Ruth and I are lucky to live in the Northwest. We live well and smell flowers in what we call The Couv, the other Vancouver. We can go north often to a city also called Vancouver beyond Seattle and we do, this city in another country with provinces instead of states in British Columbia. It is one of the best places in the world and now I’m actually wondering why.
Easy. Vancouver has everything an urban area should have and more. It’s near mountains, islands, the ocean, beaches, and the Northwest rainforest. It’s truly one of the best cities in the world with a slower pace than other large urban areas we have been to. It’s a pretty city with outstanding culture. Entertaining ourselves is never a problem there. The environment seems natural even though it isn’t a natural setting. It is delightfully modern and urban.
When I think of Vancouver I think of parks and flowers. This city has an abundance of both. Cultural diversity is assured there because Vancouver has a large Asian population. It’s Canada’s main Northwest hub with a huge diversity of businesses. Canada has 20% of the world’s fresh water. It’s a city on its feet and there are hiking opportunities galore.
It’s said to be a safe environment. Most of its citizens live in high rises. Are there negatives? What city has escaped those? There’s a significant drug culture and the weather is often rainy. That’s about it for negatives.
There is an abundance of activities among its many attractions. Its University of Vancouver campus has 2 outstanding museums, the not-to-be-exhausted Beaty Biodiversity and an anthropology museum second to none. This university’s botanical garden is also outstanding too. Other big city attractions come to mind. The Old Hastings Mill is just one of them. There is also an excellent police museum, Gastown! The Roedde House, ferries nearby to take you up the Sunshine Coast and over to another great city called Victoria, BC’s actual capital on an island. There are aquabusses to take you to the walking delights of Granville Island, cranberry bogs nearby, a tunnel under a large river, a natural landscape in a large urban city, the delights of The Grouse Grind on Grouse Mountain, a maritime museum to explore, the BC Place Stadium that has been an Olympic wonder, the art deco maritime building from another era, a great nightlife and restaurants including our favorite in the world that never closed because of COVID, mild but wet winters because of its geographic placement, one of the world’s best libraries, and on and on.
You can still find snow here in winter to play in and public sculptures to enjoy, The Gulf Islands are nearby to get lost in. We love taking guests to Vancouver. What’s not to love?
Hank
Security Conscious 