Kitsilano, Granville Island & Yaletown

Start: The Caper's Building, 2285 W. Fourth Ave. (at Vine), in Kitsilano (accessible via bus no. 4 and no. 7).

Finish: Vancouver Public Library Central Branch at Homer and Georgia streets.

Time: 2 to 4 hours, not including shopping, eating, and sightseeing stops.

Best Time: Any day during business hours.

Worst Time: After 6pm, when Granville Island's shops have closed.

This tour takes you through three of Vancouver's most interesting neighborhoods: the former hippie enclave of Kitsilano, the industrial park turned public market called Granville Island, and the funky former warehouse district of Yaletown. The tour also includes a stroll along the beach.

We begin at 2285 W. Fourth Ave. at:

1. The Capers Building

Back in the 1960s, Kitsilano was Canada's hippie-central, a Haight-Ashbury-like enclave of head shops, communes, and coffeehouses. At one point in the early 1970s, Vancouver's oh-so-square mayor, Tom Campbell, proposed rounding up all the tie-dyed long-hairs and shipping them off to a central detention center. Fortunately, that was never done, and as the years passed, the hippies' waistlines and wallets got thicker, run-down communes and boarding houses were renovated or replaced with new apartments and condos, and the shops came to reflect Kitsilano's new affluence, though still with a touch of counterculture.

The retail/office/apartment building at 2285 W. Fourth Ave. was built according to an innovative energy-efficient design and now serves as the home of the environmentally focused David Suzuki Foundation; an excellent bookstore called Duthie's; and Capers, an organic supermarket. The small outdoor patio is a great place to grab a coffee and people-watch. Farther east on Fourth Avenue there are several good retro-clothing shops, a travel bookstore, a number of furniture and interiors boutiques, several bakeries, and numerous other spots in which to grab a bite.

To continue the tour from here, walk north (downhill) 5 blocks on Yew Street and cross north over Cornwall Avenue, which leads you onto:

2. Kitsilano Beach

Vancouver is blessed with beaches. They stretch almost unbroken from here to the University of British Columbia, 10km (6 miles) west on the tip of the Point Grey peninsula, and each has its own distinct personality. Below UBC, Wreck Beach is a semi-wild strand for nudists and nature lovers. Beaches in between cater to dogs, picnicking families, and lone hikers. Kits Beach is the home of the spandex and testosterone set. The action on the volleyball courts is fast and furious. For the less than physically perfect, the logs lined up on the beach make it a fine place to lay out a blanket and laze the day away. Small children can often be found playing on the nearby swings, while older kids favor the lifeguarded swimming area or the world's largest outdoor saltwater swimming pool. On a clear day, the views of the mountains are tremendous.

Walk down the beach and around the corner on the paved pathway to the:

3. Totem Pole

Carved by the exceptional Kwakiutl carver Mungo Martin (who also did many of the poles displayed in the Museum of Anthropology and in Stanley Park), the 10 figures on this 30m (100-ft.) tall pole each represent an ancestor of the 10 Kwakiutl clans. An identical pole was presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1958 to mark B.C.'s centenary. It now stands in Windsor Great Park in England.

Turn north (toward the mountains) and walk down the steps to the:

4. Maritime Museum

Ever since it was realized that Columbus had found a new continent instead of Cathay, every European explorer's overriding quest was to find the Northwest Passage, the seagoing shortcut to the riches of the East. The little ship housed inside the Maritime Museum, 1905 Ogden Ave. (tel. 604/257-8300) is the one that finally did it. Tours of the RCMP vessel, the St. Roch, are available at regular intervals through the day. Out back of the museum, the junk on the lawn by the north side all comes from various ships wrecked on the B.C. coast.

Proceed down the crushed-stone pathway to:

5. Heritage Harbour

Many older wooden boats find shelter here, including the seiner BCP45 shown on the back of the old Canadian $5 bill. Those interested in a shortcut can pick up a ferry (False Creek Ferries; tel. 604/684-7781) at this point and float down to Granville Island (stop 8). On weekdays and in the off season, the ferries run less frequently. Hours and fares are posted on the sign at the end of the dock.

