This week, re:place goes out of the cold and looks at some of the most interesting indoor places. Whether you want to shop, check out live music, learn about the city’s history or see some amazing architecture, this list takes you to some of the best spots in the city.
By the re:place team and re:place readers
Our third installment of The Urbanist’s Guide to Vancouver includes several indoor spaces to hit whether you’re trying to track down a rare gem in a used book shop, see an interesting museum or go out to enjoy some of the city’s best night spots.
As with our other two parts, some of the choices below are from the editors at re:place, but most are from our readers who e-mailed us or posted comments on our original callout when we started planning this guide. Anything below written in quotations are direct quotes from people who took the time to share their thoughts with us.
We hope you enjoy this list and get inspired to check out something new and we hope you’ll help us expand this list by commenting below so we can constantly update and improve the guide.
SHOPPING
Fashion on Main
Hit some of the cool stores on Main Street including Smoking Lily (3634 Main Street) and Voltage (4346 Main Street) – “home of some of the best t-shirts in Vancouver.”
Books
MacLeod’s Books (455 West Pender) has an incredible selection and the ability to trap any shopper for hours. “If you can walk out of there without purchasing a book, you are a stronger person than I.”
Bibliophile Bookshop (2010 Commercial Drive) – “the store with the best quality used books anywhere in the city.”
Oscars Art Books (1533 West Broadway) has a “great selection for the artist in all of us.”
Music
Red Cat Records (4332 Main Street) – “if you want to know what’s going on in the incredible Vancouver music scene, this is the place to go.”
Broadway
There are plenty of great stores to browse through on West Broadway from Larch to Alma, “with a good long stop at the International Wine shop near Safeway.”
Richmond
“Daiso in Richmond (located in the Aberdeen Centre, 4151 Hazelbridge Way) is indeed the best dollar store this side of Tokyo. The entire Aberdeen Centre mall is an architectural jewel, and definitely worth visiting. Not so much for the shopping, but for the Asian infusion of culture to the region. Good food there too! Now easier than ever to get to” thanks to Aberdeen Station on the Canada Line.
North Shore
“I’d make sure visitors see the shopping areas (Ambleside and Dunraven) of West Van and Deep Cove. (Wish there was some way to get to the head of Indian Arm).”
Antiques Fair
Hunt for collectibles and kitsch at the Croatian Cultural Centre Retro Design & Antiques Fair (dates in 2010 are June 13, October 24 and December 5) at 3250 commercial drive. “A bazaar of everything retro you can imagine. Take public transit or bike or walk as parking is atrocious.”
MUSEUMS
The Vancouver Police Museum, 240 E. Cordova
The museum is in “a wonderful walk-up housed in what used to be a courthouse. Filled with incredible historical photos – next to the Vancouver Police Department on Cordova.” “Off the beaten path, the Police Museum has a fun tour called Sins of the City; eyeopening, and a great tour even for locals!”
Museum of Anthropology at UBC, 6393 N.W. Marine Drive
This museum is “a gorgeous building with a magnificent collection, which just happens to be a fantastic start or finish to a walk down to Spanish Banks or through Pacific Spirit Park.”
Exotic World Museum, 3561 Main Street
“A very quirky collection of artifacts, postcards and insects gathered by a couple who travelled extensively. Here is passion, individualism and curiousity on display.”
City of Vancouver Archives, 1150 Chestnut Street
“Located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood across from English Bay and tucked down near the side of the Burrard Bridge, the City of Vancouver Archives is a virtual gold mine of historic information about the City. The best part is that many of the old photos, showing the City taking shape over the last century, are available for purchase as prints or scans. It’s the best place for a local history buff or anyone who would want to learn more about Vancouver’s past.
NIGHTLIFE
Biltmore Cabaret, 395 Kingsway
The Biltmore has great indie acts, including some pretty big names (Matt and Kim, Two Hours Traffic among many, many others) and tickets are always pretty cheap.
Van Slam: Monday evenings at Cafe Deux Soleil, 2096 Commercial Drive
“It’s lively, upbeat, and some of the most amazingly talented local poets you’ll hear anywhere, who are bound to blow you away every single time you go. It’s also easy to strike up a conversation with whoever’s sitting next to you, or if you prefer just watch from the corner, and as always there’s good beer on tap. As a plus, it’s only a few blocks up from the Broadway-Commercial skytrain station at 6th and Commercial. It’s top of my list, for sure.”
Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville Street
“Can’t explain it, you have to go there.” Of any music venue that’s still kicking in this city, the Commodore has probably the most impressive list of acts – U2, Tragically Hip, Nirvana, The Police, Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington and on and on and on. The space is great with plenty of room to get your groove on.
The Railway Club,579 Dunsmuir Street
It’s a big space, but divided up so unfortunately not a huge area where you can actually see the live act. There’s always a lot of good music, though, at a cover charge (or free if you get there early enough).
Movies
There are the big multiplexes, but be sure to check out some of the city’s rep cinemas, such as the Broadway, the Ridge, and the Pacific Cinemateque.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
Marine Building, 355 Burrard Street
“Enter the lobby to see amazing craftsman ship – and then laugh at the current Vancouver trend of making every building covered with only glass and calling it design.”
Central Library inner courtyard, 350 West Georgia Street
It’s “a shame we can’t visit the rooftop garden! You can check Balustrades Noosa and its services, however, walk the light steel balcony bridges that connect the stacks to the reading areas on floors 4-5-6 for an impressive view of the building’s interior. The handrails Melbourne have a range of ready-to-install products that are popular with architects and home renovators.”
Sinclair Centre and City Square
Take a look at the atriums in both Sinclair Centre (757 West Hastings Street) and City Square (555 West 12th Avenue). “Although I’m not a big fan of the shops, these are some of the nicest indoor spaces around blending modern and historic architecture.”
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Next week The Urbanist’s Guide to Vancouver wraps up with the fourth and final installment where we’ll look at more resources to help you explore this incredible city.
Be sure to take a look at the first two parts of the guide, in case you missed them:
Part 1 of The Urbanist’s Guide to Vancouver looks at the best food and drink.
Part 2 of The Urbanist’s Guide to Vancouver looks at all the best outdoor spaces and meanders.
