Westside

West Side

The west side is bounded by English bay and the solid line of beaches to the north, the straight of Juan de Fuca to the West, and the Fraser river to the south.


Granville Island is a tiny peninsula that has the best produce and meat market in vancouver, many craft shops, the arts club theatre, a few good restaurants, our favourite pub (Bridges as they still serve Russell Cream Ale), an insanely great kids market and play area. It still is a working island as there are boat repair yards and a cement park. Very busy on weekends, with easy access via water taxi.

the Beaches start to the west of Burrard bridge with Kits point and then the very popular Kits Beach. Some rocky areas, then Jericho, Locarno, Spanish Banks are all very nice for walking, swimming, skimboarding. Jericho sailing club rents windsurfers and kayaks, and the view from the Jericho sailing club restaurant is insane.

UBC keeps with the British school system style of putting education institutions on mountains or peninsulas. The view from the Rose garden is inspiring, though why they had to put the Chan centre for the performing arts with NO windows in the best view spot on campus is beyond my ken. The museum of Anthropology is definitely worth a visit for those interested in coast indian history. To the west of UBC is wreck beach, the only nude beach in vancouver. Pacific Spirit park is a forest between UBC and Vancouver that has many walking, biking and horse-riding trails. It's a very enjoyable walk.

Queen Elizabeth Park is the height of Vancouver in an old Quarry that has been redone as an amazing garden. Next to Stanley Park's rose garden, it's a favourite for wedding pictures. The view is very good. Very close by is the van Duesen botanical gardens that makes a nice double garden combo.

Fourth Avenue is the trendiest shopping in area in the west side and is the heart of the Kitsilano neighbourhood.

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