Vancouver's
West End: The
Gay Village
Courtesy Tourism Vancouver
A
lively and vibrant neighbourhood in Vancouver's downtown core, the
West End stretches from Coal Harbour to English Bay, with Stanley
Park on one side and Burrard Street on the other.
As Canada's most densely populated area, it's an
eclectic mix of skyscrapers and low-slung apartment buildings, as well
as charming Victorian and Edwardian homes that once housed the city's
wealthy.
The West End's tree-lined boulevards, diverse
restaurants and streets of boutique shops serve a population of young
people and seniors in a largely adult-focused area of the city. This
is also where Western Canada's largest gay and lesbian population
lives, explaining why the hugely entertaining
annual gay pride parade winds through the area's streets every
August. With its unusual combination of residents, the West End has
long been one of Vancouver's most livable and tolerant neighbourhoods.
Exploring the area on foot is endlessly fascinating.
Tennis, in-line skating and bike riding - with several rental outlets
in the area - are popular, and English Bay, with its sandy beach,
summer band concerts and volleyball activities is a breath of fresh
air just minutes from the bustle of central downtown.
There are three major streets in the West End, each
seven blocks long: Denman Street, a strip dominated by a huge range of
mid-priced restaurants, unique shops and a popular second-run movie
theatre; Davie Street, with its busy shops, Bohemian coffee bars and
wide range of gay nightlife venues; and Robson Street, offering
Starbucks outlets, boutique chain stores and trendy designer shops.
For a blast from the area's past, check out Barclay
Heritage Square, a unique park-like site of nine historic homes with
period landscaping.
