Vancouver Datasheet
Intro
What up fellow RVF players? I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. I’ve been a long time RooshV reader / supporter since 2011. I’ve lurked on the forums for some time and have gotten a lot of value from previous datasheets which enhanced my trips abroad. It’s time to give back - a comprehensive data sheet on my home town, which is a first for the forums.
A little bit about myself: Asian, 5”6, late 20’s, good style, in shape, relatively well travelled, been in the game for the last 7 years with many memories and experiences. I am a working professional who grew up and live in this city, so I’d like to think that I know what I’m talking about ☺
Overview
Nestled in the Pacific coast of BC, Vancouver is one of the most international cities in Canada. It boasts a lot of natural beauty and draws a big tourist crowd between the months of March-September, when the sun is out. There are also some really scenic hikes nearby such as Joffre Lake and The Chief in the town of Squamish if you’re the outdoorsy type.
During the winter, there is also a lot to do, as the local mountains offer opportunities for skiing, snowboarding and plenty of ice rinks for skating and hockey. Whistler and Big White Resort are also a few hours drive away.
After hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010, the secret is out on this place. As such, there has been a huge influx of foreign capital into the city and the real estate market has taken off like a rocket ship. There is a lot of money in this town, but nobody seems to know where it comes from. They definitely didn’t make it here.
The city is very safe at all times of the day, but visitors are advised to stay away from a two block radius area called the Downtown Eastside, which as one of the worst mental health, homeless and drug addicted populations in North America.
In terms of cost of living, Vancouver is considered quite high, almost but not quite as high as London / New York / San Fran / Sydney levels.
The Culture
Vancouverites are generally laid back and friendly. Marijuana is also de-facto decriminalized, if you’re into smoking pot. Every year on April 20th (420), there is a massive rally outside the Art Gallery. There’s a reason BC Bud is famous.
People here are generally fit and health conscious. Yoga and gym culture is pretty big here. As such, there are many fit guys and gals who are into working out and keeping their bodies in tip top shape.
However, Vancouverites also have a reputation for being snobby and cliquey. In my experience, this has proven to be true. The locals are nice and polite, but breaking into social circles can be really tough. It seems as if people almost go out of their way to avoid making eye contact with you on the streets and definitely seem to shy away from have conversations with strangers, compared to other cities in the world.
The friendliest peoples I have met in Vancouver are people from outside of it; from Vancouver Island, the Prairie Provinces, recent transplants, and international students or expats (notably South Americans).
Vancouver is also an ultra-liberal, left-wing city. As such, there are many manginas / white knights and SJW / feminist types here. It is also one of the cities, which vehemently got up in arms to protest and resist Roosh’s meet up (read about it here: http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2016/02/roosh...artists/).
IMO one of the reasons for its cliqueyness is because the Asians want it to be Hong Kong, the artists / hipsters want it to be San Fran, the actors / film types wish it was LA, the tech start-up scene wants it to be like Silicon Valley North, and a lot of rich people flaunt their wealth, so it’s a bizarre melting pot of sorts.
The Girls
The local dating scene here is notoriously tough for a variety of reasons. Based on my own experiences, the experiences of other well-travelled players and my local dating coach friend, they generally agree on this assessment.
The “6 and 7’s” here can easily be considered 8’s in other parts of North America. There are also a lot of tall / fit / jacked / good looking dudes in this city which enhance its superficialness. Vancouver is also the sugar daddy capital of Canada and there are a lot of rich guys who act as “sponsors” for a lot of the 9’s and dimes here. These are some of the reasons for the local women’s entitlement.
That said, there are also many cute, beautiful women in this city who are down to earth and friendly, provided you have good game and / or social status like anywhere else. Asians, Caucasian blondes / brunettes, Persians, and a small mix of black girls can be found here. There are also a few different types of women you will typically meet: the yoga girl, the gym / active girls, the yuppie, the princess, the artsy / musical girls, etc etc.
Being an international city, it also houses an international variety of women at any given time, whether they are a) Tourists or b) International Students. They are mostly found inside the downtown core during the day or in certain niche clubs.
There is a large community of international students who cycle in and out every few months. The majority of them seem to attend language schools but seem to stick to their language school social circles. They are mostly from Japan, Mexico and Brazil. That said, I’ve also met women from Russia, Colombia and Ireland / rest of Europe who’ve moved here or came for a few months.
