Post Punk Kitchen Forum

My partner and I are traveling for two weeks to Vancouver, Portland and Seattle. We're planning on using airBnB for lodging and almost every listing claims its location as "arguably the coolest neighborhood in ___." My partner and I enjoy good beer, good (vegan) food, unique shops, art, culture, walking around and exploring the city, parks, etc. We're not into nightclubs or anything like that. We'll be spending most of our time in the cities, but will do some nature excursions probably. Access to transportation is really important.

Ideas? Thanks PPK!

(My bf is not vegan, but enjoys eating good vegan food. Proximity to delicious vegan food is a real attraction for us!)

I stayed at an Air bnb in the U district in Seattle which was convenient to Wayward, Sidecar, Araya's, etc. It was super easy to get a bus downtown and easy to walk around that neighborhood. We were slightly off a main street so it was quiet but very convenient.

In PDX, it depends on what you want to do. SE or NE would probably be best, and again, there are lots of public transit options. Staying in SW/downtown has fewer vegan options and an overabundance of clubs and such, in my opinion. I can walk from the mini mall (SE) to the art museum (downtown) in about 35-40 minutes, so I find it easy enough to get around. if you message me with any specific places you're interested in, I'd be happy to try to get more specific with streets or neighborhoods in PDX.

In Vancouver you've got a few choices. The Commercial Drive area (where I live) is full of hippies and artists, lots of good vegan food, neat little shops, and a few nice big parks as well as a lake in the middle of the city. I'm not much of a drinker, but there are a couple of bars that I hear good things about.

Main St is full of hipsters, great clothes stores, excellent food, more (and probably better) bars.

Kitsilano is full of yuppies, has multiple beaches, some good vegan food (including a 24 hr vegetarian restaurant) but isn't where I'd go first for food.

The West End is walking distance to downtown, right by Stanley Park (a 10-km beachside walk), lots of bars, lots of food options but mostly in omni restaurants (though there is a new buddhist Chinese restaurant and the Loving Hut food truck should be back up and running when you're here).

The Cambie area is between Main St and Kitsilano, has decent food options, is very easy to get downtown from.

Unless you are really into outdoor stuff I wouldn't stay in North Vancouver--the food options suck (though there are two raw vegan places for some reason), transit is a pain in the butt, and there isn't much to do outside of the mountain sports.

Both Commercial Drive and Main St are close to the Skytrain, so it's easy to get downtown or to go to the surrounding suburbs.

For what you're wanting I would probably suggest Main St, but I think you could happily find yourself in any of the above-mentioned places. And transportation in Vancouver is generally pretty easy so you can easily get to any of the neighbourhoods you want to visit.

If you want specific recommendations for restaurants, stuff to do, etc. let me know (or come visit the Vancouver thread!).

Yes, the U-District in Seattle makes a lot of sense.

Yes to what j-dub said. Between Main Street and Commercial, I've got all my food and drink covered.