Straight underneath the bridge lies this charming little island that houses some of my favourite restaurants, such as the Sandbar and the yellow Bridges. Among all the things here you can also find a theatre, a brewery, a public food market and of course the Emily Carr university.

After years of shaving my own head I found these guys and they did a haircut in 10 minutes without an awkward conversation, and it was the hair cut I always wanted but didn't know how to ask for it. Good music playing as well, sometimes.

1067 is one of the best music venues in Vancouver, playing host to experimental jazz and other electro-acoustic offerings. It is underground in every sense of the word, hidden in an alley behind an unmarked door (aside from the faintest scribbling of the address in the top right corner). $5 and a ring on a hidden buzzer gets you in to this amazing spot through a labyrinth of stairs and hallways.

The place to go for a refreshing morning walk. Here you can really see and feel the magic that occurs when the mountains, the city and the ocean meet. Close by is also the Museum of Vancouver which, among other things, holds some colorful displays of the local 1960s hippie movement.

A hidden (almost secret) garden! located off to the side of the Pacific National Exhibition Centre. This little Japanese landscaped garden is not only a quiet sanctuary where one can admire its lake, rocks, and bonzai trees, it is also a commemorative place that serves as a healing reminder of the history of Japanese Canadian internment during the Second World War.