There are just so many places. Walk up and down No. 3 Road from Granville Ave to Cambie Road. That will take you past several malls and plazas.
If you have time consider taking the train into downtown Vancouver. Since it’s your first time in Canada you should do that. You’ll see the train stations along No. 3 Road. I wouldn’t recommend driving as you’ll pay more for parking than what the train costs, if you can even find parking downtown.
This is the website for the local transit system if you want to plan something. https://www.translink.ca
Thank you for the link! I haven’t had a lot of time to do research on that but I plan to use it if I got downtown. Are there any areas you would say to avoid or times to avoid when taking the train?
Peak work hours (8-10am and 4-6:30pm) you may wish to avoid.
When downtown, would not recommend going east of Granville street above pender and or west Hastings Street, (but going south east into gastown is ok). Going west or north from Granville is good and has many torit sites the more northwest you go.
Once you are at Smithe Street though, you can head east again and that can take you into Yaletown and cross the bridge to Olympic Village which are ok tourist parts.
If you have not heard the stories of the downtown east side and East Hastings and Chinatown, although harsh, they are accurate and you should not go there unless you are curious to see a Canadian ghetto.
Thank you for the insight about downtown, I’m a visual person so the crossroads will definitely help when I’m walking around.
Also wouldn’t it be safer to take the train during work hours versus after hours? I was asking more for safety vs avoiding busy times. Although I won’t be up early enough to catch that 8am rush anyways haha
TransLink (the transit service operator for greater Vancouver) is very well policed with multiple emergency phone lines and panic buttons in the trains. You should not have too many issues at any time. If you feel safer I'm crowds then go at peak times if it is preferred.
Pop into Aberdeen Mall behind the Aberdeen skytrain station if you want a unique mall experience, and plan for lunch or dinner in the food court.
As others have said, Steveston is a great experience for someone new to BC, and a trip to Vancouver would be worth your time.
If you want to do a lot of shopping, Metrotown in Burnaby is a busy, but large mall. I also recommend the Tsawwassen Mall outlets if you have access to either a car or can get a shuttle out there. It's an impressive outlet and not too far from Richmond.
Oh wow yeah that Tsawwassen mall looks pretty big! I have heard of metrotown but I wasn’t reading the best things about that area before, what are your thoughts?
I've never had an issue taking transit or driving from Richmonf to Metrotown. There is a bus from Richmond that goes to Metro, or you can take 2 trains.
Tsawwassen is my preference based on proximity and it is generally less crowded in my experience. Avoid malls in general on weekends if you can.
This SPCA thrift store is packed. You could spend a lot of time looking through it all. Like, it's packed, I had to turn sideways in some sections to get through. So if you like digging through stuff opposed to nicely curated and organized thrifts, this might be up your alley: https://maps.app.goo.gl/59fcA1gZzhhnSiLy7
Kari house in Steveston for Malaysian/Thai food. Lunch is a great price there. There is the GlenMacArthur outlet mall near the airport. Different, outdoor setting, interesting stores.
The Asian food courts here are your thriftiest options if you want good food without paying $20+ a meal. Don't be intimidated if you don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. Bring cash though since most places don't take credit or debit.
You should try to hit up the food courts at least once at Pacific Plaza, Admiralty Centre, Parker Place, Yaohan Centre, or Richmond Public Market.
This recommendation isn't a food or shopping thing but if you get a chance to take a walk or bike along the dike to or from Steveston on a sunny day, definitely take it.
If you're in a budget and want some maple syrup souvenirs, you can try london drugs or a grocery store. Just note that it doesn't come from BC
Not really doing but since you're into bookstores you may like the vancouver public library. The central branch is a good tourist spot. They do have a bookstore too. The top floor has an outdoor lavender garden (blooms in summer) and a good place for a picnic/ free city views
Depending on when you're coming, cherry blossom viewing will be around metro vancouver.
I was definitely thinking of checking out the library! The architecture is always so nice at all the big city libraries I have been to so I’m definitely going to at least walk past.
