10 Reasons Vancouver is My Favorite City in North America

And no, I’m not talking about Vancouver, Washington. Sorry, America.

I’m talking about the shining Emerald City of the Great White North. The jewel of the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, British Columbia. I fell in love the first time I laid eyes on this coastal city in the mountains, and I make sure I get back at least once a year. Why do I love it so much? Grab your passport, and let me count the ways:

1. Stanley Park

If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I kinda maybe sorta like being outside. And if you didn’t before, now you do! In my book, if a city has incredible outdoor spaces, that immediately gives it an edge over the competition. Enter Stanley Park.

It isn’t the most famous urban park in North America thanks to New York City’s Central Park, but Stanley is actually 20% bigger (at 1,000 acres) and far more wild than its Yankee counterpart. “Much of the park remains as densely forested as it was in the late 1800s, with about a half-million trees, some of which stand as tall as 76 meters (249 ft) and are hundreds of years old” (1). Yeah. A city park made up of actual, old-growth rainforest? Awesome.

The Vancouver Aquarium, restaurants, bike paths, hiking trails, lakes, lagoons, a miniature train – Stanley Park has it all. And if you’re looking for a scenic walk along the Pacific Ocean, you can’t beat the Seawall – a cycling and pedestrian trail that rings the park. Walking the entire Seawall takes about two hours, and it gets pretty dang gorgeous at sunset. You won’t regret this walk in the park.

It’s no real surprise, then, that reviewers on TripAdvisor ranked Stanley Park as the top park in the entire world.

2. Outdoor Recreation

There are few cities so perfectly placed between ocean, mountains, forests, and rivers as Vancouver. There are precious few places on Earth where you can truly go skiing in the morning then hit the beach in the afternoon – Vancouver is one of them. Because of this, whether you’re a hiker, biker, kayaker, climber, or any other type of outdoor enthusiast, a visit to Vancouver’s got to be at the top of your bucket list.

3. The Sea to Sky Highway up to Squamish, BC

Speaking of outdoor recreation, why don’t we take a quick 45 minute drive up one of the most beautiful roads in North America up to the *official* Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada? You in? Because I gotta tell ya, the little mountain town of Squamish is awesome. But it’s not just about the destination. The Sea to Sky Highway is a proper tourist attraction on its own. The winding seaside mountain road meanders North along Howe Sound, and if you’ve got the option to be a passenger for this one – take it. The views are truly insane. This is another one to catch at sunset if you can. The shafts of sunlight searing through the clouds and sparkling on the sound make for a heck of a photo op.

4. Inclusivity

Diversity, in Vancouver, is a fact. Walk around for ten minutes and you’ll see that. But the level of inclusion that exists in the city? That’s a conscious choice. Demographically, while 49.3% of the population has roots in Europe, 42% comes from Asia, and the largest single-country ethnic group hails from China (20.6%). In other words, there is no single group that breaks the 50% mark. Because of Vancouver’s diversity, the city has committed to making it a place that’s inclusive and welcoming to people from every walk of life. Whether it’s improvements in accessibility, support for the LGBTQ+ community, or outreach to and support for indigenous communities, Vancouver’s mission of inclusion is readily apparent, and personally, I think that’s awesome. People are people. You may have heard me say that once or twice before.

5. The Food Scene

One of the awesome benefits of having such a multi-cultural city is, naturally, the variety and quality of the FOOD. Oh man. If you like Chinese (Dim Sum) or Japanese (Ramen) or Indian or Seafood or Sushi (Ok, also Japanese) or Thai or Vietnamese or Burmese or Honduran or Turkish….. getting the picture? Seriously, just wandering around the different Vancouver neighborhoods can be like a carnival for your palette. And despite the high cost of living, there are some really great spots for affordable eats if you know where to look!

Oh, and obviously you’ve got to try the Poutine. That goes without saying.

6. 3rd Greenest City on Earth

One thing you’ll immediately notice the second you see it is the seafoam green-hued highrise apartment buildings that make up the Vancouver skyline. The backdrop of ocean, mountains, and rainforest only completes the picture. But it doesn’t just *look* green. Vancouver is rated the Third-Greenest City on Earth, just behind Copenhagen (#1) and Stockholm (#2).

