Travel
Granville Island, Vancouver: a relaxed vibe with with European flair
Let me tell you about my “happy place”
You might have heard of the term “love brands”. I once read that Coke and Head & Shoulders were two of them. I have a “love place” in Vancouver, and it’s Granville Island.
This unique public market is situated in the heart of Vancouver, under the Granville bridge which connects downtown Vancouver with the south, Kitsilano area. From its location on False Creek, one of the main inlets, you have a perfect view of downtown, and the new Yaletown neighbourhood across the water. Charming “aqua boats” take you wherever you want to go on the other side.
Granville Island, Vancouver credit Photo Monique Padar
Food
The main market has a huge variety of fresh and quality prepared foods from all over the world, presented in a beautiful way. You can sit inside or outside and enjoy any of these.
Unlike food fairs in malls, this food is top notch quality. Some highlights include the Canadian style maple syrup smoked salmon (it is pre-cooked, so you can bring it back as a gift), and the pastries, which are minimum twice as big as the ones here! I love the different kinds of cheesecakes: New York (classic), chocolate, lemon, and more.
Cakes, tarts and cheesecakes credit photo Monique Padar
Arts & crafts
Around the main, food market there are many different craft boutiques. Some of these include gorgeous stationary and gift shops, native Indian (now referred to as First Nation people) art and souvenirs, as well as clothing and jewellery shops.
A bit further away from the main market there are also a number of local artists working in their studios, exposing and selling their work. One of my favourites is Hilary Morris, who is well known for her urban landscape paintings of Vancouver.
Aquabus credit photo Monique Padar
Kids’ Market
If you have kids or grandkids, this place is a must. It’s a whole separate building dedicated to toys and fun of all kinds. One special store has kites and puppets. The kites come in all shapes and sizes, and are easy to fly by the water. A special toy I’ve only noticed in Canada so far is the stuffed animal/puppet that looks like a real, no nonsense bear. I’ve never seen a store like this one anywhere else!
On one of the two floors, there are also clothing stores with unique brands. There are play areas inside and outside, and plenty of places to eat or buy candy.
Sporting activities
Though I haven’t looked into everything you can do there, I ‘ve tried kayaking around the inlet. You can rent the boats right at the market and cruise or paddle around the heart of Vancouver.
The False Creek area (land around the inlet) used to be quite marshy in some spots, and had vacant lots in others. That was back in the 1980’s when I lived there. Since then, the city has become bigger, shinier and more luxurious. Some even call it the New York of the west. All of the land around Granville Island and opposite is now beautifully constructed with pedestrian and cycling paths that go on for many kilometres. What was once a collection of ugly warehouses across from Granville Island, is now the chic new area called Yaletown with its beautiful marina.
Granville city view credit photo Monique Padar
The vibe
Vancouver has always been a friendly place where strangers don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation anywhere, anytime. The west coast is known to be “laid back”. Granville Island has this relaxed vibe as well as a European flair mixed with an artsy atmosphere.