In my experience, the international girls tend to be the most friendly, receptive and less flakey than their entitled, snobby local counterparts. Your best bet for meeting these girls is to befriend someone within these circles, hang out in big social groups and then get invited to house parties as I’ve had a lot of recent success this way.
Daygame
The obvious day game spots downtown are on Granville Street (the entertainment district), Robson Street (the shopping street) and Pacific Centre (high end mall).
However, these days it seems like a lot of girls are on guard with bitch shields up while walking down these streets, due to past public scandals and social media public outrages involving pick up artists pushing their boundaries, coming off too aggressive and uncalibrated, resulting in highly publicized “street harassment."
This seems to be the result of many un-calibrated noobs running around, spam approaching every single girl. There also seems to be a huge RSD crowd and their followers mindlessly spam approaching with their retarded “social freedom exercises” and other such antics every weekend.
That said, there is still a lot of room for play for a skilled and charming player. The key to is either open indirect, engaged in conversation and then gauge their interest levels before dropping the IOI, or open direct without coming off contrived / rehearsed and making it seem spontaneous. The London Day Game Model can be used here with good results – especially for intermediate level players and with feminine girls who appreciate masculinity. There are also a lot of attractive international women who will not be as tough to approach as the local women.
Generally, day game here is best during the summer time, with a constant parade of good looking women walking around downtown and other popular spots. In the winters, it’s a real grind to walk around the streets in sub zero temperatures and girls will be a lot less receptive to stopping to talk to you outside. That said, it could still work in malls and stores.
Here are some other less burned out day game spots but less volume:
English Bay: Best on weekends and the summer, where there are Celebration of Lights fireworks. Walk around the beach and its surrounding neighourhoods (Davie Street / Denman Street) for good talent. Lots of locals and tourists alike come here.
Kits Beach: Can be hit or miss. Best on weekends. Mostly locals and students who live nearby. Bring a Frisbee or volleyball if you want to mess around.
UBC: The local world class university campus. It’s a bit out of the way but the talent can be really good during the school year. Just be careful and fly under the radar because security has been on alert after recent public scandals involving PUAS who were spam approaching all the girls. The police have also recently stepped up due to public groping / real sex assaults on women walking alone after dark. Stay calibrated and open indirect to gauge interest levels.
Convention Centre: Can be hit or miss. Best on weekends and during conventions such as comic or anime. The cruise ships park here but they are mostly loaded with seniors and older adults. The seawall along this area could also be good in the summer if you also want to enjoy a scenic walk or bike ride. That said, there are still cute tourist girls roaming around, taking photos and craving adventure. They tend to be a bit harder to find.
Broadway / Cambie: This intersection and the shops (IE Whole Foods, Starbucks) around it are gold. Being a major transit hub, the foot traffic is unbelievable and lots of talent going to and from places during the day. The downside is that a lot of these girls are often in a rush to go somewhere else.
Broadway / Commercial: Similar deal to the above intersection, but in a more blue-collar neighbourhood. The coffee shops and Commercial Drive (Little Italy) just north of here can be filled with artsy, bohemian girls with tattoos who like music (I’m just stereotyping). Has potential but I haven’t daygamed this area too much.
Gastown / Waterfront Station: One of my go-to spots when I get tired of the rest of the Downtown Core. The concentration of attractive women is a bit less, but Gastown is a really unique neighbourhood with its cobblestone streets, Steam Clock (tourist magnet) and restaurants / bars. Also one of my favourite places to go out on the weekends to pick-up or to take a date.
Metrotown Mall: A big indoor mall in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver accessible by the Expo / Millennium Line Skytrain. Decent local talent doing their shopping. Best times are late afternoons and weekends.
Oakridge Mall: Same as Metrotown, except a bit smaller and located on the west side of Vancouver. Accessible by Canada Line Skytrain. Decent local talent doing their shopping. Best times are late afternoons and weekends.
Nightgame
The bars and clubs here close at 3am, sometimes 4am on special evenings. It’s just OK compared to the party scenes in Europe and South America, and it’s not even the best in Canada (Montreal and Toronto are better). Best time to arrive is between 10pm-11pm. Things typically peak around 1-1:30am, depending on the venue and then it goes downhill real fast.
Many of the popular venues here make everyone stand outside and line up even though there’s barely anybody inside, to make it look like it’s really happening inside. They do this even in the winter weather so it’s an annoying pet peeve of mine.
