The Village at Park Royal

 The Village at Park Royal is situated in picturesque West Vancouver.  This intimate village offers locals & tourists a true outdoor "village" shopping experience.  Just minutes from downtown a short drive over the beautiful Lions Gate Bridge gets you to this village filled with boutique stores such as Oliver Barret which offers exclusive fashion forward shopping for all women who want to look their best to a must stop Kiss & Make-up, beauty bar.  This store is filled with trinkits & beauty supplies for every woman.   Along with the great many boutiques there are the restaurants with covered and heated patios!  The Village at Park Royal is a must stop for all visitors to the city! 

The  West  End 

Running from Burrard to Denman in between Robson and Beach, it has the best mix of beautiful views of the ocean, relaxing parks and any type of food you might be craving. In one block on Davie you can get the best  value sushi at  Samari Sushi and the best Greek at Stepho's (inexpensive, too), or even find a great falafel. Denman would be great place to grab some gelato and head down to the beach for the sunset. What 's great about the West End is it is down-to-earth, welcoming and even stylish. For a great night out go to Celebrities , it's the best club in Vancouver with a mix of all types of people and persuasions, great music and a huge dance floor to enjoy it.

Gastown

Gastown is a really unique part of  Vancouver that has had it's hard times and is now gaining popularity with a plethora of new hip establishments. First you have to see the steam clock and don't forget to clap when it finishes its big show on the hour. Walk down Water St. for the pure tourist view, although there are some more interesting shops cropping up that aren't in the t-shirt and cheap souvenir category, most reacently including a return of John Fluevog to the area. If you're looking for local designer and vintage shops, check out Cordova from about Richards to Cambie a whole slew of great little shops like Dream, The Block, Mintage, Deluxe Junk. Abbott st. between Cordova st. and Water st. is quickly emerging a s a happening litlle half block. Check out La Casita on the corner, best Mexican, Jules for french fare, and  Livestock for hiphop styles.

Gastown also has pretty much the best fabric store downtown, Dressew (337 W. Hastings).  It's big and can be overwhelming at first, but there is good stuff at good prices to be found. Head downstairs for the reduced fabrics and all the trims and notions you could ever need. They only accept cash or cheques, and they are closed on Sundays.

Food in Gastown

Guu at the start of Water St. from Cordova has great Japanese tapas (meaning everything but sushi). Have the chicken karaage, it is mouth watering. Another great resturant is Incendio's ( Alexander and Columbia), an Italian gem. They make the best focaccia bread, pizza and lasagna with their in-house brick oven. For an Irish feel, everyone goes to The Irish Heather near the Gassy Jack statue on Carroll St. For a cheap pint and travel atmoshere head to the Cambie at Cambie an Cordova St. One recommmeded club would be the Lotus Sound Lounge at Abbot and Pender; don't mind the junkies, they're not paying any attention to you.  A favorite vegetarian place is Nuba. They have an excellent falafel and the best lentil soup they have also opened a new location at Davie and Seymour.

The Downtown Eastside

This general area has some parts that are unsavory, but it is generally safe to walk through. So if you're planning to brave it, just be smart and don' t doddle or stare and they won't even notice you.

Chinatown

The little bakeries are fun, and in the summer months there is a great night market. Nearby Tinseltown on Pender and Abbot, is becoming an art gallery mall, so to speak. When they built Tinseltown, it was going to be all high-end clothing but that didn't fly. Since then it has turned out to be a blessing for local artists who want space to showcase their work inexpensively.

Commercial Drive

As one of the ethnic and cultural hubs of the city, Commercial Drive has a largely food-based economy.  From Italian bakeries and coffee shops, to the Portugese Club of Vancouver , this is not only the place to go to watch the World Cup, but should be number one on your list for a great cup of coffee.  Bustling on weekends and weekdays alike, the street is home to some of the city's best restaraunt patios, and almost certainly its best gelato. 

Getting there: Commercial Drive is on the east side of Vancouver, so take the Skytrain east from downtown and get off at Broadway, then walk north, up Commercial Drive towards the mountains; or head down Hastings Street from downtown by car or bus, and take a right on Commercial Drive.  The most action is between 1st Avenue and Venables St.

Main Street

South Main, recently dubbed 'Soma' by those who want to capitalize on its current trendiness, is the place to go for clothes and antiques.  If Robson Street isn't quite giving you what you're looking for, and you need something a little more 'fashion forward' (think: New York or London 20-something scenesters), Main Street is where it's at; it's quickly becoming the city's coolest neighborhood to live.  Great second-hand clothing, kitsch and antique stores are everywhere you turn, along with funky restaraunts and coffee shops; great for taking a load off and doing some people watching. 

Getting there:   Take the Main Street bus (No. 3) from downtown; it'll take you through the downtown east side, then Chinatown.  Get off at Main and Broadway and keep walking south (away from downtown) for shopping delights.  Or take the Skytrain and get off at Main Street station; you'll still need to get further south for the good stuff, but you can catch a bus at the station.  The best shopping and people watching is between Broadway and 20th or so. Don't ignore the side streets, they can offer great food and shopping as well. If your looking for corsets check out the new retail location of Lace Embrace Atelier on 16th at Main  The Punjabi Market (aka Little India) is further south around 40th, if you're looking for some sari fabric or all-you-can-eat curry.

Granville Street

Granville Street in downtown Vancouver is fast becoming the club district. Bars, clubs, and lounges of all flavours have sprung up in the last few years. If you're looking for a place to have a few drinks, start at Granville and Robson and walk your way southward towards Pacific. Whether you're looking for an unpretentious bar ( El Furniture Warehouse), posh lounge ( Crush Champagne Lounge , Ginger 62), or hip night club ( Plaza , Caprice , Roxy , Skybar), you'll find it on Granville Street or one of the smaller avenues intersecting Granville. At the end of the night you'll also find a number of 99 cent pizza take out places open afterhours to serve all the hungry bar/lounge/club-goers. The street is changing to a club district from being a popular squatting area for homeless people and runaway teens, but it is generally safe given the heavy foot traffic through the night. Come with an open mind and relaxed attitude (and good walking shoes) and you'll be sure to have a great time.

If you're going to visit in the day you'll be delighted to find the Aldo Shoe Clearance Store and a number of unique shops and restaurants.

Tourism Vancouver's website has more information on the neighbourhoods that make up Greater Vancouver.