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[Mama Smurf]

So I'm all moved into Vancouver now. There are some things which piss me off about this country, and plenty of things I like too, but I'll save those for another topic.

What I need help with, is things to do. Touristy things for this time of year which aren't reliant on the weather being good.

You see, my sister is coming to visit Nov 27th to Dec 4th. Now I told her multiple times that there would be a lot more to do and this would be a much nicer place to see if she just held off until nearer summer, but she's too impatient. These are the things I already know:

Aquarium

Stanley Park

Suspension bridge

Cable car up Grouse Mountain

Chinese gardens

Unfortunately, all of these (including the aquarium, I went when it was raining and it was pretty miserable) require at least half decent weather, something hardly guaranteed that time of year.

So do you guys know of anything to do if it's wet? It's got to be close (I'm in the West End, so judge close from that) or easy enough to get to with public transport. I can take her shopping and show her the place in general, but that's going to get old fast.

While I'm at it, is there any dedicated videogame store in this whole damn peninsula other than EB at Pacific Mall? Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I can't find one. Which seems crazy to me when this place probably has over ten times the population of where I used to live, where you could see four without even trying.

 

[Mike Works]

While I'm at it, is there any dedicated videogame store in this whole damn peninsula other than EB at Pacific Mall? Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I can't find one. Which seems crazy to me when this place probably has over ten times the population of where I used to live, where you could see four without even trying.

Define "West End" and I can help you out with that.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I'm right by English Bay (it's a coincidence, honest), though anywhere in the downtown area is fine too.

 

[Mike Works]

Well I personally buy all my videogame stuff from Future Shop. There's an EB in Pacific Center as you mentioned, and there are 2 Future Shop's close to where you are in Vancouver- one downtown on Robson and Georgia, and one on Broadway and Burrard.

 

[Warm Machine]

So far this year we are getting about 1/2 and 1/2 rain to sun which is great. Hopefully it will continue so snow will fall on the local mountians so I can ski!

Canada Place is a nice place to take someone. That is where the downtown IMAX theater is.

Science World has the big silver geodesic dome and inside that dome is the OMNIMAX theater.

The Vancouver Public Library is a nice place to go if only for the building. It's seen in loads of movies. It served as the cloning company in The 6th Day.

If your sister is drinking age there are loads of cool little hotspots around. Then there is always the casino.

This may help you...

http://www.where.ca/vancouver/

There are sometimes events going on at BC Place and GM Place

Oh, The Bay downtown has skillfully hid a brand new DVD and Game section on the top floor of the store. Certainly worth a look mostly because the Bay is the last place people think of to buy games and they usually have stock when other stores are out of it.

 

[yodathesoda]

Head to Victoria.

 

[Mike Works]

And then quickly run away once you realize how boring it is.

It's a fun game all Vancouverites play!

 

[Mama Smurf]

Thanks guys, some useful info. Pity the hockey isn't on, really wanted to see a game.

Oh and the library is an amazing looking building, though it's fantasy section is crap. But the free internet's cool.

 

[Dyne]

Check out the Chinese Dim sums here, too. We have the some of the best on the continent. The only other place that compares is San Francisco. Try The Pink Pearl or Kirin. Sushi is also extremely plentiful. Try Daimasu on Broadway, Sui Sha Ya (all-you-can-eat), Kamei Royale on Broadway, and Ichibankan on Thurlow. Also, the four Afghan Horsemen is a nice, different restaurant, as is the Brazilian Steakhouse, but the Brazilian Steakhouse is extremely expensive. Makes for one hell of a night, though. You can get meats ranging from emu to beef to rabbit. It's delicious.

Granville Island makes for a nice expedition, too.

If you want to find an older game or a harder to find game, check out Willow Video in Langley (near Willowbrook Mall) and Mostly Music (downtown Port Coquitlam.) They're great for finding older stuff. But definitely Future Shop for all your gaming needs; EBs in Canada just prove to be crap most of the time.

 

[Mike Works]

Thanks guys, some useful info. Pity the hockey isn't on, really wanted to see a game.

Which city did you move from?

 

[Warm Machine]

Totally forgot about Granville Island!

Yesterday I caught a Les Miserable at the Queen Elizabeth Theater. That was a pretty wicked experience. The theater and arts here can be pretty impressive.

There are a few amazing food areas of town. Davie St. has some very good restaurants such as Takis Taverna and Stephos for greek. Near Virgin Megastore downtown is Kobe Japanese steakhouse which is great for the show the chefs put on. Also near is Samba. Shabusen, which is an all you can eat sushi place and King Fortune which has Dim Sum as well as regular chinese food.

Food is where Vancouver really shines.

Oh speaking of Virgin Megastore they have a very good game dept upstairs and their prices are competitive which is surprising since their CDs and DVDs are way overpriced!

 

[Mama Smurf]

Which city did you move from?

Ermm, Chorley, England. Not a city though, barely even a town.

Thanks for the advice on restaurants guys, though it'd probably help if I mentioned I'm vegetarian. As is my sister. I'm sure a lot of the places you've suggested would so some vegetarian stuff though...probably not the steak houses. Or the sushi places.

 

[Dyne]

Totally forgot about Granville Island!

Yesterday I caught a Les Miserable at the Queen Elizabeth Theater. That was a pretty wicked experience. The theater and arts here can be pretty impressive.

There are a few amazing food areas of town. Davie St. has some very good restaurants such as Takis Taverna and Stephos for greek. Near Virgin Megastore downtown is Kobe Japanese steakhouse which is great for the show the chefs put on. Also near is Samba. Shabusen, which is an all you can eat sushi place and King Fortune which has Dim Sum as well as regular chinese food.

