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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007) |
Downtown Vancouver is the term used to describe the southeastern portion of the peninsula in the north-central part of Vancouver proper. It is the business, commercial, cultural, financial, government, and entertainment centre of the city and the Metropolitan Vancouver lower mainland region.
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Geography
The downtown area is generally considered to be bounded by Burrard Inlet to the north, Stanley Park and the West End to the west, False Creek to the south, and the Downtown Eastside to the east. Most sources include the full downtown peninsula (adding the West End neighbourhood and Stanley Park) as downtown Vancouver, but the City of Vancouver defines them as separate neighbourhoods.
Besides the readily identifiable office towers of the Financial and central business districts, Downtown Vancouver also includes Yaletown, a former industrial area that has been transformed into an upscale residential neighbourhood; and Coal Harbour. Other downtown neighbourhoods include the Granville Mall and Entertainment District, Downtown South, Gastown, Japantown, and Chinatown.
Transportation
The presence of water on three sides limits access to downtown Vancouver. There are four major bridges: the Lions Gate Bridge, connecting to the North Shore municipalities and the Trans Canada Highway, and the Burrard, Cambie, and Granville bridges providing access to the commercial and residential areas south of False Creek.
The historic Waterfront Station is a major intermodal transit hub for the downtown core. There are four subway SkyTrain stations, using the shared Expo and Millennium Line tracks from Waterfront Station through the old Dunsmuir Tunnel. The SeaBus ferry provides passenger service to the North Shore, the West Coast Express commuter rail system travels to the eastern suburbs, and there are terminals for float plane and helicopter services along Burrard Inlet.
Most north-south Vancouver bus routes serve the area, in addition to suburban routes from the North Shore, Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Richmond, Delta, and South Surrey.
The bus rapid transit line 98 B-Line has eight stops in the downtown core, primarily along Seymour Street and Burrard Street. This service will be replaced in 2009 by the Canada Line rapid transit, currently under construction, will link downtown to Richmond and Vancouver International Airport. This new addition to the city's SkyTrain metro network will add three subway stations downtown, originating at Waterfront Station.
There are three private passenger 'foot ferry' operators, providing service between several downtown neighbourhoods, false creek, and Granville Island.
The city also is planning to extend the Downtown Trolley from its current route of Granville Island to Main Street Skytrain station extending it to Chinatown and then Stanley Park.
Sports
There are two major sports facilities in the downtown core. The NHL's Vancouver Canucks play at GM Place, while the CFL's BC Lions use the neighbouring BC Place Stadium. The now-relocated Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA also played at GM Place. A proposal for Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium, a soccer stadium east of Waterfront Station to house the USL's Vancouver Whitecaps, is currently under consideration as part of their bid to become the latest MLS expansion team (otherwise they would play at BC Place).
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