The largest gay population in Western Canada resides in the ocean-wrapped and snow-covered city of Vancouver. Its gay community is centered around two distinctly different neighborhoods – the West End (commonly called Davie Village) and Commercial Drive (popular with Vancouver’s lesbian community). You can feel the energy as you head into the West End. This lively and vibrant locale is one of Canada’s most densely populated neighborhoods - a mix of the young & stylish, retirees and lots of dogs. The area is as eclectic as the people, with beautiful tree-lined streets, skyscrapers, low-slung apartments, and a few remaining stately Edwardian-style houses.
Davie Street has always been the place for gay men who prefer a high-visibility atmosphere. Also known as Davie Village, this short strip is scattered with cafe’s, restaurants, pubs and clubs, and is anchored by Vancouver’s gay resource center, and Little Sister’s Book and Art emporium. Little Sister’s offers one of the widest selections of gay and lesbian literature in North America. It also has a community bulletin board and a staff that is knowledgeable about local resources and events. The store has been at the forefront of Canada Customs’ view of gay and lesbian reading material, (which is another story all by itself). While you’re at Little Sister’s, grab a free copy of the GLBA Directory published by the Gay and Lesbian Business Association. The directory lists gay businesses or those that are gay-friendly - everything from accountants to veterinarians.
Once you’ve done Davie Street, turn onto Denman Street for even more shopping, eating and people-watching. Choose one of the friendly neighborhood coffee houses and relax or chit-chat with the locals. Before long, the scene will unfold before you. At the crossroads of Davie and Denmen Streets, you’ll find locals and visitors alike heading down to English Bay to take in the beach, the ocean, and the mountains. Grab a bench, sip a double cappucino, and enjoy the show as people of all descriptions propel themselves along the seawall path of Stanley Park
Stanley Park
Slip on some rollerblades, rent a bike, or just lace up a good pair of jogging shoes, then head to Stanley Park and show off those rippled abs and glistening pecs while you take a (st)roll around the park. Stanley Park has three main beach areas: Beach Number 1 is a very mixed crowd, more grass than sand, but very comfortable, mostly straight, but nice. Beach Number 2, Kitsilano, is also nice, and has a GINORMOUS pool, and a large grassy sunning area. But it’s Beach Number 3 where the boys are. After your exercise, grab a towel, shades and lotion and head out here for an afternoon of sun, sand and skin!
Stanley Park is the largest city park—1,000 acres—in Canada. Described by one local writer as a ‘thousand-acre therapeutic couch’, it began as a military reserve in the mid-1800s to guard the entrance to Vancouver harbor from aggressive Americans. The Vancouver Parks Board supervises it— and just about every resident in the city stands ready to offer “an opinion” if anybody has plans to make any changes other than cutting the grass.
Yaletown
Yaletown is the envy of city planners around the world who would love to emulate the area’s transformation from crumbling industrial district to post-modern trendsetter. The Yaletown of today—often regarded as Vancouver’s ‘little Soho’ —is a far cry from the area’s gritty roots in the 1880s, when the Canadian Pacific Railway housed its rail yards here and manufacturers built warehouses to take advantage of easy access to the network. Thriving as the city’s industrial heart for decades, Yaletown suffered badly in the 1940s, when highways replaced rail as the preferred method for transporting goods. By the 1970s, the area’s few remaining businesses were outnumbered by rough bars and derelict storage space. When Expo 86 triggered an examination of the city’s older neighborhoods, Yaletown was among the first to be “rediscovered” as a blank canvas with almost unlimited potential. Designated a historic district, the area’s unique industrial look was retained as artists seeking studio space moved in and old bars were replaced by Bohemian coffee shops and galleries. But Yaletown’s real rejuvenation was linked to the rise of the new economy in the early 1990s, when the architects of the information superhighway began moving into swanky scrubbed-down brick offices and converting warehouses into minimalist, high-ceilinged apartments.
Modern-day Yaletown — roughly bounded by Nelson, Homer, Drake and Pacific Streets—is now teeming with cutting-edge stores and amenities, all within easy walking distance. Unique stores include the Skoah Spa, with its hip and inviting atmosphere, and Urban Fare, a gourmet-lovers’ dream grocery store where exotic products range from marbled Kobe beef to aromatic coffee grown on the slopes of an Indonesian volcanic mountain. Yaletown is also a Vancouver nightlife hotspot, with bars like Bar None and the popular Yaletown Brewing Company—recently voted microbrewery of the year by Brew Pub Magazine—and superb restaurants including Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill, Blue Water Cafe, Umberto Menghi’s Circolo, Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar and the very quaint Amarcord. This kind of colorful celebration of the area’s tough history is central to the Yaletown experience: railway tracks remain embedded in the streets here and an old railway repair shed has been restored as the Roundhouse Community Centre, complete with an innovative theatre and restored steam locomotive.
With the trains long-gone, Yaletown’s modern-day transport options include rollerblading along the nearby seawall and catching a mini Aquabus ferry to Granville Island and beyond. The Yaletown Brewing Company is Vancouver’s original and best Brewpub. Founded in 1994, just as the former warehouse district of Yaletown was beginning to emerge as a destination for businesses and residents, the YBC was built with the vision of being a true neighborhood pub - a welcoming gathering place whether you arrived dressed in a suit or flip-flops. During the intervening years, the neighborhood has undergone tremendous change, but the Brewing Company has remained Yaletown’s premiere destination for superb beers, inspired menus and unpretentious good times.
