"A Local's Perspective" Top 5 Page for this destination Vancouver by Carmanah


Vancouver Travel Guide: 4,940 reviews and 8,036 photos


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Location: 49° 16' North, 123° 04' West
Population: 578,041 (2006 Census)
Incorporated: April 6, 1886


Thanks for checking out my Vancouver page - the most informative VT page I have ever built! I'd like to think I can offer a unique perspective on Vancouver - a life long local's perspective. Not only of the city itself, but the atmosphere and attitudes you'll encounter. Sick and tired of typical touristy brochure shpeels of Vancouver as the place where you can ski and sail in one day? Do you want to know the real secrets, both pros and cons? Welcome to my page!

I will be adapting my Vancouver page to reflect life in Vancouver, not necessarily from the tourist's point of view, but definitely for the benefit of any visitor, whether they plan to vacation, study or work here. Since many generations of my family have called Greater Vancouver home, I feel a very strong bond with the city and the surrounding region, and this passion for my home inspires my writing. You'll notice that a lot of my writing will revolve around family traditions, anecdotes and experiences while growing up and living here.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:The mountains at the foot of the city (skiing, hiking, etc). Beaches surrounding the city (swimming, boating, etc). Multicultural and liberal-minded. Diverse cuisine options. Warm, dry summers. Wet but mild (no snow!) winters. Very modern.
  • Cons:The visible social problems involving panhandling, drug use, and high property theft. Archaic liquor laws. Limited and often underwhelming nightlife. Gentrification is removing the character in many neighbourhoods. Costly housing. Parking hell.
  • In a nutshell:A cosmopolitan city located in a beautiful geographical setting, blending Asian and European influences, unique to both Canada and the world.
  • Intro Updated Dec 4, 2008
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Reviews (238)

Comments (507)

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  • yvgr's Profile Photo
    yvgr Apr 4, 2012 at 2:13 AM Report Abuse

    Hi, your Travelpages on Vancouver are very good and informative. I'm looking forward visiting Vancouver.

  • shinyalammy's Profile Photo
    shinyalammy Jul 2, 2011 at 8:53 AM Report Abuse

    hey this place was where I always had in my memory! I didn't know it was even a named landmark! Thank you for posting this. I used to walk here alone and still remember the tranquility of the beautioful shore..

  • bharat_tanwar's Profile Photo
    bharat_tanwar Jun 1, 2011 at 3:37 AM Report Abuse

    great page on Vancouver. very informative with good pics.......it approaches to visit Ur city.....thanks !

  • ecostoya May 30, 2010 at 5:01 AM Report Abuse

    Unfortunately I read your comment too late.

  • Cahuita1 Dec 30, 2009 at 5:20 AM Report Abuse

    You are the only one on this forum who knows what real life is about it seems. Other people write how scarry the homeless are...they should just stay home in their safe little houses

  • Mikevv Nov 30, 2009 at 12:43 PM Report Abuse

    Grouse Mountain is a great evening trip. I have been on many SWISS cable cars and this one is a BIG Box. Enjoy Ice Skating, Sky Boarding and Skiing on top. The gift shop and lodge provide a great walk thru. Bring your camera and wallet!

  • j-san's Profile Photo
    j-san Sep 6, 2009 at 8:58 PM Report Abuse

    Hi Robyn, I finally made it to Vancouver last week and loved it! We are going to come again this Thursday!! We are totally craazy about Granville Market since little Victoria doesn't have anything like that. Czeching out your page now...

  • t9mike Aug 17, 2009 at 4:35 PM Report Abuse

    Informative writeup. Thank you so much!

  • balhannah's Profile Photo
    balhannah Dec 17, 2008 at 6:24 PM Report Abuse

    A pity we missed the VanDusen Botanical Garden, a problem of being a tourist, not enough time to see all that you want. We did see lots of nice gardens in BC though. Liked Vancouver, as cities go, I am from the country.

  • skywalkerbeth's Profile Photo
    skywalkerbeth Jun 30, 2008 at 5:11 PM Report Abuse

    A Vancouver fix... I just saw your flickr pages, very nice!

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