Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
4
About
Located south-east of downtown Vancouver along Main Street (between E 5th Avenue and King Ed), this hip and happening neighbourhood is home to some of Vancouver’s best independent boutique shopping (local designers, record stores, book shops, vintage clothing), with eccentric cafes, restaurants, and lounges. Very art school chic and great people watching.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.0
14 reviews
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7
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Chris D
New Westminster, Canada3,330 contributions
Jun 2021
The City of Vancouver can hardly be considered as one big homogeneous place, especially when one visits great neighbourhoods like Commercial Drive, or this one.
While bounded by Cambie, Clark, 2nd, and King Ed, the heart has to be Main Street running south from Broadway. I found Red Cat Records (vinyl galore!) Vietnamese restaurants, pocket parks, and a poodle statue (really!). I'm getting to be of an age to be unable to report on the nightlife, but saw signs that the night before must have been fun for some. I enjoyed the walk through the past, and hope you do too!
While bounded by Cambie, Clark, 2nd, and King Ed, the heart has to be Main Street running south from Broadway. I found Red Cat Records (vinyl galore!) Vietnamese restaurants, pocket parks, and a poodle statue (really!). I'm getting to be of an age to be unable to report on the nightlife, but saw signs that the night before must have been fun for some. I enjoyed the walk through the past, and hope you do too!
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robyn
Richmond, Canada16,998 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
If you're looking for an authentic neighbourhood in Vancouver to explore aimlessly for an afternoon of window shopping, eating and drinking - a blend of cool, independent, unique-to-Vancouver stores, restaurants, cafes, craft breweries, live music venues, used record stores, quirky gift shops, used book shops and side streets lined with heritage houses and lush gardens - Mount Pleasant is your place. I argue that it's the best shopping street in the city these days, even though it's rarely advertised as such. It's also a fun area in the evening if you're looking for small scale nightlife.
Mount Pleasant runs along Main Street, roughly from E 5th Avenue south up the hill to about E 16th Ave. The shops and restaurants actually continue further south along Main all the way to E 33rd or so, and that area is technically called "Riley Park" but most people just see Mount Pleasant and Riley Park as one big continuous neighbourhood "Main Street". And in this review, I'm lumping the both together. You could easily spend a few hours strolling up one side of Main Street and strolling down the other, popping into shops along the way. This is what I do, and this is how I recommend you experience this neighbourhood.
You can take a cab to Mount Pleasant from downtown Vancouver in 10 minutes or less. You can also hop on the bus there or walk 10 minutes south from the Main Street/Science World Skytrain Station - it's super accessible, but a completely different ambiance from the downtown glass skyscrapers.
Some of my local haunts along Main Street include:
Brassneck Brewing, Main Street Brewing, and 33 Acres - the craft beer trifecta all within stumbling distance of Main and 6th. Brassneck is my fav of the bunch and serves some Belgian-inspired beer. My favourite is their seasonal fruit sour "Changeling". 33 Acres has a nice charcuterie offering but is always busy and Main Street Brewing is the least pretentious of the bunch.
Love comics? Go to Rx Comics or Lucky's for your graphic novel/comic fix. Rx is the real cramped comic nerd den where you need to rummage around to find anything, while Lucky's is a little bit more cutesy and functions more like a traditional book shop.
Pulp Fiction is perhaps the best book store in all of Vancouver if you're seeking new and used books. They have a gorgeously curated selection of new books in the front and a bigger section of used books in the back.
Front & Company. A unisex consignment store with some new items. Beautiful clothes at a fraction of the regular price, plus some nice jewellery and small home decor items. They also have a quirky gift shop of novelty gifts and cards.
Vancouver Special (a play on the Vancouver architectural style) for architect-geek gifts and home furnishings.
Welk's - a local hardware/general store selling a lot of local, quality products.
The Soap Dispensary - a refill shop specializing in soaps, eco-friendly house cleaning products, beauty products - most of it locally made.
Kafka's, Gene, or Our Town Cafe for a good cup of coffee/people watching. Gene is a hipster cliche, Kafka's often runs art shows, and Our Town is the least pretentious of the bunch.
Neptoon Records for vintage vinyl/music poster shopping from a serious collector. Sometimes they host live bands. The owner knows his stuff. Red Cat Records is better for contemporary records and for buying local concert tickets.
The Lido, The Fox Cabaret, or Skinny Fat Jack's for live music. The Lido's a few blocks east of Main on Broadway, but feels like you're having a drink in somebody's living room. Sometimes they have obnoxious DJs, sometimes they have good live music, sometimes it's just mellow. The Fox often has touring bands and musicians as well as dance parties. Skinny Fat Jack's is in the back alley behind Slickity Jim's Chat & Chew (a diner). The tiniest live music venue in the city perhaps but an option nonetheless.
Budgie's Burritos or The Foundation for super cheap vegan-friendly meals. When you just don't care and you don't want to spend more than $8, there is something satisfying about ordering a Budgie's Burrito and eating it on a park bench.
