Guidebook for Vancouver
Essentials
Get most of your groceries here. The other place is way more expensive for the same stuff.
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East West Market
4169 Main StGet most of your groceries here. The other place is way more expensive for the same stuff.
If you need toiletries or deli/bakery items, this grocery store is better than the other one. It also opens earlier and closes later.
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Nesters Market
333 Abbott StIf you need toiletries or deli/bakery items, this grocery store is better than the other one. It also opens earlier and closes later.
Kin's Farm Market
1160 Davie StEat your vegetables!
Food Scene
Because delicious.
ALSO: here is the best way to enjoy East is East: go do something really active and work up a HUGE appetite (Hillcrest centre is just a few blocks away, with a gym, pool, and ice rink, so that's not hard), and then come here and order the Chai Feast Tasting Menu. You pick a salad, a soup, and two mains, and thn when you finish those, you just keep ordering whatever else you want off The Feast menu. ANd ordering, and ordering, and ordering. It's AMAZING.
Its cheaper at lunch, but in the evening they have live music and/or dancers. You'll need a reservation in the evening, probably.
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East Is East
3035 W BroadwayBecause delicious.
ALSO: here is the best way to enjoy East is East: go do something really active and work up a HUGE appetite (Hillcrest centre is just a few blocks away, with a gym, pool, and ice rink, so that's not hard), and then come here and order the Chai Feast Tasting Menu. You pick a salad, a soup, and two mains, and thn when you finish those, you just keep ordering whatever else you want off The Feast menu. ANd ordering, and ordering, and ordering. It's AMAZING.
Its cheaper at lunch, but in the evening they have live music and/or dancers. You'll need a reservation in the evening, probably.
Everyone loves the locus :) Also, the cocktails are yummy.
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Locus Restaurant & Lounge
4121 Main StEveryone loves the locus :) Also, the cocktails are yummy.
Have the pizza. No, really, trust me.
Don't have anything else; everything else is pretty meh. Except maybe the haloumi platter.
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The Main
4210 Main StHave the pizza. No, really, trust me.
Don't have anything else; everything else is pretty meh. Except maybe the haloumi platter.
Don't let the fact that it's a vegetarian restaurant scare you. It's fantastic.
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MeeT on Main
4288 Main StreetDon't let the fact that it's a vegetarian restaurant scare you. It's fantastic.
Sawasdee Thai Restaurant
4250 Main StYums.
Trafiq
4216 Main Stomg. the CAKES.
Also, the sandwiches. But mostly, the cakes.
Want some good Indian food? Skip the all-you-can-eats in Little India and head here instead. It's delicious.
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Nirvana Restaurant
2313 Main StWant some good Indian food? Skip the all-you-can-eats in Little India and head here instead. It's delicious.
The Cascade Room
2616 Main StFood! Drinks!
OK. White Spot isn't actually very good. But it's one of our local chains with a looonnnnng history here, and so it's comfort food for a lot of born-and-bred Vancouverites.
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White Spot
1476 KingswayOK. White Spot isn't actually very good. But it's one of our local chains with a looonnnnng history here, and so it's comfort food for a lot of born-and-bred Vancouverites.
Splitz Grill
4242 Main StBurgers! Shakes! Fries! ONION RINGS!
Vancouver has a MILLION sushi restaurants. This is my favourite one in the 'hood.
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Ogenki sushi
4346 Main StVancouver has a MILLION sushi restaurants. This is my favourite one in the 'hood.
The nearest place for coffee, and the pastries are super-yums.
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Matchstick Riley Park
4807 Main StThe nearest place for coffee, and the pastries are super-yums.
Everything Else
Pool! Ice rink! Gym! Steam room! Sauna! Seriously, what's not to like?
https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/hillcrest-centre.aspx
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Hillcrest Centre
4575 Clancy Loranger WayPool! Ice rink! Gym! Steam room! Sauna! Seriously, what's not to like?
https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/hillcrest-centre.aspx
Local produce, baked goodies, flowers, and other random treats. And a couple of food trucks 😋 Next to/across the street from Hillcrest Centre every Saturday from 10:00-2:00. No longer just in the winter, now runs year-round.
https://eatlocal.org/markets/riley-park/
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Riley Park Farmers Market - Winter
50 Ontario StLocal produce, baked goodies, flowers, and other random treats. And a couple of food trucks 😋 Next to/across the street from Hillcrest Centre every Saturday from 10:00-2:00. No longer just in the winter, now runs year-round.
https://eatlocal.org/markets/riley-park/
A 9-hole pitch-and-putt. I actually don't know anything about golf, so I don't even really know what "pitch-and-putt" means. But it looks lovely.
