VANCOUVER, One of the Top Ten Most Beautiful Cities in the World (Part 4)

Lita at Prospect Point

One of Vancouver’s best places located at the northern tip of Stanley Park is Prospect Point. At the Prospect Point lookout we can see West and North Vancouver and admire the spectacular views of the North Shore Mountains and watch the ships coming in and going out of Burrard Inlet under the Lions Gate Bridge.

Prospect Point has a bar and grill and ice cream counter. At its coffee shop enjoy the locally roasted Moja coffee!

There is a little wild life at Prospect Point as we see warning signs about the raccoons that are not uncommon in the area. If you happen to see one don’t feed it just give it lots of space.

Towering over the waters of the Burrard Inlet is the iconic Lions Gate Bridge, the longest suspension bridge with a total length of 1,517 meters. Recognised as a National Historic Site of Canada, the bridge opened in 1938 to connect the city of Vancouver to the districts of North and West Vancouver. Actually, the term “lions gate” refers to the “Lions”, a pair of mountain peaks of North Vancouver as represented by a pair of cast concrete lions placed on either side of the south approach to the bridge.

From here it is only a matter of minutes to the trendy Robson Street, the popularly famous haunt of the young and the young at heart. Once known as “Robsonstrassee” for the number of German and European stores that opened up after World War II, the long Robson Street is Vancouver’s premier shopping boulevard lined with stores of well-known luxury brands and restaurants serving food from all over the world. For most visitors like us Robson Street is a must-stroll especially in the evening after dark with lights on the trees on both sides of the street. And because of the frequently numerous crowd, day and night, people watching along the famous walking thoroughfare has become a primary attraction!

Gem and Lita’s daughter, Marie-Anne & family at Lions Gate Bridge

A bustling place at Robson Street is the Robson Square naturally air-conditioned by three cascading waterfalls. Located here are the landmark civic centre and public plaza. It is also the site of the glass-covered Provincial Law Courts and University of British Columbia downtown satellite campus.

Downtown Vancouver is also home to Canada’s largest Chinatown. Passing through the Millennium Gate on Pender Sreet you’ll know that you are in “Hongcouver”, as the city has been referred to before because of first-generations immigrants from Hong Kong who settled in the area to work at British Columbia’s railroad during the 1800s; so a little of history can still be felt here. There are also trendy Chinese restaurants here like the Bao Bei and the Juke. Our visit at Chinatown ended up with the purchase of several dozens of our favourite Chinese delicacy, “asadong siopao”.

If you want to experience something different come quickly and take a look at downtown East Side of Vancouver, the area with the most poverty, drug dealing and drug use, crime, mental health, sex work, and homelessness. 3,634 people are identified as experiencing homelessness in the Metro Vancouver region. Remember, every city, big or small, has an eyesore!

Lastly, we have to relax at the tranquil Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.