Granville Street:
Generally, I avoid Granville Street like the plague as it turns into amateur hour on weekends. It’s a shit-show of jersey shore wanna-bes, fights and drama. All the people from the surrounding suburbs come here to party on the weekends. I think you need a really high energy level game to succeed here at night. If you prefer to act like James Bond, go to Gastown or Yaletown.
That said, there are also tourist and backpacker girls who party here on weekends. They shut down the whole road to car traffic though so there is a real promenade sort of feeling. There’s good bars and restaurants here.
I can only really speak to two places on Granville that I have frequented myelf:
Caprice: It’s a typical two story club with a massive sound system. It’s loud and it’s dark. They have concerts during the weekends here as well. The drinks are moderately priced and cover is $15-20 I believe. I haven’t been here in years but judging from the line ups outside, it’s mostly Asians and East Indians that frequent this place. Not the ideal place to wheel white chicks.
The Roxy: This is a Vancouver landmark and institution. It’s also a bit of a meat-market. It’s a place for all ages (yes, including cougars) and you might spot anyone from professional hockey players to celebrities partying here. It has three bars, with a live band and dance floor. I’ve had some good and bad nights here. Come early before 10:30pm especially on summer nights as the lineup gets really long. It’s worth a visit. $10-$15 cover and fairly priced drinks in the $7 range.
Gastown
Admittedly, I am biased, but I really enjoy Gastown a lot more as do a lot of other locals. People still know how to party here without losing it. It’s classier than Granville but still lively.
The Bourdon: Country bar playing country music. It used to have a mechanical bull in the back that was really popular but that’s been removed. They have two long bars and the place has really good flow. The crowd is mostly 18-24 year old college kids wearing plaid shirts but the girls are pretty if you like white chicks. It’s dead during the weekday so only come on weekends. $10-$15 cover. Cheap beers and standard $7 cocktails.
The Blarney Stone: Decent Irish bar with a friendly crowd. Mostly mixed groups and there are always cute girls here. It’s two floors, each with a bar. There’s a stage and dance floor on the main floor. The second floor has a smaller area to mingle near the bar and a long walkway with booths and tables overlooking the dance floor. There is a live cover band here on weekends. Seems to go downhill really fast after 1am. $12 cover. If you happened to be here on St Patrick’s Day, this place is bumping all day long and is the place to be.
The Cambie: Dive bar under a hostel. Cheap $3 beers with sticky floors and no cover. This place draws an international, back packer, university student crowd with the odd rough / weird local characters and PUAs lurking around. There’s two bars with room to stand, and long table / benches for sitting. I used to really like this place and have done well here because women come here to get laid. It seems to have gone down-hill ratio wise the last two years but still worth a visit on weekends. On Tuesdays they also have beer pong night, which attracts a lot of international students.
The Charles Bar: A good but smaller bar in a V setup and small dance floor. There’s booths and standup tables as well. Mostly slightly yuppie crowd from 25-40 years old that mingle. I like this place because they have a DJ that plays good 90’s hip-hop / R&B / rap on weekends. The staff are also friendly and the bartenders are fast. Good quiet date spot on weeknights. Free or $10 cover depending on how busy it is but the line here moves fast.
The Lamplighter: Decent bar that is one floor but bigger than the Charles Bar. Same 25-40 year old yuppie crowd. They play mix of Top 40's and old school hip hop classics. There’s usually a lineup especially on summer weekend nights. They have two bars and a dance floor. There’s also pinball machines, pool tables and sit down tables. $12-$15 cover and the line can move quite slowly here at times.
The Diamond: More of a date-spot with tables and candles for a good ambiance. Great bartenders who know their craft, really strong cocktails in the $12-$14 range but super delicious. Quiet lively on the weekends and might need to wait for a table.
Others
Biminis: This is a college bar situated in the Kitsolano neighbourhood on W. 4th Ave. It’s got booths, couches, pinball machines and a pool table. It’s best on Wednesday nights where they have college night with cheap pitchers and chicken wings. Good talent but girls tends to stick to their school social circles. That said, I’ve had friends pull from here before.
Red Room: It’s a South American bar / club. I’ve only gone here on Fridays, when they hold “Cancun Nights.” This is their big night and they play latin / salsa music. They have three bars, some tables / couches in the back and a central dance floor. This is when all the South American exchange students and tourists come in their social circles. Decent spot if you want to try picking up some Latinas. $12 cover and $3 house beers.
Library Square: It’s located a large bar / restaurant downtown just inside the massive central library with a dance floor. The service and food is just alright and is real slow on weekends. Their busy nights are Thursdays and Fridays. Thursdays are where it’s at because of their beer / chicken wing specials, and seems to attract a very international student crowd – come before 10pm to avoid a huge lineup.
