Hello,

My girlfriends and I are planning to a trip to Vancouver from California Jan 1 - 4.

We are in our late 20s to early 30s.

Our objectives: Partying, Eating, Shopping
We are working professionals with an average budget. We want to go to nice decent places without spending too much $$.

Any suggestions on the following:
-Hotels (we want to stay in the Entertainment district and not have to rent a car)
-Restaurants (inexpensive but authentic eats)
-Bars/clubs (good music ie hip hop and professional crowd)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!

Josie

At lunch time, make your way to Granville Island Market, and construct yourself a lunch by buying bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon chunks, some fruit, and some desserts, from the various vendors, and then put it together at some of the public seating tables. Inexpensive and delicious, and besides that, there are stores to buy other things from on Granville Island.BAK

For the most frenetic nightlife in town see my post under Vancouver Nightlife below. For more upscale 'meetmarket' bars try Yaletown or some of the other upscale hotel bars. One of the nicest is the bar at the Opus Hotel in Yaletown. But Yaletown while it has great restaurants and pubs, (but not much in the way of party bars),doesn't really do it for great shopping. The best shopping is on Robson Street but being early January and being from California you may find the weather a little bonechillingly wet so perhaps you would prefer the climate controlled Pacific Centre. The Crowne Plaza Hotel on Georgia is probably best located for most of these things, (though it's a short taxi ride from Yaletown and Gastown).

There are many great restaurants in the Burrard and Robson street area - especially Chinese and Japanese which you can be sure are very authentic. For great local West Coast Cuisine I reccomend the Rain City Grill but it's also a short Taxi ride away. There are others in the area. I reccomend you ask your concierge for his/her reccomendations. Diva at the Met just down from the Crown Plaza in the Metropolitan Hotel is also quite good. Hope this has helped.

Try http://www.clubvibes.com/ it's where you demographic meets.

while shopping on robson my friend and i walked into Cin Cin for lunch or dinner, i can't remember. but it was very yummy and then when i returned home i read about it in bon appetite or something.
for ethnic you can't beat the indian distric if you like east indian food. i like the restaurant with the burgandy awning or paint across from the chevron gas station. sorry i'm horrible with names but its right on main st. and i've been there a few times and liked it.
also we eat in chinatown at a wonton place but again i know it by sight. i'm not too helpful- sorry! you might just stumble into somewhere good there.
have fun!