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Much as PD and I don't see eye to eye on many things, he does know where the shops are! I'd stake good money on him meaning Robson Street, which has many fancy stores, in that comment, which is indeed about 6 blocks from the PP. Blocks in Vancouver are very small compared to many cities (most aren't much over 100 yards, although the size varies downtown due to the coastlines) - in other words his 6/7 blocks is well within my assumption of 1/2 mile being an easy walk for most...

Calgary isn't somewhere I visit often, but Alberta is where a huge amount of Canadian beef gets 'grown' so in theory there are a lot of good steakhouses. Frankly I rarely visit steakhouses as a steak is one of the easiest meals for any competent cook to make at home - the hardest part is in buying a good steak, the cooking consists of just not ruining it! My best meaty memory of Calgary is the charcuterie in Charcut which was exceptional.

 

Thanks for the clarification. And the suggestions! Much appreciated!

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<snip>

 

But Stepho's!? Dang - just when I thought we were on a very similar page foodwise;-) It's pretty much the definitive case of 'popular does not equal good' (indeed, it's part of the Vancouver Lexicon for that very reason!)

 

Meh, while I agree Stepho's isn't spectacular dining and it's a quantity over quality proposition, IMO it's an adequate option if on a budget. It's not my first choice when eating out but I'd (still) eat there on occasion/in a pinch. :D

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  • 10 months later...
Was wondering if the grouse mt. shuttle is a good idea ? We will be on a cruise ship and can't be late getting back on. We would like to buy the full pkg. Do you think we will have enough time to do this and get back to the ship with the free shuttle ?

Clarification would be good - but it sounds like you mean 'can I do this on the day I embark/during a port stop'?

 

Either way, the answer is yes you can. If it's an embarkation day, most vessels leave 4:30pm or later so as long as you are back at the pier and start the boarding process before 3pm you're within the rules. If it's a port stop, your hours may be very different - there are some overnights and even a very occasional daytime-only visit to Vancouver as a port-of-call this season - but it's unlikely you'll need to be back any earlier. Whatever time your ship leaves, I'd aim for 2 hours before that to give you some padding for the travel.

 

 

Traveling to and from Grouse is about 40mins, so your latest possible shuttle on embarkation day should be 2pm - which is well before rushhour begins (the bridges become a bit of a nightmare once the commuters begin flooding them ~4pm onward). If you're on a shuttle at 9am or earlier, you'll be able to spend at least 4+ hours which should be enough to feel you got your money's worth on Grouse. The only thing you'll miss out on is a complete set of shows - since there are more afternoon than morning shows, and many don't start until 11am or later, it's not feasible to fit in every single one by 2pm as some clash with other.

 

The only caveat is that if the weather is extremely windy sometimes they shut down the cable cars - the Peak ride is impacted first, being smaller and higher up, so as long as that's listed as running you'll never find the main one closed. This is much more likely to happen in Fall than Summer and even then is not common - not sure when you're visiting?

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Traveling to and from Grouse is about 40mins, so your latest possible shuttle on embarkation day should be 2pm - which is well before rushhour begins (the bridges become a bit of a nightmare once the commuters begin flooding them ~4pm onward). If you're on a shuttle at 9am or earlier, you'll be able to spend at least 4+ hours which should be enough to feel you got your money's worth on Grouse. The only thing you'll miss out on is a complete set of shows - since there are more afternoon than morning shows, and many don't start until 11am or later, it's not feasible to fit in every single one by 2pm as some clash with other.
Additional thoughts....

  • that 2pm shuttle back downtown can sometimes be full
  • you might also need to budget the time it takes for the gondola to bring you down. There can sometimes be a line to come down the gondola too.

Is there an opportunity to go the day before or post-cruise?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Can taxis drop off & pick up passengers within the Granville Island area, or do they need to stay outside near where the Hop-On/Hop-Off busses load & unload? Are there usually taxis waiting for passengers within or near the area for our return to our hotel or do we need to call for one?

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Yes, taxis drive onto Granville Island. There's a taxi stand near the southeast corner of the Market. When we go to the Market, usually on a weekend afternoon, there are occasionally taxis waiting there along that stretch or we encounter a few along the roads on the Island. With the number of restaurants and theatres (and even hotel) on the Island, you should not have a problem flagging one down but you never know how busy it will be. At worst, I would assume a hostess at one of the restaurants would be nice enough to call one for you.

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Good point. It can definitely get congested on the way in as it bottlenecks by Granville Island Brewing and the parking area beside/behind it. During the worst days like Canada Day, it backs up all the way onto 4th Avenue. I typically don't find it too bad on the way out though.

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^I agree - because of the location of the cab rank, they only have to make a left and head out - there are a couple of properly-marked crossings, which may be why pedestrians tend not to randomly walk across this area like they do on the unmarked roads around the parking garage/hotel/community centre. I'd never take a cab TO Granville Island in cruise season (it's as bad or even worse than Canada Place) but taking one FROM the only problem is a lack of them - not even close to enough to handle folks leaving GI Stage after a show, and no sensible cabbie wants to drive to the island empty when busy so it's usually a long wait even if you call one...

