Peter Van de Reep - What I love about Vancouver

While we're in the same place for the next few months we've invited guests to contribute to There & Here by telling us what they love about their favourite place in the world. Our guest this week is Peter from Vancouver, Canada.
One of the many great beaches lining the city.


What I love about Vancouver is ...well, pretty much everything.

I love how close we are to the ocean and mountains. I love the diversity of our people. I love our restaurants and cafes. Now, don't think it's not all a big love-fest out here, we do have our problems but, regardless, I have fallen in love with this city since I moved here seven years ago. I haven't travelled too much as an adult, but I feel like I still have so much to explore in Vancouver that my desire to go abroad is tamed. If I want to go to Japan, I slip into a boisterous izakaya for beer and snacks. If I want to go to China, I can visit a myriade of regions from shops and restaurants all within a 10 minute bike ride from my house. This city offers so much.

So it was two years ago, but the Olympics were pretty rad.

20 minutes on BC Ferries gets you to Bowen Island, a great place for a hike.

Sometimes you forget that Vancouver is in a rainforest.

One of the best seasonal delicacies from our waters, spot prawns!

Guu is an izakaya that transports you to Japan.

Beer drinking food, Sichuan style. Conveniently Nine Dishes is only five blocks from my house.

The iconic East Van cross by Ken Lum.

From the shores of False Creek at dusk.


Peter Van de Reep lives in Vancouver, BC. Following a university degree in geology, he worked at UBC until funding dried up for his research. After that he moved back into the coffee world where he's slung coffee for Elysian Coffee for the past two and a half years. Currently Peter's transitioning into food and drink where he makes delicious Italian food and drinks at Campagnolo Roma. His adventures are usually chronicled on twitter @peter_van.