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Queen Elizabeth Pitch & Putt
4600 Cambie StA 9-hole pitch-and-putt. I actually don't know anything about golf, so I don't even really know what "pitch-and-putt" means. But it looks lovely.
Sightseeing
Little India is rapidly disappearing, but what's left of it is here. You can still find a couple of silk shops, some shops carrying gorgeous saris and bangles, and some questionable all-you-can-eats.
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Punjabi Market
Little India is rapidly disappearing, but what's left of it is here. You can still find a couple of silk shops, some shops carrying gorgeous saris and bangles, and some questionable all-you-can-eats.
Queen Elizabeth Park is a ten-minute walk away, and home to several duck ponds, a rose garden, a formal garden, a restaurant with a great view (https://www.vancouverdine.com/seasons/), tennis courts, frisbee golf, a pitch-and-putt, and the Bloedel Conservatory (honestly not that exciting unless you're REALLY into tropical plants - https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/bloedel-conservatory.aspx). It's absolutely ideal for picnics in the summer, and rainy walks in the winter.
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Queen Elizabeth Park
4600 Cambie StQueen Elizabeth Park is a ten-minute walk away, and home to several duck ponds, a rose garden, a formal garden, a restaurant with a great view (https://www.vancouverdine.com/seasons/), tennis courts, frisbee golf, a pitch-and-putt, and the Bloedel Conservatory (honestly not that exciting unless you're REALLY into tropical plants - https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/bloedel-conservatory.aspx). It's absolutely ideal for picnics in the summer, and rainy walks in the winter.
Shopping
Devil May Wear
198 E 21st AveMy favourite local clothing shop. They make all their own stuff right here :)
Woo Vintage Clothing
4393 Main StA lovely little vintage shop full of interesting clothes and accessories.
BOAW is 100% local and 100% handmade, which makes it the best spot for you to find something lovely to take home with you :)
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Bird On A Wire Creations
2950 West BroadwayBOAW is 100% local and 100% handmade, which makes it the best spot for you to find something lovely to take home with you :)
Best arts collective in the city! (I might be biased, being a member.) For realz, though -this place is full of great stuff.
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Giving Gifts
4570 Main StBest arts collective in the city! (I might be biased, being a member.) For realz, though -this place is full of great stuff.
I don't know.... maybe you will have an overwhelming need to visit a Crate and Barrel?
There are also a handful of places in here to get cell phone service, and a grocery store open until midnight.
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Oakridge Centre
650 W 41st AveI don't know.... maybe you will have an overwhelming need to visit a Crate and Barrel?
There are also a handful of places in here to get cell phone service, and a grocery store open until midnight.
5555 Cambie St
5555 Cambie StreetMore booze!
Beer! Wine! Booze! You can't buy any of those things in grocery stores in BC.
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BC Liquor Stores
4423 Main StBeer! Wine! Booze! You can't buy any of those things in grocery stores in BC.
Best place to buy silk in Vancouver. I don't know WHY you might want to buy silk while you're here, but hey -you never know ;)
Rokko Sarees & Fabrics
6201 Fraser StBest place to buy silk in Vancouver. I don't know WHY you might want to buy silk while you're here, but hey -you never know ;)
Weird little dollar store with all kinds of random items, including tacky tourist trinkets.
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Trendybucks
4101 Main StWeird little dollar store with all kinds of random items, including tacky tourist trinkets.
Drinks & Nightlife
Main Street Brewery
261 E 7th AveBeer!
Portland Craft
3835 Main StBeer!
33 Acres Brewing Company
15 W 8th AveBeer!
Neighbourhoods
Vancouver's historic Chinatown has all but disappeared, and TBH unless you're used to navigating shady parts of other cities, this place will make you nervous. It's mid-gentrification, so in one block you'll find a hipster cafe and a vegan pizza joint, and in the next block there will be nothing but dirty shuttered storefronts or shady businesses that are probably fronts. That being said, there are still a couple of old-school Chinese businesses down there, and the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden (https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/) is a lovely place to visit, and they often have interesting exhibitions and events there.
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Chinatown
Vancouver's historic Chinatown has all but disappeared, and TBH unless you're used to navigating shady parts of other cities, this place will make you nervous. It's mid-gentrification, so in one block you'll find a hipster cafe and a vegan pizza joint, and in the next block there will be nothing but dirty shuttered storefronts or shady businesses that are probably fronts. That being said, there are still a couple of old-school Chinese businesses down there, and the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden (https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/) is a lovely place to visit, and they often have interesting exhibitions and events there.