Granville, the Island in the Midst of Vancouver

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A sunny day was all I wished for a Granville Island visit.  After two rain-soaked trips to the Island, I finally saw this amazing part of Vancouver in bright afternoon sun.  

Don't miss Granville Island when visiting Vancouver!

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The Best Time to Visit

To avoid crowds at this popular place,  visit Granville Island during weekdays or on early mornings.  The Granville Public Market is a haven for culinary artists, rookie chefs, and everyone in between.  Early birds may enjoy coffee at Blue Parrot & JJ Bean after 7:30 am, and Petit Ami after 8:30 am.

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Winter Hours (October 1st – April 31st): 9 am – 6 pm daily
Summer Hours (May 1st – September 30th) 9 am – 7 pm daily

The Public Market is open on all statutory holidays except December 25th, 26th, and 

January 1st.  The Public Market is closed MONDAYS IN JANUARY ONLY.

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How to Get To Granville Island

False Creek ferries leave every five minutes for Granville Island from a dock behind the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, on Beach Avenue, near Burrard Street Bridge, and get off between the Bridges pub and the Public Market.  You can also take a 20-minute ride on Bus #50 to the edge of the island. Buses #4 UBC and #7 Dunbar will also take you within a few minutes' walk of the island.  The market is a short walk from the bus, ferry, or tram stop. 

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What to See on Granville Island:

• Granville Public Market 
• Waterside boardwalk behind the Arts Club Theatre
• Charles H. Scott Gallery
• Sea Village
• Granville Island Brewing Company
• Granville Island Museum, with fishing, train, and model-boat displays
• Railspur Alley is home to a mix of crafts galleries, studios, and workshops
• The Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, the province's leading art college
• Watch glassblowers at work at New Small Sterling Glass Studio 
• Net Loft shopping arcade
• Take the ferry back to downtown Vancouver or stay for dinner and catch a play
  at the Arts Club or the Waterfront Theatre

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My favored tour, however, is by one of the small ferry boats along the island and its amazing floating homes, then towards the Science Museum, over to the Yaletown marina, and back to Granville Island. 

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The skipper told me that despite the beautiful sunshine on this day, an evening sail is even more exciting when the sun sets, and all the high-rises glow in the last sun rays.  Sailing later (the ferry runs until 9 pm) becomes even romantic when the city is lit up with thousands of lights from the buildings and streets.

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Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, Canada

 

I finally made it to visit this wonderful, not to miss, gem in Vancouver.  Not many artists can compete with the fantastic native art that is displayed at the MOA on 6393 NW Marine Drive.  MOA resides on the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, and works by Musqueam artists welcome visitors to the site. 

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Arts in Canada lists more than 100 contemporary native artists in British Columbia. Most of them are from the Haida tribes of the West Coast. Their masks, sculptures, and original paintings can be found in Vancouver, on Vancouver Island, and scattered around the whole province.

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The MOA, on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, is the premier place to view Northwest Coast art and artifact collections.  MOA initiated native carving programs in the 1950s, restoring old poles and creating new ones.  Don't miss the stunning yellow cedar carving "The Raven and the First Men" by the Haida artist Bill Reid, depicting the Haida creation story.

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One of the largest collections of historical and modern art is showcased in the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver’s west end, close to the USB (University of British Columbia).  The picturesque setting of this artful architectural gem has breathtaking views of mountains, water, and sky.  It is important for its role in preserving and showcasing Indigenous art and culture, besides the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Center in Whistler, BC.

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More than 3,000 years ago, Indigenous peoples of the coast of British Columbia developed artistic traditions that are heralded throughout the world for their imaginative and stylistic qualities.  The masks and totem poles of the Northwest Coast Aboriginal art powerfully impacted the work of major American abstract artists.  It gave rise to a revival of craftsmanship on the NW Coast over the past fifty years and shaped the work of contemporary native artists. 

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However, not only Canadian native artifacts are displayed here, but numerous ones from all over of the world, such as significant collections from Asia, including Chinese ceramics, calligraphy, and paintings, as well as Japanese prints, Buddhist and Hindu art, textiles, and clothing from various regions such Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Korea. 

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The African collection includes masks, Yoruba thorn carvings, Makonde figures from Tanzania, Asante gold weights, weaponry from South Africa, and mortuary objects from Egypt.  The museum houses a large collection of Northwest Coast First Nations art and artifacts, including works by the famous native artist Bill Reid.  MOA has objects from the South Pacific, such as Micronesia, including textiles and other cultural artifacts.  There is also a collection of European ceramics, which is one of the finest in Canada. 

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If you want to delve into the exhibition, a good idea would be to go at least twice to the museum:  One day for the Canadian exhibits and another day to see the native artifacts from other parts of the world.  Due to the favorable price for a yearly ticket, a second visit is already cheaper than purchasing two tickets.  

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The 75 year-old museum has permanent exhibitions of almost 50,000 works and hosts 3-4 temporary exhibitions a year.  The current, larger MOA building was designed by renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson and was opened to the public in 1976.

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Scientists and nature lovers alike will adore the MOA UBC’s Botany and National Herbarium.  Walk amongst stunning flowers and lush greenery, and check out the plant specimens within the facility – there are over half a million, from all around the globe.  It continues to expand as researchers discover new plants.  The herbarium is significant as a research facility for local and international scientists dedicated to studying plant life.

