I love living here, though it's not without its negatives. Nightlife can be a little lame, especially if you've been to other big cities. Bars and restaurants can close very early.
Absolutely nothing beats the views though. Waking up to mountains is extraordinary. Vancouver has so many outdoor things to do - great trails, lots of lovely islands that are a quick ferry ride away, and the ocean. Despite the heavy rain, it is a very mild city compared to the rest of Canada, so if you don't like the snow, but like to ski, it's the perfect place.
Traffic is another big nightmare in Vancouver, so be prepared to spend some time in a jam, or finding creative ways to get around town. Vancouver has very dedicated cyclists, though, so you can find lots of great bike routes through the city. And the milder weather always encourages a walk.
It's a pretty open and welcoming city. LBGT travellers will feel comfortable here - and can check out hotspots like Davie, Main Street, or Commercial Drive. Like much of metropolitan Canada, it is a fairly multicultural city as well.

Vancouver, BC is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with an insane number of things to see, people to meet and experiences to have. I would encourage any and all travellers to hit me up with any questions they may have when visiting this gorgeous place as it is my home city!

Accessing/ Exchanging money: There are dozens of places this can be done all over downtown, the airport, banks, etc. Simply use the internet or a phone book to make this happen.

Activities: My biggest recommendation here will be to take a walk along the Sea Wall... it's stunning and you're able to capture a lot of scenery... that being said, to place all activities here would take me hours, perhaps days!

Sightseeing/ attractions: Just to highlight a few-- The planetarium's spectacular; Any number of beaches and my favorite's Spanish Banks; The Sea Wall; English Bay; Cypress Bowl; Grouse Mountain; Telus World of Science which is subsequently also the former home of EXPO '86; The Vancouver aquarium; HSBC celebration of lights... And the list could go on for hours.

Nightlife: The nightlife here is lots of fun with most clubs downtown staying open until 4am. Bear in mind that most clubs have a zero violence and obnoxious behavior tolerance policy as well as a dress code- So try to look your best :) My favorite club downtown Vancouver would likely be the Roxy... great for a good time and the dress code's a little bit relaxed.

Food Resto's: Vancouver pride's itself on a world class variety of food. My top recommendations are: The Boathouse, Vij's, The Mongolian Grill, Tsunami Sushi... and oh man, sooo many more!

Health: All Canadians have medical health care provided to them as part of their citizenship... As a visitor, you'll be happy to hear that Canada has wonderful doctors and hospitals. There is generally a bit of a lengthy wait at a hospital if you need care, so I will recommend a clinic if it's possible for you. Always make sure you have medical insurance before you come to Canada from abroad!

Transportation: Vancouver, unlike most metropolises does not have a subway, instead we have a skytrain. This monorail train runs very frequently and encircles the majority of the city. For your other transportation needs, we have a decent Bus transit system (translink.bc.ca), as well as a Seabus and taxi's if need be. With the exception of the taxi, the rest are all connected and one can purchase a pass to use them all. If you're staying for a shorter period of time, please use the translink site quoted above to determine how much change you'll need to ride transit- oh, and make sure it's exact change! Vancouver is a health conscience, environmentally friendly city, so bicycle riding is encouraged, so feel free to buy, bring, or rent one of those!

Danger Annoyances: No city is without these! Just like every other city in the world beware of pick pockets, and homeless people asking for donations (which isn't too bad, because they'll ask for the donation, you say no and they leave you alone). Also, keep away from East Hastings as it's home to the largest homeless/ drug addict population in Vancouver.

Gay/Lesbien Travellers: Vancouver's a very homosexually friendly city! For a pride filled time, head up to Davie and Denman streets downtown. Every August long weekend is also Pride Parade time which is complete with a Pride Dinner cruise around the Vancouver Harbour! The entire city gets involved with this wonderful event. I recommend my favorite book store in the city called Little Sisters which also has a plethora of information on events in the city aimed at our gay and lesbien population!

What to bring: Ahahah! Bring an Umbrella! Or don't and head down to the Umbrella shop on Granville Island and choose a fun and funky one! Vancouver is located in one of the rainiest parts of the world as BC is home to a natural rainforest! Also bring a small back pack or carry all that allows you to stroll the city hands free. Bring sunscreen, a map, a smile and a great attitude!

Hotels accommodations: As for where you're gonna stay... if you can't couch surf like myself, might I suggest any number of super fun hostels around the city! If you're looking for something far more upscale and fancy, we have several hotels for you to choose from: The Hotel Vancouver, The Westin Bayshore or the Hyatt. For something somewhere in the middle, there are tons and tons of hotels to choose from... just use google!

Lastly, Interacting with locals: Just be nice, smile and try to speak English! So, if English is not your first language, bring a phrase book and try to muddle through it. Most of the time we think it's simply adorable when people at least try! Also don't be surprised if someone doesn't speak to you... sometimes, they don't speak English either or they're in a hurry to run off! But 99% of the time, people will stop and offer what help they can. Oh, also, if you need help in a hurry, feel free to just walk into a store and ask! They normally know the area and again, will do what they can.

Good luck and I hope to hear that you've visited my fair wonderful city that I hold so very very close to my heart :)

best town i have ever been. go to the pride-parade. it's amazing.

Vancouver is beautiful. Clean. Fresh. Green. Walk or jog around Stanley Park. Check out the marine creatures in the Aquarium. Shop along Robson St or dine and dance in Davie. Dim sum in Chinatown. Better yet, just move to Vancouver.

Vancouver is a wonderful city to visit or live in. If you need some English experience, I recommend you the LSI school in the downtown. There you'll find tons of nice, well prepared people and a warm atmosphere of friendship. You'll feel definitely at home! The city in general is beautiful, there are lots of things to see. First of all you can choose between beautiful mountains (don't miss Grouse Mountain and Whistler!), wonderful beaches and a nice, clean and friendly city. Everybody's really friendly there, also gays are very well accepted! The transportation is very good, the bus lines take you everywhere and if you want to go faster you can always take the Skyline. Lots of movies are made in Vancouver and you often see a movie set on the streets.. I suggest you to try sushi restaurant: they're excellent (Californian roll was created there) and very very cheap (5$ for 20 pieces!). As for the accomodation, look for a hosting family or couchsurfer, you'll find lots of availability and lots of good places with very good people :)