Only a few hours, early evening

[ULCajunCruiser]

There will be 4 of us arriving in Vancouver Thursday July 7th. We don't get in till 5 pm and have decided to stay at a nearby Richmond hotel. I realize that I've severely limited my options, but thought I'd ask you locals if you had any suggestions on how we could spend those few hours. Hate to be there and just sit in our motel room. So if anyone has ideas on things to do, places to see or where to eat, I'd sure appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks

[Putterdude]

I would recommend that you catch the Canada Line of SkyTrain and come downtown. Take the train to the end of the line which is Waterfront Station, from Waterfront Station you could take the SeaBus across Vancouver's harbour to Lonsdale Quay Market then return to Waterfront Station, exit it to the left and walk down Cordova St. into historic Gastown, have a meal in one of the many restaurants, then head back to Waterfront Station, on the way you could go up the Vancouver Lookout and have 360* view of Vancouver. Another idea would be to exit Waterfront Station and turn right then take another right turn down Howe St. to Canada Place and take in the Fly Over Canada production, visit the cauldron from the 2010 Winter Olympics just beyond Canada Place. Just to the west of the cauldron you will see the new Convention Centre and a great pub called Mahoney & Sons and the Cactus Club....both are good places to have dinner. You will have daylight until about 9:20 and twilight for about 40 mins beyond that.

[ULCajunCruiser]

Thanks Putterdude, exactly what I was looking for!

[xlxo]

There will be 4 of us arriving in Vancouver Thursday July 7th. We don't get in till 5 pm and have decided to stay at a nearby Richmond hotel. I realize that I've severely limited my options, but thought I'd ask you locals if you had any suggestions on how we could spend those few hours. Hate to be there and just sit in our motel room. So if anyone has ideas on things to do, places to see or where to eat, I'd sure appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks

Thoughts....

• if you share your hotel location, we can better identify opportunities near you. Love Richmond for cheaper rooms.
  
• some hotels will easier to get access to the Canada Line (subway) than others. If it takes 15 or 30 minutes to get to the train... you will save time by eating in Richmond.
  
• have you heard about Richmond's food street?
  
• are you interested in Asian foods? There's a goldmine of award winning restaurants around you!
  
• Storybrooke has a good selection of eateries.
  

Edited April 20, 2016 by xlxo

[ULCajunCruiser]

Thoughts....

• if you share your hotel location, we can better identify opportunities near you. Love Richmond for cheaper rooms.
  
• some hotels will easier to get access to the Canada Line (subway) than others. If it takes 15 or 30 minutes to get to the train... you will save time by eating in Richmond.
  
• have you heard about Richmond's food street?
  
• are you interested in Asian foods? There's a goldmine of award winning restaurants around you!
  
• Storybrooke has a good selection of eateries.
  

 

Sure, we are staying at the Best Western Plus Abercorn Inn on Bridgeport Road.

No, I haven't heard anything about Richmond's food street, and we love good Asian food, please tell me more about them.

Is Storybrooke an area? A city? I thought I'd done a bit of research on the internet, but I guess if I'm not asking the right questions

 

Appreciate your help

[xlxo]

Sure, we are staying at the Best Western Plus Abercorn Inn on Bridgeport Road.

No, I haven't heard anything about Richmond's food street, and we love good Asian food, please tell me more about them.

Is Storybrooke an area? A city? I thought I'd done a bit of research on the internet, but I guess if I'm not asking the right questions

 

Appreciate your help

Abercorn is a 1/2 mile (8 minute) walk from the subway station. Food choices...

• Costco is across the street. Love the $1.50 Polish dog combo. Open til 8pm on weekdays.
  
• the Abercorn Inn recently had the Shanghai Wonderful restaurant moved on site. While I haven't tried this new location, it was popular and great at their old Lansdowne location. https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/shanghai-wonderful-restaurant-central-richmond-richmond
  
• To the West is the Italian Tomato. I recently had a meal there and it got top marks with the group. https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/italian-tomato-central-richmond
  
• To the East is fast food and more food choices.
  