Rollergirl - a roller skate store with its own mini roller rink so you can test out skates. This is Vancouver's roller derby supply store and they have free pinball too!
The Acorn for high end veggie cuisine or Meet on Main for delicious diner veggie options.
Burdock & Co for inventive foodie-approved locavore cuisine, perfect for date night.
Chicha - Peruvian-inspired tapas and delicious cocktails, another date night location.
Portland Craft, The Whip, The Colony - all casual craft-beer friendly pubs. Noisy spaces but fun to hang out and eat and drink with friends. The Whip's open super late.
Nineteen Ten Home Boutique - a gorgeously curated gift shop featuring Canadian handmade products.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I wanted to paint the picture of this neighbourhood because it's definitely a fun slice of Vancouver that most out of town visitors rarely experience.
Mount Pleasant runs along Main Street, roughly from E 5th Avenue south up the hill to about E 16th Ave. The shops and restaurants actually continue further south along Main all the way to E 33rd or so, and that area is technically called "Riley Park" but most people just see Mount Pleasant and Riley Park as one big continuous neighbourhood "Main Street". And in this review, I'm lumping the both together. You could easily spend a few hours strolling up one side of Main Street and strolling down the other, popping into shops along the way. This is what I do, and this is how I recommend you experience this neighbourhood.
You can take a cab to Mount Pleasant from downtown Vancouver in 10 minutes or less. You can also hop on the bus there or walk 10 minutes south from the Main Street/Science World Skytrain Station - it's super accessible, but a completely different ambiance from the downtown glass skyscrapers.
Some of my local haunts along Main Street include:
Brassneck Brewing, Main Street Brewing, and 33 Acres - the craft beer trifecta all within stumbling distance of Main and 6th. Brassneck is my fav of the bunch and serves some Belgian-inspired beer. My favourite is their seasonal fruit sour "Changeling". 33 Acres has a nice charcuterie offering but is always busy and Main Street Brewing is the least pretentious of the bunch.
Love comics? Go to Rx Comics or Lucky's for your graphic novel/comic fix. Rx is the real cramped comic nerd den where you need to rummage around to find anything, while Lucky's is a little bit more cutesy and functions more like a traditional book shop.
Pulp Fiction is perhaps the best book store in all of Vancouver if you're seeking new and used books. They have a gorgeously curated selection of new books in the front and a bigger section of used books in the back.
Front & Company. A unisex consignment store with some new items. Beautiful clothes at a fraction of the regular price, plus some nice jewellery and small home decor items. They also have a quirky gift shop of novelty gifts and cards.
Vancouver Special (a play on the Vancouver architectural style) for architect-geek gifts and home furnishings.
Welk's - a local hardware/general store selling a lot of local, quality products.
The Soap Dispensary - a refill shop specializing in soaps, eco-friendly house cleaning products, beauty products - most of it locally made.
Kafka's, Gene, or Our Town Cafe for a good cup of coffee/people watching. Gene is a hipster cliche, Kafka's often runs art shows, and Our Town is the least pretentious of the bunch.
Neptoon Records for vintage vinyl/music poster shopping from a serious collector. Sometimes they host live bands. The owner knows his stuff. Red Cat Records is better for contemporary records and for buying local concert tickets.
The Lido, The Fox Cabaret, or Skinny Fat Jack's for live music. The Lido's a few blocks east of Main on Broadway, but feels like you're having a drink in somebody's living room. Sometimes they have obnoxious DJs, sometimes they have good live music, sometimes it's just mellow. The Fox often has touring bands and musicians as well as dance parties. Skinny Fat Jack's is in the back alley behind Slickity Jim's Chat & Chew (a diner). The tiniest live music venue in the city perhaps but an option nonetheless.
Budgie's Burritos or The Foundation for super cheap vegan-friendly meals. When you just don't care and you don't want to spend more than $8, there is something satisfying about ordering a Budgie's Burrito and eating it on a park bench.
Rollergirl - a roller skate store with its own mini roller rink so you can test out skates. This is Vancouver's roller derby supply store and they have free pinball too!
The Acorn for high end veggie cuisine or Meet on Main for delicious diner veggie options.
Burdock & Co for inventive foodie-approved locavore cuisine, perfect for date night.
Chicha - Peruvian-inspired tapas and delicious cocktails, another date night location.
Portland Craft, The Whip, The Colony - all casual craft-beer friendly pubs. Noisy spaces but fun to hang out and eat and drink with friends. The Whip's open super late.
Nineteen Ten Home Boutique - a gorgeously curated gift shop featuring Canadian handmade products.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I wanted to paint the picture of this neighbourhood because it's definitely a fun slice of Vancouver that most out of town visitors rarely experience.
