Best Places To Travel In 2023 – Forbes Advisor
Vintage Luxury Car Lifted Into Vancouver's Butterfly Building
A vintage luxury car being lifted into one of the highest floors in the new Butterfly building isn't something you see every day.
Some Vancouverites witnessed an unusual sight downtown Wednesday: a vintage Porsche on a platform being hauled up into the sky.
TikToker Billy Langan, who was on the Butterfly to watch the spectacle, said it was a 1957 Porsche Speedster. The tower crane lifted the eye-catching grey vehicle 58 storeys up, he captioned the video.
@billy.Langan 1957 Porsche speedster being lifted up 58 stories buy the tower crane on the Butterfly building in Vancouver#1957porsche356speedster #porsche #foryoupage #speed #foryou #race #crane #construction #hardwork #car ♬ original sound – Billy.LanganCommenters were quick to weigh in, with some not understanding the motivation to go through so much trouble for a car.
"But why?! I can't imagine any viable reason for this!"
Others' minds went dirtier places.
"It's only a $50,000 vehicle," said another. "Just some eccentric multi millionaire's furniture for Jiggy Jiggy."
Others thought it aptly summed up icome inequality in Vancouver.
"To see this and then see Hastings nearby. What a dystopian world we live in," said a third.
The Butterfly broke ground in 2019 and is expected to be finished this year. It was designed by Revery Architecture — the rebranded firm of legendary Vancouver architect Bing Thom.
Construction has led to traffic disruptions on Nelson Street for many months, and things turned scary in November when the chimney of the church next door collapsed, trapping several workers.
The Butterfly construction project is also restoring First Baptist Church and building social housing. The design of the highrise is said to mimic church organ pipes. The Butterfly will be Vancouver's third-tallest tower at completion, though it may appear the tallest because it's perched on higher ground.
Daily Hive has reached out to Westbank for more details on the luxury car lift.
Best Places To Eat, Stay And See In Vancouver
Vancouver beaches -English Bay and Sunset Beach
gettyVancouver is ranked as one of the best cities to live. It is known and loved for its alfresco active lifestyle, thanks to its stunning natural scenery that includes mountains, beaches and forests. Cycle, run or walk along the city's seafront, in vast Stanley Park or take a day trip to Whistler mountain. And, it's fast becoming a city recognised for its culinary delights. The Michelin Guide came to Canada for the first time in October 2022, with restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver being awarded Michelin stars. Eight Vancouver restaurants won a Michelin star. Eating and outdoor pursuits aside, the city has a world class public art gallery and the second biggest fashion week in North America (open to both industry and public).
Where to StayRosewood Hotel Georgia
Martin TesslerIdeally located at the heart of the city, Rosewood Hotel Georgia is right across from the Vancouver Art Gallery, shops and restaurants, with beautiful Stanley Park and the seafront nearby. This Georgian Revival landmark has attracted famous guests since it first opened in 1927, including Marlene Dietrich (and her 40 suitcases), Louis Armstrong, Sir Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, Queen Elizabeth and King Charles as Prince of Wales.
Rosewood suite terrace, Rosewood Hotel Georgia
Don Riddle ImagesVancouver's most historic hotel was painstakingly and extensively redesigned around ten years ago by Studio Munge. The designers were careful to preserve key elements from the 1920s building, including terrazzo flooring, elevator cab detailing and the original clock and staircase in the Grand Hall. And, last year, many of the 156 suites and guest rooms were renovated. Guest accommodation features an appealing palette of light blues, ivory, and chocolate, complemented by sleek furnishings and spa-inspired bathrooms.
Lord Stanley Suite living room
RosewoodThe hotel's top suites, the Lord Stanley Suite and the Rosewood Suite, are sheer opulence, both featuring two bedrooms and a private rooftop terrace, offering stunning city skyline views, a plunge pool and a private garden. The Rosewood Suite can also connect to an adjacent room to create a three-bedroom accommodation.
As you'd expect from a five-star hotel, the Rosewood offers impeccable service, a great spa, a fitness centre, and an indoor swimming pool. The hotel also has one of the largest private collections of Canadian art available for public viewing, including Alan Wood's Garden series and six tongue–in–cheek pieces by Vancouver native, the author Douglas Coupland.
Rosewood hotel 927 Bar
RosewoodBreakfast is in the chic 1927 Bar and lounge and there's also a more casual cafe. Reflections, is an outdoor terrace for cocktails and snacks in warmer months. The on-site, fine-dining restaurant is Hawksworth, where Chef David Hawksworth and his skilled team transform the best organic ingredients and seafood available from suppliers local and from across Canada. Expect Pacific fish, including albacore tuna and oysters and haida gwaii sablefish on the menu.