• on the North Side of the subway station is the River Rock casino. There's a food court for affordable eats. Buffet for larger appetites and open late into the night.
  
• the Summer night market is open in the summer West of the train station. Lots of food stalls to explore on the weekends.
  

 

So by going to nearby eateries.... you can save an hour or more in commute time if you have limited hours. Your 5pm YVR arrival, means you may not be available until 6:30pm after the shuttle and hotel check-in. Adding 45 minutes for the subway to get downtown..... you'll be enjoying last call before restaurants close at 9pm for most eateries.

 

Food street is kinda far from that location. And Storybrooke (Steveston) is further away.

 

http://www.tourismrichmond.com/restaurants/food-street/

http://www.tourismrichmond.com/restaurants/-steveston/

Edited April 20, 2016 by xlxo

[martincath]

I'd be inclined to be loosey-goosey with plans, lest your flight be delayed and you be disappointed at not being able to do a particular thing. xlxos suggestions of more local spots to your hotel make a lot of sense with even an early evening arrival.

 

Storybrooke is the fictional town setting for Once Upon a Time - filmed in Steveston and local woodlands. The fact you didn't recognise the name means you aren't a 'Oncer', so I'd avoid the long, long bus ride to Steveston like the plague - once the twee little shops are shut it's not exactly the most happening night time spot (everyone I know who lives there is a retiree and this is exactly WHY they chose to move there, the place is dead after dark!)

 

If you do get in promptly, the Abercorn isn't a bad location for getting downtown - an easy walk to the nearest Skytrain (and if you ask, the hotel's airport shuttle should be happy to drop you off at Bridgeport too) and from there you have neither the inbound airport fee to pay, plus you are at the fork station for the two ends of the line - so trains run twice as often as they do to either the airport or the hotels further south on the line into Richmond.

 

You will have next morning to explore downtown before boarding, so if you time that right it's quite possible to walk the Seawall along to Stanley Park for a couple of hours (or rent bikes and cover more ground, easy to do a full loop of the seawall around the park in an hour on a bike) or even Capilano using their free shuttle

 

Cap closes at 8pm in summer (shuttles stop running at 5pm) - but even with a prompt flight and a quick downtown trip, I'd say that Cap is just too tight for an evening visit. However much of Grouse stays open until 10pm, (their shuttle stops too early for you at 5:30pm, but you can get there by transit - incorporating the Seabus ride mentioned by PD above, then a 236 bus from the Quay on the other side (all included with your inbound Translink ticket on Skytrain BTW, as long as you board the last link within 90 minutes of buying the ticket).

 

Some dining options up on Grouse, including the pretty swank Observatory, are popular for folks to have a sunset meal looking down over Vancouver below, so if you do make it in early enough you might be able to swing an evening visit there.

 

Since you say you love good Asian food, some of the better restos within possible walking/short cab ride from your hotel include:

Dinesty Dumpling House (if you love dumplings, this is the place to go - good value too)

Kirin, Chef Tony, Fisherman's Terrace (all high end spots for dim sum and general posh Chinese dining)

Sun Sui Wah, Red Star (similar to the above, but also renowned for their King Crab Feasts - with 4 of you you would definitely need to bring your appetites to handle a whole crab [8lb+], but this is one of the rare opportunities to actually eat fresh, never frozen, King Crab - you even get to see the whole crab taken from the tank and displayed at your table before guzzling multiple courses involving it. If you do go to SSW, do not leave without trying their Squab - caveat, served with head still on which does freak some people out...)

 

Hopefully this gives a few more options that will work whether you get in promptly or late, so you can at least look forward to a tasty late dinner even if you don't have time or energy for a downtown trip.

[ULCajunCruiser]

Putterdude, xlxo & martincath!! Thanks very much for helping me out. You obviously know your city well and I appreciate you taking the time to help out visitors!!!