Gastown & Chinatown

The spot where pioneer-era Vancouver began, Gastown is the city's cobbled old-town district. Rapidly transforming in recent years, its heritage buildings are now home to some of the city's best independent boutiques, bars and restaurants. Almost as old, historic Chinatown is one of Canada's largest and most vibrant and has recently begun gentrifying at an even faster rate – hence the new condo blocks and hipster coffee shops that are making the original grocery stores look shabbier than ever. These fascinating adjoining areas invite plenty of on-foot exploration.