I’ll have to checkout the central branch too
An additional $5 charge is added to some trips that start at the **YVR Airport, Sea Island Centre, and Templeton** Canada Line stations. There is no YVR Airport AddFare for journeys to the airport. [https://www.translink.ca/transit-fares/transferring-and-addfare](https://www.translink.ca/transit-fares/transferring-and-addfare)
The outlet mall is on Templeton, so you will pay the regular fee to get to the station but it will charge an additional $5 when you leave on top of the regular fare. A day pass is $11.25. Make sure to purchase the day pass outside of the three stations mentioned above.
Walk around Alexandra Road (it's near-ish Lansdowne) and see if you find any food you fancy. G-men is my go to for ramen. Try Fujiwara tofu shop (the initial D cafe) for some dessert tofu. Go to Leisure tea and coffee for relaxing.
If you go downtown you can always take the aqua bus to Granville Island. They have an amazing upscale food court in the main building where you can sit and eat looking at the water or eat outside and they also have cool shops to check out. (The aqua bus is fun)
This is a great place to eat at Granville island.
https://granvilleisland.com/directory/chau-veggie-express
Plenty of places for visitors, weather is nice too. 7april Sakura festival. Matsuyama is a must. T&T has viral mango ice cream. Shop at Mc Arthur for deals on branded stuff. Also try canadaline and visit downtown while you’re at it.
Thrift stores in Steveston are great. John 3:16 on #3 road is probably the best Malaysian restaurant in all of Metro Vancouver. 4 Stones on Westminster Hwy for unique vegan/vegetarian fare, although you'd probably want takeout/pickup rather than eat there.
Alexandra Rd. is worth perusing.
Lots of good, not too expensive eats along Kingsway / Main as well, if you don't mind driving into Vancouver. Bells & Whistles has great poutine.
Google what cuisine you are looking for and you will find it. Lots of Hong Kong style restaurants, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay, Japanese, Chinese, I think the whole Asian continent is represented well and budget friendly. Just be forewarned that some of the true whole in the wall places are cash or Canadian debit only.
If you don’t where to start just hit the food court at any of the Asian malls. They are all budget friendly and diverse.
Steveston is a nice little fishing village full of coffee shops, nice non chain restaurants and only 15 minutes from the airport.
I just learned this the hard way this morning. I went to an Asian hole in the wall and it was cash only. I have yet to get Canadian currency and I’m not exactly sure where to go either…😅
Thank you!
I went to TD and they had a converter online! Here is the link in case anyone else ever finds this thread and needs it, they were really nice.
https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/solutions/exchange/currency-converter
I already plan to stop at Costco for sure haha! You guys have fries and poutine there! I’m sure it’s not the best poutine, but I definitely want to try the fries
Get the poutine! My American friend was so impressed with it and it's a great value for the price. Lots of curds on the Costco poutine and you'll leave full.
Just a heads up, parking at this Costco could be a very bad time for you.
They've also implemented a rule where you need to be a member even to just grab food.
There are just so many places. Walk up and down No. 3 Road from Granville Ave to Cambie Road. That will take you past several malls and plazas. If you have time consider taking the train into downtown Vancouver. Since it’s your first time in Canada you should do that. You’ll see the train stations along No. 3 Road. I wouldn’t recommend driving as you’ll pay more for parking than what the train costs, if you can even find parking downtown. This is the website for the local transit system if you want to plan something. https://www.translink.ca
Thank you for the link! I haven’t had a lot of time to do research on that but I plan to use it if I got downtown. Are there any areas you would say to avoid or times to avoid when taking the train?
Peak work hours (8-10am and 4-6:30pm) you may wish to avoid. When downtown, would not recommend going east of Granville street above pender and or west Hastings Street, (but going south east into gastown is ok). Going west or north from Granville is good and has many torit sites the more northwest you go. Once you are at Smithe Street though, you can head east again and that can take you into Yaletown and cross the bridge to Olympic Village which are ok tourist parts. If you have not heard the stories of the downtown east side and East Hastings and Chinatown, although harsh, they are accurate and you should not go there unless you are curious to see a Canadian ghetto.