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Thanks for the taxi information - last time there we were on the Hop/On-Hop/Off bus. No problem getting there, but for the return to our hotel, there was a huge line-up of people waiting. The first bus to arrive quickly filled, and we barely made it onto the second one. It's nice to have the taxi option and we'll be prepared for a wait. We'll be there early in October, so hopefully it won't be so crowded.

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Thanks for the taxi information - last time there we were on the Hop/On-Hop/Off bus. No problem getting there, but for the return to our hotel, there was a huge line-up of people waiting. The first bus to arrive quickly filled, and we barely made it onto the second one. It's nice to have the taxi option and we'll be prepared for a wait. We'll be there early in October, so hopefully it won't be so crowded.

 

In October you shouldn't have a problem unless you are there on a weekend and particularly on our Thanksgiving Weekend which this year is October 7- 9th.

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Just a short note regarding Putterdude's comment about the Thanksgiving Weekend - there is the annual Turkey Trot Fun Run on Granville Island on Monday October 9 that starts and ends near the Granville Island Hotel - while the race and most activities will be over by noon it does a good job of tying up traffic on that part of the Island as some roads are closed to traffic.

 

Hopes this helps!

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

 

:):):):):)

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Yikes! That's exactly when we'll be there. We get off the Star Princess on Sunday Oct. 8 and fly home Tuesday morning Oct. 10. Our plan had been to do the Hop/On-Hop/Off bus Sunday after dropping off our luggage at our hotel, then go to Granville Island on Monday. Sounds like we need to come up with another plan. Any suggestions for places or timing that might avoid the worst crowds? Will many places like shops, restaurants or museums be closed? Also, are there special events that we shouldn't miss?

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Firstly - stores will be opened and for the most part the main Market area won't be too affected.

 

There are some road closures - link - :http://turkeytrotrun.ca/road-closures/

But these happen early in the day and by the time you get there should have re-opened - however traffic and parking is likely to be more congested than usual.

 

If you are coming from the downtown area - take the little ferries - either Aqua Bus or False Creek - they will drop you right by the market.

 

Hopes this helps.

 

I have volunteered at this events the past few years - it's a fun event.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

 

:):):):)

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It's really a matter of personal choice, however Granville Is. is, depending what you want to see and do, about a 3 to 5 hour junket, so I would be inclined to go there on the Sunday and take advantage of all the shops being open. With Monday being Thanksgiving, the larger shops will be open but the smaller mom & pops and smaller shops and galleries may well be closed.

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Yikes! That's exactly when we'll be there. We get off the Star Princess on Sunday Oct. 8 and fly home Tuesday morning Oct. 10. Our plan had been to do the Hop/On-Hop/Off bus Sunday after dropping off our luggage at our hotel, then go to Granville Island on Monday. Sounds like we need to come up with another plan. Any suggestions for places or timing that might avoid the worst crowds? Will many places like shops, restaurants or museums be closed? Also, are there special events that we shouldn't miss?

Unless you're a serious shopper, want to dine there, or take in a show at the various theatres/comedy clubs you could do GI on the same day you're HOHOing - Sunday. If you wait until late in the day then you can segue right into the evening shows and dining from your shopping too.

 

All HOHOs include a stop at GI, and a one-use ferry ticket on FCF so you can skip the drive over the bridge (unless you want to visit Maritime Museum/Msm of Vancouver/Space Centre you miss nothing by skipping the drive part).

 

I'd suggest on Monday that the guaranteed-not-to-be-closed things are where to spend your time - parks like Stanley for example (which you could also see some of with HOHO, but if you rent a bike you can see much more of it) or Capilano/Grouse if you want to to get out of town. Since almost all tourist sites are open, and the majority of restaurants, it will be mostly shopping that's closed for the holiday.

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  • 3 months later...

Need opinion please. What can you tell me about the follow 2 locations? I don't have the exact addresses but have a good idea of their location. The first is almost next to the Regent Hotel on E. Hastings St. The next is near the intersection of Thurlow and Robson Streets, near The Caliburger. There's a road going between those streets but my map doesn't provide a name. How are these locations for safety, bus/trolley, and distance to the cruise terminal? Should I have any concerns?

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Need opinion please. What can you tell me about the follow 2 locations? I don't have the exact addresses but have a good idea of their location. The first is almost next to the Regent Hotel on E. Hastings St. The next is near the intersection of Thurlow and Robson Streets, near The Caliburger. There's a road going between those streets but my map doesn't provide a name. How are these locations for safety, bus/trolley, and distance to the cruise terminal? Should I have any concerns?

Run screaming from the first one - the Regent 'hotel' is what us locals call an SRO (Single Room Occupancy building; or to put it bluntly somewhere that scumbag landlords keep in often illegally bad conditions while charging rent at the maximum provincial benefit level - a very short step up from being homeless). This one is also across the street from our free injection clinic, which is VERY busy. Unless you can tolerate wandering past queues of addicts as well as the usual hookers, pimps, and dealers that inhabit the neighbourhood it's best to avoid staying here (there are many fantastic restos nearby, thanks to the low costs, so I'm around that block frequently - but my wife will not walk there alone even in daylight).

