Need Tips! Arriving in Vancouver this Thursday (homes, neighborhoods)

[mini_cute]

Hi Vancouverians,

My fiance and I will arrive this Thursday to vacation in your beautiful city. We will be staying in downtown. There are certain things we want to experience while there. Can you guys help us find these?

1. The best place to get Canadian breakfast. I visited Vancouver back in 2003 and remember having brunch outside on a patio- fresh squeezed orange juice and the BEST Eggs Benedict I've ever had. It was so GOOD! I don't remember the exact place, maybe it was near the UBC? I don't care if I eat at the same place again. I just want to know, where can I get the best Canadian breakfast?

2. The most charming neighborhood where Vancouverians live. I remember driving through some beautiful and charming neighborhoods with huge tall trees. The homes had some nicely landscaped yards in the English fashion. Where can I find the most charming neighborhood in Vancouver?

3. Where is the best place to go shopping? I want to buy some stuff that I can get in Vancouver but not the U.S. Where should I go shopping to find some Vancouverian digs?

4. Where do the hip people hang out? Any public gathering places I can go to people watch? To see and be seen?

Thanks so much for your answers to these questions.

[kattwoman2]

I recommend Granville Island (artsy, shopping area), the gay district, China Town, Granville St. (entertainment), and I think one of the best clubs I have been to is the Roxy, but it's a bit difficult to get into if you don't drop names. Even if you do drop names, if the wrong security guy is working there then they just put you into the VIP line (*rolls eyes*). I have a few friends that work at the Relish which is a restaurant/bar/dance club. It's small, but the restaurant looks very nice. There is another great street for shopping, but I can't remember off the top of my head. I stayed there for a week and it was a great city! I would love to move there but I'm an American so it's going to be brutal to get in (not as hard as some countries, but they're not opening their arms to me like they do to Australians on working holiday).

The seabus will give you a great view of the city, especially if you take it toward Northern Vancouver. Granville Island has tons of artsy stuff to buy and also shows to watch on the streets in the Summer. I especially loved the Native American/First Nation shops they had there. I'm part Cherokee, so while none of it was from my tribe, I still felt even more at home.

[mini_cute]

Thanks kattwoman2! I didn't think I was going to get any reply. I will definitely check out some of those places you mentioned. I didn't know it was easier for Australians to immigrate to Canada than for Americans.

[Robynator]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

Hi Vancouverians,

Hello!

Would you believe that we're actually called Vancouverites? I know, weird word.

Originally Posted by mini_cute

My fiance and I will arrive this Thursday to vacation in your beautiful city. We will be staying in downtown. There are certain things we want to experience while there. Can you guys help us find these?

I'll try my best!

Originally Posted by mini_cute

1. The best place to get Canadian breakfast. I visited Vancouver back in 2003 and remember having brunch outside on a patio- fresh squeezed orange juice and the BEST Eggs Benedict I've ever had. It was so GOOD! I don't remember the exact place, maybe it was near the UBC? I don't care if I eat at the same place again. I just want to know, where can I get the best Canadian breakfast?

Ooooh, that's a tough one. There are a lot of places that serve eggs benny, there are a lot of restaurants in Kitsilano/West Point Grey (neighbourhoods by UBC) but also tons of restaurants downtown that serve that.

I don't know what exactly constitutes a "Canadian" breakfast, but if you're seeking eggs benny, or just a good solid breakfast in general, I can recommend a few places:

Milestones - either the location on English Bay where you can sit on the patio and overlook the beach, or their Yaletown location where you can sit on the patio and overlook trendy good looking people in designer outfits strolling around all nonchalant. Milestones is a local chain, but it's more of a high end chain. They have excellent brunch.

Rain City Grill for very special gourmet brunch. They also overlook English Bay.

Subeez (on Homer/Smithe) for more of an art school chic brunch, and a brunch that goes until 4pm! It's more of a casual environment - they play cool music, there's cool art on display, etc. It's my regular breakfast haunt.

The White Spot, only if you're seeking a no-nonsense full breakfast at a chain restaurant. It's really good but it's nothing fancy. The White Spot is a local BC institution - a Vancouver-based chain restaurant that started out as a burger drive-thru way back in the 20's but it's now a full sit-down restaurant that serves a bit of everything.

The Templeton - a 50's style diner without the cheesy 50's decor. It's located on Granville Street downtown and there's always a lineup to get in because the place is tiny.

The Elbow Room Cafe for a diner with cheeky service! They purposely try to tease you there and if you ask for more coffee, they'll ask for you to get it yourself, etc. all in good fun. It's a very popular one-of-a-kind Vancouver breakfast joint.

Provence Marinaside on Yaletown harbour for another good brunch-on-patio experience. Mind you, it's kind of raining on and off and it's supposed to be that for the next few days, so let's hope it stops!

The only restaurant I know that offers that stereotypical "Canadiana" breakfast experience would be the Tomahawk in North Vancouver. It's located in some sort of 1950's time warp in a big log cabin with fake totem poles and things like that. It's not downtown but easy to get to if you have a car. The portions are absolutely massive and they name their dishes on Canadian themes "the Yukon breakfast" - lots of pancakes and hash browns and toast and eggs and bacon and sausages - things like that. In all reality, you'd expect this type of place in the USA more than Canada.

A quick Google search on any of those restaurants (with the word "Vancouver") will bring up websites and menus.

If you really want to see where the locals are dining, www.dinehere.ca will give you locally-written restaurant reviews, so you can cross reference these places if you wish.

