Vancouver > Neighborhood > Kitsilano 

Overview:

The south shore of English Bay is populated partly by recreation-mad singles and partly by young professional families. ( And they all seem to jog in between sessions at the gym.) Streets are tree-lined and picturesque and although sleek condos and apartment buildings have replaced many of the attractive older houses that give the district so much of its character, there are still vestiges enough to see why Kitsilano was known as a hippie haven in the 1960s and 70s. 

West 4th Avenue from Burrard all the way west to the UBC is broken up into clusters of colorful shops and restaurants with a wide assortment of menus. In Kitsilano’s Vanier Park you’ll find the Vancouver Maritime Museum, Gordon South Observatory, the HR MacMillan Space Centre. A little further along is Kits Pool - the place to dip alongside bodies beautiful and further west are public beaches all the way up to the University of British Columbia. Here’s where to find Wreck Beach (for bodies bare), the Botanical Garden and the Museum of Anthropology with its stunning pole filled great hall. If you’re driving, Pacific Spirit Park nearby is a tranquil oasis of forested trails.