Jessie

Me and my spouse would like to stop over at Vancouver on our way to Toronto for 3 nights - June 11,12,13,2002. Please help us to find a 3star hotel in the city where we can walk to Chinatown and to shopping in the city.

gary

Well Jessie, you do believe in planning ahead. First there are a whole slew of Hotels, (Holiday Inns, Best Westerns, Ramada, etc.) that fit into the 3 star rating and the best locations would be of course on the downtown peninsula. A very good and well located independant hotel is the Blue Horizen on Robson which is the upscale shopping street and also close to the other main downtown shopping. <BR> <BR>Read the above posts and take note that Vancouver's 'Chinatown is a decrepic relic of a time when the Chinese community was ghettoized. Today Vancouver's Asian Communities, (which include everything from Vietnamese, Phillipino, Korean, ThaiJapanewse as well as a huge population ofSouth Asians), form around 40% of the city's population and over half those are Chinese and so virtually all of Vancouver displays evidence of their economic and cultural clout in the city. If you really want to experience what our Chinese community is like I reccomend you take a trip to Richmond, (a southern suburb where the Airport is located), and take in one of the Asian Malls which are totally geared to the Chinese community's tastes and needs. <BR> <BR>An interesting sideline to why Richmond is so popular with the Chinese is that the 'chop' or Chinese script for Richmond is a picture of a 'Rich Man' and given Chinese sesitivities to symbolism who wouldn't want to live in a place called Rich Man. <BR> <BR>But still the best place to stay to be in walking distance of about half of the main city attractions would be downtown and I reccomend you log onto some of the Vancouver sites to get an idea of Hotels and prices. After you've narrowed the choice down come back on the post and ask which ones we would reccomend.

David

Gary, you keep giving this false information about Chinatown being decrepit and I finally have to say something. First, I agree that most Asians no longer live in that area and the best Chinese restaurants are not in Chinatown. However, there are many interesting small family run shops, selling Chinese trinkets and interesting foods. The night market on the weekends is a lot of fun and draws huge crowds. <BR>You have said elsewhere that Chinatown is dangerous and that drug dealers operate there. That is not true. You are referring to the areas on Pender and Hastings Streets west of Chinatown, not in Chinatown proper. <BR> <BR>Finally, your suggestion tourists to the area visit Richmond is laughable. Richmond is about the ugliest town in BC, with one strip mall after another and nothing aesthetically pleasing. Anything a tourist would be interested in seeing in one of the "Asian Malls" can be found in Chinatown.

gary

First of all I never said Chinatown was 'dangerous' just that it was adjacent to what is officially the worst neighbourhood in Canada. Secondly I am only repeating what my Chinese friends say about Chinatown which is that it is an ambarrasment to them and the only reason any of them go there is that fresh produce is good and less expensive than elsewhere in the city. They are the ones that tell me 'If you really want to get an authentic feel for Chinese Life in Vancuver' check out an Asian Malls - not Chinatown. Having been to Hong Kong and Guangjou many times I have to agre that No 3 Road in Richmond is a lot more like China than 'Chinatown'. <BR> <BR>That said I really havn't visited the Chinatown area for a few years and so don't have a feel for what's there especially this Night Marke you're talking about. So if you want to reccomend 'Chinatown' go ahead. That's why there's chocolate and vanilla.

Jessie

Gary & David, Thank you for your info but I do not think we are able to visit the night market on weekends. We will be arriving during the weekdays but we are very adventurous in food. We love Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Would like someone to recommend good and not high end restaurants. We are Asian therefore no problem going to Chinatown.

Carl Z

Well I cycled to Chinatown today from Kitsilano as I do every few weeks, a half-hour ride at best. <BR>Locked the bike up and walked the crowded sidewalks as is my habit. <BR>I have to say I have never, ever felt anything but safe and @home in Chinatown. <BR>And no I'm not an Asian I'm about twice the size of most Asians. <BR>Chinatown is an important part of Vancouver that I treasure. <BR>It's also the main shopping area for the thousands of Chinese who live in the area. <BR>Unfortunately most of those Folks aren't Lexus driving arrivistes from Taiwan but hard-pressed working stiffs from who-knows-where scrambling to make a buck and keep the family together. <BR>It's true that Richmond has some of the strangest shopping malls, Yaohan and Parker Place but they pale in comparison to the shrill radio broadcasts emanating from all those tiny shops and the shreik of rapid-fire Cantonese that fills the air on Pender Street. <BR>Don't like being jostled? <BR>Don't go to Chinatown where you'll end up being forced into the street at times from the press of people,all of them having a fine time in a real healthy inner-city neighbourhood;a home for some and a slice of life for all of us. <BR>I always take out-of-towners there, not because it's a Tourist draw on par with Granville Island but because it's authentic like Gastown isn't. <BR>My Mother-who was born in Ukraine-said she loved the place. <BR>I never take anyone to Richmond unless it's to catch a plane at the Airport, I drop them off and come straight home, ain't nothin' in Richmond, never was.

gary

OK, OK, Basta, Basta...I concede that there is a lot more to our Chinatown than being a decrepit relic of our racist past. I still think it's important to provide cautionary advise to those visiting the area as well as setting realistic expectations for them, (i.e. it's not a Chinese Theme Park like San Francisco's Chinatown).

Robyn

Now, now... Richmond's not *THAT* bad. I find a lot of out-of-towners seem to enjoy Steveston, but unfortunately not too many people except the locals know of the place. Quite a shame really, because it's quite different from the rest of Richmond.

allen

David's advice of the area around Chinatown should be well heeded. We walked from Gastown to Chinatown, since it was a few blocks away on the map and were dismayed at the neighborhood and what went on down some of the alleyways. Just lowered our heads and walked very quickly. Chinatown itself was safe, but not as interesting as New York or San Francisco.

gary

stayed at the blue horizon last year it was great, good location etc

don

Stayed at the Ramada Inn near Gastown, and found it to be a convenient location within walking distance to Gastown, Chinatown and downtown shopping. We had actually made reservations at the other Ramada over the 800 number, but they booked us at the wrong one. I would say it was a blessing in disguise, not only was it a nicer hotel, it was in a better, much more convenient area. They also offer a free continental breakfast.