Orchid Suite Living Room, Shangri-La, Vancouver
Corey Stovin, VRX StudiosAnother great five-star with an excellent location is the Shangri–La Hotel. Robson Street for luxury shopping is close by as is Stanley Park and the nightlife on Granville Street. The 119 spacious rooms and suites blend modern luxury with traditional Asian décor. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer downtown city views, while over half of the rooms have private balconies. The marble-clad bathrooms feature heated floors and a television embedded in the mirror.
Breakfast is served in the attractive Carlino restaurant. The all-day restaurant pays homage to British Columbia and the similarities it shares with northern Italy – the mountain ranges, forests, lakes and coastal waters. As well as classic Friulian dishes, the menu includes specialties from neighboring regions Trentino and Veneto.
Individual Suite at Shangri-La
Corey Stovin, VRX StudiosShangri-La hotels are renowned for their spas and the Vancouver property is no exception. Chi, the hotel's gorgeous Spa is a major draw for guests and outside visitors. Drawing inspiration from the legendary Shangri-La, a place of personal peace and well-being, the treatments are based on Asian natural healing methods. The spa uses local products made on Bowen Island by Sangre de Fruta Botanical, gorgeous organic products for the face, body and hair, created in small batches by Allison Audrey Weldon. The indulgent 90-Minute Massage includes a body scrub, a relaxing steam/shower, followed by a massage using Sangre de Fruta botanical body cream in a choice of delicious scents: Rose No. 1, Neroli Forever, or Jasmin de Nuit.
Where to EatSt Lawrence dining room
St LawrenceSt. Lawrence was an obvious choice for the Michelin star earned last fall. This modern Quebecois restaurant is petite and super popular so a reservation is essential (and be prepared to wait a month). Chef/Owner Jean-Christophe Poirier (formerly of the highly rated Toqué in Montreal) creates an often changing tasting menu ($125 plus taxes). Classic French cuisine meets the gastronomic identity and culture of Les Québécois.
Roasted Pacific Octopus at Published on Main, Vancouver
Published on MainAnother worthy Michelin-starred restaurant, this smart, buzzy restaurant has a firm focus on the sustainable, sourcing ingredients from local farms and producers. The menu at Published on Main features creative items like bee pollen milk buns, bison tartare and wild BC fiddleheads. Other tempting choices include roasted Pacific octopus, twice cooked pork belly and BC halibut.
Burdock & Co
Burdock & CoChef Andrea Carlson's love for British Columbia shines through in organic, seasonal plates that have thrilled diners since she opened her cosy restaurant in 2013. And Burdock and Co was the worthy recipient of a Michelin star last fall. The changing set menu ($95 per person) includes dishes like shrimp toast; nettle and ricotta ravioli; and dry aged pork loin in fermented spruce tree sauce.
Menu highlights, Fiorino, Vancouver
Fiorino, VancouverOpened last year in Chinatown, this Italian gem offers the best in street food, in a warehouse space with a retro vibe. Menu highlights at Fiorino include divine focaccia sandwiches and schiacciata, including one stuffed with guanciale, drizzled with honey and spread with walnut crema, excellent pasta dishes like spaghettoni ai frutti di mare and pappardelle with wild boar sauce.
Miku Restaurant, Vancouver
Miku RestaurantMiku Restaurant's signature Aburi-style sushi (lightly seared and infused with savory sauces), delicious meats (tenderized by Sumiyaki grilling) and desserts created by a Kyoto-trained pastry chef, Miku won't fail to please. Organic, local ingredients enhance Miku's innovative menu, which is carefully paired with fine wines and sake. Executive Chef Kazuhiro Hayashi takes advantage of regional ingredients as well as Ocean Wise seafood options to showcase the best of what Vancouver has to offer.
East is East, Vancouver
East is EastMustafa and Razaviah, siblings of Afghan descent, offer an eclectic menu at East is East that includes the flavors of India, Afghanistan and Persia. Menu highlights include Dhal soup with three different kinds of lentils, cauliflower, spinach, herbs and spices; and Boulani, a traditional Afghan whole wheat roti stuffed with potato, green onion and herbs. The decor features ornate carpets on the walls, ceiling mandalas and nature-inspired furnishings. Live music, often jazz, is a bonus.
Fish tacos at Local
Teegan Tsuchiya/ LocalLocal Public Eatery, Kitsilano is a well-loved hangout for locals featuring a vibe that is a combination of relaxed, California lifestyle and small beachtown. Dine on the large outdoor terrace with favorites like fish tacos, Thai curry or Ahi Tuna poke rice bowl.
What to See and DoGranville Island is Canada's second most-visited tourist attraction, behind Niagara Falls and essential for food-loving locals and tourists alike. Vancouver Foodie Tours at Granville Island offers a tour and taste of fresh, local, seasonal produce, alongside a slice of local life. It offers a range of delicious samples from independent farmers and food artisans from Vancouver and beyond, from duck confit and cheeses to locally-made charcuterie, melt-in-your-mouth donuts, to world-class coffee and chai. Michelle Ng, the ebullient founder, often leads the Granville Island tour. They also have tours in Gastown and one focusing on Asian food in Richmond which according to the New York Times, has the best Chinese food in all of North America.
Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
gettyWestern Canada's largest public art museum,Vancouver Art Gallery has a permanent collection of more than 12,600 works. The historical and contemporary exhibitions, include artworks by Canadian, Indigenous and internationally acclaimed artists. Currently on (until 4 June 2023) is Hard-Edge showcasing a selection of abstract paintings from the 1960s and 70s. Drawn from the gallery's permanent collection, are works by artists including Jack Bush, Frank Stella and Joan Balzar, some of which are being exhibited for the first time since their acquisition.
Vancouver Fashion Week, a biannual event
Paul Allen/Andfotography2For fashion lovers visiting the city in April or October, Vancouver Fashion Week, unlike most other major fashion weeks, offers public access through ticketed shows. If you're seeking vintage finds, try Stepback, a lifestyle shop in Kitsilano with books, prints, antique toys, Canadian Pacific railway dishware and more.
The dome of the Bloedel Floral Conservatory, the city's indoor garden, in Queen Elizabeth Park, one ... [+] of Vancouver's beautiful tourist attractions.
gettyVancouver's parks and gardens are a joy, even on a damp day. Stroll through glorious Stanley Park and VanDusen Garden with 55 acres and over 7,500 plant species and visit Bloedel Conservatory, filled with 100 exotic birds and over 500 kinds of tropical plants inside the dome.
Proposed Downtown Vancouver Development Aims To Reshape Public Space
Outdoor spots that offer a measure of tranquillity downtown are a treasure.
Vancouver historian John Atkin knows one, and it's at the southwest corner of Melville and Thurlow streets.
"You can sit in there, be surrounded by traffic, and get lost in your thoughts," Atkin told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview.
It's obvious why Atkin likes the grounds of the Sun Life Plaza building. In an exuberant stream, water gushes out of fountains at one end, and rushes down terraces to a pool, evoking the sounds of nature.
Resting on steps and benches hidden from street view, one can shut out the hurried noises of the urban environment. The water feature was designed by now-retired landscape architect Don Vaughan as part of the building's construction during the 1980s.
Vancouver historian John Atkin counts the plaza at Melville and Thurlow as one of his favourite outdoor spaces in downtown Vancouver. Carlito Pablo According to Atkin, the city has come a long way in creating open spaces as inviting as this one.
Atkin knows Vancouver well. He leads tours on foot and buses, providing insights into its past and present, buildings, and neighbourhoods. He has written a number of books, including The Changing City: Architecture and History Walking Tours in Central Vancouver, which was published in 2010 and coauthored by Andy Coupland, a municipal planner.
"Now we design places that actually encourage people to hang out," Atkin said.
That's what he hopes to see in a proposed rezoning in another part of downtown, which ironically involves turning an existing plaza into an office building.
Last September, the City of Vancouver received an application to build a 25-storey office tower at the northwest corner of West Hastings and Seymour streets.
It's the site of a domed court, a public amenity set as a condition to allow the construction of the Grant Thornton Place office building at 333 Seymour Street during the 1980s. The plaza and building are connected by a covered escalator and a circular flight of stairs.
While the plaza at 601 West Hastings Street was intended as a gathering place, it doesn't attract a lot of people. That's according to documents submitted to the city by B+H Architects on behalf of the property owner, Morguard, a company with a real-estate portfolio in Canada and the U.S. Valued at over $15 billion.
Perceived as "unsafe especially at night", the plaza is "very underutilized" except during lunchtime "on the nicest of days", the rezoning application notes.
"There's not a really good reason to go there," James Vasto, a principal with B+H Architects, told the Straight in a phone interview on March 13. "Sitting isn't comfortable. There's very little retail. There's one little sushi shop, and not much to do there."
Compared to the sunlit plaza at 1100 Melville Street, 601 West Hastings Street feels cold, especially with its metal benches and tiled seating areas. According to Vasto, the domed court was "fine" for a while, but the city has outgrown it.
"It doesn't have great views. It is sort of an odd space, a leftover space," the architect said.
Vasto said that the new office development will "rejuvenate" the area.
The plan involves a "large public space" serving as a "focal point around which the tower evolves and responds", the rezoning application states. The base of the tower will be carved away, allowing as much light as possible to enter the plaza. There will also be ground-level retail.
In addition, the proposed development includes 102 parking spots and 78 bicycle spaces underground.
Across West Cordova Street to the north of 333 Seymour and 601 West Hastings is Waterfront Station, the terminus of the SkyTrain's three lines, West Coast Express, and SeaBus.
The Urban Design Panel, which advises the City of Vancouver on rezoning and development applications, unanimously supported the project in a meeting last November.
Vasto expects the development to be in its permit phase around this time next year.
When it's completed, Atkin might add the new plaza to his favourite spots to hang out.
Comments
Post a Comment