Vancouver City Center

Like any city, Vancouver has different neighborhoods that blend seamlessly into each other. Yet each has its own atmosphere.

West End is the trendy, modern neighborhood with green residential streets. The center of West End is near Davie Street, the gay-friendly area with rainbow flags and sidewalks. But it doesn't stop there. There are also pink (!) bus shelters and trash bins, and of course, many nice restaurants and bars.

It is a safe and quiet area where it is pleasant to stay.

Towards the center, it gets a bit busier, but nowhere does it feel overwhelming. Greater Vancouver has only 600,000 inhabitants. Not so much for a world-famous city, and you can feel that in the streets. Nowhere do you get the oppressive feeling that can creep up on you in New York or Asian cities. Even the shopping street Robson Street is pleasantly busy and atmospheric on this Saturday afternoon. Thus, we approach the financial heart of the city, dominated by high office buildings.

Canada Place is what the Opera House is to Sydney. Flanked by white sails and with a view of the water, it indeed reminds one of its bigger brother in Australia. This building now houses a convention center and a simulator attraction à la Soarin’. It is also the docking port for large cruise ships.

Canada Place is one of the remnants of the Expo that was held in Vancouver in 1986. The SkyTrain and Science Park are also remnants of this Expo.

Near Canada Place, we find a pleasant promenade along the water. There are information panels with sensational stories from Canada's history. This walking path ends at Jack Poole Plaza, where we find the torch from the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is an ugly thing, but it proves what an Expo or the Olympics can do for a city in terms of urban renewal.

Gastown, named after 'Gassy' Jack Deighton, is the historic district of the city. 'Gassy' Jack is honored for opening the first successful saloon in the city in 1867. He is now commemorated with a statue in Maple Tree Square, sitting on a barrel of whiskey. 'Gassy' Jack taught his people to drink.

Gastown is still a cozy place to relax on a terrace. Additionally, we stroll along cobblestone-paved streets flanked by old trees. Many tourists gather here to see the steam clock from 1977. The thing plays a cute tune every quarter hour, but there's really not much more to it.

It's striking how the pleasant atmosphere of West Vancouver turns into a rather gloomy area once you approach East Vancouver. Thus, we encounter a building with striking neon letters. 'Let's heal the divide', a project to address the inequality between West and East Vancouver. So far with little success: the eastern part of Vancouver is burdened by poverty and accompanying problems.

In the middle of this ghetto lies Chinatown. It is, after New York and San Francisco, the largest community of Asians in North America. A grand gate provides access to streets full of small restaurants and shops.

We visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, also a remnant of the Expo '86. We pay $12. For this, we get a half-hour guided walk and unlimited tea. The walk is informative and the park is nice to spend some time in. However, it is extremely small.