Downtown West, Downtown Vancouver | Neighbourhood Profile

Trendy, fashionable, vibrant … Vancouver’s Downtown offers lifestyle opportunities that are envied across Canada.

Schools

As with any residential area, the proximity to schools and education facilities is an important consideration. Lord Roberts Elementary School and Lord Roberts Annex are both within walking distance of the Downtown West boundaries. There is also the Elsie Roy Elementary School on Drake Street. The renowned King George Secondary School has a stellar reputation and offers many opportunities for the older children in the family.

If private schooling is more of a consideration, the Pattison High School on Nelson Street or the Westside Preparatory School on West Pender are excellent choices.

If access to higher education is a goal, then Vancouver’s Downtown offers you a myriad of opportunities at your doorstep. Located in the core of Downtown West there are three institutes of higher learning that have established downtown campuses.

At Robson Square, the University of British Columbia has a downtown campus featuring Continuing Studies, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Medicine offerings (including a full-time Masters in Health Administration program) as well as the respected Sauder School of Business offering part-time MBA Studies. The UBC Bookstore, a branch of the UBC Library, and over 70,000 square feet of convention and event facilities round out the amenities offered.

Just down the street at 555 Seymour, there is the downtown campus for BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) with a full spectrum of courses available.

Over at Harbour Centre on West Hastings, Simon Fraser University offers a full selection of continuing studies. Another downtown location, in the iconic Woodwards Building, offers the facilities of SFU’s renowned School for Contemporary Arts. Coupled with their Segal Grad School of Business and the Morris J. Wosk Dialogue Centre, SFU has established a firm and extensive presence in the downtown core.

Location

Burrard Street to Pacific Boulevard to Richards Street up to Smithe Street, back to Pacific Boulevard to Carrol Street, then up a virtual boundary through Andy Livingstone Park to the Georgia Viaduct, and finally then up to the Vancouver harbour… these are the basic boundaries of the area known as Downtown West.

Iconic buildings in the area include the Vancouver Public Library. The “roman coliseum” design has become a Downtown landmark and it remains the third-largest Library in Canada. As a contrast, there is the fabled Sun Tower at 100 West Pender. This 17-story Beaux Arts building features a faux patina steel dome painted to imitate copper cladding. It features nine nude muses, the “nine maidens” supporting the cornice. This is a landmark building that can be seen from most points in the Downtown.

Housing

Downtown West boasts an upscale mix of new luxury high-rises and elegant townhomes – both strata-titled and rental housing. Developments have grown up around transportation hubs and entertainment areas. All this appeals to the trendy, fashionable and ethnically diverse population who have been drawn by the lure of the downtown lifestyle. Everything is at your doorstep, including easy access to the natural amenities of Stanley Park, False Creek and the Seawall. The Downtown resident seems to be typified by the young upwardly mobile, ethnically diverse middle to upper middle-class person. They are predominantly employed in the business, finance, service or sales industries and have chosen the Downtown area for its easy accessibility to their work environment. Downtown (West) is one of Canada’s most livable downtown cores and offers its residents a true urban lifestyle that is envied worldwide.

Recreation

The proximity to Stanley Park and the English Bay Seawall is an outdoor lover’s dream. Stanley Park offers not only a walker’s and jogger’s paradise but also tennis, lawn bowling and rugby facilities. Nature lovers can indulge their passions on a daily basis with the easy access to the Park and the Seawall. There is also an easy access to the False Creek North Seawall and the beauty that it offers. There are a number of downtown gyms available for residents including the renowned Steve Nash Fitness Club on Granville Street.

Shopping and Restaurants

Downtown West offers many restaurant and shopping areas to its residents. The obvious shopping hub is the Pacific Centre which offers an eclectic mix of iconic Canadian department stores and upscale fashion label houses. Granville Street offers a more urban mix of stores including electronics and sporting goods. The nearby Robson Street offers a retail menu of upscale stores all within walking distance of the downtown core. The proximity of the up-and-coming Gastown area offers very different and yet totally Vancouver shopping experience.

The restaurant scene in the Downtown West area can take someone from the iconic Smile Cafe to the upscale Gotham Steak House. The choices between these two extremes are plentiful. The opportunity to experience every ethnicity, every price level, every type of restaurant and neighbourhood bar or entertainment venue is one of the main reasons for the vibrancy of this neighbourhood.

Transportation

Vancouver’s Downtown offers transportation opportunities and access unparalleled from any Lower Mainland area. The Granville and Georgia transportation hub offers access to all parts of the Lower Mainland. The Skytrain Station gives the resident access to all points east of the downtown core; the Canada Line Station offers access to Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport; Georgia Street offers bus access to all points in North Vancouver and West Vancouver including the 257 Express to Horseshoe Bay and the ferry terminal; Granville Street offers bus access to all points south of the downtown core. When in the Downtown core, one can travel to nearly every point in the Lower Mainland with ease.