$10-$12 cover.
Logistics
If you can, definitely try to get an apartment in the downtown core, Yaletown or in Gastown if you have the bankroll. This way, all the nightgame / daygame / date / bars spots will be within walking distance.
If you can’t, the Mount Pleasant neighourhood up and down Main St from E. 2nd Ave to about E. 16th Ave, or Kitsolano area out by W. 4th Ave / Kits beach are also decent options as they are a 10 min cab ride from downtown.
I don’t know many hostels in the city, but I’ve been inside Same Sun Hostel on Granville Street and it seems clean, decent, with cute girls and a good bar. There’s some in the West End as well. I would avoid the Cambie Hostel as it seems grungy and run-down.
Restaurants
Vancouver has countless world class restaurants with a wide variety of cuisine. It’s the sushi capital of the world outside of Japan. Chinese, Thai, Italian, Persian, Mexican, you name it, we have it.
Consult Yelp for more details, but the following are a few of my favourite restaurants around town:
The Keg in Yaletown: Great steaks and lobster for a reasonable price. Ask to sit on the patio if you can.
The Parlour in Yaletown: Delicious high-end pizzas. Turns into a bar on weekends after 10pm or so.
Cactus Club Café in Coal Harbour: Smoking hot waitresses and a massive venue. Food and drinks are just average here, but the surrounding views of the Olympic Cauldron, Stanley Park and North Shore Mountains are awesome.
Tacofinos in Gastown: Delicious tacos here, especially the fish ones.
Café Medina in Downtown: Best brunch in the city. Come on a weekday and avoid on weekends as they have massive lineups. Try the waffles and lavender lattes.
Café Artigiano in Downtown: Best coffee chain in the city with artisan coffees and expressos – found throughout the city.
Marutama Ramen and Hokkaido Ramen: Both located in the West End, reasonably priced and really delicious ramen that’s tops in Vancouver.
Other Splurgy High End Restaurants: Joe Forte’s Chophouse (great happy hour) Gotham’s Steakhouse, Tojo’s and Miku for sushi, Sunday Brunch at the Pan Pacific Hotel.
Sightseeing / Touristy Stuff:
Biking the Seawall – Rent a bike, start at the Convention Centre, to Coal Harbour, around Stanley Park and end up at English Bay. Best done during the summer.
Watching the Sunset – Corny and cheesy I know, but I’m a romantic at heart and the sunsets in the summer on a clear day are stunning. Best done from English Bay.
Celebration of Lights / Canada Day / Pride Parade - Three nights of fireworks celebration in the summer. All three events are quite quite a show and attracts very large crowds in the summer. Worth checking out and soaking in the atmosphere if you happen to be in town.
Grouse Grind – Nature’s Stairmaster in North Vancouver. 60-90 minutes to finish if you are in shape. Bring water, change of t-shirt and enjoy a beer / beaver tail at the top while enjoying the view.
Vancouver Art Gallery – They usually have some sort of cool exhibit going on. Could be a good place to run game too. Go on Tuesday nights as it’s by donation instead of a $20 ticket.
Street festivals – In the summer they usually have some sort of street festival on Granville Street and Gastown with food carts, live music, small vendors so keep your head up for that.
Vancouver Canucks – Nothing is more Canadian than hockey eh? At the time of writing, the team is pretty mediocre but on the bright side the tickets are way more affordable than they used to be. Upper level cheap seats can be had for $50-75 a pop from legitimate ticket resellers. Just be careful of Craigslists frauds as its rampant. It can be a good time and a real Canadian experience to check out an NHL hockey game and grab a few beers to kick back.
Vancouver Whitecaps – In terms of pure sporting experience and atmosphere, the football / soccer is definitely better than hockey these days. The games are a lot of fun but nowhere as crazy or highly skilled as they are in Europe and South America. Sit near the Southsiders(on the south side of the stadium) if you want a raucous experience full of heckling, chanting, flag waving and singing.
Conclusion
There you have it my fellow international players - my in-depth and comprehensive data sheet of Vancouver, BC based on my life experiences and 7 years of going out.
I hope you get some value and intel out of my datasheet. Thanks for the community for providing me with great info all these past years. If any of you are ever in town and want to buy me a beer for my troubles, feel free to send me a PM ☺
Intro
What up fellow RVF players? I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. I’ve been a long time RooshV reader / supporter since 2011. I’ve lurked on the forums for some time and have gotten a lot of value from previous datasheets which enhanced my trips abroad. It’s time to give back - a comprehensive data sheet on my home town, which is a first for the forums.
