Hey

Zazoo is heading to Vancouver on business from June 11th - July 1st.

Wondering if there are any "musts" while he's there.

Tips on clubs, live music venues, shopping, museums, exhibits etc. Would be GREATLY appreciated.

(Although I don't want him to have TOO much fun without me )

Thanks in advance!!
XXXOOO
Satori

Vancouver is incredibly beautiful just from the physical location standpoint. For museums I suggest the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia at 6393 N.W. Marine Drive -it has an absolutely amazing collection of first peoples' art installed in a soaring glass architecture.The museum store is tiny but full of nice items that the two of you with your costume genius would find inspiring I'm sure. The city's main art museum is actually called the Vancouver Art Gallery. It usually has an eclectic variety of works on view and is worth the visit just to get a sense of what a non New-York-centric region goes for. Robson Street is probably the biggest shopping destination in the city with a lot of chic boutiques and trendy places to eat. The much touted Gastown has the biggest selection of clubs but I am not too familiar with the scene so it would be good to hang out in one of the 'coffee shops' and pick up on what flavor is where from some locals. Gastown used to have a very open smoking scene but it has been clamped down on over the past two years. There is a jazz festival that starts around June 21 with a lot of free concerts around the city. If you want a great hotel I would recommend the Pan Pacific. It is right on Coal Harbour, is absoultely beautiful and with the exchange rate is like staying at a New York hotel that would go for $400 a night but you are getting it for about one quarter of that. Restaurants in Vancouver leave very little to complain about. There is a lot of local product offered from artisanal cheeses, local brews, and of course sea food that is on a par with any other US west coast metropolitan area from Seattle to San Francisco. Also, the city is something like almost one third Asian now and the influence is very pervasive in the local cuisine. Canadians joke about the city as being "Hongcouver" but the word is now Asian expats consider the city 'done' and recent arrivals head for Calgary instead. For a lazy day hang out in Stanley Park, it has old growth forest and you won't think you are only a few blocks from downtown. Vancouver is the only other city I have been to on the North American continent where I found myself saying, Hey, I could live here. Unfortunately a lot of big time celebrities from L.A. have the same thought and their real estate proclivities have driven property values way way up. But I am sure without a doubt you will really like being there, it has more of a European feel, is very cosmopolitan, safe, clean, socially very tolerant, and not without loads to do. On one night I attended a women's political rally taking over a Gastown street, found it more than easy to acquire my preferred libations (although the local slang for amounts was a little puzzling) at an incredibly energetic 1980's New York style open air street market on the edge of Gastown, had a great Thai fusion meal, cruised several extremely friendly club scenes and passed out with my earphones on high up in the Pan Pacific. You will want to consider yourself an honorary citizen after you leave.

[This message was edited by seven on 06-16-03 at 02:49 PM.]