I have to make a work-related trip to Vancouver in about 2 weeks; I’ve never been there (never been to Canada at all, actually), so I’m looking for advice from folks from the area. Bars, clubs, restaurants, sights, etc. etc. I’m going to plan the trip for the latter part of the week so I’ll have the weekend to myself to check out the city.
Thanks!
–IDB
Do you know where you will be staying? Vancouver, like most other metro cities, actually has several other cities that form the greater metro Vancouver area (Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Surrey, ditch-- er, I mean, Richmond) 
What turns your crank? Shopping? Parks? Scenery? Watching druggies on skid-row?
Well, our office there is located at 425 Carrall St, Vancouver, B.C. if that helps. I have no idea where Carrall St. is in relation to everything else, however.
I’m into just about anything; I’ll try darn near anything once, and if it’s slightly amusing I’ll do it again. 
I’ll have 2 or 3 days of “me-time” before I have to come back.
–IDB
Your office is well situated for watching the druggies on skid row.
Otherwise…
Bars: The Railway Club (for live music), The ANZA Club (for a friendly beer)
Sights: Stanley Park, Lynn Canyon, Kitsilano or Spanish Banks (beaches), the forest near UBC or take a ferry to Victoria for a day.
Others: Commerical Dr., Main Street (Mount Pleasant area)
Avoid: Robson St. (commercial/tourist hell), Main & Hastings (skid row).
Aw, Robson ain’t that bad. Gastown’s pretty nice too (where your office is). Head down to Cigar Connoisseurs and get some cubans. Go to restaurants (but none in that neighbourhood-- go further west) and get some great food. On Davie: Random, Samurai Sushi, Stephos, Ho Ho King. Banana Leaf on Denman. Cincin on Robson.
If you want to see cops busting down on crack vendors, go to the police station at main and hastings-- then wander west on hastings to visit the poorest neighbourhood in Canada. Don’t worry, you will be perfectly safe, even late at night, because you’re not a local. Unless you’re wearing ripped jeans that smell of urine…
Well, IIRC that is pretty much right downtown. Thats good as you’re right near all sorts of public transportation.
[sub]FTR, I don’t live there anymore but did for a number of years.[/sub]
I’d recomend you:
Take the seabus over to Lonsdale Quay.
Go over to Granville Island (more or less underneath the Granville bridge). Both of the above places are good places to have a coffee and take in the sites and people watch.
There are several pubs and nightlife activities downtown. Since I haven’t been there in a while I really wont recomend any ('except Steamworks pub, it was right next to Canada Place/Seabus terminal) so maybe ask people in your Vancouver office.
Go around Stanley Park.
Visit Gastown.
Go to Kitts Beach (and the various other beaches) and peoplewatch. There is some gorgeuous wimmin there (and I suppose dudes too, if thats your bag)
Chinatown in Vancouver is interesting. Give it a visit too if it turns your fancy.
Take the bus to North Van and maybe go to the Capilano bridge or go up to Mt. Seymor or Cypruss Bowl.
If you want to do shopping, there are plenty of stores in the area (including trendy Robson Street) and the Skytrain will quickly take you to Metrotown in Burnaby.
Food ideas? There are lots of great places in the lower mainland area. I’m actually more familiar with Burnaby though, so I’ll have to leave it to other dopers for specific recomendations. However, for a lunch there is a gyro place on Lonsdale Quay that is a small family run outfit. It’s been there for years. They make awsome an awsome gyro, especially the lamb.
BTW - Be aware of the Downtown eastside. You’ll be close to it. It is rife with drug users and prostitutes. That is something that Vancouver is not short of and not a place I’d be comfortable exploring on my own… not that you’d really want to.
what they said.
Grouse mountain sky ride is a real touristy thing to do, but its fun, you can watch a movie ontop of a mountain, and you get fabulous views.
Skiing is WAY over though, and this year the conditions on the local mountains were always crap.
I like the Commercial Drive area a lot. There are some good restaurants and cafes, and interesting shops. Also, over the Burrard Street bridge, Broadway, 4th and 10th all have their attractions. One of my favourite restaurants (i’m vegetarian) is The Namh (on 4th, i think - it’s been a while). There was also a great place downtown called Delilah’s but a friend tells me that it’s not quite what it used to be.
The Gastown bars and pubs are pretty good, but at the popular ones you often have to wait to get in on busy nights.
I like Davie street. It’s sort of the gay heart of Vancouver, and there are some good clubs in the area, as well as decent bars and restaurants. The bar of the Sylvia Hotel, a few blocks west of Denman, is a great place to have a drink and watch the sun set over English Bay.
I gotta say my two favorites in order of appearance are Granville Island and Gastown. Granville is a great place for just watching humans doing stuff, having a coffee, watching some boats, some quaint shops. I like it. Gastown…er… I have no idea why, but the steam clock holds my gaze like the stare of an emu. They have an autorace there sometime during the year, but I don’t know when.
Is The Crime Lab still around? I think it was on Pender. Good food, great martinis, cool atmosphere. And I always reccomend Vij’s to people headed up there - the best Indian food I’ve ever had, bar none. Oh, there’s a great little place called Uforia, on Burrard, across from the Sutton Place. A bit expensive, but if you’re on an expense account since you’re going to be there for work… Chinatown is definitely worth a visit, and so is Robson Street, even if it is trendy and touristy. Some great shoe stores! Definitely, definitely make it to Stanley Park.
I need to make it back up there sometime soon…
Hey, welcome!
You shoulda come Saturday before last - there was a mini-Dope at Akbar’s Own in Vacouver.
If you want a quick look at the whole area, take a trip on the Skytrain. Great way to kill an hour during the afternoon. The Seabus is fun too. Two bucks Cdn will take you anywhere you can go within ninety minutes, all day Saturday and Sunday. It’s more depending on how far you’re going Mon-Fri, until 6:30 when it all becomes a flat $2.00 again. Do NOT get off at Gateway or Surrey Central. There’s a reason the Gateway area is referred to as “Ground Zero”! You think Hastings and Main is bad? Ha! Amatures!
Stanley Park is always good as are Gastown, Granville and Chinatown. If you’re the athletic type, try the Grouse Grind hiking trail. Deadly. You get a cut rate on the Skyride if you’re only going back down.
Have a good visit!
That’s the Naam Restaurant, and it is on Fourth. Great vegetarian stuff.
If you’re looking for something less healthy, I’m told the Jolly Alderman Pub has the best poutine in town.
There’s also the Vancouver Art Gallery right downtown in the old courthouse. See the Emily Carr collection upstairs.
Thanks for all the suggestions! Heck, I may need more than 3 days…sounds like an interesting town.
Best Regards,
–IDB