Barrow Roll
Member
So who else went to Fan Expo?!
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Vancouver-Age |OT| 125 Years
- Thread starter Firestorm
- Start date
You know, I've been going to SFU for 4 years now, and last weekend was the first time I ever stepped foot into SFU Surrey. Weird place.
I understand. I just finished my second year and it was my first semester there. Might be my last actually, I think I will have to go back to Burnaby again. I guess it just depends on classes at the time.
http://hondacelebrationoflight.com/
Italy, Brazil and Vietnam in the Celebration of Light this year.
Italy, Brazil and Vietnam in the Celebration of Light this year.
How was the Fan Expo there?
Barrow Roll
Member
I don't know how it compares to the Toronto show, but I had a blast and I only went for Saturday. For $20 I met Adam West, Lou Ferrigno, Jennifer Hale, David Hayter, chatted up ReBoot co-creator Gavin Blair and Garry Chalk (Optimus Primal!) went to the Canadian Video Game Awards (which were oh so lame) and just had a ton of fun hanging out in the show room. I'll definitely go again next year, if only just to buy more of this guys artwork.
The Toronto one is lively and very busy. Mostly good times, and we have ours for 4 days, rather than 3. Gets really crowded though, so half the time, you're shifting around people who decide to stop in the middle of the aisle.
One of the cool things about last year was having Anthony Daniels roam the area and taking pictures with people for free.
And it looks like you guys got a good guest lineup. I look forward to ours.
One of the cool things about last year was having Anthony Daniels roam the area and taking pictures with people for free.
And it looks like you guys got a good guest lineup. I look forward to ours.
Going to Europe on Saturday and was going to Travel Cuts at SFU to pick up my train tickets and make reservations (Travel Cuts isn't on commission it seems and are pretty helpful. Didn't know this before. First time ever using a travel agency and it's because trains in Europe are effing confusing).
Anyway, passed by the set they've got for the upcoming Halo web series. They have the posters up still that were on Kotaku but were moving the Spartan. Also were moving around the pieces of the landscape we're very used to hiding behind ;D
Anyway, passed by the set they've got for the upcoming Halo web series. They have the posters up still that were on Kotaku but were moving the Spartan. Also were moving around the pieces of the landscape we're very used to hiding behind ;D
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
Going to Europe on Saturday and was going to Travel Cuts at SFU to pick up my train tickets and make reservations (Travel Cuts isn't on commission it seems and are pretty helpful. Didn't know this before. First time ever using a travel agency and it's because trains in Europe are effing confusing).
Anyway, passed by the set they've got for the upcoming Halo web series. They have the posters up still that were on Kotaku but were moving the Spartan. Also were moving around the pieces of the landscape we're very used to hiding behind ;D
My friend posted about it earlier. Wish I knew, I'd love to have gone and taken photos.
beat
Member
I haven't been to either, but I want to next time I go home: Hawksworth and Ensemble.
I have a friend who went to the Video Game awards, he met the co-creator of Reboot and others as well
Oh god. Bring at least 4 people and order the big platter. It's insane.
Also, what Halo web series is being filmed? You also reminded me that I need to pick up my U-pass...
Oh god. Bring at least 4 people and order the big platter. It's insane.
Also, what Halo web series is being filmed? You also reminded me that I need to pick up my U-pass...
I'm going with 3 others! I'll be watching The Avengers right after and then gotta jump on a 10 hour flight the next day though so I don't think I want to totally overdo it... Is the Elvis Platter the one you recommend?
It's this series: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...series-forward-unto-dawn-launches-this-autumn
They're using it as a lead-up to Halo 4.
It's this series: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...series-forward-unto-dawn-launches-this-autumn
They're using it as a lead-up to Halo 4.
I believe it is called the Elvis platter, yes. God, it's huge and there are even bigger sizes.
Lone_Prodigy
Member
I tried Memphis Blues once. Ordered a big platter for take-out. Wasn't that great. It's probably better to eat there.
Went to Bowen Island the other day. Really nice place. It's got a lake and hiking trails that are a lot easier to traverse than say the Grouse Grind. It's pretty accessible too (20 min. ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay).
Went to Bowen Island the other day. Really nice place. It's got a lake and hiking trails that are a lot easier to traverse than say the Grouse Grind. It's pretty accessible too (20 min. ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay).
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Hi, everyone!
I'm going to be visiting Vancouver with my wife on May 18th and 19th. We'll be leaving in the morning or in the afternoon of the 20th. Were's coming up from Seattle, and wondering if anyone has some good advice on places to say. Given that most of you live there, it may not be the best question, but if you have any hotel suggestions, I'd appreciate. We're still not decided on what we want to do while we're there, but a decent central location would be appreciated.
