Established the same year that Canada became a nation, Gastown was once Canada’s third largest city and one of its most cosmopolitan too. Today, the area is a charming mix of old and new with its cobbled streets, antique gaslights, Victorian architecture, and unique tangle of mews, courtyards, boutiques, restaurants, and entertainment options. Gastown is also close to Vancouver's downtown business core and many hotels. To the west is the spectacular Canada Place, and it is an easy five-minute walk from the Cruise Ship Terminal or the Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Though the community of Yaletown is technically a part of Downtown Vancouver, in essence it is a neighbourhood unto itself with unique traits and local residents. Set along False Creek, this area is one of the youngest in Vancouver, used mainly as a warehouse district until the Expo 1986 World's Fair. Its rebirth started in the late 1980's, and has gradually transformed into a trendy urban community comprising a mix of residential buildings, office spaces, restaurants, boutiques, cafes, and more. The elevated, brick-paved loading docks with their cantilever canopies now house quaint sidewalk tables, providing shade and shelter for the patrons of the many dining and drinking establishments.