Each city has a personality. A composite of its history, its people, even its climate. A fingerprint that, for all intents and purposes, gives a common identity to a particular group of skyscrapers, bridges, parks, neighboring suburbs, and the people who live there. Chicago’s geographic location on Lake Michigan has earned it the title of the Windy City. Paris is the City of Lights, Los Angeles the City of Angels, Portland is even the City of Roses. And while many half-labels have been foisted on Vancouver—Vansterdam, Hongcouver, Lotus Land, and Terminal City, to name a few—none have stuck or, indeed, encapsulated its essence. But what’s in a name, anyway? It’s actually the subtext at street level, the tangible experiences that leave visitors with a particular taste in their mouths: Philly cheesesteak. The attitude in New York, the canals in Venice…
Unique metropolitan nicknames aside, let’s explore what gives Vancouver its unique face:
Unlike the rest of Canada, Vancouver’s climate is exceptionally mild, with warm summers and mild winters reminiscent of its neighbor to the south, San Francisco, a condition that has fostered a culture of outdoor events, especially during the winter months. summer. Theater Under the Stars has become one of Vancouver’s favorite summer traditions. This professional troupe has put on amazing shows in Stanley Park at the outdoor Malkin Bowl for decades. Usually running together, the shows alternate nightly (weather permitting). You won’t find a better way on the West Coast to see your favorite Broadway shows!
But Annie Oakley, Danny Zuko and superstars like Jesus aren’t the only ones finding new life in the fresh air of Vancouver. English playwrights of the 17th century also enjoy British Columbia’s coastal summer experience. For more than twenty years, the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival has been gracing the shores of downtown Vanier Park. This two-tent affair offers nightly performances from June to September, treating 800 fans to Will’s most celebrated works with the glorious coastal mountains acting as the backdrop. That’s a lot of teen about something!
Like your stage a bit livelier? Expo ’86 has left several legacies in the city, one of which is The Edgewater Stage at The Plaza of Nations. Catering to everything from festivals and concerts to trade shows and corporate events, this 750-seat, glass-canopied outdoor amphitheater is guaranteed to produce a wow moment.
Vancouver is famous for its wide variety of festivals. An institution since the 1980s, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival includes more than 1,800 musicians, 400 concerts and 40 venues, demonstrating the city’s enduring love of the genre. Paul de Barros of the Seattle Times was quoted as saying, “If this isn’t the best jazz festival in the world, send us tickets to a better one.” Each year, 460,000 more visitors would have to access. If pyrotechnics impresses you more than Wynton Marsalis, check out Symphony of Fire, an annual fireworks display and competition that has become one of Vancouver’s favorite summer events. Choreographed to a simultaneous radio broadcast, these jaw-dropping displays from Canada, the US and China light up the skies over English Bay in the center of town to the delight of the tens of thousands of tourists and locals who fill the center of town. city and urban beaches. But unsurprisingly, some of Vancouver’s flavors come from a more literal method: the taste buds…
The social side of the Granville Island Theatre, Backstage Lounge is a favorite hangout for artists and art students due to its proximity to the internationally acclaimed Emily Carr College. Not only are the views of the city jaw-dropping, but the combination of home-grown craft beers and live music make for an experience unlike anything Vancouver has to offer. For a taste of the burgeoning bohemian scene beyond Granville Island, DV8, with its vivid paintings and handmade chandeliers, is as modern as it gets. This downtown venue is a popular restaurant during the day, but at night the lights dim and Vancouver’s musicians, writers and artists come out of hiding.
Vancouver’s cosmopolitan spirit comes courtesy of many exotic and memorable establishments, but several are the ultimate memory makers. BaBalu is a piece of Havana right in the middle of the Canadian coast. This Cuban lounge with delicious tapas, exotic cocktails and an extensive wine list serves jazz, funk and R&B, depending on the night. Do you want your own chance to be the center of attention? In the grand tradition of the city’s Asian community, Hollywood North Cabaret is the oldest traditional Japanese karaoke lounge in the city. This cultural crossroads features a great selection of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and English songs and includes beautiful Japanese hostesses to help you overcome your stage fright.
For an elegant Old World experience, the polished woods and fireplace charm of Bacchus Piano Lounge at the Wedgewood Hotel is a piece of Vancouver luxury you won’t want to miss. By contrast, Vancouver’s rugged Merchant Marine heritage is alive and well at the charming and rustic Marine Club. This small and pleasantly crowded nautical venue is a favorite with sailors from around the shipping world. If you ever found a real pirate in Vancouver, they’d be drinking rum here!
Anyone with access to ESPN knows that Vancouver is a hockey city and you’d be hard-pressed to find a resident who wasn’t a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. Tickets for their home games at GM Place can be expensive and hard to come by, but you’ll always find a table waiting for you at The Shark Club. The downtown branch of this sports bar franchise has become the unofficial headquarters for serious fans on game night. Not only are the beers cold, the wings hot, and the atmosphere electric, but every once in a while, players drop by for a post-game bite. Autograph hunters beware!
Occasionally, it’s not just the establishment that has that local charm, it’s the neighborhood. Gastown is one of the oldest parts of the city, tucked away in the northeast corner of downtown. These historic cobbled streets bring together the old and the new in a quaint collage of boutiques, bars and bohemian culture. A few blocks away, a stroll through the ornate Millennium Gate will take you to Chinatown, a world farther east than your home on Vancouver’s East Side.
Across town, Kitsilano on the West Side is an eclectic mix of heritage homes, new condos, and cute boutiques and bistros masquerading as a laid-back beach community.
Sure, Vancouver doesn’t have a nickname. But when you’re that cool, do you really need one?