancouver Magazine Wine Awards 2010

Our expert panel of 15 judges spent three days sipping, swirling, and heatedly debating the merits of over 800 entries, until they finally arrived at the top 100 best-value wines

Best Red Wines

Vancouver's Best Buys

Uncover local treasures that articulate B.C.’s design scene

Vancouver Culture

Experience Vancouver’s distinctive vision with these 15 homegrown films, discs, and books

Yaletown

After Expo 86, pavilion sites gave way to condos, warehouses converted into lofts, and loading docks became destinations for beauty services and popular mid-tier restaurants

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West End

Leaving the swanky uptown vibe to the rest of the downtown peninsula, the West End is known for its lively, inexpensive eateries, aging character buildings, and stunning vistas of English Bay.

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Granville Island

The city’s most-loved public space and top tourist draw packs old tin-sided buildings, a top arts university, studios, and a public market onto a manmade island overlooking downtown

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Kitsilano

The neighbourhood synonymous with the West Coast lifestyle, Kits was once a forested beach used by vacationers. Then came the arts and crafts homes, then the hippies and students who turned W. Fourth Ave. into Rainbow Road. Today, it’s among the city’s most exclusive neighbourhoods—with seriously pricey real estate and retail to match—but the laidback beach vibe still prevails

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Kerrisdale

Sleepy small-town atmosphere, elegant homes, and upscale shops make Kerrisdale one of the loveliest neighbourhoods in which to while away an afternoon

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South Granville

Occupying prime real estate between Shaughnessy and downtown, South Granville is chockablock with elegant home-design stores, luxury clothing boutiques, private art galleries, and some of the finest restaurants in town. An afternoon here is a date with the good life

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Cambie Village

Construction of the Canada Line subway down Cambie Street has wrapped, leaving behind an attractive new streetscape and a number of new, locally focussed businesses and amenities. This is a neighbourhood on the verge

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South Main

House prices have declined across the city, but this neighbourhood—still trendy, still gentrifying—seems immune. And no wonder: it offers a rare mix of independent cafés, eclectic antique stores, and boutiques showcasing local designers and European labels

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Commercial Drive

Cheap eats, vintage clothing boutiques, and...hemp-inspired record stores? Quirky's the thing on the Drive, a vibrant 'hood composed of equal parts Italians, hippies, and young families

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West Point Grey

Beautiful homes, driftwood-strewn beaches, and sweeping views of English Bay make this one of Vancouver’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. Up 10th Avenue, west of Alma, a mix of mom-and-pops, upscale boutiques, and comfortable bistros cater to discerning locals and UBC students

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Strathcona

This storied inner-city neighbourhood is home to artist studios, traditional corner stores, and ramshackle homes that lend the area its historic shabby chic

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Hastings-Sunrise

East of downtown, Hastings-Sunrise is an unpolished family neighbourhood known for its old-fashioned delis and bakeries—with prices just as old fashioned. No shortage of family entertainment either: in winter, it’s home to the Vancouver Giants; in summer, the Pacific National Exhibition and Playland keep things lively

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North Shore

The affluent cities of North Vancouver and West Vancouver are famous for their sweeping views of downtown (and, on a clear day, Vancouver Island), picturesque shopping villages, and proximity to world-class skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and mountain-biking terrain. (That local adage about skiing and kayaking on the same day originates here)

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Downtown Vancouver

Downtown caught 2010 fever long ago, attracting a wave of luxury retail brands (all the heavyweights are here) and a number of glittering new condo-hotel hybrids. Still, signs of classic Vancouver remain: casualwear in the business district, and mountains visible beyond the glass

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Gastown/Chinatown

The gentrification of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods continues unabated, with an impressive slate of new stores and restaurants opening in the past year, and more heritage conversions coming on the market

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Coal Harbour

Occupying a gorgeous stretch of waterfront between downtown and Stanley Park, Coal Harbour is known for its glittering glass towers, hotels, and MIA residents (for many, this is their second or third home)

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Vancouver Restaurant Awards 2009

The winners of Vancouver magazine's 20th Annual Restaurant Awards

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Vancouver's Best Artists

Vancouver’s best-known artists have global reputations and their work carries pricetags to match. And then there are the up-and-comers who offer exciting — and affordable — alternatives. Here are 10 artists from across the spectrum.

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