One of three bridges that joins Vancouver with Richmond or Granville, this is a very tall one. I…read moreknow that because I initially walked down thinking that I'd take the ferry but there was a super long queue and I decided to just walk it. That was a mistake. TAKE THE FERRY even if it means a 20 minute wait. Though if I'd not taken the bridge, I'd have missed the amazing view of False Creek and English Bay. Despite being under major construction, there was a nice wide bicycle lane, a raised pedestrian walkway and enough room for automobiles, too. The bridge is a steel truss style, built between 1930 and 1932. It is marked with the coat of arms of Vancouver, "by sea and land we prosper". I think that's cool.

I love this bridge!…read more I daily walk along the seawall from Cooper's Park toStanley Park (usually way beyond Prospect Point), and in Yaletown/Beach area, I always walk under three bridges: the Cambie, the Granville and the Burrard. And the Burrard is my favorite by far! It's like the grand dame of the three, for sure! The bridge is stately, of cream-colored concrete, and has a lot of Art Deco flourishes. There are galleries on high for viewing and various architectural embellishments. Underneath the bridge are potted plantings by local gardeners.. What I most enjoy is the view! As soon as I cross under the bridge, I am greeted by the most spectacular view of Kits' Jerico Beach across False Creek, Sunset Beach straight ahead, and water opening up to the ocean, with mountains serving as a majestic backdrop. It's just breathtaking. My goal is to walk the Burrard Bridge sometime in the next month. My family and I walked the Granville Bridge, and the views from on high were stunning. I'm sure those from the Burrard are, too!

While passing by this behemoth one night in December, the males I was walking with mistook the…read moreknees held against the sculpture's chest for a pair of boobs. Perhaps that has soured my experience with said behemoth, though only slightly, as I can now gaze upon it and smile at what could have been if only the artist were more boobily inclined. But really, it's intended to showcase the diversity of Vancouver with all its different letters and number making up a person. It's also fun to walk around in it.

This is one of those quirky attractions at the edge of Chinatown right at the Millennium Gate, that…read moredefinitely deserve its own star on the Yelp walk of fame. At six feet two inches deep, it is said by Guiness and Ripley to be the world's narrowest freestanding office building. Apparently the owner of this successful import export company sold the building to the city of Vancouver at the beginning of the 20 th century for the construction and widening of the western stretch of Pender Street. In 1912, the owner hired architects who designed a steel structure with a second story of bay windows. The building was busy, public baths and barber shop were located in the basement and offices on the second floor and shops on the main floor. The Sam Kee Building is now home to Jack Chow insurance.

My favorite attraction of all time. "Spectacular synchronized stair light show" every hour you can…read moresee from the sidewalk. We were the only ones there at 9:00pm. Reminded me of going to Ripley's Believe it or Not in San Francisco as a kid.

Cute little historic area in downtown Vancouver with cobblestone streets, restaurants, and souvenir…read moreshops. It reminded me of a cross between Boston and Greenwich Village in New York. It's worth visiting if it's your first time in Vancouver, but it's not a place I'd come again and again.

Historical part of Vancouver. Basically the oldest part of the city. Named after "gassy" Jack…read moreDeighton, but don't say that too loud in the modern era. Apparently he did some (by modern standards) bad stuff. They toppled his statue in February 2022. Look for the weird mound to the SW corner of Powell/Water and Carrall/Alexander (ie Maple Tree Square). They try to keep this old district as historic looking as possible. Roads are will made of brick, and the pedestrian barriers are old school posts and chains. Some of the buildings are newer, but they keep the old historical facades. Actually has a nice 19th century feel with a bit of imagination. Food is overpriced, and the streets are filled with hordes of tourists during the cruise ship season (summer months). Nice lively feel. Be sure to visit the famous steam clock (spoiler - it is actually electrically powered, but belches steam to keep the tourists happy), and pop by the Lamplighter Pub (officially Vancouver's oldest pub, but I think the Cambie pub nearby is technically older) for a beer.

Great place to view the whole city with 360 degree view. Both the views at day and night are…read moreexcellent . There is a free audio apps you can download to enjoy. Wish they had a Photo Booth for pictures for the tourists.

The elevator ride itself is worth the entrance fee! It was such a cool experience going up in a…read moreglass elevator. The views at the top were also insane

Wonderful center at the Vancouver Cruise Terminal. Dining, bars, walking paths, bike paths, shops…read moreand a close-up view of the ships docking and embarking. Downtown Vancouver near many hotels especially the Fairmont right across the park. All bus, train, cans and rideshare pickups can be found just steps away. Also located on the bay with views of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge. You can watch seaplanes take off and land, helicopters, all manner of ships and boats. Great spot for locals and tourists.

June, 2025. Canada Place, Vancouver. We strolled outside around Canada Place on a Monday evening,…read moreto orient ourselves to where our cruise would be sailing the following day. It's a large area on the harbor, anchored by the cruise terminal, the convention center, the Pan Pacific hotel ($$$$), the Fairmont Hotel ($$$$) across the street, a broad boardwalk with benches along the harbor, the iconic Vancouver sign, and shopping. It was very relaxing to watch seaplanes taking off and landing on the harbor while trying to get a glimpse of marine creatures in the water. We weren't too successful on the latter pursuit. We knew where to check-in the following day, and again where to disembark from the ship later. Unfortunately, for how well the area appears to be designed, there are significant bottlenecks that contribute to VERY slow moving lines, especially when thousands of passengers are disembarking from the ship. You're forced to walk up along narrow pathways near the parking garage. It's a fairly long distance, without accessibility features, and passengers are three-deep in width inching their ways out with their suitcases. Our plan was to take an Uber from the terminal to our hotel (less than a mile away) but decided to wait in a covered spot for the crowds to dissipate and for the rain to lighten. It took about an additional hour once we were already at street level.

