Posted September 12, 2018 by travelaroundthegalaxy vancouver

East Van

Any trip to Vancouver must include a trip to the East Side. There are many great restaurants to sample some of Vancouver’s ethnic diversity. Exploring Vancouver smaller neighborhoods is the best way to experience the city, and East Van is home to the city’s most artistic and trendy spots. I consider East Vancouver “home” when I think of the city, and it is where I am most likely to be hanging out if I’m in the city.

Much like the Vancouver Westside, East Van is made up of mostly residential areas which are broken up into smaller neighborhoods, such as Commercial Drive, Main Street, and Hastings-Sunrise. On the Burrard Inlet, the waterfront is taken up by the port and is mostly inaccessible to visitors. East Van was primarily built up by immigrants and working-class families who couldn’t afford to live in the more affluent Westside. East Van retains that working-class vibe today, and its neighborhoods are more trendy, full of artists, hippies, musicians, and weirdos.

It is definitely the cool part of town, especially along Commercial Drive, which is known as Vancouver’s Little Italy. In 1985, the Skytrain was built, heading east towards Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey, which connected the east side with downtown, and allowed for more people to move into these neighborhoods. Every place that I have ever lived in Vancouver has been on the East Side, and it is where you are most likely to get in touch with the “real” Vancouver.