Robson Street

Vancouverites either love (most) or loathe  Robson Street.  A few minutes walk from the Hyatt, Robson is vibrant, busy, and loaded with shops, dining, people watching, people watching back, and just plain fun. 

 

Granville Island      

Granville Island is a must see. Shops, musea (trains, ships), sights, sounds, smells. Everything from bagels to beer, glassblowing to dinner theatre, and a working marina. At the Net Loft you'll find exotic papers, hats, offbeat postcards, custom eyeglasses, beads of every shape, books, crafts, kitchen supplies, an array of cookbooks, First Nations gifts, clothing and accessories. By the Island's main entrance: the Kids Market; atypical toys, books, musical instruments, candy, rubber stamps, room decor and clothing for children gather under one roof.  These are only two examples.  

Vancouver Public Library        

A must see for one of the more amazing architectural marvels.  Apparently  inspired by the (broken) coliseum of Rome, this really turns out to be an amazing building. Moshe Safdie, Richard Archambault and Barry Downs architects. 

Vancouver Architectural Tour  

Vancouver is a blend of old (okay, not as old as say, Athens), newish, and ultramodern architecture. The weather, or defiance of it, leads to some interesting adaptations in architecture. The library, courthouse, Museum of Anthropology (Arthur Erickson), Simon Fraser University (Arthur Erickson), UBC's malls and libraries, are examples of the range of modern design. (Okay, it's possible Arthur Erickson has had a rather large influence on Vancouver, is that a bad thing?). Chinatown's narrowest office building (a stylized flatiron building,  Heritage Hall, Gastown are examples of the early 20 th century.  Walking and bus tours run from several sites around the city. City of Vancouver Community Services has some info on walking tours of the heritage districts, as does the Architectural Institute of British Columbia.

Canada Place is the port for west coast cruise ships, and it's a short walk from the hotel.

 

Chinatown

A long history, not all happy, but all rich, infuses Chinatown with an interesting character.  Second in size only to San Francisco's Chinatown. Parts of Chinatown are expanding away to the new Chinatown area in Richmond, but what's here is still great.  Food, sights and sounds. Take dim-sum at any one of dozens of good restaurants, then Visit the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, an oasis of peace and tranquility in the heart of the city. Chinatown is about 10 mintues walk west of the Hyatt, south from Hastings. Maybe the Night Market is to your tastes. See the world's narrowest office !