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Opening Hours and Admission

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm in Winter.  From May 15 to October 15 open on Mondays too.  The daily admission is $22, and the yearly is only $35.  UBC students and staff, Indigenous people, and children under 5 years old enter for free.  I took bus #48 from downtown, and then 2 stops via bus # 68, which brings visitors right to the museum.

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Photo Impressions of Winter in Vancouver, BC

 

It never rains in Southern California - true.  But in Vancouver, it is a different story.

Between November and February, I never had a chance to take photos in the 

sunshine. It rains at least once a day - but it is mild and nature is green all 

year round, even roses bloom here in mid-winter.

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Baer Illumination

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Downtown Highrises

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Gastown-Area

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Metro from the Airport and Richmond into Downtown

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Winter Berries in Stanley Park

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The mild winters and abundant rainfall have made Greater Vancouver a gardener

paradise and the lawns of even the most humble homes are enlivened by

shrubbery, often a rhododendron or hydrangea bush. 

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Seaplanes depart to Victoria, Nanaimo, or the Gulf Islands

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Stanley Park Restaurant

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Native Art - Totempol

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Natural Forest in Stanley Park

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Berrie Shrubs in Stanley Park

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Art Deco Highrise Downtown Vancouver

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Entrance Door Highrise

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Perhaps the forgiving climate, coupled with the early immigrants' British disdain 

for showing off, fastened the development of landscape architecture in these 

parts. Whatever the reason, landscaping evolved in Vancouver. 

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VanDusen Botanical Garden

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Vancouver's leafy and upscale Shaughnessy district, established around 1912
by the Canadian Pacific Railway for the city's well-off families. It was planned
by Frederick Law Olmsted, the American landscaper who designed Central 

Park in New York City and major civic parks in Philadelphia, Chicago, 

Boston, and Montreal. 

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Downtown Highrise

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Mural in Downtown

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Sailplanes and Floating Homes in the harbor

Planting trees and shrubs and creating pocket parks in Vancouver are now
viewed as ways to humanize the urban jungle, make streets safer, encourage
more pedestrians, and enhance neighborhood pride.  In many residential
neighborhoods, I saw small roundabouts on street crossings that were lovingly
planted with perennials and low shrubs.  Nice to look at even in winter!

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Mountain & Ski Slopes View from the City

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View over to North Vancouver

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Steady rain gave me the idea of going somewhere indoors.  A gallery?  A day
spa?  I saw an aquarium sign within Stanley Park and hopped on a bus that
drove directly into the park, just 200 meters from the aquarium.  The aquarium is
home to 65,000 animals, from sea otters to turtles, sea lions, and fishes from all
over the world.  The admission was hefty, almost 50 dollars,
but it was well worth it. 

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The aquarium tops regular lists of the best ones in the world.
The cafe, bar, and restaurant looked appealing, but I had just lunch. 

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On another occasion, driving into town from the east, I got lost and found myself
suddenly on Granville Island. It is a peninsula, built in the 1960s after it had been a
sandbar, used for industrial purposes.  The 38-acre Granville peninsula is a hub
for art, culture, and food.

The public market sells fresh produce and baked goods, but there are also
artist studios, and even a waterfront theater.

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More Attractive Parts of Vancouver: 

Yaletown which is northeast of the Granville Bridge. 

From afar, there are lots of residential highrises, but it also has numerous old 

warehouses, now home to hip restaurants and shops, cocktail lounges, often

with buzzing outdoor terraces, as well as indie fashion and decor boutiques. 

On the waterfront, David Lam Park has an expansive lawn and a 

playground, while the Seawall is popular for cycling and walking. 

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Commercial Drive Area

I was lucky that my friends lived close by, in a beautiful neighborhood, so I got to
enjoy this lovely strip. It is home to Vancouver’s officially designated Little Italy, 

eight blocks representing over 60 years of Italian heritage as well as a tapestry of
other cultures. 

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Cozy homes in the Commercial Dr area

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The Drive

To celebrate, The Drive hosts Italian Day every June, one of the city’s
largest annual cultural festivals. It is a multicultural and bohemian street in leafy 

surroundings which has hundreds of local gems and several parks to explore.

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Oregon Grapes blooming in December

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British Columbia License Plate

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Davie Street 

It stretches from Yaletown to Stanley Park and is most interesting in its western part:

the LGBTQ+ community has found a welcoming home in this district, especially 

around Jervis St. A stroll through the area reveals a collection of well-preserved 

heritage mansions and apartments in the Queen Ann and Georgian Revival styles.

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Gastown

This area is Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, where the Gastown Steam Clock 

(still working!), the area’s most recognized landmark, is located. By night, 

this fashion-forward retail and commercial district serves as the city’s party 

hub with bar-crammed streets. 

South of Gastown lies Canada’s largest Chinatown.

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Queen Elizabeth Park Area

Five blocks east of the Van Dusen Botanical Garden is Vancouver’s highest hill 

with a beautiful rose garden and the Quarry Garden.  East of the park is a hipster 

haven with indie coffee shops, vegetarian restaurants, vintage fashion, and vinyl 

record stores. 

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Shaughnessy 

Shaughnessy is one of Vancouver’s oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods. 

Plainly said: all around the VanDusen Botanical Garden, but more precisely, it is bordered

by 16th Avenue to the north, 41st Avenue to the south, Oak Street to the east, and 

East Boulevard to the west.  Shaughnessy homes tend to be on large, manicured lots 

and the homes tend to have British and early American estate-like design elements. 

Stunning landscaping, indeed! Very walkable and flat. It also tends to be quiet with 

minimal vehicle or foot traffic. A perfect area for relaxing walks

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