Gastown

Gastown is more of a landmark attraction than a shopping area. The Gastown area streets are covered with cobble stone. The main attraction of the area is a statue of "Gassy" Jack Deighton, a saloon owner who essentially made Gastown to the popular attraction it was because it was the nearest saloon to the sawmill closeby. Businesses grew around the saloon and the community of Gastown was formed.

Also located in Gastown is the world's first steam clock. Every quarter of the hour and every hour, the steam clock will whistle a short note or tune. The architecture of the historic buildings and the atmosphere of the surroundings make it almost like you're stepping back in time. Souvenir shops are abound in Gastown. There are some nice restaurants around. The Spaghetti Factory is always busy, the Brothers is also quite busy with men dressed in shrouds is quite a sight. There are many other smaller restaurants and bars with Lamplighter Inn and the Pump among the few well known ones.

Leaving downtown Vancouver, there are still a few shopping malls around that are worth a visit. City Square is a relatively small shopping mall located on 12th Avenue and Cambie Street. It was developed from two historic buildings. There is underground parking. If you shop at any of the stores at the mall, you can get a free half hour parking pass. The mall houses a Safeway, Fitness World exercise complex, an expensive Chinese restaurant named Kirin. One thing to note is that an episode of the X-Files was filmed at the mall. The first season episode called "Tooms" in which a liver-eating mutant Eugene Tooms hibernates under the escalator is the elevator of the City Square Mall. So, for X-files fans, this may be a stop worth going to.

Directions: North-east corner of downtown Vancouver, along Water Street in

>BOOK HOTEL IN VANCOUVER<

Gastown