StanleyPark
Postmark
Brewing
Chouchou
BretonCrépes
M
eganand Idecided that theway
toenteracity likeVancouver, one
that reportedlyexists ingreat
harmonywith itsenvironment,wouldbe
todosoby train.We took theAmtrak from
Seattle, ascenic, four-hour, slowsnaking
ridealong thePacificCoast.Thegorgeous
waterviewsarespectacular, yes, andwe
didget towave toanestof seagulls that
actedas the train’smascot.But thereal joy
ishowquicklyonecanget throughcus-
toms. (Especially ifyouspringa littlemore
forbusiness-classseats,which, because
youget todetrainfirstandget right in line
atcustoms, is totallyworth it.)
Inacity likeDallas—105degrees
whenI left, asopposed tomid-70swhen
Iarrived inVancouver—yourarelywalk
places.Thecity isnotconducive to it,
eitherbydesignorbecauseof theheat.
Isometimeswalkonemile toworkand
people lookatme likeI’maunicorn.Here,
though, as inhighlywalkablecities like
NewYorkorSanFrancisco,wideside-
walkswerepackedwithpedestrians. In
EastCoastcities, this isoftenasmuch
a functionofdensityasanythingelse:
nearly67,000peoplepersquaremile in
Manhattan, forexample.Andwhile the
cityofVancouver iscertainlydense (about
13,000persquaremile, themostdensely
populatedcity inCanada, and fourth-most
ofmajorcities inNorthAmerica), it’salso
acitywell integratedwith itsenvironment
andwell thought-outbycityplanners.
Walking thestreets, one intuitively
feels thissymbiosisbetweenpedestrians
and thecity. Streetsarenarrowand traffic
movesslowly, soyounever feelunsafe
walking through it.Younevercome toa
suddenend toasidewalkandare forced
into theroador intoparking lots likeyou
oftenare inDallas. (In fact, youalmost
neverseeparking lots, thescourgeofmod-
erncitydesign, inVancouver.)
Wenoticedsomethingevenmore
overwhelmingwithin justa fewmoments
ofexploringthecityon foot:Everyonehere
isbeautiful. Intimidatinglyso.Thewomen
arestunningofcourse,asallwomenare.
Buteventhemenareshockinglywellput
together,eachone lookingmore likea
model thanthe last. Ispiedonemancoming
towarduswhosesexappealhasapparently
EATATFOODTRUCKS/STANDS
Everyone loves Japadog, which sells big
juicydogswithJapanese condiments. But we
died for the crepes servedbyFrenchwoman
Nathalie atChouchouBretonCrêpes (track
her at
Chouchoucrepes.com
).
SIPGREATCOFFEE
The city is known for its coffee, but we found
themacchiatos at Revolver inGastown tobe
sublime. Two is plenty. I had three. 325Cambie
St.
Revolvercoffee.ca
BIKEORRUN INSTANLEYPARK
Thereare several great bike shops that offer
rentalsonDenmanStreet just offWestGeorgia
Street, right as theparkbegins. There isoften
aparkguide right at its entrance (near thepark
guideboard) tohelpanswer your questions and
provideamap if needed.
Vancouver.ca
VANCOUVERMUST-DO’s
Vancouver showedmehowacitycan
notonly toleratebutencouragebikeuse.
Bike lanesarewideandabundant.
DRINKLOCAL
Wedrank a lot of great beermade in the area.
Thebest place to samplewasPostmarkBrew-
ing, in theRailwayDistrict. Friendly, open,
vibrant. 55DunlevyAve.
Postmarkbrewing.com
EATSUSHI
Mikuprovides a to-die-formenu and stunning
waterfront views from its dining room.De-
servedly known as thebest sushi in town. 200
GranvilleSt.
Mikurestaurant.com
AMERICANWAY
OCTOBER2015
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