I'm still debating if I'll drive up there or take the train. I imagine having a car would help us get around, but is the parking situation pretty awful in most parts of the town? Also, am I safe to assume that most places are credit card friendly? I'd rather not bring cash and have it converted to Canadian currency if I don't have to.
Thanks for any tips or recommendations on places to go! I'll be reading through this thread trying to find good information, too.
I'm going to be visiting Vancouver with my wife on May 18th and 19th. We'll be leaving in the morning or in the afternoon of the 20th. Were's coming up from Seattle, and wondering if anyone has some good advice on places to say. Given that most of you live there, it may not be the best question, but if you have any hotel suggestions, I'd appreciate. We're still not decided on what we want to do while we're there, but a decent central location would be appreciated.
I'm still debating if I'll drive up there or take the train. I imagine having a car would help us get around, but is the parking situation pretty awful in most parts of the town? Also, am I safe to assume that most places are credit card friendly? I'd rather not bring cash and have it converted to Canadian currency if I don't have to.
Thanks for any tips or recommendations on places to go! I'll be reading through this thread trying to find good information, too.
What? Transit has felt more convenient here in Vancouver to me than it did in Toronto and very few places don't take credit or debit. I'd bring some Canadian currency but you'll be fine for the most part.
Parking can be annoying downtown but it's not a huge issue. If you want to go up to the North Shore to the mountains and stuff you'll probably want to drive. Although it's fairly easy to use transit as well (Seabus from Waterfront Station downtown, then one bus gets you up to Grouse).
I usually use Priceline's "Name Your Price" booking system when looking for hotels. If you do a 4 star search for Downtown Vancouver and bid $70 - $80 you might get something pretty nice downtown where it's easy to transit or walk to everything from.
TemplaerDude
Member
It is way easier to get through downtown Vancouver on transit and foot than it is by car.
Yes as far as navigating downtown, leave your car in the hotel or at home. You can walk the entire area on foot. Also, if train is expensive, look at Greyhound. It's a 4 hour ride. I checked prices for PAX earlier and Seattle <-> Vancouver should only be $28 if purchased far enough in advance. You might have missed that cutoff though. It stops right at the Main St-Chinatown skytrain station which will take you downtown.
beat
Member
For traveling between Seattle and Vancouver, the bus usually has more convenient hours, but the train is way better for only a little more. If you go with the bus, take a look at Quick Shuttle (http://www.quickcoach.com/) as well as Greyhound.
Anyways, while the train trip is surprisingly long going south (Vancouver to the border is very slow going), there's more legroom, the air conditioning is better, etc etc.
Within Vancouver, transit is pretty good, but I say that cause I'm from there and know the bus schedules for the lines I take. Most cities I visit, I prefer rail transit to bus by far, and Vancouver's rail coverage is pretty light. Still good for going from downtown to several different suburban malls, or, say, Commercial Drive or Broadway.
Granville Island is nice, but it's kinda comparable to Pike Place Market without the history. You might want to go to compare and contrast, or you might want to skip it since, hey, you do have Pike Place.
If you like street food (ish), I would highly recommend going to either the Richmond Night Market or the Summer Night Market. The latter has been running for the last few years and they should know what they're doing; the former is run by the original night market guy and it's more transit friendly. Or just see the Chinatown night market, but it is a lot smaller than the first two and I would only really recommend the Szechuan stall (if they're there this year). All of these are weekends-only and will just be getting started when you go. They will all likely be fairly crowded, though it's possible the two Richmond ones will compete too much with each other. Traffic is likely to be pretty bad around both.
If you like Japanese books, I'd recommend Book-Off, which sells used books and has a pretty good game/anime artbook selection.
Anyways, while the train trip is surprisingly long going south (Vancouver to the border is very slow going), there's more legroom, the air conditioning is better, etc etc.
Within Vancouver, transit is pretty good, but I say that cause I'm from there and know the bus schedules for the lines I take. Most cities I visit, I prefer rail transit to bus by far, and Vancouver's rail coverage is pretty light. Still good for going from downtown to several different suburban malls, or, say, Commercial Drive or Broadway.
Granville Island is nice, but it's kinda comparable to Pike Place Market without the history. You might want to go to compare and contrast, or you might want to skip it since, hey, you do have Pike Place.
If you like street food (ish), I would highly recommend going to either the Richmond Night Market or the Summer Night Market. The latter has been running for the last few years and they should know what they're doing; the former is run by the original night market guy and it's more transit friendly. Or just see the Chinatown night market, but it is a lot smaller than the first two and I would only really recommend the Szechuan stall (if they're there this year). All of these are weekends-only and will just be getting started when you go. They will all likely be fairly crowded, though it's possible the two Richmond ones will compete too much with each other. Traffic is likely to be pretty bad around both.
If you like Japanese books, I'd recommend Book-Off, which sells used books and has a pretty good game/anime artbook selection.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Thanks so much for the recommendations. I'm debating between either driving up there with my own vehicle, or taking the train.
