Vancouver, BC

Vancouver is consistently ranked among the world's most livable cities a designation that reflects its combination of geographic drama, cultural diversity, architectural quality, and temperate Pacific climate. The city occupies a peninsula between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River delta to the south, with the North Shore mountains rising immediately behind. Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre rainforest peninsula connected to the downtown core by a causeway, contains 17 miles of trails through second-growth Douglas fir and cedar, seawall walking, a rose garden, aquarium, and beaches. Granville Island is an industrial peninsula converted into a public market and arts district in the 1970s the Public Market is still the city's premier food hall, with fishmongers, cheesemakers, produce vendors, and artisan food producers operating alongside working artists' studios. The Gastown district, the city's oldest neighborhood, has Victorian commercial buildings with cast-iron details on water street now restaurants, boutiques, and design galleries. Vancouver's Chinatown, one of the largest in North America, and the Japanese-influenced neighborhoods of Richmond and Burnaby reflect the city's genuine Pacific Rim character. The Skytrain rapid transit system provides easy group access to most major destinations without the complexity of urban driving.