Vancouver Yaletown Walking Tour (Self Guided), Vancouver

Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre is a fusion of history and arts, crafts, and leisure spaces located in a historic railway building in the heart of downtown Vancouver, on Pacific Blvd between Davie and Drake. Built in 1888, this complex represents one of the oldest structures in the city which still stands in its original location.

Once the end-line facility for the national railway, today this exciting and unique centre serves the local community. Among its amenities there are after-school child care; dance, pottery, and woodworking studios; a gymnasium; multi-purpose rooms; exhibition hall; and a 200-seat black box theatre. Additionally, the center houses Engine 374, the restored historic steam locomotive, which pulled the first trans-continental passenger train across Canada into Vancouver in 1887.

The center is open 7 days a week, and is always hopping!

Engine No. 374 is the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) locomotive that pulled the first transcontinental passenger train to Vancouver, arriving on May 23, 1887. This was a year after sister Engine No. 371 brought the first train to cross Canada into Port Moody, roughly 20 miles (32 km) to the east.

No. 374 was built in 1886 and was one of eight similar steam locomotives manufactured that year in the CPR Montreal shops. While No. 371 was scrapped in 1915, No. 374 was completely rebuilt in 1914 and remained in service until 1945. Because of its historical significance, it was donated to the City of Vancouver upon its retirement, which placed it on display in Kitsilano Beach Park.

Sadly, the machine suffered greatly from exposure to the elements and a lack of upkeep there. It remained in the park until 1983, when a group of railway enthusiasts launched an effort to restore the engine in time for Expo 86. They moved it from the beach and placed it in different warehouses around Vancouver for the next few years, while a crew of volunteers undertook the task of restoring the engine. Completed in time for Expo, No. 374 was put on display on the turntable at the renovated former CPR Drake Street Roundhouse, where it became a prime attraction.

Now a central feature of the Yaletown area redevelopment, the Engine 374 Pavilion is open daily for public viewing from 10 am to 4 pm.

Founded in 1994, the Yaletown Brewing Company was the first brewpub to open in Vancouver, and is the largest and most famous such pub in the city. Vancouver's original and best brewpub, it came into being just as the former warehouse district of Yaletown was beginning to emerge as a destination for businesses and residents.

Set in the extensively and beautifully renovated original red-brick warehouse, this pioneer of the city’s craft beer scene helped a great deal in the revitalization of Yaletown. In essence, the YBC is the materialized vision of a true neighborhood pub - a welcoming gathering place, whether you arrived dressed in a suit or flip-flops.

Alongside a lively pub section with TVs, pool tables and a fireplace, where you can enjoy some great local beer, it has a 160-seat restaurant section, where you can sample some high quality food together with the same tasty beer. All of this makes the YBC a one-stop destination for everything, from large corporate events to quick after-work beers with the regulars. Sitting outside on its huge patios (converted original loading docks) are ideal to eat, drink and take in the neighborhood's atmosphere throughout the warmer season.

When it comes for a delicious meal, fine spirits and some fun maritime hospitality at its heartiest, you can always rely on Rodney’s Oyster House (ROH) in Yaletown – a serious oyster curation (but that’s about where the seriousness ends). This raucous establishment is the original ROH outlet, and has been entertaining seafood lovers and oyster aficionados from far and wide for over 20 years, offering freshest seafood fare for lunch and dinner on a daily basis. The vibe here is noisy and fun, with customers catching up with their go-to bartenders and enjoying life, Cape Cod–style (a.k.a. wearing boat shoes).

While Rodney’s does indeed offer an impressive selection of day’s raw oysters by the dozen (check out Royal Miyagi, Kusshi, and Raspberry Point) freshly sourced from the local waters and skillfully shucked by a team of very handsome men, the restaurant also serves up some old-school favorites, such as steaming bowls of New England clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and crab cakes.