Originally Posted by mini_cute

2. The most charming neighborhood where Vancouverians live. I remember driving through some beautiful and charming neighborhoods with huge tall trees. The homes had some nicely landscaped yards in the English fashion. Where can I find the most charming neighborhood in Vancouver?

Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale, West Point Grey, Kitsilano, Southlands - basically anywhere west of Main Street and east of UBC. Look up those neighbourhoods in a Google search and you'll get some addresses.

Originally Posted by mini_cute

3. Where is the best place to go shopping? I want to buy some stuff that I can get in Vancouver but not the U.S. Where should I go shopping to find some Vancouverian digs?

Robson Street has a lot of the same stores you can get in the US, but it's worth a stroll as there are a few shops you can't get in the US. You might also want to consider a quick jaunt down Granville Street downtown.

Yaletown for locally-owned boutiques (Mainland Street and Hamilton Street, south of Nelson, north Drake)

Kitsilano's W 4th Avenue (just west of Burrard Street)

South Granville (located between the granville Street bridge and W 16th Avenue). Lots of art galleries here too.

Granville Island (lots of one-of-a-kind boutiques - not so much clothing, more gifts, art, whimsical things, cook books, kitchen gadgets, etc).

Mount Pleasant - located on Main Street south of E 7th Avenue and north of E 30th - the coolest clothing shops in the city are located here, like Lark, Motherland, Eugene Choo, etc. All stores you really can't get outside of Vancouver, let alone outside of the country.

Originally Posted by mini_cute

4. Where do the hip people hang out? Any public gathering places I can go to people watch? To see and be seen?

Hip people?

Yaletown (hip yuppies)
Mount Pleasant (hip scenester kids)
Commercial Drive (more of the bohemian/hip people)
The West End (more eccentric/hip/gay people)
Gastown (can be seedy but hip people are hanging out in the lounges here)
Kitsilano Beach/Yew Street

To see and be seen? Yaletown (places like George, Cactus Club Cafe, Glowbal, Section 3, Pinky's), Gastown's restaurants (like Boneta, Chill Winston), a few places on Robson like Hapa Izakaya...

You'll want to look up the Georgia Straight newspaper - Homepage | Straight.com - for events. I can't think of anything in particular happening when you'll be here, although anything happening will be listed there, whether it be live shows, concerts, public events, etc.

Btw - I've been writing a bit of a blog on a local's perspective of Vancouver. If you're interested in seeing it, you can click on my name and access it that way. I'll provide you with some more insight into Vancouver.

Have fun!

[Robynator]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

I didn't know it was easier for Australians to immigrate to Canada than for Americans.

It's not.

Australia has a mutual agreement with Canada in which Australians can apply for a temporary working holiday visa. It's first come first serve - there are a limited number of them available each year for Australians. Once they receive the visa, they can come to Canada for up to 1 year (possible up to 2 years) to work legally in Canada, but only for those 2 years.

It doesn't give them permanent residence status, it doesn't allow them to immigrate to Canada, it just gives them a temporary working visa for 2 years, and then that's it. It's only available for people up until the age of 30, I think. It's also a one time thing - once you've applied and received one, you can't ever apply for another one again.

Canada and the USA don't have the same agreement. There is no temporary holiday working visa for Americans coming to Canada (or Canadians going to the USA). Americans can't simply apply for a temporary working visa to come work in Canada - they must either immigrate, or find a company willing to sponsor them (which is a lot harder to accomplish than it sounds).

But when it comes to immigrating to Canada, it's not easier immigrating from Australia than it is from the USA.

[kattwoman2]

Originally Posted by Robynator

It's not.

Australia has a mutual agreement with Canada in which Australians can apply for a temporary working holiday visa. It's first come first serve - there are a limited number of them available each year for Australians. Once they receive the visa, they can come to Canada for up to 1 year (possible up to 2 years) to work legally in Canada, but only for those 2 years.

It doesn't give them permanent residence status, it doesn't allow them to immigrate to Canada, it just gives them a temporary working visa for 2 years, and then that's it. It's only available for people up until the age of 30, I think. It's also a one time thing - once you've applied and received one, you can't ever apply for another one again.

Canada and the USA don't have the same agreement. There is no temporary holiday working visa for Americans coming to Canada (or Canadians going to the USA). Americans can't simply apply for a temporary working visa to come work in Canada - they must either immigrate, or find a company willing to sponsor them (which is a lot harder to accomplish than it sounds).

But when it comes to immigrating to Canada, it's not easier immigrating from Australia than it is from the USA.

Ditto! Sorry if my last post misled everyone with me saying "working holiday". I wish that I could get a working holiday up there b/c I would love to live in Vancouver for a year or so and be able to work.

[ubringliten]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but what's the weather like for the next 7 days? I don't trust weather channel completely.

Thanks,

Chris

[Robynator]

Weather forecasts are unreliable in this part of the world, and nobody can predict what the weather will be in the next 7 days. It could be cloudy, rainy, sunny - likely all 3.

[mishigas73]

Originally Posted by ubringliten

Sorry to hijack the thread, but what's the weather like for the next 7 days? I don't trust weather channel completely.

Thanks,

Chris

It's supposed to be gorgeous over the weekend. I'd believe that...it's already starting to clear up nicely.

[Robynator]

Originally Posted by mishigas73

It's supposed to be gorgeous over the weekend. I'd believe that...it's already starting to clear up nicely.

Blue skies, sunshine... yup, the weather's looking good! What a fine day to arrive in Vancouver!