Commercial Drive Vancouver |
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Commercial Drive Just a 5 minute drive or ride on the SkyTrain from Downtown, Commercial Drive is a place to see! Unofficially known as 'Little Italy', or called 'The Drive' by locals, this community has grown into an eclectic mix of cultures, coffee shops, restaurants and funky, unique stores. At one end is an old church converted into a theatre for performing arts, and at the other is a traditional cinema - with balcony! - showing a selection of mainstream, independent and international feature films. In between, you can spend a day wandering, people watching and enjoying the sumptuous foods, drinks and atmosphere! Commercial Drive is not only a unique neighbourhood in Vancouver, but it's bucking the trend in North America towards homogenous, franchised malls and big box warehouses.  Wood fired pizza ovens; rich imported fabrics; fresh seasonal produce; fine wines; live music; dine and dance – the Drive offers you a totally unique experience. You'll find fashions ranging from imported Italian shoes to cheap chic; live entertainment from Reggae to Jazz; dining from every country you can think of! Just the buzz on the Drive is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. Pass by coffee bars where snippits of politics and culture pepper the air between the hiss of the espresso machine. Catch the delightful aromas of the restaurants and check out the menus. Peruse a design magazine or the sports scores while a busker in the park accompanies a marathon haki sack tournament. The Drive is alive with the energy and vitality of the people that really make this Vancouver's Expressive Edge! Come and be a part of it. Commercial Drive is about 5 minutes east of the downtown core. You can head east on Broadway and turn left on Commercial (North, towards the mountains). Heading east on 1st Avenue to Commercial will get you to the heart of the produce area. East on Venables, (Georgia Viaduct to Prior, which runs straight into Venables) to Commercial puts you at the north end of blocks and blocks of great shops, cafes and restaurants. Head east on Hastings to Commercial and turn right (south) for the same great stretch of shopping & dining. |
 The 15 blocks of Commercial Drive from Venables to Grandview, nearly a mile long, are home to the most eclectic mix of businesses in the city. Of the 298 businesses on the Drive, the majority are single location, owner-operated, making our product mix, dining experiences, produce, entertainment and services completely unique to the Drive. The coolest neighborhood in Vancouver with a cross strain of Italian and new age hippie. The atmosphere is relaxed but they take their coffee VERY seriously here. Hit a cafe for a real caffe italiano in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The antithesis of the Italian sports bar/cafe. No dopey, glassy eyed service, only lots of sass coming from the baristas working the counter.  |