New York Times' 36 Hours in Vancouver misses the mark
Eating nachos at Lonsdale Quay, shopping in Yaletown, and buying First Nations arts and crafts in Gastown are just a few of the activities the New York Times’ latest 36 Hours column suggests that probably have many Vancouverites scratching their heads.
The popular travel column that launched in 2002 featured Vancouver for a third time—which makes sense since many of the businesses listed in the 2007 and 2010 guides no longer exist. However, besides a few obvious touristy choices, including cycling the Stanley Park seawall and consuming copious amounts of seafood, it seems that writer Hannah Seligson misses the mark.
Her trip to Vancouver begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday, where she first recommends that readers head up to the Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre (555 West Hastings Street). “Vancouver is a movie-star-gorgeous city that should be admired from as many vantage points as possible,” Seligson writes. Sure, but the view can be savoured from many other landmarks—most of them for less than the $16 per person fee it costs to ride the 533-foot glass elevator, right?
Then, Seligson suggests “mak[ing] like a local commuter” and taking the SeaBus to North Vancouver. For the New York Times writer, the 12-minute ride is an attraction in itself: “Find seats at the front of the boat for the best views of North Vancouver and the snowcapped peaks of Olympic fame,” she instructs. Perhaps not the soundest advice for tourists during rush-hour on a Friday evening when everyone’s grumpy and tired and just wants to get home.
When you’ve arrived at Lonsdale Quay, you could choose to snack at the international market, or you could follow Seligson’s lead and inhale an order of nachos and a pitcher of Sangria while taking in the industrial harbour views. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
The following day, Seligson offers a jam-packed schedule of pastry-eating, VanDusen Garden-hopping, dim-summing (“Go with an adventurous eater to try some of the dishes you’d be unlikely to find at most Westernized Chinese restaurants, like steamed duck tongue,” Seligson offers up), and, ahem, shopping in Yaletown. By 8 p.m. on Saturday, you’ll be ready for a big ol’ seafood dinner that will cost a couple upwards of $200, followed by a nightcap in Chinatown.
Not every piece of advice in this article is tragic, however. Seligson does suggest trying out an izakaya restaurant, informing tourists that there’s more to Japanese cuisine than California rolls. She also recommends Sunday brunch in scenic Stanley Park, followed by a digestion-aiding stroll around the seawall. For the most part, however, I think that many Vancouverites would agree that these aren’t exactly the must-do’s that they’d recommend to friends visiting the city. No, not even close.
Comments
26 Comments
Debra
Jun 21, 2013 at 1:14pm
Well, what are they?
lastnations
Jun 21, 2013 at 1:18pm
What would you suggest Michelle da Silva ?
Vancouver has gained the well deserved reputation as a
" No Fun City " I'd have have say that I agree .
You right though this review is not completely a wash out , just as long as your a good swimmer :) Raincity is my home , however I would never recommend it to my friends or relatives for a vacation destination . I have done a lot of traveling, I've also lived in other large metropolitan cities. I've resided in The Rotter Dam , Amsterdam (Netherlands) & California ,Chicago . Vancouver is not considered to be the friendliest of cities , It's like a really beautiful package of fancy cookies , the wrapping is really beautiful and inviting ,but so disappointing when you open the bag bite into a cookie that looks & tastes stale, old and dry , unbelievable something so attractive from the outside could be so not happening , lacking flavor , artificial just for show . ....
lastnations
Jun 21, 2013 at 1:55pm
Debra I asked the same thing !!
Orla
Jun 21, 2013 at 2:04pm
It promotes something different from the general "tourist things" like Grouse or Capilano.
The Vancouver Lookout is reasonably priced as the ticket is valid all day & compared to the price of a similar tower like the space need(nearly same height).
Secondly sending them to Chinatown or Yaletown is much better than sending them down seedy Granville or Gastown.
This article was a great promotion for the city of Vancouver & you come along & diss everything about it. You are the one who is clearly missing the mark.......
Dave_T
Jun 21, 2013 at 2:17pm
Ok, some of those ideas are not great, but what's wrong with the view from Lonsdale? I love that "industrial harbour" view with the lights of downtown in the background, especially since moving back here after so many years abroad. The seabus too, even when I rode it every day to work I still appreciated the view.
@lastnations - I definitely agree with you on that fancy pack of cookies analogy. We are kind of like Rio in that sense. Stunning natural scenery and beaches, but quite boring and stale once you get past that. I've lived in Toronto, Montreal, and London (Eng), and nobody I met there could ever fathom why I would leave a "heaven on earth" to come and live in their city's; not realizing that Vancouver really isn't as mysterious and exciting as it appears, and that their city's were probably 20x more interesting than mine.
P Swizzle
Jun 21, 2013 at 2:17pm
Oh god lastnations, you sound like such a complainer. I have the opportunity to meet many visitors to this city and they LOVE it. They even love all the touristy things that the NY Times suggests they add to their visit. And they thing we're nice!
I don't think that Ms da Silva is necessarily wrong but her idea of what's interesting about Vancouver isn't the same as a first-time visitor's.
Local media are so obsessed with the minutiae of what's current and coolest that they miss the big picture of visiting the City. The visitors I have encountered love the Seabus, Grouse Mountain, walking around Chinatown, the views from Canada Place, Granville Island, etc--in other words, all the stuff we're too jaded and cool to enjoy because we're looking for the hot new restaurant or gallery.
Michelle da Silva
Jun 21, 2013 at 2:22pm
Debra and lastnations
I'd tell tourists to get out of downtown Vancouver..and not only to go to North Vancouver or VanDusen Gardens. What about hitting up Main Street or Commercial Drive or Granville Island? A stroll around Gastown and Chinatown perhaps?
Suggesting shopping in Gastown, Main Street, or even West 4th makes more sense to me than going to Yaletown.
There's QE Park if you want a free view of the city.
Visitors here in the summer should check out one of the many night markets on weekends.
The seawall, yes. Izakaya/dim sum, yes. Obligatory seafood meal, yes. But encouraging tourists to grab front-row seats on the seabus during Friday rush hour, no.
Mark Bowen
Jun 21, 2013 at 2:38pm
I agree with Michelle that these are not the sort of signature Vancouver activities I would recommend to a visiting friend or family member, but this would have been a much better article if she had provided some alternative suggestions.
Lori
Jun 21, 2013 at 2:45pm
Well considering that she had 36 hours and did everything with out having to rent a car and pay exorbitant parking (when you can find it) I'd say she did a pretty good article and it would get strangers to the city to as many high points as possible in a limited amount of time. That is the typical time that people spend in the city as they are boarding their cruise or heading to Whistler. There may be a no fun city tag for Vancouver but you know what else is no fun? masses of drunk people in your yards and streets skulling beer in the name of some celebration or another. Remember the fun the city tried to put on for a freaking hockey game last year?
Gregg
Jun 21, 2013 at 3:03pm
The NYT review is fine. There's nothing wrong with recommending VanDusen gardens. It's in fact, one of the better botanical gardens in Canada, and it's cheap to enter.