 

Thurlow & Robson is a much more civilized location - plenty of restos and shopping.

 

Caveat for both - sounds like the classic AirBnB offering given you don't have an actual address. While technically some of these will become legal from next April, when licensing opens up, I can pretty much guarantee any home in either of these locations will remain illegal - but will now face the twofold threat of a) a well-funded office in charge of finding and shutting down these illegal rentals, and b) AirBnB itself in full agreement with the city and requiring a license number to be placed in every posted listing.

 

Since a license will require it being the primary home that is rented, unless your potential hosts are both folks who have only a single listing of their actual residence, and who will be on vaycay at the time you need to use it thus it's available, expect both listings to disappear. If they have multiple listings they WILL be shut down, 100%. Even if your hosts are trying to be legit and apply for a license, there are also many condo buildings that specifically ban AirBnB in their own Bylaws now - and the odds of the Robson & Thurlow location being in a condo building are pretty high. The unnamed street is an alley - as are all unnamed streets downtown. That neck of the woods they're not seedy alleys!

 

Whatever you end up doing, I strongly recommend a refundable hotel room booked as a backup - turning up to find your apartment is no longer available would be a really poor start to your vaycay!

Edited by martincath
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Thoughts...

  • Another vote to avoid the Regent. You do not want to be outside Pain and Wastings.
  • Robson and Thurlow is a great neighborhood. But we need a name... AirBnB's do not count.
  • Glen Park is semi remote from the downtown core.
  • also research YWCA and Blue Horizon as hotel choices.

if you share your hotel dates and budget. We may be able to provide better options.

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Thoughts...

  • Another vote to avoid the Regent. You do not want to be outside Pain and Wastings.
  • Robson and Thurlow is a great neighborhood. But we need a name... AirBnB's do not count.
  • Glen Park is semi remote from the downtown core.
  • also research YWCA and Blue Horizon as hotel choices.

if you share your hotel dates and budget. We may be able to provide better options.

 

Cruise leaves on 9/2/18. Yes, that's a while away, but I always start planning early! When I saw hotel prices, and that many already have nothing available, I'm glad I started looking now. We have options of flying into Seattle or Vancouver on Friday Aug. 31 or Sat.Sept 1st. That plan is still in progress. I'd love to take the train up the coast. The cruise plus airfare is a sizable amount for us, so we (1 couple, age 60's) are on a tight budget, but have a little wiggle room for extra expenses. I'd like to stay in the $150 /night range or less, but that amount doesn't look very promising. The Ywca and Blue Horizon are booked. Some hotels near the airport also have shuttles, so that could be the best way to go. I definitely don't want something that is not refundable. I'm reading comments on this thread and Trip Advisor for information. I appreciate your suggestions and guidance in helping with my search.

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Cruise leaves on 9/2/18. Yes, that's a while away, but I always start planning early! When I saw hotel prices, and that many already have nothing available, I'm glad I started looking now. We have options of flying into Seattle or Vancouver on Friday Aug. 31 or Sat.Sept 1st. That plan is still in progress. I'd love to take the train up the coast. The cruise plus airfare is a sizable amount for us, so we (1 couple, age 60's) are on a tight budget, but have a little wiggle room for extra expenses. I'd like to stay in the $150 /night range or less, but that amount doesn't look very promising. The Ywca and Blue Horizon are booked. Some hotels near the airport also have shuttles, so that could be the best way to go. I definitely don't want something that is not refundable. I'm reading comments on this thread and Trip Advisor for information. I appreciate your suggestions and guidance in helping with my search.

 

Hi DoubleJ, I have also been looking at hotels and flight options for my Sept '18 cruise out of Vancouver. When do you plan on booking your flight? I've been debating my plan for this. :)

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+1 on most of the comments.

The area by the Regent on E Hastings is basically the worst part of town. Absolutely not worth staying in any of the buildings there.

Thurlow and Robson by the Caliburger is a good and central location in the downtown core.

Glen Drive/Park and King Ed is not very convenient for a tourist IMO. You'd have to bus it downtown or transfer to a skytrain line. The area is ok (my friend's MIL lives nearby south of King Ed) but it's not the greatest. Wouldn't be my first choice.

 

As mentioned above, the city is implementing and evolving its AirBNB rules in addition to building stratas implementing/enforcing rules around short term rentals so you'll need to tread with caution if you are going this way.

 

I do feel bad that hotel pricing downtown is overall pretty ridiculous.

The other idea that's been kind of discussed in other threads is staying outside of the downtown core along the one of the Skytrain lines (east or south). It's not super convenient as you're looking at about a 30 minute trip into downtown though relatively comfortable outside of rush hour. You can also look at staying on the North Shore and taking the seabus into the downtown core. Note that the Skytrain lines and seabus do not run 24hr though but do run to about 1am pending on the day.

 

Have you tried searching for cluster of hotels on google maps?

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