A Haven in Vancouver’s West End

Kate Braid, Canadian author and poet, has been living and working in Vancouver’s West End at Davie and Denman for long enough to make two striking revelations: the deeply downtown neighbourhood is, of all things, a deeply intimate community; and, situated between the ocean and the mountains, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
 
“The wonderful thing about it is that it is so dense you can walk everywhere,” said Braid. “We are just blocks from Stanley Park and it’s about an hour to bike around the park. Because of the density, everything is close: good restaurants, amenities, rentals and a mixed demographic.”

Walking is best in the West End, but it doesn’t hurt to carry bus tickets, just in case. Smaller park areas and a serene beach on English Bay are inviting places to take a wander or lie back with a good book if the weather is right—and there isn’t much to worry about in the relatively safe neighbourhood.

“Even though it is in the city, it feels like the most intimate community I’ve ever lived in because of the recognition on the street—people stop and talk spontaneously,” Braid said.

It is also calmer than one would expect in a city of more than 600,000.

"People jaywalk on Davie Street all the time,” Braid laughed.

When Braid and her husband moved downtown, her project was to write a book—a personal memoir of her 15 years in the construction industry—that she’d been trying to write for 20 years.

“I found I couldn’t write it at home,” she said. “I needed a public place to write and I started at (the) Vancouver Public Library.”

The library presents a beautiful setting with kiosks and a view. Braid’s special place is in the atrium where people go to appreciate the silence. On her breaks she browses the stacks, finding the downtown library a beautiful place for both writing and reading.

The Joe Fortes Branch of the library on Denman Street is another favourite hangout.

“It is a good browsing place and a place where there is a lot happening,” Braid said.

There are also a million—more or less—little coffee shops in the area.

“People are fierce about their coffee shops,” she said.

Braid’s favourites are the Starbucks at Denman and Davie, for editing, and an independent called Delaney’s close by. Next to Delaney’s is an independent Bulgarian restaurant called Acacia that Braid thinks just might serve the best breakfast in Vancouver. 

“Another good place to go for a glass of wine or a beer while you read your book in the West End is the Sylvia Hotel bar,” she said. “It faces English Bay, so there’s a fabulous, restful view to look out on.”

The Book Warehouse on Davie Street is a remarkable treasure in a neighbourhood where most independent booksellers have disappeared in recent years. Although it started as a remainder seller—a place discontinued books go to clear out—it now has a wide selection and a surprisingly good poetry section.

“I read Quill and Quire, so when I go into a bookstore I am usually not browsing, but looking for particular books that are not bestsellers and sometimes harder to find,” said Braid. “The Book Warehouse has a great selection.”