Top 22 Things Vancouver is Known For & Famous For

Vancouver, BC is known for it’s beautiful scenery and being immersed in nature, as well as it’s wet and rainy climate. It is known as the Hollywood of the North and as the home of Lululemon. The city is also known for it’s seafood, expensive housing market, and for the laid back west coast vibes of the people.

Vancouver is one of BC top cities to visit, see the other 14 cities here.

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Picture of Vancouver City showing the ocean and the mountains in the background

MOUNTAINS & WATER

Mountains and ocean views have to be one of the first things that you envision when thinking about Vancouver.

The city’s skyline showing the blue ocean and snow-capped mountains is one of the things it is best known for and is also one thing that is famous about the city.

Vancouver mountains are a great way to find your baring while in the city as they sit to the north. Finding and looking at the mountains means your looking north.

Vancouver is situated on a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on 3 sides.

The water around Vancouver is usually very calm as the bay is sheltered by Vancouver Island.

Vancouver is also the largest shipping port in North America by tonnage.

Vancouver with wet roads reflecting the light

RAIN

For anyone that has spent any time in Vancouver one of the first things they will say about the city is how much it rains.

Vancouver records an average of 192 days of rain each year, with 92 inches or 2,336.8 mm of rain each year.

Vancouver’s rainiest time of year is in winter between October and April, and the driest time of the year is June and August.

The rain in Vancouver is usually not very heavy and is more of a light rain that is consistent throughout the day and can last for days at a time without letting up.

HOLLYWOOD NORTH

Vancouver is known for being the Hollywood of Canada. Earning it the nickname of Hollywood North due to the amount of T.V shows and movies that are filmed in Vancouver.

Vancouver has had many successful T.V series filmed in the city such as X-files, Riverdale, Snowpiercer, and Battle Star Galactica. To name a few.

Lots of movies are shot here too such as Deadpool, I, Robot, and Twilight, among many others.

Vancouver’s film industry shoots more than 60 T.V and movies every year and that number has been growing year over years.

CELEBRITY SPOTTING

With so many movies and TV shows shot in Vancouver, it is a great place for spotting celebrities.

Famous actors from Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, John Cena, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldana are just a few to name now with hundreds more.

The city is a popular spot for people who are trying to enter the film industry as it is growing fast and provides lots of high-paying jobs for everyone involved not only the actors.

Check out what celebrities have been spotted lately in the city!

MARIJUANA

You probably have heard about it whether you smoke pot or not, BC Bud has made a name for itself around the world.

Vancouver is one of the main hubs for cannabis production in Canada. Even before legalization Vancouver was home to a huge market both domestically and internationally.

Vancouver is becoming a tourist hotspot for travelers looking to toke up without concerns of getting into trouble.

Picture of the boardwalk trail at the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver BC

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Vancouver is known for its amazing outdoor activities and the city is a 45-minute drive to the outdoor recreationally active capital of Canada which is the city of Squamish, also the halfway point from Vancouver to Whistler.

Vancouver outdoor activities are one of the cities main draws to international visitors as well as locals. Hiking, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, cycling, paddle boarding, and other water sports are common sights throughout the city.

Vancouver’s proximity to the great outdoors is less than a 30-minute drive for most residents of the city.

HOME OF LULULEMON

Australia may have Ugg Boots but Canada and, more specifically, Vancouver has Lululemon. One of the most iconic fashion brands with its spandex yoga pants which are seen everywhere in Vancouver.

Almost every woman in Vancouver owns at least one pair and they an extremely common sight when walking around the city.

The popularity of yoga has sparked even greater demand for the pant, and overall clothing brand, that now has become popular around the world.

Side note the founder of Lululemon also owns the most expensive house in Vancouver, worth more than 70 million.

YOGA

Yoga has a cult following in Vancouver making it known as one of the most yoga-friendly cities in the world.

Yoga has taken off in the city with studios popping up all over the city offering all kinds of different styles of yoga. From hot yoga, Bikram yoga, and yogalates to power yoga and hatha yoga.

If you’re in town looking for a class be sure to stop in to Karma Teachers it’s the only by donation yoga studio in town! Also Canada’s first not for profit yoga studio.

HOUSING MARKET

Vancouver has made headlines around the world for its well-known overpriced housing market.

Average detached house sales in Vancouver sit at over 1 million dollars. The houses worth 1 million are expected to be torn down and have a new house or development built on the land.

Check out this article about one of these houses!

Vancouver just saw an old, condemned, and dilapidated house sell for 2.5 million dollars over the asking price.

See it here!

Vancouver is incredibly beautiful, but incredibly overpriced for the average person.

WINTER OLYMPICS 2010

One of the most recent things that Vancouver has become known for was the 2010 Winter Olympics which drew 1.8 billion viewers. This once every 4-year event put Vancouver in the international spotlight and required Vancouver to build the infrastructure to support the Olympics.

Vancouver’s scenery of prestige mountains garnered even more international recognition after the 2010 Winter Olympics when the world witnessed how beautiful the city was and still is.

EXPO 86

Expo 86 was the first time that Vancouver was internationally known to the world. During the Expo 22 million people descended into Vancouver.

Expo began an expansion of Vancouver’s Waterfront areas which are now some of the city’s most sought-after properties and areas to enjoy the city for what it’s worth.