A little bit about myself: Asian, 5”6, late 20’s, good style, in shape, relatively well travelled, been in the game for the last 7 years with many memories and experiences. I am a working professional who grew up and live in this city, so I’d like to think that I know what I’m talking about ☺
Overview
Nestled in the Pacific coast of BC, Vancouver is one of the most international cities in Canada. It boasts a lot of natural beauty and draws a big tourist crowd between the months of March-September, when the sun is out. There are also some really scenic hikes nearby such as Joffre Lake and The Chief in the town of Squamish if you’re the outdoorsy type.
During the winter, there is also a lot to do, as the local mountains offer opportunities for skiing, snowboarding and plenty of ice rinks for skating and hockey. Whistler and Big White Resort are also a few hours drive away.
After hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010, the secret is out on this place. As such, there has been a huge influx of foreign capital into the city and the real estate market has taken off like a rocket ship. There is a lot of money in this town, but nobody seems to know where it comes from. They definitely didn’t make it here.
The city is very safe at all times of the day, but visitors are advised to stay away from a two block radius area called the Downtown Eastside, which as one of the worst mental health, homeless and drug addicted populations in North America.
In terms of cost of living, Vancouver is considered quite high, almost but not quite as high as London / New York / San Fran / Sydney levels.
The Culture
Vancouverites are generally laid back and friendly. Marijuana is also de-facto decriminalized, if you’re into smoking pot. Every year on April 20th (420), there is a massive rally outside the Art Gallery. There’s a reason BC Bud is famous.
People here are generally fit and health conscious. Yoga and gym culture is pretty big here. As such, there are many fit guys and gals who are into working out and keeping their bodies in tip top shape.
However, Vancouverites also have a reputation for being snobby and cliquey. In my experience, this has proven to be true. The locals are nice and polite, but breaking into social circles can be really tough. It seems as if people almost go out of their way to avoid making eye contact with you on the streets and definitely seem to shy away from have conversations with strangers, compared to other cities in the world.
The friendliest peoples I have met in Vancouver are people from outside of it; from Vancouver Island, the Prairie Provinces, recent transplants, and international students or expats (notably South Americans).
Vancouver is also an ultra-liberal, left-wing city. As such, there are many manginas / white knights and SJW / feminist types here. It is also one of the cities, which vehemently got up in arms to protest and resist Roosh’s meet up (read about it here: http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2016/02/roosh...artists/).
IMO one of the reasons for its cliqueyness is because the Asians want it to be Hong Kong, the artists / hipsters want it to be San Fran, the actors / film types wish it was LA, the tech start-up scene wants it to be like Silicon Valley North, and a lot of rich people flaunt their wealth, so it’s a bizarre melting pot of sorts.
The Girls
The local dating scene here is notoriously tough for a variety of reasons. Based on my own experiences, the experiences of other well-travelled players and my local dating coach friend, they generally agree on this assessment.
The “6 and 7’s” here can easily be considered 8’s in other parts of North America. There are also a lot of tall / fit / jacked / good looking dudes in this city which enhance its superficialness. Vancouver is also the sugar daddy capital of Canada and there are a lot of rich guys who act as “sponsors” for a lot of the 9’s and dimes here. These are some of the reasons for the local women’s entitlement.
That said, there are also many cute, beautiful women in this city who are down to earth and friendly, provided you have good game and / or social status like anywhere else. Asians, Caucasian blondes / brunettes, Persians, and a small mix of black girls can be found here. There are also a few different types of women you will typically meet: the yoga girl, the gym / active girls, the yuppie, the princess, the artsy / musical girls, etc etc.
Being an international city, it also houses an international variety of women at any given time, whether they are a) Tourists or b) International Students. They are mostly found inside the downtown core during the day or in certain niche clubs.
There is a large community of international students who cycle in and out every few months. The majority of them seem to attend language schools but seem to stick to their language school social circles. They are mostly from Japan, Mexico and Brazil. That said, I’ve also met women from Russia, Colombia and Ireland / rest of Europe who’ve moved here or came for a few months.
In my experience, the international girls tend to be the most friendly, receptive and less flakey than their entitled, snobby local counterparts. Your best bet for meeting these girls is to befriend someone within these circles, hang out in big social groups and then get invited to house parties as I’ve had a lot of recent success this way.
