Backpacker BUZZ Issue 73: World, Meet Vancouver

After a teaching stint in Japan and the kind of Trans-Siberian Railway journey that really sticks with you, John Lee decided to give the pie-in-the-sky dream of travel writing a go. Since then, he’s penned many articles for newspapers and magazines around the world but is most well-known as the Lonely Planet authority on Vancouver and British Columbia.

The guy knows Canada’s West Coast. His latest books with the travel guide powerhouse are the British Columbia & the Yukon guidebook and the pocket-sized Vancouver Encounter guide. We recently picked the brain of this British expat for his thoughts and tips on the best of the west.

HI: Hypothetically, you’ve been at the Olympic venue LiveCity in Yaletown, soaking up the atmosphere. You realize it’s not only the crowd that’s rumbling. Where do you head for a bite to eat?
JL: Beer and a pizza at Yaletown Brewing Company
(1111 Mainland St.).

HI: And if it’s after hours?
JL: Afterglow (1082 Hamilton St.), a cozy little lounge bar nearby.

HI: Where would you suggest someone goes to eat, drink and be merry if… they have a gold card?
JL: Chambar (562 Beatty St.).

HI: They have an ISIC card?
JL: Japa Dog (899 Burrard St.); Argo Café (1836 Ontario St.) just off Main Street; or Theresa’s (1260 Commercial Dr.).

HI: HI’s mission is “to help all, especially the young, gain a better understanding of people, places and culture through hostelling.” Where would you suggest visitors in Vancouver for the Olympic Games go to experience…

HI: …People
JL: The Olympic Live Sites are going to be stuffed with locals, but they [the locals] will also be congregating at places like Granville Island and Robson Square. I also expect many bars to be filled to bursting point, especially when Canada is playing in the hockey competition.

HI: …Places
JL: Since Vancouver is a city of neighbourhoods, it would be interesting and revealing to experience the Olympics away from the main downtown hotspots. Catching live broadcasts of the Games in a neighbourhood bar in Kitsilano or on Commercial Drive, for example, will offer a real sense of the city beyond its sparkling Olympic façade.

HI: …Culture
JL: The Cultural Olympiad is a going to be a giant component of the Games, with more than 600 events and performances around the city. The downtown area will also be studded with public art.

HI: Vancouver has an outdoorsy image—from the landscape to the fashion. As a local, do you think there is an alternative that could represent Vancouver?
JL: Exploring neighbourhoods or these ‘mini-villages’ is the best way to uncover what makes the place tick. I recommend spending a full day in areas like Kitsilano, South Main, Gastown or the West End; each is very different and offers an alternative to the city’s clichéd ‘outdoorsy’ image.

HI: What’s your favourite neighbourhood and why?
JL: Gastown, for its preserved old architecture, indie shops and truly excellent character bars.

HI: What’s your favourite place to shop?
JL: The Regional Assembly of Text (3934 Main St.), Red Cat Records (4307 Main St.), Granville Island Public Market, Mountain Equipment Co-op (130 West Broadway).

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 1:33 pm and is filed under Hostelling International. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.