Vancouver sightseeing
 

We will be in Vancouver for parts of 3 days - one afternoon and evening, the next morning and afternoon, and the next morning. The weather should be no precipitation, about 40 ° F . Mostly we like to poke around, eat in local restaurants (not upscale -- no dressing up), see the city's famous attractions, visit the "neighborhoods" if that's feasible. Please make suggestions for what we shouldn't miss!

When is this fantastic visit going to take place? (40 degrees and no precip all the way through doesn't sound very promising)

Stanley Park... perhaps some shopping and wandering along Robson Street... maybe a meal in Chinatown.

On that first afternoon/evening... IF the sky is clear AND you are around in time to get up to Grouse Mountain (grousemountain.com) for dinner... attempt to straddle the listed SUNSET time, for time there before dark and after dark.

If your trip is anytime soon, AND if you are going to be there when it is 40 degrees at sea level... it is going to be as cold as a popsicle up on top of the mountain.

If money is no object then go up there for dinner, making reservations ahead of time and at least NOT having to pay the $40 per person fee for the skyride up and down the mountain. (you'll still be out a pretty penny, but if you have just a tiny window then you go for it)

You don't mention where you'll STAY... but if you don't have pre-determined lodging, I'd totally use Priceline.com and stay in the downtown core, because it is always happening... AND Vancouver is a rare city of its size wherein NORMAL people are walking to and fro all night long, so it is pretty safe.

I'm guessing that the trip will be soon based on your temperature forecast. It may not be in the forecast, but always be prepared for rain this time of year in Vancouver.

Spending time wandering around Granville Island (food market, artisan stores etc.) is one of my favourite Vancouver activities and if it does rain, you can take some shelter in the buildings.

Shelli's right - it is soon! (I don't like publicize exactly when we'll be away)

Thank you both for your suggestions!

If it's soon, maybe the Culture Crawl:
http://www.eastsideculturecrawl.com/

Visit the South Main neighborhood.

Visit Chinatown.

Visit the area around Alma & 10th.

Visit 4th Avenue, west of Granville.

Visit the area around Cornwall & Cyprus, including the planetarium.

Have fun.

Thanks for the tip about the Culture Crawl -- looks like fun (although I've never even done it here in San Francisco!)

Don't miss to visit amazing Capilano Suspension bridge in Vancouver....

So the weather didn't cooperate -- rainy slushy one day, and just rain the next (of course it's sunny now that we're at YVR ready to board our plane home) -- but we had a great time anyway (except for the beating your Canucks put on my beloved Sharks last night :-) )

We had time to walk around Gastown and Yaletown (Thursday), Chinatown and Granville Island (Friday) and Downtown (Saturday morning). We had two very good meals - Lupo in Yaletown for dinner (very good food, and very very nice ambiance, in what was formerly a private home on Hamilton Street), and our favorite, Phnom Penh in Chinatown, which we absolutely loved. Thanks to those who recommended it on my other thread. We didn't make it to Vij's -- out of the way, no reservations (and the weather was bad, so no desire to wait outside), and not open for lunch.

We also didn't make it to Stanley Park or the Capilano Suspension Bridge -- we'll have to return in summer.

All in all, we had a great time. And Shelli, I loved Granville Island as much as you do. Could've stayed way longer than we had time for! We were very surprised by the number of high-rise apartment buildings, by the traffic, and in general, by the Manhattan vibe. I imagine it's a great place to live.

Thanks all!

That's more like the Hong Kong vibe... for what other North American city has high rise apartments like THAT taking into account space and population?

And yeah, it sounds like you did your time justice. There is just so much to lure your eyes and mind all over the downtown area. Downtown Vancouver is "happening" 24/7 so no harm in just staying down there in what is gen-er-al-ly a safe environment relative to other cities of similar size.

sf7307, thanks for the mini trip report. I posted some observations on Aduchamp1's trip report on this city, but will do so here as well.

Glad you got to walk some of the city's neighborhoods, which I think are among its sightseeing strengths. I also liked some of the West End, located between Downtown and Stanley Park -- there's a good walk in Frommer's guide to that city that encompasses some highlights of the area.

Definitely check out Stanley Park next time you go -- it's a big and lovely place, and has a pleasant aquarium on its grounds. I liked the Sun-Yat-Sen Gardens (located in Chinatown) very much. Another absolute must is the Museum of Anthropology (on the UBC Campus, reachable from Downtown via bus) -- a first rate attraction.

Re the Capilano Suspension Bridge -- have heard and seen the opinion that the Lynn Suspension Bridge is every bit as good and is also free. Haven't been to either, sorry to say.

Also, consider taking the ferry to Victoria for one or two days. Butchart Gardens north of this city is utterly splendid, and there are a number of decent attractions of varying kinds in Victoria itself.