The modern-day Renaissance man tells T+L about Vancouver, and its mix of high design and natural wonders.
“I’ve made a lot of films in Vancouver. The people there are terrific—friendly, hardworking, and good-looking, too. The architecture of the city is beautiful, and it’s changing because of the upcoming Olympics. For many years, the downtown area along the port was overlooked, but now it’s filled with shops, clubs, and restaurants. And you can really see the Chinese influence in the new skyscrapers towering above the sea. I think it’s one of the most exquisite, aesthetically pleasing cities in the world.
There’s often a light rain in Vancouver, which keeps everything green, and because of the Pacific Rim currents, it rarely snows. The Strait of Georgia is very active; it’s home to every imaginable kind of sea life, from whales to sea lions. I’ve enjoyed taking day trips to Victoria, on Vancouver Island. It’s an old city—English fur traders were the first settlers—and it’s filled with stately architecture. From the island, I like to look back at Vancouver. You can see all the way to the mountain ranges outside Seattle.”
The city’s newest luxury hotel is the Asian-inspired Shangri-La Vancouver (1128 Georgia St. W.; 866/565-5050; shangri-la.com; doubles from $320).
Great Value Paintings from the Buschlen Mowatt Galleries are on display at the Listel Hotel (1300 Robson St.; 800/663-5491; thelistelhotel.com; doubles from $167).
Coast Restaurant (1054 Alberni St.; 604/685-5010; dinner for two $80) recently reopened in a sleek downtown space with a 20-foot circular raw bar.
Beginning this month, the Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.; 604/662-4719; admission $19) will be exhibiting landscape photographs by Canadian artist Scott McFarland.
The Torch Relay leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (February 12–28; vancouver2010.com) begins in Victoria October 30.
Passenger ferries to Vancouver Island (bcferries.com; tickets $13) depart regularly from Tsawwassen. The ride takes 90 minutes; Victoria can be explored on foot.
