|
 Defining
the West End's boundaries.
In my opinion, the area extends from Burrard Street
to English Bay, taking in Coal Harbor, Stanley
Park, Lions Gate Bridge, English Bay, Sunset Beach
and the entrance to False Creek at Burrard Bridge.
On a tight schedule? Save a few minutes via
SkyTrain, from Waterfront Station (by Canada Place)
to Burrard Station, with transfers to BC Transit
buses. Otherwise it's more fun walking, with lots
to see and do. A good landmark is the classic
Marine Building (left), at the foot of Burrard
Street, a few steps from Canada Place, home of the
Vancouver Convention Centre and Cruiseship
Terminal. Scenes in the above 'fotomation' are
courtesy Tourism Vancouver and others interested in
the city's continued popularity as a tourism
destination.
From
cruising the fjords to cruising the
streets
My first view of
Vancouver's West End was from the
deck
of the Princess Louise, one of CPR's fleet of
steamships that plied the Inside Passage to and
from Skagway Alaska. What better introduction to a
great city after four days of wilderness, waves and
whales, than the vision of Lion's Gate Bridge and
Stanley Park. So, if you've disembarked from one of
this year's 250 Alaska Cruises, or gone footloose
from a convention at Canada Place, the West End
begins half a block away.
 On
the corner, the Marine
Building stands
like a royal guard, its 1930s art deco facade every
bit as elegant as it was I attended the Faulkner
Smith Art School there years ago as an aspiring
cartoonist. Once touted as Vancouver's skyscraper,
tallest in the British Empire at the time, it's now
dwarfed by the glass towers of the city's growing
financial district. On the Marine Building's ground
floor is the Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant,
one of the classiest oriental dining spots in town,
graced by a sweeping harbor view, with float
planes, helijets and marine craft of every
description. A snowcapped mountain backdrop
completes the panorama.
Here at the foot of Burrard
Street, you might start your trek after a quick
stop at at Tourism Vancouver's Info Center, leaving
with some maps and brochures.
And as
you look at the float planes landing from Victoria,
Nanaimo and points beyond, you'll spot a new
stretch of seawalk that links the downtown's
waterfront hotels with Stanley Park, English Bay
and False Creek.
We took the
walk and viewed the upscale housing developments
near the Westin Bayshore Hotel and Coal Harbour.
Naturally, we stopped at the Marina and
Carderos,
a new waterfront restaurant that's got class, a
reputation for great food, and a million dollar
view.
Lotus Land's
laid-back lifestyle:
At close to two
million population, Greater Vancouver is Canada's
third largest city, yet its unique West End
community has retained that same visitor-friendly,
small town atmosphere I've always enjoyed. That's
why our staff does most of its banking,
entertaining, routine business and shopping there.
Aside from a bevy of bookstores, the West End's Joe
Fortes Library on Denman Street is my favorite spot
for researching articles. Adjacent to King George
High School, the complex houses a community center,
and for those who yearn to strap on the blades ...
an indoor ice skating rink . Several local figures
skaters were proud to perform a "spinnerama" for
Air Highways camera.
Head for the nearest water
or green space and you'll see that West Enders are
more into tennis, water sports and physical fitness
than their fellow Canadians.They read, shop and
dine out more often too ... and take longer coffee
and cappuccino breaks. Small wonder Starbucks and
Pastels dominate 3 corners at Robson and Thurlow,
or that the local Bread Garden is Denman's top
spot. Next to Manhattan Island, Vancouver's West
End is the continent's most densely populated
residential area, yet one of its most relaxed, laid
back inner-city communities.
Speaking of Manhattan ... a
gingerbread apartment block of that same name still
stands at the above-mentioned corner. It houses a
secluded Italian cafe and a neat bookstore, built
for those with narrow shoulders. Rivaling Hong Kong
and Rio de Janeiro as the world's most beautiful
physical setting, Vancouver has become Hollywood
North, ranking third after LA and New York as a
film and TV production center. The West End alone
has more unique locations and beautiful backdrops
than anywhere else in the
city.
Famous
Doors of Hospitality
Hotels in
Vancouver's West
End include the Barclay, Best Western Sands, Blue
Horizon, Buchan, Coast Plaza at Stanley Park,
Greenbrier, Landmark, Listel O'Doull's, Oceanside,
Parkhill, Renaissance Harbourside, Riviera,
Robsonstrasse, Tropicana and Westin Bayshore. Six
others, The Hotel Vancouver, Hyatt Regency, Burrard
Motor Inn, Century Plaza, Sutton Place and Sheraton
Wall Center &emdash; are all on Burrard Street, the
West End's eastern boundary.
 ...Lord
Stanley's famous park
Visitors are
attracted to the city for the same reasons most
residents remain ... a spectacular outdoor setting,
a clean and safe urban environment and a culture
that celebrates and invites diversity. For
centuries this area was home to the Coast Salish
people of the Musqueam, Kwantlen, Tsawwassen and
Capilano bands as reflected by the totems standing
proudly in Stanley Park. It was these tribes who
greeted Captain George Vancouver in 1792. His
comment must have referred to the forest and
mountain backdrop of Burrard Inlet., "This is the
most lovely country that could be
imagined."
