OTB: A phenomenon common to downtown and West End Vancouver residents often grapple with – better known as “Over the Bridge.” For some, OTB is a vast and inessential landscape, normally synonymous with East Vancouver, and inhabited by hipsters, freaks, and Vietnamese restaurateurs.
It’s a place never worth leaving the comforts of the downtown core for. Why would anyone leave, when everything exists within six square miles of dense, glorious urbanity? Think of the beach! Think of all the great food! And all the beautiful, beautiful faces! There’s no reason to leave…
…right?
Wrong! There’s an entire world that exists OTB. Some of the finest food, among other things, can be found in neighbourhoods some downtown residents have never even heard about, let alone visited.
Of course, there are countless treasures nestled in the city’s many neighbourhoods, but for the sake of concision we’ve narrowed this list to 10 must-see places to check out. Now go! Explore your city!
All that Beer
WE Vancouver covered Vancouver’s beer scene extensively during craft beer week, but in case you missed it: Vancouver has some of the finest craft beer around and most of them have tasting rooms where patrons can sample the brews and fill their growlers. Brassneck and 33 Acres Brewing in the Main Street area and Bomber Brewing and Parallel 49 Brewing outside the East Village are all worth checking out. Coal Harbour Brewing is great too, though you may be shocked to learn it’s not actually located in Coal Harbour.
Sal y Limon
While the majority of Vancouver’s taco addicts are salivating over La Taqueria, only those around the Kingsway and Fraser area seem to know about this incredible authentic Mexican restaurant. The menu is varied and features dishes with fresh ingredients that won’t leave you doubled over an hour after ingesting a whole burrito. The restaurant is quite small (although they are expanding), so expect to wait around 30 minutes for food during the lunch and dinner-time rush. But the food is well worth the wait.
Trout Lake
East Vancouver is stocked with quiet, relaxing residential parks and green space that the dense and tourist-heavy downtown core can’t accommodate. The golden standard, however, is John Hendry Park, a.k.a. Trout Lake Beach, a.k.a. Trout Lake. This is a converging point for much of East Vancouver’s dog owners, joggers, family BBQ’ers, softball players, hula-hoopers – you name it. A few hours soaking up the rays here on a Saturday is the best way we can think of to get a sense of just how laid back East Vancouver can be.
Commercial Drive, people!
And then to get a sense of just how cultured this city really is… It’s frankly insane how many people we’ve met who’ve never been to the Drive. One of the few neighbourhoods in the city void of big box retailers or chain restaurants, the street is home to book stores, boutiques, head shops, ethnic grocers and the like. The people watching is the best you’ll find in the city, boasting an eclectic mix of bohemians, hippies, West Coast yuppies, Italians, Vietnamese and everyone in between. And did we mention the food? So. Much. Great. Food.
The Biltmore
The Mount Pleasant venue, while somewhat dank, hosts some of the best live shows in the city, housing the bulk of Vancouver’s underground and independent music scene. Above all that, though, is Glory Days will put almost any Saturday night downtown social night to shame. It boasts No glitz, no glamour, and refreshing lack of pretension.
Earnest Ice Cream
Forget everything you ever knew about ice cream. Have you done that? OK, now take a trip to Earnest Ice Cream’s home base on Fraser St. Because they use all-natural (and local) ingredients and their concoctions are both unusual and incredibly tasty, you’ll think twice about buying that tub of Breyers next time you’re at the Safeway. Be prepared to wait when you’re there though – the line lately has been extending around the block.
La Marche St. George
It has to be said – this is the best café in Vancouver. Nestled in the middle of a quiet Riley Park neighbourhood – on 28th Ave. at St. George, between Main and Fraser Streets – it’s modeled after a quiet market in the French countryside. Stop by for breakfast, scarf down a delicious crepe – with all organic ingredients, of course – and one of the finer latte’s within city limits. Stock up on some fine artisan chips, crackers, or whatever else you might need for your pantry. Then tell all your friends.
All the pizza
It’s true, this city isn’t hurting for pizza joints, but nothing quite matches the heights reached by Pizza Barbarella and Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana. There’s simply not an argument to be had about this. Also, Don’t Argue! Pizzeria on Main St. is one of very few places in the city that offers single slices of thin crust pizza. These slices are also delicious, in case you’re wondering.
Wreck Beach
The truth here is that more people than ever have been flocking to Vancouver’s only nude beach – which happens also to be, by far, Vancouver’s best beach – which might account for an increased police presence there that may very well neuter the groovy, free-and-wild hippie vibe that’s made the beach a wonderful place to begin with. Still, Wreck Beach is absolutely worth checking out at least once this summer, and not just for all the naked bodies (which are not all, we can assure you, old and wrinkly).
The lifestyle, in general
Rent is cheaper (generally). Real estate is (relatively) cheaper. The neighbourhoods are quieter. The groceries are cheaper. Single-family homes still exist in great numbers and are beautiful to look at during afternoon walks around the neighbourhood. We’re not saying living OTB is the best ever, but… y’know…
