Inside Vancouver

Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 6 Quality Inn

by Inside Vancouver in Town on March 14, 2011

On a drizzly Sunday afternoon I hopped off the Trolley at Stop #6, the Quality Inn. I started my venture at the Yale Hotel, a local favorite for nightly jazz and blues with a strong Vancouver history. The Yale was originally a CPR bunkhouse back in the 1880s and continued throughout the decades as a popular community meeting place. Today it not only houses live music nightly (please note this establishment is 19+), billiards tables and multiple TVs for sports, but is home to a recording studio as well.

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Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 6 Quality Inn

Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 4 Vancouver Art Gallery

by Inside Vancouver in Town on February 25, 2011

This is the fourth of a series of blog posts, detailing some of the many things to do along the Vancouver Trolley line. This article is cross-posted on the Vancouver Trolley blog.

It was another beautiful day here in Vancouver as I hopped off the Trolley at stop #4, at the Vancouver Art Gallery. My first visit was to Robson Square, a host to various community events throughout the year. Currently the Square features a free ice rink that is open to the public daily until February 28th, 2011. This is a great area because it is in the hub of downtown, connecting Robson Street to Granville and beyond. This is also a great place to find street vendors selling jewelry, paintings, clothing and food.

Next I visited the Gallery Cafe for a cup of coffee and a snack before roaming through the Gallery Store. The Store has a wonderful selection of exhibit related goodies, but also sells everything from books, glasses, t-shirts and stationary. Admittedly, if I’d known about the Store’s eclectic collection before Christmas, I could probably have done most of my shopping there, while picking a few things up for myself as well. Continue reading:
Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 4 Vancouver Art Gallery

Canada Line Shopping Crawl

by Remy Scalza in Shop on February 13, 2011

It’s been almost 18 months now since the Canada Line was inaugurated, and it’s safe to say that Vancouver’s newest SkyTrain line has been an unequivocal success. Every day more than a hundred thousand riders are whisked back and forth on the line, traveling to home, to work, to the airport and – of course – to the shopping malls. In fact, sometimes it seems like the stations on the Canada Line were planned out specifically with shoppers in mind.

I indulged in a little Canada Line shopping crawl recently, starting out in Richmond and working my way into Vancouver via the SkyTrain. I’ve highlighted my stops below, but this is certainly not the only possible itinerary. If you’ve got a favourite Canada Line shopping crawl, please share your ideas by leaving a comment. Here’s how my trip played out:

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Canada Line Shopping Crawl

After-Hours Bargain Shopping at Park Royal Mall

by Remy Scalza in Shop on November 15, 2010

Is it too early to start thinking about holiday shopping? Of course it’s not . . . .

A great way to kick off your shopping and support a good cause is the Starry Nights event at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver. On Monday, Nov. 29, and Tuesday, Nov. 30, the mall, which has more than 280 shops and restaurants, will be staying open after hours from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for two nights of bargain shopping.

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After-Hours Bargain Shopping at Park Royal Mall

Vancouver’s Mini Rodeo Drive: Alberni Street

by Remy Scalza in Town on August 21, 2010

Photo: SkyScraperCity.com

Long gone are the days when Vancouver was seen as a rustic West Coast outpost, all lumberjacks and hardy outdoor types. But a misperception persists that the city, for all of its natural beauty and glorious scenery, somehow lags behind in the glitz and glam department – as if having snow-capped mountains in your backyard precludes having fine restaurants and upscale retailers.

Alberni Street, also known as Vancouver’s mini Rodeo Drive, is fast putting those stereotypes to rest. There may still be a 7-11 on the corner and a BC Liquor Store smack dab in the middle, but Alberni Street has quietly conglomerated some of the ritziest boutiques and snazziest bistros in the city. The recent completion of the Shangri-La Hotel and the opening of a host of new restaurants over the past several years has cemented Alberni’s reputation as Vancouver’s capital of bling.

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Vancouver’s Mini Rodeo Drive: Alberni Street

Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 6 Quality Inn

Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 4 Vancouver Art Gallery

Canada Line Shopping Crawl

After-Hours Bargain Shopping at Park Royal Mall

Vancouver’s Mini Rodeo Drive: Alberni Street

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