In the late 1880s,
Vancouver's first major drafted a petition to lease
a 1,000 acre military reserve from the federal
government ... an area that later became Stanley
Park. Named for Governor General Lord Stanley, it's
Canada's largest urban park, with its string of
inner-city beaches and miles of walking trails that
skirt Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon, with its
fountain of dancing waters and graceful swans.
Stands of stately Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock
grow in profusion along with a jungle-like growth
of ferns. Open 365 days a year, the Vancouver
Aquarium in Stanley Park features killer and beluga
whales, dolphins and sea otters ... a total of 650
species. There's underwater whale viewing and
outdoor terraces (Information line
604-268-9900).
One
of my top perennial attractions is Theatre
Under the Stars,
where local performances of Broadway shows and
operettas fill the summer evenings with song at
Malkin Bowl. The surrounding gardens, statues and
1920s Pavilion are as beautiful as ever. Returning
to Vancouver after a twenty year absence, this is
one venue that continues to remind me of Stanley
Park at its greatest. There's no better place for a
picnic than Stanley Park, with a profusion of
specialty shops, food markets and delis on nearby
streets.
The
inner-city's most popular loop:
On foot or breezing
along on skates or a rented bicycle, the 6 mile
route around Stanley Park seawall is a stimulating
experience, a feast for the eyes, and a mighty lift
for the soul. You can start at either end. From the
Georgia Street entrance, you pass such landmarks as
the Vancouver Rowing Club, Deadman's Island, Coal
Harbor, the totem poles, the nine o'clock gun,
Brockton Point lighthouse, Lumberman's Arch,
Prospect Point, Siwash Rock, Third Beach, and
Second Beach.
Leaving the park at English
Bay, the seawall continues on to Sunset Beach,
Vancouver Aquatic Center and Burrard Bridge,
connecting to a network of urban trails on both
shores of False Creek, site of Expo '86. Stanley
Park Cycle is on Robson near Denman, Bayshore
Bicycle & Skate Rentals has locations at both
entrances to Stanley Park. Give yourself plenty of
time, from 2 to 4 hours.
Westin
Bayshore Resort Hotel:
We had the privilege of being invited along with
the who's who of Vancouver, to help the Westin
Bayshore celebrate its official re-opening after a
multi million dollar renovation. As a follow-up, we
enjoyed a seafood dinner at the Seawall Bar &
Bistro, on the site of the former Trader Vics. The
Seawall offers one of the world's most breathtaking
panoramas - Coal Harbour Marina and Stanley Park,
Alaska Cruise ships pulling into dock at Canada
Place, float planes and helijets taking off, and a
splendid new waterfront promenade. The Bayshore has
been a favourite for decades; now now there's even
more reason to recommend this great inner city
resort hotel. Call 800-WESTIN-1 or visit or
www.westinbayshore.com.
 The
Sands of English Bay:
From
English Bay and adjoining beaches, you can see a
panorama of tanker ships and freighters awaiting
unloading by a fleet of tugboats, sailboats of
every description, kayaks, canoes, power boats,
float planes, helicopters, wind surfers and
paragliders. Multicolored water taxis skim the
waves from the Aquatic Center on Beach Avenue to
Vancouver Maritime Museum at Kitsilano Point and on
to Granville Island. Over 3,000 foreign ships dock
at Vancouver's sheltered port each year &emdash;
and all can be seen coming and going from one of
many West End vantage points. Footloose
travelers from near and far, agree that the West
End's best known rendezvous for the young and young
at heart, is the corner of Davie and Denman
Streets.
Here, facing
English Bay, stands the Sands
by the Sea,
a unique family hotel that's been a popular meeting
place for three decades. Besides good food and tall
drinks, the Sands'
Bayside Lounge provides a front row seat to
numerous year round activities &emdash; the
Symphony of Fire, the New Year's Polar Bear Swim,
Summer Sea Festival and Christmas Carol Ship Parade
to name a few. The Sands Hotels' resort atmosphere
appeals to families, business travelers and
vacationers alike. Speaking of resorts, the owners
have since added three Okanagan hotels and resorts
to its growing family, each offering the same high
degree of service and attention to
detail.
1975:
The
Sands by the Sea at
Vancouver's English Bay is the flagship of
RPB
Hotels & Resorts,
its 121 guest rooms and public areas have been
upgraded constantly by Craig Prystay,
General Manager.
1980: The
Bayside Lounge at the
Sands Hotel was created as one of the inner-city's
prime beach front dining and meeting spots, with
the hotel's Fireside Room providing a convenient
alternative.
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Having
been footloose in Vancouver, British Columbia since
the days of streetcars, interurban trams, White
Lunch, Woodwards Toyland and Union Steamships, I
consider the West End my special domain. Morning,
noon or night, it's always an inviting place for
rubber-neckers, casual strollers, browsers, grazers
and window shoppers. A sea of umbrellas one moment,
local denizens decked in everything from beachwear
to high fashion the next. It's a passing parade,
minus the 76 trombones-just waiting for you to
follow along.