This is an eight acre area right by the water that is the original location of early canning,…read morefishing, and boat building that fueled commerce in the area. The area is accessible as you stroll down a level wooden boardwalk with offshoots to the Shipyard building, Murakami house, Chinese bunkhouse, and other homes that served to house the European, Japanese, Chinese and Indigenous workers who gathered here. Be sure to check out Murakami Boatworks building, as there are boatbuilding programs and maritime demonstrations. There are a host of informational signs, and as I came here right after my visit to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, I felt like I had a broader understanding of the history of the area. If you're not into history, you can check out the waterfowl that congregate on the banks of the river.

Every time I visit Steveston, two things are guaranteed: I will get the best fish and chips at…read morePajo's and have dinner on a bench on the boardwalk, overlooking the waterway and ships; and, I will go to the "village" of historic, heritage buildings that made up this booming maritime village 100+ years ago. (Only recently have I learned that this village of old, waterfront maritime buildings is known collectively as the Britannia Shipyards. I always called it "the old village"). History nerd that I am, I'm always fascinated by historical sites where you can immerse yourself and really "see" life how it was lived in earlier times. This is such a place. I always bring out-of-towners here and, without exception, they all have loved it and learned a lot about life in this area a century ago, and the maritime history of Vancouver. And as many times as I've been here, I never get tired of it. In fact, I always learn something new, too. I could be wrong, but I think this year, they outdid themselves. I visited a few weeks ago (mid-August 2022) and it was better than ever. I think they have new signage erected. More of the buildings were open (in past visits, some buildings were closed and some were off-bounds due to school groups going through them. This time, every building was open and my kid and I were able to tour every one). Furthermore, this year, there were guided tours of the buildings (twice a day!), vintage wooden ships moored along the docks, lots of exhibits in the various maritime buildings, costumed interpreters and historical demonstrations, too. The staff were super nice and very knowledgable, and they had free activity books for the kids (or the kids at heart, like myself lol) which provided a lot of historical background of the area in a manner that kids would understand and enjoy. (I posted a few photos of this activity book with this review). This is a great place for families with young kids, as it is super engaging for young children. And older folks love it too, for its historical significance. And for folks who aren't into history, they too seem to love this area as it is SO picturesque, along a wooden trail along the water, with a beautiful old garden in one area, and picture-postcard ships along the waterway. It's just a pretty, pretty area and a lovely leisurely walk, even if you're not into the history of it all. Those of us who call Vancouver home are so lucky to have areas like this preserved, where we can see and feel how life was here in the past, so we can see where we as a city came from.

Everybody has a word or two that they dislike, for whatever reason. For me, I can't stand the word…read more"iconic". It is SO overused, and often it is used so loosely and inappropriately, that it has lost a lot of its true meaning. We've become somewhat numb to what the word is supposed to mean because it's thrown about so often in describing people and things that, while they might be really swell, they are by no means "iconic". That said, this inukshuk sculpture truly IS iconic. It is THE iconic sculpture and signature piece that, if one had to choose ONE symbol or work that represented the City of Vancouver, this would be it. Proudly standing on a grassy outpost of land overseeing the Burrard Inlet, just to the west of the seawall, halfway. between Sunset Beach and English Bay, this Inukshuk sculpture rises tall, like a monarch on her throne overseeing her realm. This massive granite piece is extremely popular with city residents and tourists alike, and I always see people taking photos of it and by it, regardless of the weather or time of day (it's particularly striking at sunrise and sunset, but at dusk, when it's illuminated by its footlights, it's spectacular! I like how it's illuminated by different colored lights at various nightly festivals during the year). One of the reasons that it's so majestic is its setting, right by the water. In my opinion, this is one of the most successful pairings of artwork to context ever, as its setting here on the water by the seawall at English Bay could not have been more perfect. I see one reviewer gave this landmark a mediocre review due to the fencing erected around the work during the annual fireworks celebration, noting he could not get up close to the sculpture due to the barrier. To this I say, get over it! I applaud the City for protecting this iconic, precious sculpture and appreciating its worth and value by preserving it as best they can. If that means putting fencing up around it a few nights out of the year, so be it. Better that then having it defaced by graffiti or climbed upon by drunken revelers during some nights when there are thousands and thousands of party-goers in this area. I applaud the City for protecting this sculpture in this way. Vancouver has a lot of wonderful artwork to showcase, and this particular work represents and pays homage to much of the City's cultural history and values. Truly not-to-be-missed!

The mighty monument that overlooks the beautiful English Bay. The Inukshuk is a symbol of Canada…read moreand Inuit culture. A tranquil and relaxing atmosphere to observe the moving ships and sunsets.

Right next to the gates of Chinatown and the World's Smallest Sam Kee Building on Pender St, the…read morelittle circular courtyard intersection of Guanzhou Alley & Shanghai Alley open on the south side of the street to a small courtyard to reveal a treasure of historic cultural information for the Chinatown community and historic district. The "Passage of Changes" Information Panels represent historic figures, photos, and conditions of Chinatown past to present in both English and Chinese characters. The large hanging bell in the center dedicates the Lillian Yap Circle to the community. Look for even more historic signage around the surrounding blocks for additional notes of Chinatown's historic past and role in Vancouver development.