Daygame
The obvious day game spots downtown are on Granville Street (the entertainment district), Robson Street (the shopping street) and Pacific Centre (high end mall).
However, these days it seems like a lot of girls are on guard with bitch shields up while walking down these streets, due to past public scandals and social media public outrages involving pick up artists pushing their boundaries, coming off too aggressive and uncalibrated, resulting in highly publicized “street harassment."
This seems to be the result of many un-calibrated noobs running around, spam approaching every single girl. There also seems to be a huge RSD crowd and their followers mindlessly spam approaching with their retarded “social freedom exercises” and other such antics every weekend.
That said, there is still a lot of room for play for a skilled and charming player. The key to is either open indirect, engaged in conversation and then gauge their interest levels before dropping the IOI, or open direct without coming off contrived / rehearsed and making it seem spontaneous. The London Day Game Model can be used here with good results – especially for intermediate level players and with feminine girls who appreciate masculinity. There are also a lot of attractive international women who will not be as tough to approach as the local women.
Generally, day game here is best during the summer time, with a constant parade of good looking women walking around downtown and other popular spots. In the winters, it’s a real grind to walk around the streets in sub zero temperatures and girls will be a lot less receptive to stopping to talk to you outside. That said, it could still work in malls and stores.
Here are some other less burned out day game spots but less volume:
English Bay: Best on weekends and the summer, where there are Celebration of Lights fireworks. Walk around the beach and its surrounding neighourhoods (Davie Street / Denman Street) for good talent. Lots of locals and tourists alike come here.
Kits Beach: Can be hit or miss. Best on weekends. Mostly locals and students who live nearby. Bring a Frisbee or volleyball if you want to mess around.
UBC: The local world class university campus. It’s a bit out of the way but the talent can be really good during the school year. Just be careful and fly under the radar because security has been on alert after recent public scandals involving PUAS who were spam approaching all the girls. The police have also recently stepped up due to public groping / real sex assaults on women walking alone after dark. Stay calibrated and open indirect to gauge interest levels.
Convention Centre: Can be hit or miss. Best on weekends and during conventions such as comic or anime. The cruise ships park here but they are mostly loaded with seniors and older adults. The seawall along this area could also be good in the summer if you also want to enjoy a scenic walk or bike ride. That said, there are still cute tourist girls roaming around, taking photos and craving adventure. They tend to be a bit harder to find.
Broadway / Cambie: This intersection and the shops (IE Whole Foods, Starbucks) around it are gold. Being a major transit hub, the foot traffic is unbelievable and lots of talent going to and from places during the day. The downside is that a lot of these girls are often in a rush to go somewhere else.
Broadway / Commercial: Similar deal to the above intersection, but in a more blue-collar neighbourhood. The coffee shops and Commercial Drive (Little Italy) just north of here can be filled with artsy, bohemian girls with tattoos who like music (I’m just stereotyping). Has potential but I haven’t daygamed this area too much.
Gastown / Waterfront Station: One of my go-to spots when I get tired of the rest of the Downtown Core. The concentration of attractive women is a bit less, but Gastown is a really unique neighbourhood with its cobblestone streets, Steam Clock (tourist magnet) and restaurants / bars. Also one of my favourite places to go out on the weekends to pick-up or to take a date.
Metrotown Mall: A big indoor mall in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver accessible by the Expo / Millennium Line Skytrain. Decent local talent doing their shopping. Best times are late afternoons and weekends.
Oakridge Mall: Same as Metrotown, except a bit smaller and located on the west side of Vancouver. Accessible by Canada Line Skytrain. Decent local talent doing their shopping. Best times are late afternoons and weekends.
Nightgame
The bars and clubs here close at 3am, sometimes 4am on special evenings. It’s just OK compared to the party scenes in Europe and South America, and it’s not even the best in Canada (Montreal and Toronto are better). Best time to arrive is between 10pm-11pm. Things typically peak around 1-1:30am, depending on the venue and then it goes downhill real fast.
Many of the popular venues here make everyone stand outside and line up even though there’s barely anybody inside, to make it look like it’s really happening inside. They do this even in the winter weather so it’s an annoying pet peeve of mine.
Granville Street:
Generally, I avoid Granville Street like the plague as it turns into amateur hour on weekends. It’s a shit-show of jersey shore wanna-bes, fights and drama. All the people from the surrounding suburbs come here to party on the weekends. I think you need a really high energy level game to succeed here at night. If you prefer to act like James Bond, go to Gastown or Yaletown.
