About Vancouver
Here are some recommendations for your visit, but feel free to talk to us personally for more!
Things to do
Visit the Vancouver Art Gallery, located in the heart of the city, to view both local and international contemporary art. With nearly 10,000 works of art, this gallery is certain to impress. At 555 West Hastings Street you'll discover unobstructed views of both the Pacific Ocean and the mountains of Vancouver at Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre. Next, take a trip to the jewel in Vancouver's crown, the magnificent Stanley Park. This 404.9 hectares (1,001 acres) urban park is more than 10% larget than New York's Central Park, and is located in downtown Vancouver. Finally, while in Vancouver, the BC Place stadium is home to BC Lions football, and neighbouring GM Place plays home to the legendary Vancouver Canucks hockey team. Check both venues' schedules in advance, and enjoy a concert or sporting event in the world's largest air-supported dome stadium. If you're just looking to watch the game in a friendly atmosphere with solid fare, our favourite is Score On Davie at 1262 Davie Street near the beach in Vancouver's vibrant West End.
Restaurants
For casual dining Head to Joe's Grill, conveniently located at 1031 Davie Street and enjoy a basic brunch that is sure to leave you satisfied, or check out any location of Vancouver's homegrown Steamrollers which prides itself on making the original steamed burrito. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe in Kitsilano is yet another must try, offering a fun family atmosphere with heaps of local character. If fine dining is what you crave, the Elixir Bistro restaurant presents contemporary French Cuisine coupled with a vast selection of fine wine. This vibrant restaurant is open morning, noon, and night, making it a fantastic choice regardless of the time of day. Finally, for a truly unique dining experience, visit Stone Grill, the restaurant where your meal will cook right before your eyes on a 400 degree heated lava rock. This is sure to be one of the healthiest, and most memorable meals you'll find in Vancouver. Fresh seafood abounds in Yaletown at Rodney's Oyster House, but be sure to make a reservation! The locals can't get enough of Rodney's goodness.
Nightlife
Vancouver offers an exceedingly rich variety of nightlife! For a traditional brew-pub experience, head to Steamworks Pub and Brewery, a vast venue with a variety of unique spaces to explore. With twelve in-house beers served, you will not leave thirsty. Doolins on Nelson St. at Granvilled offers one of Vancouver's best Irish pub experiences. If live music is what you seek, visit the Roxy on 932 Granville Street. Because there is no telling what theme night you may stumble upon, from country-western night to 80's karaoke, and because their lines are often long, you may want to arrive early. If you prefer to get dressed up before your venture out, visit the Ginger 62 where you will likely find mellow music coupled with a vast selection of wine and bubbly by the glass. Finally, visit the Arts Club Backstage Lounge to enjoy a drink on their water front patio along with live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Getting Around Town
Please use the following links to finalize your transit plans once you arrive in Vancouver.
Vancouver as "Hollywood North"
Nicknamed "Hollywood North", Vancouver has been used as a filmmaking location for nearly a century, beginning with The Cowpuncher's Glove and The Ship's Husband, both shot in 1910 by the Edison Manufacturing Company. As a production centre for feature films shot in British Columbia, it has led Canada's other cities for feature films since 1999. In 2002, 75% of all Canadian foreign productions were based in British Columbia and Ontario. That same year British Columbia led the country in foreign film production receiving 44% of the Canadian total. Presently, Vancouver is North America's third-largest film centre, just after Los Angeles and New York City. It is second to Los Angeles in television production in the world. Lions Gate Studios and Vancouver Film Studios are among the two largest special effects stages in Canada. VFS being the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles; Bridge Studios, in Burnaby, British Columbia, has one of the largest special effects stages in North America. Mammoth Studios, a subsidiary of North Shore studios holds the largest film stages in the world, their largest at 123,883 sq feet (approximately 11,508 sq meters).
The BC Film Commission reported that in 2005, more than 200 productions were completed in B.C.: 63 feature films, 31 television series, 37 movies-of-the-week, 15 television pilots, 5 miniseries, 20 documentaries, 16 short films and 24 animation projects. In 2006, spending on film and TV production in B.C. was $1.228 billion. The Late-2000s recession or sometimes referred to as the December 2007 Recession, hit the film industry financially on all levels. By March 2008, the British Columbia film industry dramatically recovered with film spending at $1.2 billion, with foreign-film production increasing 146 percent and domestic animation by 79 percent. In total, 86 foreign productions including 40 feature length films, were completed in 2008. The city is also host to the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Vancouver Film and Television Forum.
Vancouver is 1,725 kilometres (1,072 miles) from Hollywood, a three hour airplane flight or a twenty-four hour drive. This relative proximity coupled with government subsidies is a major factor in the growth of Vancouver's production industry. Proximity reduces issues over operating hours, accessibility, travel time for principals, access to filmmaking infrastructure, and experience of crews. Another positive factor is that both Vancouver and Los Angeles are located in the same time zone (Pacific Time Zone).
Several books outline the evolution of the Vancouver production community, including Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia, Dreaming in the Rain: How Vancouver Became Hollywood North by Northwest, and Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia: An article from: Business History Review.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_North retrieved October 27, 2010
Vancouver Film List - Filming Now in Vancouver
