Vancouver/South

For the purposes of this guide, the district includes everything south of W 16th Ave between Pacific Spirit Park and Heather St and everything south of King Edward/25th Ave from Prince Edward St to Burnaby. 37th Ave forms the northern boundary between Heather St and Prince Edward St. This includes the neighbourhoods of Kerrisdale, Oakridge, Marpole, Killarney and portions of Dunbar, Arbutus Ridge, Shaughnessy, Collingwood and South Cambie. To the north is Kitsilano and South Granville, Mt Pleasant-South Main and Commercial Drive-Hastings Park; to the east is Burnaby; and to the south is Richmond.

By bus

UBC and South Vancouver is well connected to other parts of Vancouver by the Translink bus system. The following routes are good ways to get in and around:

• #10 - Runs up and down Granville Street from downtown to Marine Drive.
• #15 - Runs up and down Cambie Street from downtown to Marine Drive.
• #17 - Runs along Oak Street and Broadway, connecting UBC and South Vancouver with South Granville and Kitsilano.
• #41 - Runs along 41st Avenue from Joyce SkyTrain Station to UBC through the Kerrisdale area.
• #480 - Travels along 41st Avenue and Granville making select stops between UBC and Richmond.

By SkyTrain

The Canada Line follows Cambie Street through the district on its way to Richmond and downtown Vancouver. Stops of interest include:

• King Edward - four blocks north of Queen Elizabeth Park and Nat Bailey Stadium
• Oakridge - easy access to one of the larger shopping malls in Vancouver and transfer point for buses that travel on 41st St.

By car

Granville Street is the main street coming out of downtown into South Vancouver and also provides access to the airport. From Richmond to the south, Hwy 99 becomes Oak Street once it crosses the Fraser River and runs the length of South Vancouver up to South Granville. Cambie Street is an alternate way through the district to the east of Granville St and Oak St, and also provides access to downtown.
Going from east to west, SW Marine Drive/Marine Drive follows the Fraser River and wraps around Point Grey, connecting UBC and South Vancouver with East Van. 4th Ave, 10th Ave/Broadway and 16th Ave are the main roads into UBC from Kitsilano. West 41st Ave and West 49th Ave are other major east-west streets.

• VanDusen Botanical Garden

  phone: +1 604-878-9274
  address: 5251 Oak St.
  VanDusen Botanical Garden has a very large collection of plants in the outdoor gardens. Especially interesting are the Canadian ecosystems, with samples of prairie and deep woods fauna. On the last weekend in April, the garden has a giant plant sale with many species from all over the world (they don't always have a Canadian official there to grant export, however). Plant seeds are available in the gift shop.

• Jewish Museum and Archives of BC

  phone: +1 604-257-5199
  address: 6184 Ash Street (near West 45th Ave.)
  A small museum that documents the history of the Jewish community in British Columbia. Check for interesting summer programs and tours at this museum; in 2007 it operated a "Tour de Blintz" cycling tour, which took participants to local Jewish eateries.

• Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre

  phone: +1 604-264-0499
  address: 50-950 West 41st Ave. (close to Oak St.)
  A teaching museum that focuses on the Holocaust, genocide, and anti-racism education. The museum has small thought-provoking temporary exhibits, but these may not be on display during the summer months when the museum traditionally works on mounting its next exhibit.

• Fraser River Park

  address: 8705 Angus Drive and West 75th Avenue
  This is a local secret that has spectacular views of the airport. One can watch the planes come and go across the river. This park is popular for dog lovers, as its secluded location is perfect for letting dogs roam free. The park is large enough to have a big field for picnics and games, while the riverfront area has its own beach, depending on the tides. At the edge of the park is an industrial park and a golf course.

Vancouver South is served mostly by community centres and one major shopping mall.

• Dunbar is a local shopping area along Dunbar Street south of 16th Avenue.

• Cheapskates - 1

  phone: +1-604-222-1125
  address: 3644 West 16th Ave
  A consignment store for sporting goods, with reasonably good equipment at cheap and falling prices. Each item has a tag with a price schedule that drops 10% each week. If an item hasn't been snapped up, you could get it for a very low price. The "1" branch carries baseball bats, helmets, and shoes from Mar 1–May 1; junior baseball gloves, inline skates, and scooters from Mar 1–Aug 1; and adult baseball gloves, hockey gear, ice skates, soccer gear, tricycles, and lifting weights all year.

Kerrisdale — A busy neighbourhood commercial district. Located on West 41st Avenue between Larch and Maple Street, there are multiple coffee shops and restaurants that serve great food. It has a small town feel, but busy city traffic.

Marpole — This small commercial district is located on Graville Street between West 63rd and West 72nd Avenue. Granville Street is a major road seeing lots of through traffic and very few people stop to enjoy this area. There are a few shops of interest, including The Connection, a gaming and hobby store, and many good restaurants that serve authentic Asian foods.

Oakridge Mall — This medium-sized mall is anchored by the Bay, and Safeway. Shops range in sizes and are mainly on the chic side of fashion.

Punjabi Market — Sometimes called Little India, is the area along Main Street around East 49th Avenue (literally, 48th to 51st). There are a number of Indian food stores, restaurants, and stores selling Indian style clothes and materials.

This area tends to have fewer restaurants than the rest of Vancouver.

• All India Sweets

  phone: +1 604 327-0891
  address: 6507 Main St
  Excellent vegetarian all you can eat Indian food buffet for $9.95.

• Samurai Sushi House

  phone: +1 604 325-8597
  address: 5888 Cambie Street (at 43rd Ave)
  Well known for having huge portions for small prices. It also has fresher sushi than some more expensive places. During meal times, it can be very difficult to get a seat. In the summer, it can be nice to get take out and walk down to Columbia Park (1 block east, ~5min). Be sure to try their toro (fatty tuna), and salmon sushi/sashimi. Stay away from their tuna sushi/sashimi because it tends to be too frozen. There is another location at 1108 Davie in the West End.

There are no nightclubs and only a few neighbourhood pubs.

Hotels are a mixed bag in this area, generally being older and cheaper. Most hotels are along Kingsway, with one or two on Marine Drive. A better bet is to look for one of the B&Bs located in the various residential neighbourhoods.

• 2400 Motel

  phone: +1 604 434-2464
  address: 2400 Kingsway
  Older motel with a number of bungalow units. Reviewers indicate rooms can be small, but they are clean and quiet with a certain charm lent by their age.

• A Vancouver Traveller Bed and Breakfast

  phone: +1 604 435-3826
  address: 2159 W 21st Avenue
  Three rooms in a renovated old home in residential area. North Suite has a minimum stay of three nights, other rooms require two nights minimum June-Sept.

• Arbutus Vista Vancouver B&B

  phone: +1 604 603-7289
  address: 2172 W 22nd Avenue
  Basement suite B&B with private entrance, internet and kitchen. Reviewers like its quiet location, comfort and friendly owners; lower rates in off-season.

• Days Inn Vancouver Metro

  phone: +1 604 876-5531
  address: 2075 Kingsway
  Reviews indicate the rooms can be small but the beds are comfortable.

• Granville House B&B

  phone: +1 604 307-2300
  address: 5050 Granville Street
  B&B in a newer Tudor revival style house. Each room has a king size bed and internet connection.

• London Guard Motor Inn

  phone: +1 604 430-4646
  address: 2227 Kingsway

• Pacific Spirit Guest House

  phone: +1 604-261-6837
  address: 4080 W 35th Ave
  Two room B&B close to Pacific Spirit Park. Reviewers rave about the hospitality of the hosts and comfort of the rooms.