WEST COAST VIBES

West coast hippy kind of vibes with a relaxed feel makes Vancouver feel very welcoming, and tourists find the people of Vancouver very friendly.

The west coast vibes include a kind of calm, laidback, easy-going feeling – that is what a lot of west coast people are attributed to.

LARGE ASIAN POPULATION

One of the first things people who visit Vancouver will learn is how many people in Vancouver are of Asian descent.

Currently, more than 50% of all people living in Vancouver are of Asian descent, two major ethnic groups are Chinese and Indian.

Vancouver is a true melting pot of different cultures from around the world.

This has benefitted Vancouver in making it world-famous for its incredibly delicious culinary restaurants.

Vancouver has some of the best Chinese, Japanese, and Indian restaurants outside of their respected countries.

SEAFOOD

With the ocean on 3 sides of the city, Vancouver has become a seafood hotspot.

Salmon is one of the most popular kinds of seafood which the city has become known for. Fresh seafood is caught daily and sent out to the city’s thousands of restaurants, providing some of the tastiest seafood you will ever try.

Sushi restaurants are a highlight if visiting Vancouver, with enough sushi restaurants that you can eat at a different one every day of the year and still not eat at them all. There’s a sushi restaurant every few blocks and sometimes multiple on a single block in the busier areas of town.

Check out our picks of the top sushi restaurants in Vancouver!

EAST HASTINGS/HOMELESSNESS

Vancouver is also home to the largest homeless population in Canada.

The homeless issue is one that the city is trying to clean up in recent years but had neglected for years.

The city’s large shipping industry has provided lots of opportunities for illegal drug imports. And the climate makes Vancouver more liveable year-round compared to other Canadian cities which are well below the freezing mark for months of the year.

The homeless population is concentrated in an area of downtown known as the Downtown Eastside or Main and Hastings.

The area has high crime rates and most tourists visiting are told not to venture near it.

It is bad but most of the people down there are more of a harm to themselves than to you. If you keep your wits about you and you aren’t looking for trouble, you aren’t likely to find it.

BEAUTY

One of the best-known things about Vancouver which makes it kind of famous as well is how stunningly beautiful the city is.

There is something about snow-covered mountains and blue ocean that is extremely awe-inspiring to all who visit the shores of Vancouver.

One of the biggest takeaways from Vancouver is how beautiful the city is. Vancouver feels as if you are walking through a giant green park with some houses here and there.

The wet rainy weather and evergreen trees make the city lush and green all year round.

CLEANLINESS

Vancouver is recognized worldwide as a very clean city. One of the main contributing factors to the city’s cleanliness is the fact that all of the cities garbage gets put into the back alleys and picked up each week, rather than out on the street. This hides a lot of the garbage out of sight and leaves the streets looking clean.

The city also has a great recycling program that encourages residents to recycle anything and everything when possible.

The homeless population actually helps the city stay clean as well by collecting bottles and returning them to certain locations for money in return.

GLASS DOWNTOWN

Vancouver’s downtown core is made up of tall buildings which are all covered in glass making it a sight to see.

Vancouver’s downtown core isn’t like other major cities downtowns as it has a huge population of people both living and working downtown.

STANLEY PARK

One of Vancouver’s most defining features is Stanley Park. The park is a centerpiece of the city and allows for residents and visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the beautiful greenery and nature.

Stanley Park got its name from the same man whose name is on the NHL’s Stanley Cup.

Stanley Park is also home to the Vancouver aquarium, a number of beaches, hiking paths, the seawall, and the 9 pm cannon which goes off every night.

The green space is a must-visit for anyone to the city and offers days of entertainment.

The park is also protected and is void of any major real estate projects protecting its natural beauty for all for the seeable future.

GREEN CITY

Vancouver’s politicians have vowed to make Vancouver one of the greenest cities in the world.

The city is home to many innovative companies with a focus on cleaning up our planet.

The city has more than 450 km or 279 miles of bike paths in an attempt to encourage more biking instead of driving.

Vancouver is also known for its drive to recycle anything and everything that is possible.

The city’s greenery makes more people feel included to help out and make the city even nicer than we left it.

MILD CLIMATE

Vancouver has a very mild climate with no extreme temperatures on either end. Vancouver escapes the norms of what many people think of Canada and that is covered by feet of snow and ice, the city’s summers are very mild and not crazy hot but a nice enjoyable temperature.

Throughout the year temperatures typically range from -5°C (23°F) to 30°C (86°F). A winter day dipping below 0°C is considered to be quite cold for Vancouver and summer days over 30°C are fairly uncommon with the average day in summer typically being in the low to mid 20°s (68°F).

Vancouver also only receives a few days of snow each year sending the whole city into a bit of a frenzy.

LIVABLE CITY

Vancouver’s mild climate makes it an incredibly livable city in terms of temperature.

This is one of the big reasons Vancouver has such a large homeless population as well, you can live outdoors year-round without worrying about freezing to death most nights

Vancouver is also ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world, it usually in the top 10. Due in part to government stability, low crime rates, lots of jobs, universal healthcare, diversity, education, and infrastructure are just a few of the reasons why Vancouver is such a great place to live.

One of the biggest things Vancouver is known for is being a green and beautiful city, this was mentioned multiple times in the points above.

If you are planning a trip to Vancouver we recommend finding accommodation through Hotels.com here for the best rates!

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