That said, there are also tourist and backpacker girls who party here on weekends. They shut down the whole road to car traffic though so there is a real promenade sort of feeling. There’s good bars and restaurants here.
I can only really speak to two places on Granville that I have frequented myelf:
Caprice: It’s a typical two story club with a massive sound system. It’s loud and it’s dark. They have concerts during the weekends here as well. The drinks are moderately priced and cover is $15-20 I believe. I haven’t been here in years but judging from the line ups outside, it’s mostly Asians and East Indians that frequent this place. Not the ideal place to wheel white chicks.
The Roxy: This is a Vancouver landmark and institution. It’s also a bit of a meat-market. It’s a place for all ages (yes, including cougars) and you might spot anyone from professional hockey players to celebrities partying here. It has three bars, with a live band and dance floor. I’ve had some good and bad nights here. Come early before 10:30pm especially on summer nights as the lineup gets really long. It’s worth a visit. $10-$15 cover and fairly priced drinks in the $7 range.
Gastown
Admittedly, I am biased, but I really enjoy Gastown a lot more as do a lot of other locals. People still know how to party here without losing it. It’s classier than Granville but still lively.
The Bourdon: Country bar playing country music. It used to have a mechanical bull in the back that was really popular but that’s been removed. They have two long bars and the place has really good flow. The crowd is mostly 18-24 year old college kids wearing plaid shirts but the girls are pretty if you like white chicks. It’s dead during the weekday so only come on weekends. $10-$15 cover. Cheap beers and standard $7 cocktails.
The Blarney Stone: Decent Irish bar with a friendly crowd. Mostly mixed groups and there are always cute girls here. It’s two floors, each with a bar. There’s a stage and dance floor on the main floor. The second floor has a smaller area to mingle near the bar and a long walkway with booths and tables overlooking the dance floor. There is a live cover band here on weekends. Seems to go downhill really fast after 1am. $12 cover. If you happened to be here on St Patrick’s Day, this place is bumping all day long and is the place to be.
The Cambie: Dive bar under a hostel. Cheap $3 beers with sticky floors and no cover. This place draws an international, back packer, university student crowd with the odd rough / weird local characters and PUAs lurking around. There’s two bars with room to stand, and long table / benches for sitting. I used to really like this place and have done well here because women come here to get laid. It seems to have gone down-hill ratio wise the last two years but still worth a visit on weekends. On Tuesdays they also have beer pong night, which attracts a lot of international students.
The Charles Bar: A good but smaller bar in a V setup and small dance floor. There’s booths and standup tables as well. Mostly slightly yuppie crowd from 25-40 years old that mingle. I like this place because they have a DJ that plays good 90’s hip-hop / R&B / rap on weekends. The staff are also friendly and the bartenders are fast. Good quiet date spot on weeknights. Free or $10 cover depending on how busy it is but the line here moves fast.
The Lamplighter: Decent bar that is one floor but bigger than the Charles Bar. Same 25-40 year old yuppie crowd. They play mix of Top 40's and old school hip hop classics. There’s usually a lineup especially on summer weekend nights. They have two bars and a dance floor. There’s also pinball machines, pool tables and sit down tables. $12-$15 cover and the line can move quite slowly here at times.
The Diamond: More of a date-spot with tables and candles for a good ambiance. Great bartenders who know their craft, really strong cocktails in the $12-$14 range but super delicious. Quiet lively on the weekends and might need to wait for a table.
Others
Biminis: This is a college bar situated in the Kitsolano neighbourhood on W. 4th Ave. It’s got booths, couches, pinball machines and a pool table. It’s best on Wednesday nights where they have college night with cheap pitchers and chicken wings. Good talent but girls tends to stick to their school social circles. That said, I’ve had friends pull from here before.
Red Room: It’s a South American bar / club. I’ve only gone here on Fridays, when they hold “Cancun Nights.” This is their big night and they play latin / salsa music. They have three bars, some tables / couches in the back and a central dance floor. This is when all the South American exchange students and tourists come in their social circles. Decent spot if you want to try picking up some Latinas. $12 cover and $3 house beers.
Library Square: It’s located a large bar / restaurant downtown just inside the massive central library with a dance floor. The service and food is just alright and is real slow on weekends. Their busy nights are Thursdays and Fridays. Thursdays are where it’s at because of their beer / chicken wing specials, and seems to attract a very international student crowd – come before 10pm to avoid a huge lineup.
