Vancouver
Hello! I’m Helena, a freelance campaign manager at Tandem Collective, which I do alongside my main job working as a freelance Development Director for a mental health charity.
I’m writing this guide as I reinvented myself as a ‘digital nomad’ at the start of 2022, and have been travelling the world ever since, with none other than Tandem’s CEO (who also happens to be my long-time bestie!) Naomi.
After a decade of living in London and two years of lockdowns, we decided to shake things up! Whilst many of our friends were buying homes, getting married, having children, we weren’t there yet. Instead of falling into the trap of self-comparison and feeling ‘behind’, we flipped it and decided to try something different. We’ve always loved big travel adventures and were inspired by Tandem Team members already working around the globe, so we took the plunge in January 2022 and haven’t looked back!
This guide is about Vancouver, my favourite city in the world so far, where I spent 3 months working from June to September last year.
Overall Recommendation
If you prefer small, compact cities, love the great outdoors and enjoy an active lifestyle (think hiking, watersports and yoga), then Vancouver is for you! What makes Vancouver extra-special is that you can enjoy all the benefits of living in a young, cosmopolitan city, whilst having nature on your doorstep - both inside and outside the city, you’ll find the most epic mountains, trails, lakes and more! It’s very well set up for remote working - finding a cafe with good WiFi won’t be a problem! The downsides are that it is pricey and the time difference with the UK could be a challenge for some, but we found our own hacks to make this work for us and absolutely loved it! Read on to discover my recommendations and insights…
Here’s my guide to Vancouver…I’ll start with business first, before I get to the fun part!
The best coffee shops for remote working
Vancouver is very well set up for remote working - there are several coffee shop chains and lots of independent cafes that are laptop friendly - and most places have free WiFi. Tried and tested favourites of mine are:
Delany’s Coffee House on Denman Street - This was our local; it had a friendly, neighbourhood vibe and we made friends with all the staff! Good WiFi, lots of seating, but no plug sockets, so come charged up! Best time to go was early morning and early afternoon, when it’s quiet.
Matchstick Coffee - This is a trendy chain - think minimalist, Scandi decor. Good WiFi, lots of seating and each table has in-built plug sockets, so it’s very freelancer friendly. Not my favourite for atmosphere (very sleek and quiet), but great for head-down working.
Aperture Coffee Bar, Main Street - Alternative, motorcycle-themed(!) coffee shop with good WiFi, lots of seating and plug sockets; quiet, chilled atmosphere, good for deep work. There are lots of great lunch and dinner options on Main Street too - we loved East is East, Burgoo and Old Bird.
Two big commercial coffee chains in Vancouver are Blenz and JJ Bean which open early in the mornings, have lots of seating and good WiFi.
Time difference
If you’re coming from the UK, the time difference is 8 hours (behind UK). This meant we had to change up our work schedule, starting at 6am to align with the afternoon in the UK - so this may not appeal to you night owls! Whilst meetings at the crack of dawn could be brutal times, the biggest advantage of this time difference was that, by 10am, we were finished with meetings and had total flexibility over the rest of our work day - we could take a nap, hit the beach, exercise and work according to our own rhythm. Naomi (CEO, bestie) loved this, as she used the afternoons for deep-work, whilst I often felt tired come lunchtime and didn’t like feeling ‘behind’ my co-workers in the UK, but it wasn’t a big deal and being in Vancouver totally made up for this!
When to go?
The summer! June, July and August are the best months to visit Vancouver, when it’s sunny and warm. This way, you can enjoy the beaches and all the outdoor activities the city has to offer. It really does come alive in the summer, with life centering around the city’s beaches and parks.
Where to stay?
If you can afford it, we recommend staying downtown and close to the beach. We were very lucky, as we could rent a tiny flat with a sea view on mates rates in English Bay, which is prime location - by the beach and next to Stanley Park. Kitsilano is another popular area with lots of young people and boujee, hippy types - the beach is great for people watching and checking out the volleyball players ; ). If breweries, second-hand bookstores and vintage shops are more your vibe, then East Vancouver (Commercial Drive and Main Street) are for you, and both have a big foodie scene.
The downside to Vancouver is that it is very expensive, with rental prices higher than those in London (eek!). Therefore, if you’re considering Van as a destination, I’d recommend going with a partner or with friends and co-workers to share costs and booking your accommodation well in advance. Of course, the further away you are from the city centre, things become slightly more affordable, so areas like North Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond could be good alternative options. Vancouver is well connected by public transport - there’s a metro and bus network - so staying in the suburbs is a viable option. We also discovered a handy car share scheme called evo which is available throughout the city and essentially functions as a ‘pay-as-you-go’ car rental; it’s imperfect, but life-changing if you want to go further afield and save on the cost of car hire - I definitely recommend it!
What to do
Where to start?! Vancouver has so much to offer, so here’s just a selection from my top picks:
Culture - Vancouver doesn’t have a huge cultural scene, however there are a few gems definitely worth checking out, including The Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver Art Gallery and the Polygon Gallery. Vancouver also has a thriving live music scene, with lots of concerts and events happening throughout the city. Sports are also massive in Vancouver, especially hockey and Canadian football, so this is the place to head to a game if that’s your thing! We also held a Bookstagram meet-up at Upstart & Crow, a charming, indie bookstore on Granville Island. It’s also worth mentioning that Canadians are very friendly, and we found it easy to chat and make friends with people (I think the British accents helped!)
Food - Vancouver has a really impressive food scene and is well known for Chinese and far-eastern Asian cuisine, due to the high population of Asian people living in and around the city. We didn’t eat out a lot, as it’s not cheap (comparable to London prices), but there are lots of casual dining places where you can get really great food. Our highlights included Sun Sui Wah, East is East and Old Bird on Main Street, La Mezcaleria (Mexican) and Tangent Cafe (brunch) and Ukrainian Village on Denman Street. Also try a Caesar at The Score on Davie - this is a Vancouver twist on a bloody Mary! Further afield, we loved The Watershed Grill in Squamish (as seen on Virgin River!) for burgers and poutine! Honey’s Doughnuts and Goodies in Deep Cove is a must (maple bacon on a doughnut?! Yes please!).
The Great Outdoors - This is Vancouver’s greatest asset! Pack your hiking boots and hit the trails - don’t bother with the Grouse Grind, instead, head out of the city and check out The Chief (be prepared for the stairmaster from hell, but worth it for the views), Sea to Summit hike (you get the cable car back down!) and Golden Ears Provincial Park. Within the city, you’ve got Stanley Park (an actual rainforest!) and beautiful beaches (English Bay, Kitsilano, Spanish Banks, Jericho and Wreck beach). Kayaking at Deep Cove is a must (we went three times!) and paddleboarding on English Bay at sunset is magical! Vancouver is a cyclist’s paradise and one of my favourite things to do was to cycle along the coastal path which takes you to all the beaches. Vancouver is also the home of Lululemon and all things yoga - we loved YYoga and the Mat Collective for outdoor yoga classes, but there are lots of studios to choose from!
There is also lots to explore beyond Vancouver and across British Columbia, including the mountain towns of Squamish and Whistler, Vancouver Island, Garibaldi Provincial Park and Joffre Lakes, and the Okanagan, and you can find inspo here and here.