While here, you may also want to try their delightful steamed clams, garlic shrimp, wild sockeye or pan fried oysters, much as the Atlantic lobster, coco curry shrimp, potato crusted halibut and more. The scallop pasta and AAA rib-eye steak will have you coming back here time and time again all the same, rest assured. Also, in the late afternoons, guests are in for a special “low tide” treat brought to the restaurant during low tide for immediate freshness. To wash it all down, consider ordering British Columbian wine, like the crisp Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris, or a cup of grog or a glass of imported white or red wine to complement any dish.

Operation Hours:
Monday to Saturday, from 11:30am to 11pm; and Sunday, from 4:30pm to 11pm.

The grassy 11-acre expanse of refreshing green space in the midst of the hustle and bustle of downtown Vancouver, David Lam Park embodies some of what the Concord Pacific beach neighbourhood dwellers value the most — art, fitness, and nature — all just a short walk away from the Granville Strip and the cobbled streets of Yaletown. Set practically on the seawall, this stunning park represents an intricate mix of active and passive recreation opportunities, complemented with skyline and truly great views.

As part of the chain of city parks along False Creek’s north waterfront, David Lam Park provides high-value open space that brings the public to the water’s edge, with environmental enhancements at the foreshore. There is an abundance of sports (tennis and basketball) courts and children’s playgrounds sheltered by lush plantings, large open lawns ideal for kite flying, volleyball, Frisbee or a lazy day out resting in the sunshine or picnicking.

Among other amenities here is a restful Chinese garden for quiet reflection, with plantings of Chinese origin for people to enjoy in memory of David Lam, BC Lieutenant Governor, after whom the park has been named, echoing his devotion to both landscape and uniting communities. At the northwest corner of the park, near the foot of Homer Street, there are imagery and materials recalling the history of the site — its former rocky shore edge reconstructed in granite — and glass-etched photographs displaying scenes from the industrial history of Yaletown. At the water’s edge, loading dock canopies were once a common fixture; today, a similar canopy of glass and steel serves a new function: shelter from rain or sun.

Each summer, David Lam Park plays host to several outdoor festivals, including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and Yaletown Outdoor Movie Nights. It is also a local favorite for dog-walking and is a home to several intriguing sculptures nestled along the waterfront, making it a great art walk. Even the public bathrooms have been made into an art piece with a waterfall cascading down the side of the building.

The Vancouver seawall is a stone wall that was constructed around the perimeter of Stanley Park to prevent erosion of the park's foreshore. Colloquially, the term also denotes the pedestrian, bicycle, and rollerblading pathway on the seawall, one which has been extended far outside the boundaries of Stanley Park and which has become one of the most-used features of the park by both locals and tourists.

James "Jimmy" Cunningham, a master mason, dedicated much of his life – from 1931 until his retirement in 1963 – to the construction of the seawall. Even after he had retired, Cunningham continued to return to monitor the wall's progress, up until his death at age of 85. While the whole path is not built upon the seawall; the total distance from CRAB park, around Stanley Park and False Creek to Spanish Banks is about 30 kilometres (19 miles).

Despite perennial conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists, and inline skaters, park users consider the seawall to be the most important feature of Stanley Park and it is the most used feature within the park.

False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver that separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named so by George Henry Richards during his hydro-graphic survey of the coast in 1856-63. While traveling along the south side of the Burrard Inlet, Richards thought he was traversing a creek; upon discovering his error, he gave the waterway its current name.

Science World is located at its eastern end, with the Granville, Cambie, and the Burrard (which is furthest west) Street bridges crossing False Creek. The Canada Line rapid transit tunnel crosses underneath False Creek just west of the Cambie Bridge. The creek is one of the four major bodies of water bordering Vancouver along with English Bay, Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River. In 1986 it was the location of the Expo 86 World's Fair.

False Creek is a very popular boating area for many different activities, including dragon boating, canoeing, kayaking, public ferries, charter ships, and visiting pleasure boats. It has 10 marinas with berths for 1500 watercraft and several paddling clubs or boat rental facilities. Since 1986, the creek has been the venue for the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival and other paddling events.