Over the past 2 years I have discovered our beautiful home in an entirely new way. Growing up in Coquitlam, I rarely made it downtown, much less to the other areas of the city. Now, after 2 years at UBC, I can proudly say I’ve explored almost all of Vancouver’s best districts and destinations. I’m no longer a tourist in my own city and I’ve grown to love it even more.
I wanted to put together a Top 3 of my favourite things to do in Vancouver. This will be a few different blog posts of various types of Top 3’s - there’s just so much!
I’m going to start with views. Vancouver has one of the most amazing skylines in the world (the water and mountains help) and there are certainly some great places to see the beauty of the surrounding environment.
1) Spanish Banks
The first that comes to mind is Spanish Banks Beach. More specifically, right at the bottom of Blanca at NW Marine. The view all around from this spot is beautiful, and most importantly, is great all year round. It’s just as awesome to see the sunset reflect off the downtown skyline as it is to see the winter snow covering Stanley Park. If it’s a clear day or night, I’ll generally take this detour on the way back to UBC just to take a quick peek at the skyline. It never gets old!
Photo credit: ozonetragic
Speaking of the skyline, Fraiche has a stellar view from the opposite side of the city. Nestled in the hills of West Vancouver, Fraiche is a fine dining restaurant with a great wine list. I’m not going to lie, it is expensive, but it is one of those restaurants you go to once a year (or two years) for a special occasion. You can follow the view of the Lions Gate through Stanley Park all the way into downtown and beyond. The daytime view of the water to the west is stunning, and as the sun sets, you get to watch the city light up below.
Photo credit: barabanov
I’ve walked by this location many times before finally grabbing drinks with my good friend Raul. They had some great beers on special, but the view really made the experience. The patio looks out all the way across the harbour to North Van, with a great view of Stanely Park as well. During the Olympics, this was one of the best spots in the city to see the Olympic rings on the water! (see below) Because of it’s location, some of the servers will tell you that the tourists might have put this one on the map for Vancouver! It’s popularity has grown exponentially as of late and for good reason. It’s a great place to hang out after a seawall walk or a boat adventure (there are a few boat rental locations right on the harbour). As with the other 2, it’s a perfect view day or night!
Photo from Mill Bistro’s website
Vancouver’s views are a perfect fusion of natural and manmade beauty - from the downtown skyscrapers to Stanely Park. These 3 spots provide just a few of the thousands of amazing angles of our city.
