City Perfected

Forty years ago, Vancouver was a grimy Northwest port city with few prospects, little appeal, and an aging housing stock. The city was settled by the Brits, Irish, and Scots in the late nineteenth century and fading brogues could still be heard in the streets. Progressive Toronto and cosmopolitan Montreal were the Canadian cities everyone talked about.

Today Vancouver frequently bests San Francisco in surveys of travelers’ favorite North American city. It was chosen to host the 2010 Winter Olympics and will go on display to the world as one of the most beautifully sited and cared-for cities on the planet. Yet, in some respects, it remains a provincial place, self-referential and lacking great institutions, but plowing ahead of the rest of us nonetheless.

What sets Vancouver apart from any city on this continent is that it is fifty years ahead of the rest of urban North America in confronting fundamental questions about what makes cities thrive and how urban dwellers can best live.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Vancouver

Vancouver’s renaissance and progressivism is part planning, part luck. Its central city is an isthmus with incredible views of the ocean and nearby snow-covered mountains, capped by Stanley Park, an urban jewel of beach and forest. In the 1960s, Vancouver’s West End, the residential part of the central city adjoining Stanley Park, was filled with rotting Victorians. Many were torn down to build high-rise condos, taking advantage of the views and lack of commute.

Vancouver is European in that its freeways do not extend into downtown. Drivers enter mainly by bridges, which means commuting is arduous—except for West Enders. With residents who lived where they worked, the West End prospered and became the locus of Vancouver’s lifestyle and tourism renaissance more than two decades ago—and taught the city a lesson about density at a time when most of North America was still fleeing to the suburbs.

In 1986, Vancouver hosted one of the last successful world fairs, Expo 86. The city reclaimed acres of fallow industrial and commercial land on the waterfront, promising to turn it into new neighborhoods after the fair. It took time and was not without controversy, but huge tracts were sold to Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and ultimately turned into a shimmering residential and commercial center boasting a couple dozen high-rise condos in the modern, glass-walled style. The city subsequently experienced an influx of Hong Kong investors and émigrés with Canadian connections, who bought real estate as the transfer of Hong Kong to China approached.

What ensued was a twenty-year real estate boom that continues today. As a result, virtually all the buildable downtown waterfront districts are filled with condos and town homes. A stable, thriving Canadian economy, combined with national recognition of the city as the nation’s lifestyle leader, has driven wave after wave of emigration. From on high, Vancouver today resembles a cleaner Hong Kong, an island of (nearly all) high rises forming a gleaming skyline reflecting the shimmering harbor and abutting mountainous slopes.

Historic districts, restored and gentrified, are filled with shops and restaurants. The Alaska cruise industry has made Vancouver its summer terminus, bringing with it tens of thousands of Americans, Europeans, and Asians who start and end their journeys there.

Vancouver has evolved into a global city, perhaps best evidenced by an April newspaper front-page headline, "Price of Rice Expected to Soar". Much of the city’s remake took place under the eye of Canada’s socialized government planning. But the market has taken over, turning Vancouver into something altogether unique in North America: a city reborn by crowding together.

The weather remains rainy and raw much of the year and the city still lacks many great cultural institutions or a restaurant known throughout North America. But it is a place where everyone wants to be, and instead of erecting barriers to growth as Seattle and Portland did, it erected skyscrapers.

Seattle has, in fact, recently repealed zoning laws designed to discourage high-rise residential buildings, in search of the Vancouver miracle: “upward” mobility so powerful it turned a city of great views into a great city.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Vancouver

Vancouver is an active city, rich in running, biking, and walking paths.

What to Do
Vancouver is not a city of great attractions, but it is a city of great spaces. Here are my favorite ways to experience and understand it, most of them outdoors.

AIBC Walking Tour: British Columbia’s homegrown architectural society offers fascinating walking tours Tuesday through Saturday afternoons in July and August. 440 Cambie St., Gastown, 604-683-8588, ext. 333

Coal Harbour: Critics say it’s a bit sterile, but most cities would kill for a district like this. The city’s latest reclamation of industrial land, Coal Harbour, opposite Stanley Park’s Georgia Street entrance, is now a gleaming row of glass high rises connected by walking paths, harborside cafés, and merchants. Harbour Green Park is a must-stop. 1199 W. Cordova St.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Vancouver

The Granville Island Public Market may be North America’s most alluring farmers' market.

Granville Island Public Market: Arguably North America’s best public market, it becomes tourist central in summer, but the fresh Okanagan produce, Pacific seafood, ethnic specialty vendors, and a great soup shop (The Stock Market), all sitting on the harbor’s edge, make for a spectacular morning’s entertainment. Johnston St., Granville Island. For a premium in-depth foodie experience, see the market via an Edible British Columbia tour, guided by chef and Vancouver native Eric Pateman. EBC’s website is a definitive place to take the pulse of the city’s food scene; its tours cover the region’s culinary waterfront. 604-812-9660

Grouse Mountain: Across the First Narrows from Vancouver, accessible by bus, car, or ferry, North America’s longest aerial tramway takes riders up almost 4,000 feet to the summit overlooking Vancouver and the regional waterways. Hiking trails, skiing, and a regional park boasting a renowned pedestrian suspension bridge make it an easy and satisfying sunny day trip. North Vancouver, 604-980-9311

