Vancouver is such a beautiful place – the perfect mix of a busy, metropolis city as well as a scenic place of nature. I’ve lived in Vancouver my whole life, and from time to time, I’m still in awe of the gorgeous sights I stumble upon.
Whether you’re looking for some places to explore in your own city, or are traveling by, here are five places you need to visit in Vancouver, BC after quarantine – from parks to cute shops and more!
Cute Cafes
Whether you need a nice, calming place to work or a creative background for a photoshoot, these following cafes are absolutely great! I rated each workspace out of five and pricing, with $ being the lowest to $$$ as most expensive.
Mr. Mustache Tea and Dessert – 110-6125 Sussex Ave, Burnaby
Workspace: 5/5 – usually a tranquil space, however, it can get crowded on weekends! Bright, aesthetic, and roomy.
Prices: $$ – medium pricing, however, in my opinion, the design in the cakes and the workspace is worth the pricing. This cafe has cute sweets – such as cakes in the shapes of bees and various flavors of drinks – from bubble tea to coffees.
La Foret – 6848 Jubilee Ave, Burnaby, V5J 4B3
Workspace: ⅗ – although very spacey, it is a trendy space so it’s always quite busy. It’s not the best workspace as it’s quite loud, but if you don’t mind putting in headphones or if you can work in a loud space, then you’re all set.
Prices: $$$ – quite pricey, but they have very unique food items (such as squid ink waffle, and tiramisu cake) and their plates are very filling!
Laurence and Chico Cafe – 833 Bute St, Vancouver, V6E 3Y4
Workspace: ⅘ – It’s a very cool and bizarre place – you would think that you’ve stepped into a whole new world. Everything from the furniture to the drinks, it all brings an otherworldly vibe. It is quite busy, though, and to get good seating, you may have to make reservations.
Prices: $$ – medium pricing, a great place to grab coffee with a friend!
Nature Parks
Are you someone who’s into a good hike topped off with calm and relaxing scenery? Here are some great places to check out!
Deep Cove – Vancouver:
This is a challenging hike with tons of natural stairs, which will get your legs burning (in a good way, of course)! At the top, the view is incredible, perched on a rock with mountains and the lakes below. It truly feels like you’re on top of the world.
Watershed Park – Delta:
This is a very calming stroll through the woods, and the park is pretty big so you can take a long hike. There’s a bright sunny field in the middle of the park, it’s great for basking in the sun or letting your pet run free.
Central Park – Burnaby:
This is a super family-friendly place – a well-constructed hike in the forest with a lake in the middle! There used to be tons of little critters and animals in the forest, even today, you can glimpse tons of squirrels and chipmunks!
Malls
If you’re someone who enjoys browsing through stores, here are some big malls throughout the greater Vancouver area.
- Metrotown – Burnaby
- Guildford Mall – Surrey
- Richmond Center – Richmond
- Pacific Center – Downtown
- New Westminster Skytrain Station Area – tons of stores to browse, one after the next – outfit stores, thrift stores, local businesses, etc.
Places To Eat
Here are some yummy eats, rated with price and taste.
Jinya Ramen (541 Robson St, Vancouver, V6B 1A6)- $$$
Pricey but very delicious, often has a long wait time so make sure you make some reservations in advance!
Tako (601 Expo Blvd, Vancouver, V6B 0J5) – $
Mexican and Korean food mix, very unique but amazing taste. They offer tacos, burritos, bibimbop bowls as well as poutines.
Sushi & Roll (10241 King George Blvd, Surrey, BC V3T 2W6) – $
great prices for how much food is served. for example, a big bowl of ramen is only around $6-7, which is insane as most ramen places are $10-20!
Authentic and local places
If you love browsing local stores and little businesses that support greater causes, here are some places to check out.
New West Riverside Market
Individual shop owners such as jewelry, skincare, and gelato. Also, Angelina’s Dutch Corner (810 Quayside Drive Unit 122, V3M 6B9) is a great place to stop by for brunch! Their waffles and crepes are so delicious and filling.
Cat cafe
(2035-88 Pender St W International Village Mall, Vancouver V6B 6N9) – all the cats can be adopted, you can make a $10 reservation for one hour to play with the cats and purchase merch! I paid a visit there with my friend a while back, the cats were adorable and the building is very high up and open. I loved the experience!
School fairs
With school carnivals and fundraisers at the end of the year, there are great opportunities to support local grads and revisit fun childhood memories! Look out for posters around your neighborhood/coffee shops to see what events local schools are hosting.
I hope this post gave you some inspiration for things to do and places to visit in Vancouver. If you ever go to any of these places, I’d love to connect with you and hear about your experience!
Author Bio:
This is a guest post by Karen Chen from Rosethorns and Honeydew. Karen is an aspiring author from beautiful BC, Canada, and her purpose is to help her readers achieve success in their academics, self-love, and creating a productive lifestyle. She also documents her life through her YouTube channel, which you can find here.
You can find Karen here:
- Blog – https://rosethornsandhoneydew.com
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/karenc.xo/
- Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ca/karenchen377/
- YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaK-7TkbwekPnPnHNl4qq4w