Dear Vancouver,…read more
Thank you for letting me see the natural beauty that every Vancouverite is so proud of and somehow the world really hasn't grasped how vast that is yet. You've shown me your best and it's quite a beauty.
To only pop into Vancouver for less than 3 days is a bit of a travesty. There is much to see and if you do have a week, the surrounding areas hold much to do. Though I know it never snows in Vancouver, you literally can be in snow capped Mountains in under 90 minutes. Speaking of no snow... I was lucky on my visit to only have a morning of rain. I know my friends have experience the unending hours, days, and weeks of rain in Vancouver. So to those are worried about the rain... yes, it will come but in the summer months (July & August), you'll have more days of sun.
To say that Vancouver is health conscious, it's like saying bears sh!t in the woods... and WOW, do they ever. Thank you Vancouver Mother Nature, now that I've seen it... I can cross that off my list (ew). Everyone is wearing Lululemon even the dogs are too... leashes count as wearing? There is yoga in the park en masse and every corner you turn, there is a cold press juicery, acai bowl, or salad shop. I applaud you for being so green and energetic but for the rest of us, Vancouver also has a great foodie scene to indulge in.
The Granville Market is a must do (not on the weekends) with it's wealth of fresh food, lots of vendors, and great spots to search out. The coffee scene is alive and well with so many microroasters putting out some phenomenal coffee (Modus and Timbertrain). The butter route is also wonderful with Beaucoup (so amazing in every way), Nemesis Cafe, and Rain or Shine Ice Cream. For meals, I highly highly recommend both Fable restaurant and Fable Diner. They were superb in every way of service and flavour. I also think BLVD was incredible for brunches.
What's a completely stuffed and full tourist to do to burn off those excellent calories? Vancouver is probably of the best cities that has hiking paths, incredible bike paths, and a wealth of activities to do within 10 minutes of the downtown core. If you're considering biking the Seawall, that would literally just be a minutes to start off that adventure. That is an absolute must. I've never had the joy of that experience any where else in the world. Between Lynn Canyon & Capilano, you can experience a pedestrian version of what it is to do a hike. If you're more ambitious, there are a lot of trails that will challenge ANYONE.
On top of those, there are many walking paths along the coastline and Kitsilano is a great neighhourhood to walk around. Gastown is the perpetual favourite with its food and historical icons. And then you have the West end with a lot of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics (loved seeing this!)
All this definitely amazed me but one thing I did notice and it marred the perfect image of Vancouver for me. The homeless and drug problem is quite serious. I was staying on the border of Chinatown and Gastown, and it was normal to find someone shooting up on a nearby bench or having used needles outside the place I was staying. And I was in the gentrified area. It's incredible sad to see this... depressing even. I know you shouldnt hide this problem but it seemed so pervasive that every native Vancouverite pretended the homeless and drug users didnt exist.
Overall, I loved Vancouver and yes it has an uglier big underside but it should never detract from the overall incredible offering it gives you. Definitely a great city and one to enjoy!