Walkers should proceed east (toward the city) along the shoreline. To your right stands artist Chung Hung's massive twisted iron sculpture, Gate to the Northwest Passage. Just beyond that, the conical building is the Vancouver Museum, 1100 Chestnut St. (tel. 604/736-4431) and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (tel. 604/738-STAR). The low building next to that is the Vancouver Archives, 1150 Chestnut (tel. 604/736-8561), home to some truly fascinating panoramic photographs of Vancouver back in the early days.

Carry on along the pathway around the point, passing the Coast Guard station on your right, and you're walking underneath the:

6. Burrard Bridge

In 1927, the city fathers commissioned noted urban planner Harland Bartholomew to provide some guidance on how to expand their rather raw seaport city. One of Bartholomew's first injunctions: Build beautiful bridges! The Burrard Bridge is the result, an elegant steel span with two castles guarding the approaches at either end. Motorists often wonder what's inside the now inaccessible rooms atop the decorated castle keeps. The answer: not much. Maintenance bric-a-brac mostly, together with the remains of an elevator that was never installed.

Cross beneath the bridge and continue along the pedestrian path. You'll have to go up the steps to walk above the fenced-off docks (or go around the back for wheelchair access) before coming down on the other side at the:

7. Government Fish Dock

Want to buy fresh from the boat? This is the place to do it. Find fresh salmon in season (summer and early fall), prawns, scallops, and other shellfish much of the rest of the year. Sales take place every day in high season and on weekend mornings the rest of the year. Hours and availability, of course, depend on the catch.

From here, amble on down the seaside walkway past the gaggle of Canada geese (in the spring there are usually also downy Canada goslings) to:

8. Granville Island

Okay, so it's not really an island. But it is a fascinating collection of shops and restaurants, theaters, a hotel, artists' workshops, housing, and still-functioning heavy industry -- one of the few successful examples of 1970s urban renewal. The Granville Island Information Centre, 1592 Johnston St. (tel. 604/666-5784), near the Public Market, has excellent free maps, but they're not really necessary -- the place is so compact, the best thing to do is simply wander and explore.

To continue the tour, bear left down Duranleau Street. Shops in this section specialize in marine tours of all kinds, which makes it a good place to look for a fishing charter or kayak tours. The Net Loft building on the far side of the street is a great spot for pottery, glasswork, paper products, and ladies' hats, both classic and funky. It's also home to Blackberry Books, 1663 Duranleau (tel. 604/685-6188). Just past the Net Loft is Triangle Square, an open space where street buskers often perform. Cut through the square, cross the street, and:

Take a Break--You name it, so long as it's edible, the Granville Island Public Market probably has it, from chocolate to fresh salmon to fresh bread to marinated mushrooms to strawberries picked this morning out in the Fraser Valley. Those with an immediate hunger gravitate to the far side of the market, where A La Mode (tel. 604/685-8335) sells lattes and rhubarb-strawberry pie that will have you trading in your mother for whoever does their baking. The most fun way to feed yourself, however, is to roam the market stalls for picnic supplies -- artichoke hearts, Danish cheese, cold smoked salmon, Indian candy, pepper pâté, freshly baked bread -- then head outside for an alfresco feast at one of the tables on the dock overlooking False Creek. The views are great, the fresh air invigorating, and, if you've brought small children along, it's the perfect place to play that endlessly fascinating (to kids) game of Catch the Seagull.

When your hunger pangs have eased, continue east on the water's edge -- note the Aquabus ferry dock, to which we'll be returning later -- and follow the path around the Arts Club pub, underneath the Granville Street Bridge, and then to your right, away from the water, and go through what is, perhaps, the perfect little outdoor courtyard. You emerge on the far side next to a carving shed where First Nations artists can be seen working on a canoe or totem pole. Turn right and proceed down Johnston Street. This is the more industrial section of the island, and gravel and cement trucks are not uncommon. About halfway down the street is Emily Carr College, a high-caliber school of photography and art. Student projects are often on display in the lobby gallery. At the far end of Johnston Street is the Dockside Brewpub, 1253 Johnston St. (tel. 604/685-7070), a pub blessed with good beer and a geographically advantaged patio (it's on the edge of False Creek).