Museum of Anthropology: This superb museum is devoted to the art and culture of the native settlers of the Vancouver region, which may sound arcane, but from the incredible collection of historic totem poles to the soaring modern architecture, this is the one Vancouver cultural stop not to be missed. University of British Columbia, 6393 NW Marine Dr., 604-822-5087

Stanley Park: Vancouver’s enormous oceanside park has its own rainforest, aquarium, swimming beaches, hiking and biking paths, lawn bowling, touristy restaurants, and a slamming aquarium. Be good to your feet and rent a bike. Georgia at Chilco Sts., West End

VanDusen Botanical Garden: Horticulture magazine ranks it as one of the world’s top ten botanical gardens, which is amazing, considering it was carved out of a golf course and only opened in 1975. 5251 Oak St., 604-878-9274

Yaletown: The former freight warehouses serving the city’s docks have been reclaimed and rehabbed with restaurants, shops, and lofts tied together by historic brick streets, plank walkways, and all the beautiful people. Homer, Hamilton, and Mainland Sts., between Drake and Smithe Sts.

Where to Eat
Vancouver is currently preoccupied with the “100-Mile Diet,” a local eating regime that borders on obsession. Luckily, here, 100 miles incorporates ocean, orchard, and productive farmland. The city is home to many fine small bistros in neighborhoods such as Kitsilano and Main Street. It is also particularly strong in authentic Chinese dining. What follows is an eclectic, highly edited selection of the city’s more compelling restaurants, though not necessarily the ten best. Vancouver Magazine ’s eating and drinking guide (published annually) is the definitive resource and is available in local bookstores.

Blue Water Cafe: In a stunning blue Yaletown dining room, executive chef Frank Pabst presents some of the city’s best local seafood, complemented by a creative fresh sushi selection. 1095 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-688-8078

CinCin: The veteran trattoria’s wood-burning oven and stylish Tuscan vibe create an irresistible ambience, and the food, though not cutting edge, is consistent and lovely. 1154 Robson St., Downtown, 604-688-7338

Go Fish: An incredible seafood shack by the harbor near Granville Island is a rough and ready home for killer fried fresh fish, scallop sandwiches, and eclectic specials. Long lines on nice summer days, and no fun in the rain. 1054 W. 1st Ave., False Creek, 604-730-5040

Gyoza King: Top-notch dumplings and Japanese noodles. 1508 Robson St., West End, 604-669-8278

Raincity Grill: One of the original purveyors of the 100-Mile Diet, chef Andrea Carlson is guided by the seasons and local purveyors. Don’t let the dated brass-and-white-tablecloth ambience deter you—the set menus are an amazing value. 1193 Denman St., West End, 604-685-7337

Rangoli: Preeminent Indian chef Vikram Vij’s modern high-tech Indian restaurant blows away every cliché about Indian food and culture. 1488 W. 11th Ave., South Granville, 6040-736-5711

Salt Tasting Room: The informal wine bar/charcuterie with a blackboard menu is an original find for great BC wines, salumi, and cheese. Blood Alley at Abbott St., Gastown, 604-633-1912

Watermark: The waterfront dining view from this sedate, contemporary building is one of the city’s best. The food can be overly complicated, so come for lunch, brunch, or cocktails. 1305 Arbutus St., Kitsilano, 604-738-5487

Yew Restaurant & Bar: An all-day modern café boasting a sensational raw bar, panini bar, open kitchens, fireplaces, and 150 wines available by the glass. Yum. Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, 791 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-692-4939

Where to Stay

Photo courtesy of Tourism Vancouver

Yaletown’s Opus Hotel is one of Vancouver’s most charming lodgings, in the city’s most alluring neighborhood.

Opus Hotel: This charming, service-oriented boutique hotel in an atmospheric stretch of Yaletown is a great base for strolling, shopping, and dining. Rooms have a variety of décor themes, but are uniformly amenity-rich and comfortable. (This is where celebrities and film/TV crews stay, and its bar turns into a weekend disco with a late-night party scene that may turn off guests looking for a low-key evening haven.) 322 Davie St., 866-642-6787

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver: In the heart of the central business district, the standard of traditional luxury remains strong, if a tad lacking in personality, though an ongoing renovation promises to contemporize the five-star business hotel. 791 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 800-332-3442

Fairmont Vancouver Airport: One of the nicest airport hotels in North America, connected directly to the terminal that handles U.S. flights, the Fairmont is convenient for typically late MSP arrivals and early departures (plan to arrive at the airport two-plus hours early to clear U.S. Customs). Vancouver International Airport, 800-257-7544

Strategies
When to Go: Vancouver is best explored in the dry summer months of July through September.

Cost: The Canadian dollar is at par with the U.S. dollar, meaning Canada is no longer a bargain, but instead about 10 percent more costly than visiting a U.S. city.

Getting There: Northwest operates year-round nonstop flights from MSP, though it can be more economical to fly to Seattle, rent a car, and make the three-hour drive to Vancouver.

Getting Around: Vancouver is a walking city. There is bus service to far-flung attractions, but a rental car is useful.

Learning More: I found The Rough Guide to Vancouver terrific. Tourism Vancouver is a great one-stop shop for hotel deals and regional information. 200 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-683-2000