Driving, Parking, Loonies & Toonies - the primary rules of the road.
Rule # 1 - PEDESTRIANS RULE!!! In Vancouver, 2 feet beat 4 wheels every time. You can get around easily either way. But if you are driving, just keep in mind - when a pedestrian steps into the street, you stop.
Rule # 2 - Don’t be afraid. Driving around Vancouver is easy and laid back. Though I do advise getting a good map - one which indicates clearly the one-way directions of the streets (as most are unidirectional). I found the other drivers unhurried and courteous, and for me (being a southern California driver), it was quite a pleasant change. Things are relatively close to each other in downtown Vancouver and it’s packed full of things to do. Parking is also plentiful, though be sure to have a pocket full of loonies and toonies, as the meters do have an insatiable appetite, and fines for expired parking can be hefty. ($39.96 CAN, in my case, for an expired meter, payable by check, online or via automated phone system.)
Rule # 3 - Know your Loonies & Toonies The Canadian dollar itself is a relatively large gold-colored coin, and the locals have nicknamed it the ‘Loonie’, because it features a Canadian bird (the loon) on its face. The two dollar coin, carrying a polar bear, is called the ‘toonie’ (also spelled ‘twonie’) and has gold in the center and silver on the perimeter. You can use both of them in the parking meters, and you’ll discover that you’ll always be on the look-out for ways to collect more of them.
Museums, Fine Art, and Culture:
The Vancouver Art Gallery, the largest art gallery in western Canada, presents national and international exhibitions of works by a range of artists, from groundbreaking contemporary visionaries to historical masters. Founded in 1931, the Gallery has more than 7,900 works in its collection, valued at over $100 million. The Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 200 major works by the British Columbia artist Emily Carr. This is, in fact, the world’s most significant collection of Carr’s work. Over the past decade, as Vancouver has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of photoconceptual work by Stan Douglas, Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace and other artists; a complete archive of posters by the American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner; and a collection of prints by the American expressionist Leon Golub and the artist Nancy Spero. Most recently, the Gallery has acquired more than sixty works by sixteen internationally acclaimed artists, valued at $3.5 million (CAN). The Vancouver Art Gallery now has one of the most comprehensive photo-based collections in North America, including work by international artists such as Rineke Dijkstra, Andreas Gursky, Cindy Sherman and Thomas Struth. The home of the Gallery is a magnificent turn-of-the-century heritage building with 41,400 square feet of exhibition space. It became the focal point of downtown Vancouver in 1983 when the Gallery moved in. The renowned Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson undertook extensive redesign and reconstruction of the building, meeting international standards for climate control, security and display. Vancouver Art Gallery 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7 604-662-4700 www.vanartgallery.bc.ca
Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery 604-685-9298 www.coastalpeoples.com
Marion Scott Gallery 604-685-1934 Uno Langmann Ltd. 604-736-8825
The Malaspina Printmakers’ Gallery 604-688-1827 www.malaspinaprintmakers.com
Exposure Gallery 604-688-6853 www.exposure-gallery.com
Contemporary Art Gallery www.contemporaryartgallery.ca
Annual Events
Vancouver Pride Parade - The Vancouver Pride Parade, held the first weekend in August, is not just a party for gays and lesbians. Rather, it’s a celebration of diversity, and anybody who shares the “life is a cabaret” spirit will feel right at home. The Vancouver Pride Society’s number is 604.687.0955 and their website is www.vancouverpride.ca.
Out on Screen Queer Film Festival - Also not to be missed if you’re in Vancouver is the Out on Screen Queer Film Festival, running for a week and a half at the beginning of August. It’s a menagerie of local product and international premieres with more features showing every year. Their website is www.outonscreen.com.
Gay & Lesbian Ski Week - Every year, an estimated 2,500 people from around the world participate in events on and off the slopes during the Altitude Gay & Lesbian Ski Week at Whistler. Located just 75 miles north of Vancouver, via the scenic Sea-to-Sky highway, Whistler Resort boasts the two greatest-vertical-rise ski mountains on the continent (Whistler and Blackcomb) and the most advanced high-speed lift system in the world.
Stay:
Fahrenheit Hotel - 1212 Granville St. Anything but boring...The FAHRENHEIT HOTEL offers all the benefits of hotel services, and blends them with the hottest opportunities for contemporary gay travelers to find whatever they are looking for in a discreet haven created just for men. Most guest rooms accommodate two guests, are non-smoking, retro decorated, and offer refrigerators, cable TV, and an Electronic Security Safe to ensure the safety of your personal valuables. Staying with the European style, the bathrooms and showers are at the ends of each hall and are private upon entering.
Ramada - The Ramada Vancouver Inn and Suites is conveniently located on Granville Street between Drake and Davie Streets in the heart of downtown. Amenities include wireless internet service, in-room coffee and tea service, cable television, voicemail, hairdryers, daily newspaper service, and complimentary access to Fitness World (located just a two minute walk away). Onsite parking is available, pets are welcome, and the helpful front desk staff is always available to assist you.
Rosedale on Robson - Experience the Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel as a place to come for business, or pleasure. It’s an independent hotel that is not pretentious, but welcoming, friendly, and definitely open-minded. Feel free to be yourself and have fun. The staff will always help you locate any gay or gay-friendly shop, restaurant or nightclub.
