1. Mahmoud Heidarian Vancouver (Summy City)
You'll be unfortunately missing the awesome fireworks contest from July 28-August 4, but Vancouver
is a great summer city. Almost every day is sunny and just the right type of warm that isn't too hot. I
recommend the beach at English Bay downtown for relaxing and checking out attractive locals. If
beaches aren't your thing, Vancouver has a ton of great places to go hiking or cycling. The seawall
along Stanley Park is a favourite, as is Pacific Spirit Forest near the university.
If you'd rather find some parties or gatherings of locals, the beaches in Kitsilano are usually full of
cool young people who are friendly to anyone who wants to join them. I'd also recommend heading
over to Commercial Drive. It's a laid-back community of pot-smoking hippies filled with tons of cool
cafes and shops. My first time there I stumbled upon a pick-up beatnik concert in a park. It was fun
to sit there and watch random people walk up with their instruments.
Lastly, Vancouver is a great place to eat. If you like Japanese food/beer I recommend Alpha Izakaya
for a relaxing evening and "Guu" in Gastown for a lively atmosphere complete with the waiters
shouting orders as loudly as possible in Japanese.
Last bit of advice I have is to check out the travel wiki: Vancouver. You'll find tons of useful
recommendations on there for sight-seeing, restaurants and a bunch of other stuff we'll probably