Yaletown ’ s refurbished warehouses and loading docks are home to trendy restaurants and boutiques to the horticultural jewel of Queen Elizabeth Park , covering 52 hectares ( 129 acres ) at 33rd Avenue . A tropical conservatory crowns the park . You can let out your sporting spirit on the tennis courts or the putting green ; or just meditate over a glass of fine local wine with a top-of-the-city view .
MAIN STREET
Originality is the word on the street in this cheerful up-and-running neighbourhood . Blissfully devoid of big-box chain stores , former blue-collar South Main Street between 7th and 33rd avenues is home to an urban indie spirit in funky boutiques , quirky vintage shops and original specialist stores . Gen-Xers and Millennials , hipsters and heritage buffs , philosophers and party fans mix and mingle at cozy cafes and friendly character pubs . Unique groceries , delis and neighbourhood restaurants cater to all culinary creeds and cravings , from the down-to-earth local to the exotic and imported . Having done its duty as a former post office and RCMP headquarters , the splendid 1915 Heritage Hall at mid-Main still proudly fulfills its community mission by hosting concerts and craft fairs . The 40-hectare ( 100- acre ) Mountain View Cemetery that connects this ’ hood with up-and-coming Fraser Street is a beguiling cross between stroll-and-cycle friendly parkland and a fascinating history lesson in multiculturalism . Community spirit and the art of remembrance are celebrated here during the October All Souls event in Mountain View Cemetery .
COMMERCIAL DRIVE
Skid road for huge logs , Edwardian suburbia , little Italy , Latino wave , counter-culture central , green zeitgeist — “ The Drive ,” as the Grandview area between Venables Street and East Broadway is best known , has been there , done that , and amalgamated it all into this ever-popular , multi-racial ’ hood with a huge community spirit . Rastafarian or Buddhist , couch potato or activist , vegan or omnivore , doctor or grocer , the Drive has space for everyone and a festival or event to match . The June Car-Free Day brings everybody out on the roads for a buoyant street party . Local food and community are the raison d ’ être of the weekly summer farmers ’ market at Trout Lake and the May Stone Soup Festival . The Dyke March and the East Side Pride are exuberant odes to individuality and community . Italian Day on the Drive celebrates the neighbourhood ’ s heritage in food , music , fashion , dance , art and sport . During June ’ s Garden Tour and November ’ s Culture Crawl , private neighbourhood gardens and artist studios open to visitors . Many cafes and bistros offer free live entertainment ; any time , it ’ s a worthwhile SkyTrain ride to enjoy the eclectic venues and vibe of the neighbourhood .
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