OPUS Hotels' Blog

Having lived and worked in Yaletown for over a decade, I’ve grown so attached to the lifestyle here that whenever I’m obliged to leave, I feel a nosebleed coming on. Fortunately, my neighbourhood has it all, and rarely do I have to venture beyond. For guests of OPUS, I thought I’d share a few of my summertime faves.

About Yaletown

Yaletown’s origins date back to the late 1800s, when the Roundhouse station was built as the turnaround point for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, former warehouses have been converted into chic loft-style residences, boutiques, office space and restaurants. The distinctive red brick walls and exposed beams have been beautifully preserved, and the raised docks and cantilevered awnings have become pedestrian walkways and patio shelters. Surrounding the heritage core are glass residential towers and the False Creek inlet.

Yaletown is a place of contrasts. One of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, it’s also one of its newest. The lifestyle here is ultra-urban, with a decidedly resort feel. It’s a place for hedonism and healthful living, for superficial whims and quiet reflection. It’s hyper-caffeinated, yet laid back. And it’s safe, clean and modest, yet noisy, chaotic and a tad pretentious. In essence, it’s a mass of contradictions living in relative harmony. Which is probably why we get along so well.

Eating & Drinking

In recent years, chain restaurants have taken over Yaletown; for a truly authentic experience, try the independents. In summertime the patios are teeming; take a walk along Hamilton or Mainland streets and choose one that grabs you, then don the shades and watch the fashionable people and their fashionable dogs parade by.

For casual seafood, try Rodney’s Oyster House, where the friendly waiters fill your wineglass to the brim. A trip to Vancouver is incomplete without sampling its superb Japanese food, and for that I recommend the homegrown Hapa Izakaya. For Mexican fare, you won’t find any sombreros or plastic cacti at Salsa y Agave, but you will find authentic, inexpensive dishes like savory Aztec soup and crispy tostados.

If someone else is paying, I go to Cioppino’s for sublime Mediterranean cuisine or to Blue Water Café to suck back oysters and Grey Goose. If I’m paying, I go to Cactus Club, where the crowd is pretty and the menu is presided over by celeb chef Rob Feenie. For brunch, it’s worth the wait for the patio at Provence, where the menu hasn’t changed much in years, and that’s a good thing. Start with a basket of orgasmic pastries and move on to the seafood spaghettini. Or head to the always-busy Glowbal, where the beignets are warm and the Caesars are spicy.

For after-dinner cocktails, head to George or the rooftop patio at The Keg. There’s only one place for dancing in Yaletown, Bar None, a former horse stable that feels more like a zoo on busy nights. If you’re going to be a drunken yahoo, head up to Granville Street. I’m a light sleeper.

No problem finding a café in Yaletown: walk twenty steps in any direction and you’ve arrived. For a taste of France, try the delectable pastries at Boulangerie la Parisienne, where, in true Vancouver fashion, the food is French, the coffee is Italian-style and the counter staff are Japanese.

Shopping

The shops in Yaletown still retain their fierce independence, which means lots of unique offerings. And by unique I mean expensive. For men’s casual clothing I like Brooklyn Clothing, which promises “no stretchy designer trousers or sheer, sparkly blouses”. (I go to Vegas for my New Year’s outfits). At Basquiat you’ll find designer clothing for men and women and frequent sales. If you just can’t resist dressing up your dog, check out Barking Babies for designer dogware.

Furniture? Go to Design House and Ital Interiors. For gourmet food at extravagant prices, Urban Fare is Yaletown’s answer to Whole Foods. From feather hats at Fine Finds to Moroccan poufs at The Cross to yellow convertibles at MINI Yaletown, plus books, art, cigars, flowers, gadgets and great BC wine, you can find anything in Yaletown. Grab a coffee, stroll and browse. You can offset your indulgences at my all-time favourite boutique: the Dollar Store.

Pampering

There a reason why Yaletown denizens looks so good. In two square blocks there are approximately 17,000 hair salons, 204 dental clinics and 97 spas. My favourite spas are Spruce Body Lab, which proves that getting a facial doesn’t have to be an emasculating experience, and Skoah, where staff provide personal training for your skin. For grooming products, the boys go to Masc and the girls to Beauty Mark. For a pre-party blow-dry and styling, check out Blo (tagline: “Blo me dry”) or go to Bombay Brown Bar for those all-essential Indian-style eyebrows.

Activities

In Yaletown you’re never more than a few minutes from the seawall, where you can bike, walk, run or blade for miles without ever having to stop for traffic – though you might knock down a pedestrian or two. On sunny days, David Lam Park is like a beach hangout … minus the sand and Guidos in Speedos.

On a rainy day, you might find me doing sun salutations at Y Yoga, where the instructors nourish the mind, body and spirit without getting too inner chakra on you. For a full-body workout with the posers there’s World Gym. Or exercise your creative side at Raw Canvas, where you can get all liquored up and then paint your take-home masterpiece in the art studio.

Getting around

Construction of Yaletown’s Canada Line rapid transit station made our lives miserable for years, but now that it’s open all is forgiven. The system whisks visitors from the airport to OPUS in twenty-two minutes and downtown in three minutes. Or catch an Aquabus from the foot of Davie Street to Sunset Beach or Granville Island and enjoy spectacular views of the City of Glass by water. That involves leaving Yaletown and risking a nosebleed, however – proceed with caution.

Naturally, the hub of all this activity is OPUS Hotel, where a visit to Yaletown is not complete without cocktails in OPUS Bar, steak frites in Elixir, and an espresso in Café O. Guests of OPUS enjoy exclusive offers at select Yaletown businesses via OPUS Perks.

For more info, visit the Lifestyle Concierge, Yaletown BIA or Tourism Vancouver. Enjoy exploring your yin and yang in Yaletown.

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