Vancouver: Neighborhoods

West End Wander amid the leafy residential streets west of Denman or sashay along Davie Gay Village’s rainbow strip, with its profusion of cafés and restaurants, and vibrant gay nightlife.

Gastown Gastown’s cobbled blocks and historic courtyards, buildings, and mews attract visitors and an increasing number of locals to their quirky boutiques, tourist attractions, bars and restaurants.

Commercial Drive The eclectic heart of East Vancouver is home to organic-buying feminists, elderly Italian bocce players, vociferous Brazilian soccer fans, and more. Restaurants and cafés enthusiastically represent this multicultural mélange.

Main Discover diminutive designer stores, funky bars crammed with boho 20-somethings, as well as some of the city’s most cutting-edge dining scenes in this up-and-coming neighborhood.

Kitsilano This ’60s hippy stronghold has left most of its waywards behind. Join the sun-kissed throngs playing volleyball and hacky sack on Kitsilano Beach or discover an appetizing array of Vancouver’s top tables up on 4th Avenue.

The North Shore With canyons yawning on its doorstep, mountains looming at its back, and Vancouver’s downtown skyline glittering across the water, upscale North Vancouver is the territory of BMWs, bears, and mountain bikers.

Chinatown Steeped in history and shadowed by encroaching towers, Vancouver’s slightly down-at-heel Chinatown is the place to shop for shark’s fin, devour dim sum, or wait till dark and scour for bargains at the atmospheric meat market.

Yaletown Gleaming towers, pricey loft conversions, upscale delis, and an ever-increasing fleet of super chic eateries pack this former warehouse district

False Creek Encompassing Granville Island and desirable residential slivers along the south side of the eponymous inlet, False Creek’s heart is the island’s vibrant market.