$10-$12 cover.
Logistics
If you can, definitely try to get an apartment in the downtown core, Yaletown or in Gastown if you have the bankroll. This way, all the nightgame / daygame / date / bars spots will be within walking distance.
If you can’t, the Mount Pleasant neighourhood up and down Main St from E. 2nd Ave to about E. 16th Ave, or Kitsolano area out by W. 4th Ave / Kits beach are also decent options as they are a 10 min cab ride from downtown.
I don’t know many hostels in the city, but I’ve been inside Same Sun Hostel on Granville Street and it seems clean, decent, with cute girls and a good bar. There’s some in the West End as well. I would avoid the Cambie Hostel as it seems grungy and run-down.
Restaurants
Vancouver has countless world class restaurants with a wide variety of cuisine. It’s the sushi capital of the world outside of Japan. Chinese, Thai, Italian, Persian, Mexican, you name it, we have it.
Consult Yelp for more details, but the following are a few of my favourite restaurants around town:
The Keg in Yaletown: Great steaks and lobster for a reasonable price. Ask to sit on the patio if you can.
The Parlour in Yaletown: Delicious high-end pizzas. Turns into a bar on weekends after 10pm or so.
Cactus Club Café in Coal Harbour: Smoking hot waitresses and a massive venue. Food and drinks are just average here, but the surrounding views of the Olympic Cauldron, Stanley Park and North Shore Mountains are awesome.
Tacofinos in Gastown: Delicious tacos here, especially the fish ones.
Café Medina in Downtown: Best brunch in the city. Come on a weekday and avoid on weekends as they have massive lineups. Try the waffles and lavender lattes.
Café Artigiano in Downtown: Best coffee chain in the city with artisan coffees and expressos – found throughout the city.
Marutama Ramen and Hokkaido Ramen: Both located in the West End, reasonably priced and really delicious ramen that’s tops in Vancouver.
Other Splurgy High End Restaurants: Joe Forte’s Chophouse (great happy hour) Gotham’s Steakhouse, Tojo’s and Miku for sushi, Sunday Brunch at the Pan Pacific Hotel.
Sightseeing / Touristy Stuff:
Biking the Seawall – Rent a bike, start at the Convention Centre, to Coal Harbour, around Stanley Park and end up at English Bay. Best done during the summer.
Watching the Sunset – Corny and cheesy I know, but I’m a romantic at heart and the sunsets in the summer on a clear day are stunning. Best done from English Bay.
Celebration of Lights / Canada Day / Pride Parade - Three nights of fireworks celebration in the summer. All three events are quite quite a show and attracts very large crowds in the summer. Worth checking out and soaking in the atmosphere if you happen to be in town.
Grouse Grind – Nature’s Stairmaster in North Vancouver. 60-90 minutes to finish if you are in shape. Bring water, change of t-shirt and enjoy a beer / beaver tail at the top while enjoying the view.
Vancouver Art Gallery – They usually have some sort of cool exhibit going on. Could be a good place to run game too. Go on Tuesday nights as it’s by donation instead of a $20 ticket.
Street festivals – In the summer they usually have some sort of street festival on Granville Street and Gastown with food carts, live music, small vendors so keep your head up for that.
Vancouver Canucks – Nothing is more Canadian than hockey eh? At the time of writing, the team is pretty mediocre but on the bright side the tickets are way more affordable than they used to be. Upper level cheap seats can be had for $50-75 a pop from legitimate ticket resellers. Just be careful of Craigslists frauds as its rampant. It can be a good time and a real Canadian experience to check out an NHL hockey game and grab a few beers to kick back.
Vancouver Whitecaps – In terms of pure sporting experience and atmosphere, the football / soccer is definitely better than hockey these days. The games are a lot of fun but nowhere as crazy or highly skilled as they are in Europe and South America. Sit near the Southsiders(on the south side of the stadium) if you want a raucous experience full of heckling, chanting, flag waving and singing.
Conclusion
There you have it my fellow international players - my in-depth and comprehensive data sheet of Vancouver, BC based on my life experiences and 7 years of going out.
I hope you get some value and intel out of my datasheet. Thanks for the community for providing me with great info all these past years. If any of you are ever in town and want to buy me a beer for my troubles, feel free to send me a PM ☺
Datasheet: Vancouver, BC
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Will stop by the Asian Guy Travel Thread some time and drop some intel on my travel experiences abroad so far. 
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