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West Side Story:
Kitsilano, Point Grey, and False Creek
by Linda Stanfield
According to Statistics Canada, Vancouverites read more, shop
more, dine out more, drink more wine, smoke less, and take longer
coffee breaks than fellow Canadians. They spend more money on sports
equipment, and there are more tennis players, more boats, more
fitness classes, and more running shoes sold than anywhere else in
Canada.* Nowhere is this lifestyle more vibrantly evident than on
Vancouver's West Side, in Kitsilano, and its neighbouring districts
Point Grey and False Creek.
Life's a Beach
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The West Side's sandy beaches stretch from Wreck Beach with
its clothing-optional sunbathing, near UBC in Point Grey, to
Spanish Banks with its half-mile expanse of shallow warm water
at low tide, to Locarno Beach and Jericho Beach with
its sailing club, and the ongoing parade of sun-bronzed
twenty-somethings at Kits Beach ( 55 k street map ). Kits Beach also features a heated outdoor swimming pool on the beach, with a mixture of fresh and filtered salt water, (graduated depth for toddlers, 137 meters long, length swimming in designated lanes), as well as beach volleyball, tennis courts, and a children's playground.
Eating and Shopping
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After your swim, savor the fish and chips from one of the
concession stands on the beach, and top it off with one of umpteen
flavors of frozen low-fat or no-fat yogurt made on the premises (a
licensed dairy) from fresh, natural ingredients at Frogurts. Or enjoy
a brew from one of the many small restaurants and pubs near both
Jericho and Kits beaches, many of which have sidewalk patios.
Besides its beaches, Kitsilano is known for its restaurants,
its shopping, and its colorful alternate-lifestyle (ex-hippie),
well-educated (ex-UBC student), upwardly mobile (but down-to-earth)
populace. The stores and restaurants in the main shopping areas, from
Burrard to Alma along West 4th or Broadway (which would be West 9th
if it had a number), reflect these attributes.
Vegetarians will want to visit the legendary Naam,
open 24/7 for fresh and natural food, and Capers, both on West
4th, and, on Broadway, Woodlands Natural Food Restaurant or
Gourmet and Greens. A few doors east on Broadway you'll
find Banyan Books and Banyan Sound, offering a large selection
of new-age books and music. There is a wide variety of alternate
stores in the same area, and more at Granville Island,
including Dragon Space and Spirit in the Woods.
Kitsilano restaurants serve up specialties from dozens of
world cuisines, reflecting the ethnic diversity of literally dozens
of cultural groups. In the Greek community, try Oreste's or
Athene's, for avgelemono and dolmathes to die for. Two East
Indian restaurants with excellent fare and casual, inviting
atmospheres are the Heaven and Earth Curry House on Fourth
avenue (mild to superhot, relaxed and resonable), and Vij's, a
tiny gallery restaurant at 1435 West Broadway. As with many of
Vancouver's best, you may have to line up.
At the funky Topanga Café on Fourth Avenue,
try the scrumptious California-style Mexican food which is a big hit
with university students and the local Kits crowd. Portions are generous
and most are under $10. The eggplant enchiladas are outstanding, and
the chicken tostadas are the best north of Mexico. Latecomers line
up.
For breakfast join the crowds at Sophie's Cosmic
Café at 4th and Arbutus. The food is fabulous, but the
decor alone is worth the visit. Get there early to avoid line-ups
stretching down the street past the Comic Shop! Or sample the sweets
and savouries at the nearby Bread Garden, or head down to
Calhoun's Bakery Cafe or any of the many coffee bars in Kits.
If you want nothing but the best, go to
Bishop's. John Bishop has reigned as Vancouver's best
restaurateur for a decade. Ceaselessly innovative cuisine, with an
emphasis on fresh seafood, coupled with a warm, intimate atmosphere,
has won Bishops international praise. Specialties include fresh crab
cakes. A once-in-a-lifetime dining sensation at 2183 West 4th Ave.
Ph: 738-2025.
A Little Culture
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If you're looking for something to do in the evening, take a dip
at Kits Pool (open until sunset) or watch the free
entertainment at Kits Showboat, an open-air theatre for
amateur talent ranging from four-year old ballerinas to Polynesian
music and dance spectaculars. Try one of the neighborhood pubs, catch
some live music at the Blue Note Cafe, or just go for a stroll
along the sea wall which connects all of the beaches on the West Side
(and further to Stanley Park, if you have several hours).
The West Side also has its own movie theaters, including the
5th Avenue Cinemas which often show excellent first-run foreign
films, the Hollywood on Broadway which offers the cheapest
double-bills of yesterday's favorites, and The Ridge, for your
second chance to see reasonably priced double bills and foreign
films. Besides Banyan, specialty bookstores include the
White Dwarf (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) and the Mystery Bookstore,
both on West 4th, and The Pink Peppercorn (cookbooks only) and
Vancouver Kidsbooks, both on Broadway.
Must-see tourist destinations in Kits include the HR MacMillan
Planetarium and Pacific Space Center where you can voyage
through the cosmos with a multimedia astronomy show beamed onto a
20-meter dome. The Planetarium also hosts the Vancouver
TheatreSports League, which presents hilarious improv Wednesday
through Sunday. At the nearby Vancouver Museum you can stroll
through life-size recreations of Vancouver's colorful early history,
and the Maritime Museum, home of the St. Roch, the first
vessel to navigate the Northwest Passage.