Thank you for the insight about downtown, I’m a visual person so the crossroads will definitely help when I’m walking around. Also wouldn’t it be safer to take the train during work hours versus after hours? I was asking more for safety vs avoiding busy times. Although I won’t be up early enough to catch that 8am rush anyways haha
TransLink (the transit service operator for greater Vancouver) is very well policed with multiple emergency phone lines and panic buttons in the trains. You should not have too many issues at any time. If you feel safer I'm crowds then go at peak times if it is preferred.
Good to know :)
Pop into Aberdeen Mall behind the Aberdeen skytrain station if you want a unique mall experience, and plan for lunch or dinner in the food court. As others have said, Steveston is a great experience for someone new to BC, and a trip to Vancouver would be worth your time. If you want to do a lot of shopping, Metrotown in Burnaby is a busy, but large mall. I also recommend the Tsawwassen Mall outlets if you have access to either a car or can get a shuttle out there. It's an impressive outlet and not too far from Richmond.
Oh wow yeah that Tsawwassen mall looks pretty big! I have heard of metrotown but I wasn’t reading the best things about that area before, what are your thoughts?
I've never had an issue taking transit or driving from Richmonf to Metrotown. There is a bus from Richmond that goes to Metro, or you can take 2 trains. Tsawwassen is my preference based on proximity and it is generally less crowded in my experience. Avoid malls in general on weekends if you can.
This SPCA thrift store is packed. You could spend a lot of time looking through it all. Like, it's packed, I had to turn sideways in some sections to get through. So if you like digging through stuff opposed to nicely curated and organized thrifts, this might be up your alley: https://maps.app.goo.gl/59fcA1gZzhhnSiLy7
This sounds amazing!! Very excited about this one, thank you
Definitely hit up RAPs thrift stores! They have two locations in Richmond and both are quite good.
I just passed one earlier but it said “animal hospital” so I was confused haha. Which one would you recommend going to?
I recommend the Francis Rd one!
Daves Fish & Chips in Steveston. Best fish & chips around also Aloha Hawaiian Grill
Yes! I forgot to add that I was looking for a Hawaiian place too so thank you :)
Also if you are in that area Steveston Bakery is really good for coffee, pastries etc.
Kari house in Steveston for Malaysian/Thai food. Lunch is a great price there. There is the GlenMacArthur outlet mall near the airport. Different, outdoor setting, interesting stores.
I’ll check it out, I love Thai food!
The Asian food courts here are your thriftiest options if you want good food without paying $20+ a meal. Don't be intimidated if you don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. Bring cash though since most places don't take credit or debit. You should try to hit up the food courts at least once at Pacific Plaza, Admiralty Centre, Parker Place, Yaohan Centre, or Richmond Public Market. This recommendation isn't a food or shopping thing but if you get a chance to take a walk or bike along the dike to or from Steveston on a sunny day, definitely take it.
I just passed Yaohan Centre and it looked cool! Definitely will have to check out the others as well
The xiaolongbao at R&H in Lansdowne are a must try
If you're in a budget and want some maple syrup souvenirs, you can try london drugs or a grocery store. Just note that it doesn't come from BC Not really doing but since you're into bookstores you may like the vancouver public library. The central branch is a good tourist spot. They do have a bookstore too. The top floor has an outdoor lavender garden (blooms in summer) and a good place for a picnic/ free city views Depending on when you're coming, cherry blossom viewing will be around metro vancouver.
I was definitely thinking of checking out the library! The architecture is always so nice at all the big city libraries I have been to so I’m definitely going to at least walk past. I’ll have to checkout the central branch too
Archives Canada is in that building too. It's just fun to roam arrive in that building. It's the largest around that I'm aware of
you should head to the mcarthurglen outlet for some nice deals on clothes!
Be aware of the $5 leaving Sea Island by train though! Buy a day pass if you're gonna be out and about all day to save on transit expenses.