Vancouver also had a detailed Green City Plan with a goal to become the Greenest City on Earth by 2020. That’s coming up mighty quickly! This plan includes targets of reducing greenhouse emissions by one third, requiring all new buildings to be carbon neutral, increasing green transportation, implementing a zero-waste initiative, increasing access to nature, improving clean water and air initiatives, and creating an emphasis on local food. The list goes on, and it’s very impressive.

I’m gonna say something shocking, but I LOVE THE OUTDOORS! And the only way to protect those places I love is if we all get a little more responsible. Cities, states and countries getting on board with that goal makes a *huge* difference, and I’m excited to spend my time (and especially my money) in places that put an emphasis on fighting climate change while protecting and conserving our environment. Vancouver fits that bill in spades.

7. Great Public Transit

With an all-electric bus system and a metro light rail called TransLink, getting around Vancouver is incredibly easy. In fact, it’s such a great system that it was just crowned as the BEST large public transit system in North America by the American Public Transit Association. Between 2016 and 2018 ridership increased by 18%, but TransLink still managed to make all-time-highs in on-time arrivals and departures. CEO Stephen Cornish of the “Better transit is an important climate solution,” he said. “Transit ridership in Metro Vancouver has never been higher because all levels of government made significant investments and TransLink expanded its service. (2)” You wanna take some notes, New York?

So don’t worry about hailing expensive cabs or Ubers – familiarize yourself with the public transit system, save yourself some money, and get around quickly!

8. Conversion Rate

Everything in Canada comes at a 25% discount for Americans and those traveling with US dollars! That ALONE makes it worth the trip! And sure, some things are priced higher to make up for it, but usually not 25% higher. It’s always fun to come home and look at the credit card statement to see how little everything really cost. When you’re a budget-hunting obsessed backpacker like me, this kind of thing is a BIG deal.

Word of advice, however: DON’T CHANGE YOUR MONEY. You’ll get ripped off by fees. Just pay for everything with a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign exchange fees and watch the savings pile up. And if you absolutely need cash (which you probably won’t), having a debit card that charges zero ATM fees is great. I bank with Charles Schwab for this reason alone. I can use any ATM anywhere in the world for FREE.

9. Sunset on English Bay

Do I seriously need to write anything here? English Bay is connected to Stanley Park via the Seawall, and it’s steps from downtown Vancouver. There’s a beach, sitting logs, and awesome beachfront restaurants like the Cactus Club (it’s a chain, I know, but it’s great) where you can sip on a nice cold beer while soaking up the last of the sun with someone great. It’s idyllic.

10. JUST LOOK AT IT

OKAY I KNOW THIS ONE IS REPETATIVE BUT I’M JUST OBSESSED WITH THE WAY VANCOUVER LOOKS, THE WAY BRITISH COLUMBIA LOOKS, THE WAY ALL OF IT LOOOOOOKS.

It’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to by far, and hey – I’m shallow – looks matter to me. In my opinion, Vancouver truly does have it all. It’s the complete package. Great food, great people, great things to do, easy to get around, and it’s run in a responsible and ethical way. What more could you possibly ask for?

Until next time, Van City.

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UPDATE: REASON NUMBER 11!

It was pointed out to me that I did a HUGE disservice to the city of Vancouver by not mentioning how amazingly friendly the people are. And I know it’s a cliche and a Canadian stereotype, but lemme tell ya this one is DESERVED! I always joke that Vancouver is like LA-North, but with better outdoor access, less traffic, and WAY nicer people. Thanks to Wendy Caron for calling me OUT on this! The Adventure Dudes: A blog that listens. A blog that cares.

New tagline? Nah. Still gotta be about the underpants. Duh.

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1. Parkinson, Alison; Terry Taylor; Vancouver Natural History Society (2006). Wilderness on the Doorstep: Discovering Nature in Stanley Park. Vancouver: Harbour Publishing. pp. 54, 52. ISBN1-55017-386-3.
2. Seeber, Elisia. “Vancouver Has the Best Public Transit System in North America.” Vancouver Is Awesome, 24 July 2019, www.vancouverisawesome.com/2019/07/24/translink-best-public-transit-system-north-america-vancouver/.

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