Food is where Vancouver really shines.

Oh speaking of Virgin Megastore they have a very good game dept upstairs and their prices are competitive which is surprising since their CDs and DVDs are way overpriced!

Yeah, I've been to Stephos' too. Vancouver has great Greek too.

The Kobe steakhouse is one I forgot.

Virgin's definitely a good place to look for games. Have you checked the bargain bin they had near the front? I found some great games in ther for $20.

Oh, and the Four Afghan Horsemen's restaurant I mentioned is the one of the best places for vegetarian meals.

 

[Warm Machine]

The NAAM is a Vegetarian restaurant. Afghan Horseman is really great.

Some of the Spanish restaurants such as El Patio and La Bodega have a reasonable amount of vegetarian dishes. There are a few really good Indian restaurants if you are into that.

There is amateur league hockey going on in town. I'm ashamed to say that I don'tknow where or when though!

 

[Mama Smurf]

I just looked at the menu for that Afghan restaurant and it looks really great. Slightly out of the way, but I'll have to make the effort to go sometime.

 

[Socreges]

Thanks guys, some useful info. Pity the hockey isn't on, really wanted to see a game.

The Vancouver Giants are cheap, quality hockey. Fun atmosphere and stuff. You should catch a game. They play at the Pacific Coliseum.

And of course you've moved here just in time for the ski/snowboard season. Don't know if you've ever gone, but you should definitely give it a shot at least once (when there are optimum conditions). Naturally pretty expensive, though, unless you have your own equipment (which I figure you don't).

 

[yodathesoda]

And then quickly run away once you realize how boring it is.

It's a fun game all Vancouverites play!

Then realize you can't run away because of the complete gridlock on all roads and highways in Vancouver

 

[Mama Smurf]

The Vancouver Giants are cheap, quality hockey. Fun atmosphere and stuff. You should catch a game. They play at the Pacific Coliseum.

And of course you've moved here just in time for the ski/snowboard season. Don't know if you've ever gone, but you should definitely give it a shot at least once (when there are optimum conditions). Naturally pretty expensive, though, unless you have your own equipment (which I figure you don't).

Oh cool, I'll definitely try and catch a game. I'm unlikely to be able to tell the difference between quality hockey and average hockey anyway, unless I saw them side by side. I did catch a BC Lions game...god I hate this version of football. The girls I went with liked it, but that's probably because it wasn't so much a sport as a fucking carnival for half the time we were there.

I'm definitely going to go and try snowboarding. Hopfully it won't be too expensive for me as I made friends with quite a few people who've gone up to Whistler to work now while I was staying at the youth hostel (all aussies or brits, there's a shock). We've exhanged numbers etc., so as long as at least one person ends up staying in somewhere that isn't staff accommodation, I might just be on someone's floor for free. And of course they'll get to stay with me if they need to visit Vancouver or if they want to come and hang out after the season is over.

 

[Mike Works]

To be fair to the Lions, you trying to enjoy a CFL game would be like me going to England and trying to enjoy a field hockey game. Go check out the Giants as Socreges suggested. The experience isn't as cool as a Canucks game, but it's still quality, cheap hockey.

I also don't know what kind of stuff you want to take your sister to, but the current art exhibit is fairly interesting (though there's not as much "art" as you'd expect), and there is some good theatre going on at the moment too. Check out listings for GM Place and Queen E to be specific.

 

[Socreges]

I'm definitely going to go and try snowboarding. Hopfully it won't be too expensive for me as I made friends with quite a few people who've gone up to Whistler to work now while I was staying at the youth hostel (all aussies or brits, there's a shock). We've exhanged numbers etc., so as long as at least one person ends up staying in somewhere that isn't staff accommodation, I might just be on someone's floor for free. And of course they'll get to stay with me if they need to visit Vancouver or if they want to come and hang out after the season is over.

Wow, good deal. Funny that when you go to British hostels you'll of course find a lot of Canadians and Americans instead. (and Aussies. they're everywhere)

Activities: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/todo/winter/

You can find the lift/rental prices there, too.

I would suggest getting a day or two up at the local mountains (Grouse, Seymour, Cypress), if you can, before going to Whistler to snowboard. There's a fairly steep learning curve and the last thing you want to do is spend the first couple days in Whistler on your butt, y'know?

 

[SickBoy]

To be fair to the Lions, you trying to enjoy a CFL game would be like me going to England and trying to enjoy a field hockey game.

Not to mention that from all reports, BC Place is apparently one of the worst venues for CFL football and it's not a great time. I've taken relatives from the UK come to watch Stampeders and Eskimos games, and I think in all cases they've had a blast.

And ditto on the Giants stuff. I was going to mention checking out WHL, but I see that's already been covered.

 

[Socreges]

Not to mention that from all reports, BC Place is apparently one of the worst venues for CFL football and it's not a great time. I've taken relatives from the UK come to watch Stampeders and Eskimos games, and I think in all cases they've had a blast.

And ditto on the Giants stuff. I was going to mention checking out WHL, but I see that's already been covered.

BC Place suuuuuucks. It's so empty and sterile. I actually played a few games (football) there. Everything about the stadium is so primitive and lifeless. Especially since we had about three dozen people in the stands. I think we doubled attendance for Lions' games one year, though.

 

[Mike Works]

BC Place suuuuuucks. It's so empty and sterile. I actually played a few games (football) there. Everything about the stadium is so primitive and lifeless. Especially since we had about three dozen people in the stands. I think we doubled attendance for Lions' games one year, though.

You didn't have to pretend to be interested in Jonny Storm for 4 consecutive 14 hour days, buddy.