From Wikitravel

East Vancouver is that portion of Vancouver east of Ontario Street, a minor street just west of Main Street, the demarcation line where street addresses change from "east" to "west". East Van used to be the more working-class area of Vancouver, but because you can't buy a house for less than about $300,000 anywhere in the city, these days working-class people are tending to move to less expensive areas, like Surrey and Abbotsford, and all of Vancouver is very mixed culturally and economically. East Van does have a higher crime rate than the more affluent west side, but it has some very happening areas. Commercial Drive, known locally as The Drive is one of the most interesting areas of Vancouver.

Contents 1 See 2 Do 3 Buy 4 Eat 4.1 Budget 4.2 Mid-range 4.3 Splurge 5 Drink

See

• Hastings Park Racetrack Horse racing on most weekends.
• Pacific National Exibition/ PLayland Playland is an amusement park best noted for it's wooden roller coaster which is a good ride and well regarded among enthusiasts of such things. The Pacific National Exhibition is fairtime and is quite crowded, there are lots of things to see. Be noted parking will not come cheap and there is no parking along any neighbouring streets that have houses fronting onto them.

Do

• Rime on Commercial Drive hosts the city's best live music, 7 nights a week.
• Playland & Pacific National Exhibition is Vancouver's amusement park in Hastings Park. Open full-time through the summer and spring months (April-September), Playland wraps up with a two-week grand finale Pacific National Exhibition. Playland is a medium-sized amusement park, like something you may find at a U.S. county fair, and activities include a wooden rollercoaster, games, shows for kids and perhaps 20 or so other rides that spin, throw and hurl in various ways. During the two weeks of the P.N.E., the fair adds extra rides, and has a daily itinerary of extra events. Through the remaining months, Playland is usually closed, since the rainy Vancouver weather is not conducive to amusement park activities. Sometimes, the Playland grounds are open for special events, like Halloween.
• Trout Lake Lantern Festival is an annual event held in mid July. This includes many fantastic performers, and a parade of lanterns with (unnecessary ... gilding the lily) fireworks at the end of the night.
• The Candy Bar and other similar establishments often feature live musical acts featuring predominantly local artists of a wide variety, often for a cover charge of arround five dollars.

Buy

• Another funky shopping area is Commercial Drive, which was once was the city's Italian neighbourhood but which is now amazingly multicultural. Buskers, dogs, babies, pierced people, office workers, grocery shoppers share the Drive. The shops are relatively inexpensive and eclectic -- lots of coffee shops, tie-dye, toys, trinkets, and organic groceries. It's a great neighbourhood to live in because you can go out on foot and do all your shopping -- produce, cheese, sausage, stationery, pet food, hardware -- within just a few blocks.
• South Main (sometimes called "SoMa," the parts of Main Street south of 2nd Avenue or so) is rapidly becoming the new Bohemian neighborhood of designer boutiques, Asian religious item stores, and coffee shops. Many local designers have boutiques on Main between Broadway (the equivalent of 9th Ave.) south to about 29th Ave. where you can buy cutting-edge and handmade clothing for reasonable prices. Between King Edward Ave. (the equivalent of 25th) and 29th is a cluster of antique stores, some of which are expensive and not very good, but you can find treasures there if you search.
• Punjabi Market, sometimes called Little India, is the area along Main Street around East 49th Avenue (literally, 48th to 51st). There are a number of East Indian food stores, restaurants, and stores selling Indian style clothes and materials. Most of the merchants speak English but the merchandize is all authentic.
• Farmers' Market at Trout Lake there are a few farmers markets that occur in Vancouver http://www.eatlocal.org/, but this is the first, and probably the best. It is only open on Saturday mornings and only in the summer and the last market day of the year is around Canadian Thanksgiving (early Oct.)...
• Broadway Street Shopping Between Cambie & Main Street, Broadway is where Vancouverites go to shop for clothing, outdoor sporting goods, camping equipment & information regarding outdoor recreation & hiking. Centered around Mountain Equipment Co-Op (the largest store on the strip) there are a multitude of clothing, camping & sports stores. The only place to go for raingear, fleece & backpacks.

Eat

Budget

• Brittania Sushi, 1016 Commercial 604-251-1155. This might be the best deal on sushi in the city. $4.95 for an 18 piece combo (including yam rolls) with miso soup, or teriyaki box. Decent quality and decor.
• Sweet Lemon Cafe, on the 2500 block of East Hastings. There are a lot of great Vietnamese restaurants in this area, but the best deal is here. $5-6 tax included will get you a heaping bowl of vermicelli with a generous portion of chicken, beef, pork, or prawns. Great service and tasteful Ikea inspired decor.
• All India Sweets, 6507 Main St (corner of Main and 49th), 604-327-0891. Excellent vegetarian all you can eat Indian food buffet for $6.95. Also has a huge selection of sweets to pack up and take home with you.
• Hawker's Delight, 4127 Main Street, 604-709-8188. At Main and King Edward Hawker's servers up authentic Malaysian/Singaporean dishes at $4-5. Fast-paced atmosphere (as the name would suggest). Good vegetarian options.

Mid-range

• Addis Cafe, 2017 Commercial Dr, (604) 254-1929. Simply the best Ethiopian restaurant in the city. Addis is intimate, features a friendly staff, and incredibly reasonable pricing. Great vegetarian options, though meat lovers will think they've gone to heaven with the Awaze Tibs. Two can dine for between $12-22.
• Tio Pepe's, 1134 Commercial Dr, 604-254-8999. Used to be a favourite! Until it changed owners, it was a great restaurant and most authentic Mexican places in Vancouver. http://tiopepes.com
• Montri Thai Restaurant, 3629 Broadway East. Renowned for truly authentic Thai food in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Dinner for 2 around the $25.00 per person, wine not included.
• Bo Kong, 3068 Main St. A vegetarian Buddhist Chinese restaurant. Has an incredibly diverse menu. Get the bean curd skin rolls with black bean sauce! It's a good idea to make reservations; it's very popular.

Splurge

• Aurora, 2420 Main St (at 7th Ave). Vancouver's newest bistro, specializing in cheeky Canadian cuisine (sourdough grilled cheese featuring seasonally available locally produced cheeses and thinly sliced pear). $40 - 50 dinner for 2.

A welcome addition to the rapidly developing Mt Pleasant commercial district, a great run of clothing designers, restaurants, and cafe's stretching south on Main from 2nd to 40th Street. Local favourites include Monsoon (Main @ Broadway) and Locus (Main @ 25th).

Drink