Alternatively, just to the right, you can climb the low circular hill known as:

9. The Mound

Gaze out over False Creek. The blinking geodesic dome at the far end of the creek is Science World. In the same direction but closer is a small marina and restaurant complex, situated on Leg-in-Boot Square. The name refers to an incident late in the 19th century when a human leg, boot and all, washed up on what was then a highly industrial shoreline. Police posted the leg up in a public place for a week or so in hopes that someone would come forward to identify it (or maybe claim it?), but no one ever did.

Descend from The Mound and retrace your steps (or wind your way back through some of the side streets) to the:

10. Aquabus Ferry Dock

From here, Aquabus harbor ferries (tel. 604/689-5858) arrive and depart to a variety of places including Leg-in-Boot Square and Science World down the Creek. Our destination is on the far side of False Creek, the:

11. Yaletown Landing (at the foot of Davie St.)

The small forest of high-rises ringing the north shore of False Creek are the creation of one company -- Concorde Pacific, owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing. Formerly a railway switching yard, the area was transformed for the Expo '86 World's Fair. When the fair came to an end, the provincial government sold the land to Li Ka Shing for a song on the understanding he would build condominiums. And did he ever. The towers have been rising at the rate of three or four a year ever since.

At the landing site, note the large art piece, Street Light, designed by Bernie Miller and Alan Tregebov and installed in 1997. The large panels, each of which depicts a seminal event in False Creek's history, have been arranged so that on the anniversary of that event, the sun will shine directly through the panel, casting a shadowed image on the street.

From here, turn to the left and walk along the waterfront to David Lam Park, turn right on the pedestrian path, and follow it to:

12. The Roundhouse

The Roundhouse is so named because that's exactly what this brick and timber frame building was, back when this land was the CPR's switching yard. The structure has since been converted into a community center. It's worth ducking inside, whether to experience this wonderful space, make use of the public restrooms, or have a look at the locomotive that pulled the first passenger train ever to chug into Vancouver, way back in 1887.

Leave the Roundhouse by the front entrance on Pacific Boulevard, then cross the street and walk up Davie Street 1 block to Mainland Street. You're now in:

13. Yaletown

Vancouver's former warehouse district, Yaletown was originally where roughneck miners from Yale (up the Fraser Valley) came to drink and brawl. The city considered leveling the area in the 1970s until someone noticed that the former loading docks would make fine terraces and the low brick buildings themselves could be renovated into offices and condos. Though it's taken 20 years for the neighborhood to really catch on, the result is a funky upscale district of furniture shops, restaurants, multimedia companies, and "New York-style" lofts. Note the metal canopies over the loading docks on many buildings -- they used to keep shipping goods dry, now they do the same for tourists and latte-sipping Web programmers. Turn right and walk up Mainland to Helmcken Street and:

Take a Break--Helmcken Street between Mainland and Hamilton streets has something for every taste. For coffee and pastry lovers, there's a Bread Garden at Hamilton and Helmcken. Heartier appetites can grab pub grub at Milestones on the opposite corner. For those who prefer their barley and yeast in liquid form, there's the Yaletown Brewing Company at 1111 Mainland St. Remember, if it's raining at 11:30am on a Thursday, all pints of brewed-on-the-premises beer are C$3.75 (US$2.80) for the rest of the day.

From here, continue on Mainland or Hamilton 1 block up to Nelson Street, then turn left and go up 2 blocks to Homer Street. Turn right and walk up 3 blocks to the:

14. Vancouver Public Library

Designed by noted architect Moshe Safdie to look like the ruin of a Roman coliseum, the library (350 W. Georgia St.; tel. 604/331-3600) was enormously controversial when it first went up. Architectural critics pooh-poohed it as derivative and ignorant of West Coast architectural traditions. But when the public got a look at the building, it was love at first sight. The steps out front have become a popular public gathering place, the lofty atrium inside a favored hangout spot and "study-date" locale for visiting language-school students and teens with protective parents. Go and have a look for yourself. Grab a coffee. Browse the books. Enjoy.

From here, a short walk west along Georgia Street will take you to the Granville Street bus mall, where there are public buses running to any and all destinations.