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Today, most
all of Greater Vancouver you'll find a touch of the
Orient. Expo '86 sparked a carnival atmosphere by
way of street attractions, with buskers, jugglers,
poets, clowns and musicians performing on Robson's
main shopping strip.
.A
wide variety of chic boutiques make Robson a
Shopper's Mecca, with European, African, American
and original West Coast designer clothing,
Northwest Coast Indian art and jewelry among the
popular items.One four block stretch on Robson is
home to many famous retailers - Arzita's, Roots,
Below the Belt, Aveda, Fila and Virgins, and other
popular names. Robson Street is often compared to
Hollywood's Rodeo Drive, and its stores keep late
hours for shoppers' convenience and to help pay the
abnormally high rent. Thanks to Tourism Vancouver
for the images used in the above 'fotomation.'
Robson
Market
The
lower (west) end of Robson Street has undergone
less change in the recent decade and is a somewhat
more relaxed. One disappointment has been Robson
Public Market, which has experienced turnover,
losing several key tenants. Despite that fact, we
still shop there often, because its so well
located, has all the basics we want including a
superb meat market -- and free underground parking.
With several large residential complexes in the
area nearing completion, Robson Market will soon
spring back to its original level of activity.
Across the street is Capers, an upscale food store
-- another great place to stock up for your next
picnic in Stanley Park or English Bay.
Robson
Street springs to life as night descends on a city
that was once considered the neon capital of
Canada; people cruising on foot or joining the
passing parade of cars, jeeps and limos. There's an
electric selection of nightly entertainment on
these busy streets, from rock n' roll to jazz,
blues and top 40, in venues ranging from funky
clubs and bars to elegant restaurants. The Empire
Landmark's revolving rooftop restaurant lets you
drink in the scenery along with your sparkling wine
or martini. Street level bistros and coffee houses
present a
totally
different experience.
We used this
elegant venue for a commercial video shoot several
years ago, and it proved to be an ideal locale to
show off Vancouver's West End. Vancouver
claims to have the world's highest ratio of
*foreign-born population, reflected in its
diversity of restaurants and beautiful women. As
told to us by sophisticated travelers, Vancouver
now has the best Chinese food available anywhere,
including Hong Kong.
Salt
Water City, from Mill to
Metropolis
 by
Jerry
W. Bird
Readers of Conde Nast
Magazine voted Vancouver one of the world's top 10
destinations, attracting nearly 8 million visitors
at last count. Nearby Whistler Resort has been
voted North America's top ski resort by Lifestyles
of the Rich and Famous for four years in a row.
Downtown Vancouver is only 24 miles from the
Canada-US boundary and 20 minutes from the
international airport, with float plane and/or
helicopter service from the waterfront to Victoria,
Nanaimo and Seattle. Two terminals serve BC-Alaska
cruise passengers, with 250 sailings from May to
October. Three railway stations offer passenger
service to the BC's interior, Atlantic Canada and
America's Amtrak. BC Ferries, with one of the
world's largest fleets, serves a variety of ports,
from the Southern Gulf Islands to Prince Rupert and
the Queen Charlottes.
Lifestyle: Vancouver
ranks second among 118 world cities in quality of
life.  Tempered
by the Pacific Ocean currents,
the city's weather is the mildest in Canada. Spring
comes early, with flowers in full bloom by early
March. Value: Currently the US dollar is worth
$1.40 Canadian.
Source: BC Gov't Apec brochure. *local survey of
published statistics. Beach Scene by Molly Lamb is
from our "Artists for Kids." feature.
Speaking
of Dining:
On my latest
inspection trip, I counted no less than 27
restaurants inside the first two blocks from
Burrard Street west. One of these is Joe Forte's
Seafood Restaurant, named after a Jamaican, who
earned a place in history as lifeguard at English
Bay. Want to dine in style, with a park and/or
Ocean view? Stanley Park has three superb
restaurants, The Fish House, The Tea House and
Prospect Point Cafe. Or how about a Dinner Cruise
of Burrard Inlet, from Stanley Park's Coal Harbor
Marina. Gabriola
Mansion, named for the
Gulf Islands sandstone used in construction was
built in 1899 at the corner of Davie and Nicola
Streets by the Rogers family of BC Sugar fame. It
was declared a heritage building in 1974 and after
restoration became Hy's Mansion, an upscale
restaurant. Carrying on the fine food tradition,
the building is now the home of Romano's Macaroni
Grill (more to come).
Footloose in
Vancouver's Gastown.
Then cap it all off on SkyTrain
and SeaBus.
It's a great way to experience the city and four of
its suburbs for pocket change.
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My
brother Jean Pierre and I came to Vancouver from
France, and like many Europeans who live here, my
favorite venue is Robson Street, where Jean Pierre
has his own studios for a decade. For many years,
this ten block stretch was called "Robsonstrasse"
because of its variety of German and Austrian
shops, delis, coffee bars and great little
restaurants. Last month we found out that the
Heidelberg Restaurant, a fixture in Robson Square
for generations is still going strong, it has moved
down to Howe Street and is part of the City Centre
Travelodge.