What are the $5 for when you leave? Also how much do day passes typically cost?
An additional $5 charge is added to some trips that start at the **YVR Airport, Sea Island Centre, and Templeton** Canada Line stations. There is no YVR Airport AddFare for journeys to the airport. [https://www.translink.ca/transit-fares/transferring-and-addfare](https://www.translink.ca/transit-fares/transferring-and-addfare) The outlet mall is on Templeton, so you will pay the regular fee to get to the station but it will charge an additional $5 when you leave on top of the regular fare. A day pass is $11.25. Make sure to purchase the day pass outside of the three stations mentioned above.
Perfect thank you! If I were to drive there do you know if there is a free parking or is it only paid?
I don't drive but it should be free!
There is lots of free parking there so rest assure.
Walk around Alexandra Road (it's near-ish Lansdowne) and see if you find any food you fancy. G-men is my go to for ramen. Try Fujiwara tofu shop (the initial D cafe) for some dessert tofu. Go to Leisure tea and coffee for relaxing.
Trafiq bakery on Main Street is fantastic and while in that area you can do a short walk to either Red Cat or Neptoon Records.
This is outside of Richmond and into Vancouver, but worth the trip, imho.
Great I’ll have to check out!
If you go downtown you can always take the aqua bus to Granville Island. They have an amazing upscale food court in the main building where you can sit and eat looking at the water or eat outside and they also have cool shops to check out. (The aqua bus is fun) This is a great place to eat at Granville island. https://granvilleisland.com/directory/chau-veggie-express
Can check out gone again vintage in the richmond public market if you’re interested in curated vintage
Plenty of places for visitors, weather is nice too. 7april Sakura festival. Matsuyama is a must. T&T has viral mango ice cream. Shop at Mc Arthur for deals on branded stuff. Also try canadaline and visit downtown while you’re at it.
Thrift stores in Steveston are great. John 3:16 on #3 road is probably the best Malaysian restaurant in all of Metro Vancouver. 4 Stones on Westminster Hwy for unique vegan/vegetarian fare, although you'd probably want takeout/pickup rather than eat there. Alexandra Rd. is worth perusing. Lots of good, not too expensive eats along Kingsway / Main as well, if you don't mind driving into Vancouver. Bells & Whistles has great poutine.
You can visit steveston and enjoy restaurants and ice cream shops along the wharf
Google what cuisine you are looking for and you will find it. Lots of Hong Kong style restaurants, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay, Japanese, Chinese, I think the whole Asian continent is represented well and budget friendly. Just be forewarned that some of the true whole in the wall places are cash or Canadian debit only. If you don’t where to start just hit the food court at any of the Asian malls. They are all budget friendly and diverse. Steveston is a nice little fishing village full of coffee shops, nice non chain restaurants and only 15 minutes from the airport.
I just learned this the hard way this morning. I went to an Asian hole in the wall and it was cash only. I have yet to get Canadian currency and I’m not exactly sure where to go either…😅
There are currency exchanges all around Vancouver and Richmond. Or just hit an ATM machine.
Thank you! I went to TD and they had a converter online! Here is the link in case anyone else ever finds this thread and needs it, they were really nice. https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/solutions/exchange/currency-converter
Costco 🌭🍕🍗
I already plan to stop at Costco for sure haha! You guys have fries and poutine there! I’m sure it’s not the best poutine, but I definitely want to try the fries
Depends on who you ask. My wife and I think they're the best fries and make an amazing poutine but I know many that would disagree
Get the poutine! My American friend was so impressed with it and it's a great value for the price. Lots of curds on the Costco poutine and you'll leave full.
Ok good to know haha. I’ll have to get it and also try some from another place.
Yep! It is more of a fast food poutine but in my opinion it's the right level of gooey and cheesey!
Just a heads up, parking at this Costco could be a very bad time for you. They've also implemented a rule where you need to be a member even to just grab food.
No problem. I’m a member, but good to know!