A Perfect Day in Vancouver, Just in Time for TED 2016
All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
With its idyllic backdrop of ocean and snowcapped mountains, a seriously creative populace, and its pledge to become the greenest city in the world by 2020, it’s no wonder TED has chosen Vancouver as its home. Whether or not you’re attending the conference, we suggest that on your next trip to the city you seek out some stellar sustainable seafood, enjoy a few artfully concocted drinks, peruse some of the laid-back stores, and get lost in an old-growth forest. Here is Vogue’s guide to a perfect day in Vancouver.
Photo: Courtesy of Matchstick / @matchstick1/10Get Caffeinated
Start your day at Matchstick in Mount Pleasant or Chinatown for your shot of single-origin coffee, roasted on-site and served with tender, loving care by friendly, tattooed baristas. Or head to Main Street, where the owners of 49th Parallel take pride in working with farmers who care for coffee as much as they do.
Photo: Courtesy of Nathalia Franchini / @nataliafranchini2/10Take a Walk
Beaches, public gardens, and woodlands featuring dozens of trails make up Stanley Park, the largest urban park in North America. It may be located next to the downtown core, but hike or bike your way around the park’s thick forest of century-old firs, cedars, and hemlock trees, and you’ll feel miles away from civilization. Look up and you might even spot a bald eagle soaring through the sky.
Photo: Courtesy of Medina Café / @medinacafe3/10Brunch
In a city that loves brunch, Medina Café is an institution. Try the spicy chorizo paella topped with avocado, Grana padano, and a charred tomato salsa. Behind the bar is Trixie Blümel, who mixes Mediterranean-inspired cocktails using handcrafted syrups and infusions. During weekend brunch at Yew, set inside the Four Seasons Hotel, diners can make their own Caesar by selecting ingredients like candied salmon, Sriracha, and cucumber kimchi.
Photo: Courtesy of Lululemon / @lululemon4/10Made in Vancouver
Lululemon, which practically kicked off the athleisure revolution, is not the only apparel brand that got its start in Vancouver. Both Native Shoes and People Footwear make lightweight and cushy shoes that are chic enough for brunch or the beach. Pick up a windproof, rainproof jacket at the Arc’teryx store in Kitsilano, then walk down the street to Kit and Ace, which makes everyday wearables in ultrasoft fabrics, and Reigning Champ (sister label to Wings+Horns), where hoodies, sweatpants, and twill crewneck tops are displayed like works of art in a minimalist store. For pretty skirts, dresses, and pants, go to Oak + Fort in Gastown. A backpack from Herschel Supply Co. is practically mandatory. For stylish men’s clothes, go to Frank Oak—it may be a Montreal brand, but it captures Vancouver’s laid-back sense of style perfectly.
Photo: Courtesy of Rimhyooo / @rimhyooo5/10To Market
A onetime wasteland that was reinvented in the 1970s as a walkable man-made island for shopping, eating, drinking, and people-watching, Granville Island features a public market with fresh specialty foods as well as pedestrian-only alleys where shops are filled with arts and crafts by local artisans.