Also, wtf at Book-Off. I used to live in Japan and know all about it, but I had no idea that they had stores overseas, too.
Also, thanks everyone for the tips. I definitely plan on spending a full day walking the city and checking out the shops. I will probably end up staying somewhere downtown. Is there anything that is a must-visit type of place, but far enough from downtown where having a car would help a lot?
beat
Member
I think Book-Off does good business in Vancouver because there's a large population of Japanese students in the city.
Edit: OK, here's my thoughts on transit in the city. Many lines operate with admirable frequency (10 min or less). But conversely, many of those schedules assume perfect service, so in practice you can often wait 20+ minutes and then see three buses in a row come to your stop. In these cases, the first will likely only drop off, no pickup, because it's very late. Meanwhile, in downtown, a large number of different lines service the same streets, but Translink has deliberately scheduled them to bunch up rather than stagger them, so again, buses aren't quite as frequent as they should be.
Lone_Prodigy
Member
Bus service is pretty bad on the weekends. Skytrain/Canada Line still runs at about the same frequency though.
You could rent a bike or something. There are a lot of bike lanes in Vancouver.
You could rent a bike or something. There are a lot of bike lanes in Vancouver.
Oh, is that what they're filming right now? Halo? I'm actually on the Burnaby campus right now waiting for my gf to get home from work (she lives near the bottom of the hill) and from my window view in my office in the AQ, they're filming something with fire-related special effects.
Wolf Dawgz
Member
I'm moving to Vancouver in September to go to school at UBC next year. How hot are the women in Vancouver?
Very. A lot of fitness freaks in this city, too.
Hey, VanGAF, I've got a question for you guys. As a Seattleite, I have always felt the three large cities in the PNW (Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland) were more similar to each other than their closest Canadian and American cousins. Do most Vancouverites share that in a similar sense of regionalism, or do you guys feel closer, culturally, to say, Calgary or Edmonton?
Never thought about it, but as a native Vancouverite and Canadian I feel more culturally connected to Edmonton or Calgary than Seattle or Portland, despite the fact that like you mentioned our American counterparts have a huge sense of regionalism for Cascadia or the PNW. To be honest, I feel more culturally connected to Asia than any of the above cities.
Yep! I quite enjoyed my friend's tweet on it.
Maybe it's because I've visited Seattle more, yeah I think of it as more of a sister city than Calgary or Edmonton. Feel closer to it. Might also be because Seattle is seen as more liberal compared to the majority of the US while Alberta in general is seen as more conservative compared to the rest of Canada. Pacific Northwest for life and all that ;D And I'm a guy that's big on Canada!
Really? Alberta might as well be London for all I care. The cities mentality has far more in common with the PNW than Easterners. If you told me one day that the PNW became our own coutry, I wouldn't care about it at all as long as we got decent healthcare.
beat
Member
Seattle and even Portland are closer by car than Calgary/Edmonton, esp since you don't have to cross the Rockies.
TemplaerDude
Member
I may just be rattled in the head here, but at which point between Calgary and Edmonton do the Rocky mountains show up?
*nevermind, totally misread that!
*nevermind, totally misread that!
Like I said, I'm Canadian first and foremost, so in that regard I feel more connected to Calgary or Edmonton. Practically though Seattle & Portland for sure, I just feel like south of the border there is a greater sense of regionalism for Cascadia or the PNW.
Haha, oh Colin. Think I only met him once myself, but cool dude. Yeah the power was off all over the place.
Vancouver-GAF should do a meetup so this dude can make some friends real quick up here
Welcome him with Vancouver-style hospitality.Oh shit, Colin. I've never met him but I see him around all the time on campus. He had a poster during Fall semester with the "problem?" troll face on it, right?
Small world Yeah. I was in Waterloo for co-op at the time so never got to see 'em in person but he did have the best campaign I've possibly ever seen in my life. Still has the pics up on the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/158662144188869/
Yeah. I was in Waterloo for co-op at the time so never got to see 'em in person but he did have the best campaign I've possibly ever seen in my life. Still has the pics up on the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/158662144188869/
Truespeed
Member
Hi,
I travel to Vancouver on business regularly and I stay at the Four Seasons. I think it's one of the better hotels in Vancouver and the service is pretty outstanding too - it's the little things they do to make your stay as nice as possible. They also have a restaurant located on the lobby called Yew which is a very good place to eat. The location of the hotel is also convenient as it's located on West Georgia and Howe right in the heart of downtown.
As for credit cards, I rarely carry any cash with me and it's usually only for emergencies so you're fine with just using credit cards, but do try and have some spare Canadian currency just in case. It's too bad you're leaving so early as Roger Waters is playing The Wall here on May 26th.
Truespeed
Member
Depends. Do you like Asian women? If so, you're cleared for takeoff.