Point Grey
West of Kitsilano is Point Grey, which has excellent restaurants
along West 10th west of Trimble, a branch of Duthie Books,
the Varsity movie theatre, and of course the beautiful campus
of the University of British Columbia. At the university, you
can take tours of the classical Nitobe Japanese gardens,
and Canada's oldest botanical garden, which has over 70 acres
of plants from around the world.
Be sure to reserve some time to view one of the world's most
outstanding collections of Pacific Northwest aboriginal artifacts,
and the Great Hall totem poles, housed at UBC's award-winning
Museum of Anthropology. And don't forget to visit the UBC
Bookstore, and have a world-famous cinnamon bun at the student union
building Point Grey is also home to the spectacular 2,000 acre
wilderness of Pacific Spirit Regional Park (twice the size of
Stanley Park) with its stand of giant cedar trees and 33 miles of
trails.
False Creek
False Creek (clickable) Map
  
East of Kitsilano is the False Creek area, home to Granville
Island. Previously a historical, waterfront industrial center, it
is now a must-visit shopping, eating, strolling and being entertained
destination. False Creek is home to cafes, boat yards, live theatre,
restaurants, galleries, high-end craft and art stores, a hotel,
bookstores, and a micro-brewery.
The Granville Island Market offers fresh produce, fish,
meats, breads, wines and lots of specialty shops. Grab a snack from
one of the many food outlets in the Market (I recommend an
onion-pumpernickel bagel with dill and garlic cream cheese, or a
chocolate croissant and cappuccino), and head outdoors to the Square
to enjoy the many musicians, jugglers, clowns, comedians and dancers
who entertain for the price of a donation to the hat requested at the
end of their performance.
False Creek is the home of the Emily Carr College of Art and
Design, Carousel Theatre, the Arts Club Mainstage and
Revue Theatres and the Waterfront Theatre. It is a haven
for artists, many of whom not only sell their wares but demonstrate
their crafts, such as glass-blowing and weaving. The Kids Only
Market offers specialty shops with clothes, toys, books and food
for kids. You can even rent a kayak (at Granville Island or Jericho
Beach) ranging from $22 for 2 hours in a single, to $62 for all day
in a double.
False Creek is also an excellent venue for viewing festivals such
as North America's largest Champion Dragon Boat Festival,
the DuMaurier International Jazz Festival
(cjbs@mindlink.bc.ca), and the International Comedy Festival, all
of which have ticketed and free events. Kitsilano's nearby Vanier
Park is also home to Bard on the Beach, reasonably-priced
Shakespeare performed in tents on the beach overlooking picturesque
English Bay ( www.faximum.com/bard , 604-737-0625). This year's
productions are Love's Labour Lost, and The Winter's Tale. For
information on what's going on at Granville Island, see
www.granvilleisland.bc.ca or call Talking Yellow Pages at 299-9000
(5784).
Transportation
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From downtown you can easily take the #50 bus to False Creek, the
#4, #7 or #10 bus to Kitsilano and Point Grey. You can take the False
Creek Ferry from downtown Vancouver to False Creek - you'll find the
dock at the south end of Hornby street. False Creek Ferries also
operate between Granville Island and Stamps Landing, Science World,
the Maritime Museum (Vanier Park) the Aquatic Center, Plaza of
Nations, and Yaletown.
Seeing it All
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The West Side can be toured by foot, bicycle, rollerblades, city
bus, tour bus ($25 to $50) tour taxi ($50 to $100), sailboat, powerboat, car, British double decker, historic trolley ( www.vancouvertrolley.com ) or seaplane ($75 to $200, www.harbour-air.com or www.baxterair.com ), Self-directed walking
guides are available on the web and from B.C. Tourism offices. For a
travel guide on CD, see www.lionheartmv.com/lh. "Scoop", a one-hour
outdoor cassette-directed walking adventure on Granville Island,
complete with loaned walkman, is available for $5.00 from the
Granville Island Information Center. An 8-hour, "Vancouverite for a
Day" tour is available for $115, see www.firstweb.com/world/ .
At the Arts Club dock on Granville Island, you can board
the Tymac, cruise out to English Bay past Kitsilano Beach,
view the city skyline beyond the West End beaches, and circle back
past Siwash Rock and Stanley Park ($15 for 45 minutes of sightseeing,
cruise leaves every hour, pay on board). Scenic harbour tours depart
from the dock next to Bridges Restaurant, and cost $5 for a half-hour
or $10 for a full hour mini-cruise.
West Side Accommodation
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* The UBC Conference Center (604-822-1010) offers
affordable rooms starting at $22, some with spectacular ocean views,
and all within 20 minutes of downtown.
* On Granville Island: Granville Island Hotel,
1-800-663-1840, or e-mail GIHotel@netminder.com. Their website is at
www.netminder.com/Granville-Island-Hotel.
* The Jericho Hostel offers truly affordable accommodation
at its downtown and Jericho Beach locations. Call 604-3208 or e-mail
van.hostel@deepcove.com.
* There are several B&B's in Kits, including the Penny
Farthing Inn (604-739-9002) which is recommended in that great
tome of literature, "Best Places to Kiss" as well as Fodor's Guide
and Vancouver's Best Places. Jolie Maison (604-730-8010) is a
beautifully restored heritage house, four blocks from the beach,
where your hosts speak fluent English, French, Dutch and German.
* B.C. offers one-call, toll-free accommodation and reservation
service at 1-800-663-6000 for all types of accommodation including
bed and breakfast.
*From "The Vancouver Book", Tourism Vancouver
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