Written July 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VancouverRik
Vancouver47 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
I have lived in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood for 16 years and I have seen a lot of changes.Old derelict apartment buildings have been replaced with modern townhouses and condo's,and what were once dilapitated warehouses have become trendy brew pubs, cafe's and restaurants.Its evident that a young,hip crowd has moved in and "hipsterfied" a neighbourhood which was once seen as "Ewwww East Van". Well nowadays this neighbourhood has it all.It's got cool cafe's,bagel shops,burger joints, several brewery pubs,thrift stores, liquor stores, sushi bars,pizza shops,falafel shops, specialty donut shops, bakeries, hip barber shops.. ahem..medicinal dispensaries and even a quintessentially Canadian Tim Hortons eh?.Its a sweet neighbourhood to look for accommodations if you are planning on a visit to Vancouver.It really has everything you could possibly need all in one walkable area.I can easily walk anywhere in Mount Pleasant in about 20 minutes.You don't need a car to live in this hood and get around Vancouver just fine.Everything mentioned and much more can all be found tightly packed on Main Street between East 6th ave and E 16th ave.The area has many more shops and services than I have mentioned.There is a major transit hub in the centre of Mt Pleasant at Main Street and Broadway.Busses from here can get you anywhere you want to go.From here,it's really only minutes to the downtown core,Granville Island, Chinatown and the False Creek water taxis at the Olympic village.The B-Line express bus to UBC (The University of British Columbia) also stops at this intersection and then travels straight down Broadway to the Point Grey campus.I could go on but if you want some specific info about this part of town feel free to shoot a question my way.
P.S.-The Google car drove around the whole neighbourhood for a couple days so feel free to take a virtual walk up Main Street and see "the Main" for yourself. It's a really cool part of town to live in.
P.S.-The Google car drove around the whole neighbourhood for a couple days so feel free to take a virtual walk up Main Street and see "the Main" for yourself. It's a really cool part of town to live in.
Written July 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pirate16
Hobart, Australia106 contributions
Dec 2019
Pleasant walks arounds the residential areas linked by Main Street which has numerous bars and restaurants for all budgets. Would have given five stars here but for the unfortunate number of individuals sleeping rough on parts of Main Street. What is the Canadian government doing to assist these people ?
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bratford
58 contributions
Is a gorgeous part of the City to walk around. Grab a local beverage and people watch. Nice local shops and clean and friendly vibe.
Written October 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bucketlisttravellers
Sydney, Australia3,641 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
Mount Pleasant is a bustling neighbourhood with plenty of great eateries, shops and parks. It is located in between the city area of Vancouver and Queen Elizabeth Park.
Written December 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
backpacker31
Boynton Beach, FL5,880 contributions
Oct 2019 • Solo
I’ve based myself in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood for the better part of a week - staying at the Best Western Plus. The neighborhood is brimming with a multitude of independently owned shops, tons of restaurants (Chinese, Korean, Canadian/Québécois, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Italian, etc.), and both large and small groceries. There are large, modern, hi-rose residential buildings, low-level townhouses, older buildings and leafy residential family neighborhoods. Public transport is excellent - buses and the Skytrain are all within short walking distance and proper bike lanes are everywhere. Very nice, safe neighborhood with a youthful vibe.
Written October 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ngbs77
Braunschweig, Germany251 contributions
Sep 2019 • Solo
South Mainstreet has nice little Cafés, Record stores, comic stores, secondhand- shops, little boutiques and all kind of restaurants. Besides there are some colourful wall paintings everywhere- a nice place to wander around
Written September 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ashley A
Dubai, United Arab Emirates6,467 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
My final full day in Vancouver and my business associates very kindly offered to take me around some of the breweries located in East Vancouver.
We took the Canada Line to Broadway - City Hall and then walked over to Mount Pleasant and Main Street.
Mount Pleasant is a “rather hip” neighborhood with a strong retail and residential presence - the latter mainly by way of apartment buildings.
The three of us visited three separate breweries in the vicinity and had a fun filled few hours before boarding a public bus back to Broadway.
We took the Canada Line to Broadway - City Hall and then walked over to Mount Pleasant and Main Street.
Mount Pleasant is a “rather hip” neighborhood with a strong retail and residential presence - the latter mainly by way of apartment buildings.
The three of us visited three separate breweries in the vicinity and had a fun filled few hours before boarding a public bus back to Broadway.
Written July 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
matsimonet
Paris, France28 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
Mount Pleasant is a charming place in Vancouver, lived by local people. Aside Broadway avenue, there's a lot of beautiful wooden houses on trees streets. You'll find also the best shops to buy adventure equipments in the city!
Written August 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would like to know about shopping and restaurants in the E 14 th ave. area
Written November 9, 2018
Hello Odyssey81.
E14th ave. is a pretty long avenue and I would need to know your cross street in order to be 100% certain that my advice is valid.That being said,if you are anywhere near Main Street and East 14th ave you will find yourself smack dab in the heart of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.At Main St. and E14th ave. you will find a big grocery store,a pharmacy,several cafes, numerous bars and restaurants,a great bakery (Cobbs) Vera's burgers,,a cold wine and beer store and a really stocked pet store.Everything you need is readily available and very walkable on Main Street from East 8th ave to E 16th avenue.Enjoy your stay.Welcome to the neighborhood!
Written November 13, 2018
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