GAY VANCOUVER 

The largest gay population in Western Canada lives in this ocean-wrapped and snow-capped city. Its gay community is centred around two distinctly different neighbourhoods - the West End and Commercial Drive, both of which enjoy a wide variety of restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and boutiques catering to gays and lesbians.

It may be useful to know that streets in downtown Vancouver, including the West End, do not run north-south, but on a 45-degree angle to the compass. Generally speaking, when Vancouverites say west, they actually mean north-west, north means north-east, and so on. Once you cross a bridge away from downtown, the streets match the compass.

Neighbourhoods & Nightlife

West End
        A high-density residential neighbourhood just west of downtown and snuggled up to Stanley Park, the West End is an engaging mix of high-rises and surviving heritage homes, greenery and action, a mix of retirees, immigrants, urban youth and gay residents.

The Gay Village
        The centre of the Gay Village (sometimes called the Davie Village) is the stretch of Davie Street between Burrard and Jervis. With its cluster of cafes, casual eateries, pubs, nightclubs and shops offering designer clothing and sleek housewares, the zone is popular with homos and straights alike.
         Key gay businesses in the Davie Village include Little Sister's Bookstore, the oldest gay bookstore in Canada. They offer a wide selection of GLBT books and merchandise, and just inside their front door is a huge selection of free stuff: magazines, brochures, maps, and a sort of community bulletin board. Even if you don't need books, stop in and thank them for their 20-year legal battle with the Goverment of Canada over censorship and free speech. 

The Bar Scene
  • Pumpjack (real guys, muscle guys, leather, blue collar),
  • 1181 (stand and model pretty guys),
  • Numbers (bit of everything),
  • The Majestic (drag queens)
  • The Oasis (piano bar, good food)
  • Celebrities (dance club, younger)
  • The World (all night dancing)
  • The Fountainhead (pub-ish, super friendly, and mixed gay-straight crowd; mostly gay on weekends)

       Davie St. intersects with Denman Street at English Bay Beach. Denman is less chaotic in feel than Davie, and is the commercial heart of the neighbourhood known as "West of Denman." The popular gay hangout on Denman is Delaney's Coffee Shop.
       At English Bay Beach, you pick up the Seawall walk. It's a wonderful stroll for people-watching or just  to go for the gelato! Follow the seawall along the beach and in no time you are 1000 acre Stanley Park.
 
Commercial Drive
        Commercial Drive, known locally as "The Drive", is a popular neighbourhood for Vancouver's thriving lesbian community, although it's reportedly hard to find much lesbian commercial stuff there. This funky, East side neighbourhood is packed with reasonably priced ethnic restaurants, cafes, shops and services. The Drive can be easily accessed by car and transit.
 
Elsewhere
         Overall, Vancouver is a very gay-friendly city. Don't be surprised to see gay couples holding hands just about anywhere downtown, although that may not be the best idea on Granville Street, which is a turbo-charged straight bar scene, especially on weekend evenings. Most of the best restaurants, unfortunately, are not found in the Davie Village (there's ok food there). The following are gay-friendly and excellent

  • Hapa Izakaya
  • Banana Leaf on Denman
  • Cardero's
  • Moxies (in gay village)
  • Milestones on English Bay
  • Chambar
  • Vij's

Get more information about Vancouver's gay options at
www.tourismvancouver.com
www.outincanada.ca (Canada's gay & lesbian travel magazine)