Find Inspiration in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant District

On your first visit to Vancouver, be sure to stroll or cycle through Stanley Park, explore the shops of Gastown, admire the shimmering skyscrapers and rugged mountains of Coal Harbour, savor the flavors of Chinatown, and browse the market on Granville Island. Discover all the attractions your guidebook recommends—the city is brimming with delicious food, stunning architecture, and beautiful outdoor activities.

However, take a step beyond the tourist spots to see where the locals live and socialize. Cross False Creek, the waterway that divides the city, and head towards Mount Pleasant and South Main. (Depending on who you ask, South Main might be its own neighborhood or a part of Mount Pleasant.)

Located just two miles from downtown, this area is vibrant with coffee shops, startups, fitness studios, eclectic boutiques, pottery classes, eateries, bars, ice cream parlors, and a host of locals enjoying the Pacific Northwest lifestyle. Explore on foot or rent an e-bike (true to its name, Mount Pleasant has its hills, and the neighborhood spans several miles) to experience a scene that many cruise ship visitors miss out on downtown.

Things to do in Mount Pleasant

As you make your way up Main Street (away from the downtown skyline), be sure to explore the various storefronts—the collection of boutiques, cannabis shops, and thrift stores offers some great treasures. At 8th & Main, you’ll find clothing for all genders along with some carefully selected vintage pieces. You might lose track of time at Pulpfiction Books, where shelves brimming with used and new books and indie magazines can easily distract you. F as in Frank is packed with racks of nostalgic Def Leppard T-shirts and quirky Christmas sweaters, plus a few items you can wear without irony.

City Centre Motel

Vibrant murals, part of Vancouver’s ongoing Mural Fest, have transformed the walls of Mount Pleasant into a canvas of color, attracting creative minds and businesses alike. The City Centre Motel, a relic from the 1950s, served as a canvas during the inaugural Mural Fest in 2016 and has since been revitalized with a lively new coat of paint. This motel now provides temporary studio spaces for 75 artists in its rooms and hosts community events like dance parties and skateboarding competitions in its open parking area.

Feel free to explore at your own pace as you stroll up Main Street, but make sure to stop by Alexander Lamb Antiques (3271 Main St.), a charming shop filled with unique treasures like a tin toy chicken that lays tin eggs and a beautifully hand-carved side chair. Neptoon Records is a classic vinyl haven (with a more inviting vibe than most, thanks to its red-painted beams and pale turquoise bins) featuring band T-shirts pinned to the wall behind the register, lively music, packed crates of records, and plenty of strong opinions.

If you need to bring back a gift from Vancouver for someone special at home, the local shops between 20th and 21st avenues have you covered. For dog owners, Good Boy Collective offers a range of stylish dog collars, leashes, and harnesses. If you’re shopping for children, Collage Collage has a delightful selection of kids’ books, art supplies, craft kits, stickers, and unique gifts that are sure to earn you a warm welcome when you return home.

Regional Assembly of Text

If you have a love for stationery, hold onto your pencil case as you step into the enchanting Regional Assembly of Text, a delightful haven that will inspire you. Established in 2005 by two art school alumni, this charming shop celebrates letters, books, and thoughtful design. Discover a curated selection of notebooks, cards, pencils, pens, erasers, tote bags, tea towels, and vintage typewriters (feel free to touch!). In the cozy adjoining space, known as the Lower Case Reading Room, you can relax and explore an array of small-press and self-published books and zines. Although currently paused due to the pandemic, the shop's letter-writing club traditionally meets monthly to create letters using the typewriters.

Dining Options in Mount Pleasant

Unfortunately, many of Mount Pleasant's standout restaurants, such as the locally inspired Burdock & Co, the Chinese eatery Old Bird, the upscale vegetarian spot the Acorn, and Published on Main (offering Pacific Northwest cuisine alongside an exciting bar program) don’t open until 5 p.m. on weekdays. This means you’ll either need to visit on the weekend or enjoy the neighborhood’s diverse selection of cafés and bakeries. Liberty Bakery + Café offers sweet and savory pastries, robust coffee, and open-faced sandwiches in a bright setting adorned with thrift-store portraits. At Fifth Avenue and Ontario Street, locals gather at sidewalk tables to savor coffee and pastries (like brioche buns!) from Purebread.

Here are some other highly recommended daytime options: the Arbor, which features plant-based comfort food like steamed buns stuffed with tangy barbecue jackfruit, served in a stylish, minimalistic indoor space or on the cool patio. You might also enjoy a squash tempura taco from Tacofino Ocho, part of the popular and delicious B.C. taco chain.

Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions

You might think that the cocktail bar and grill Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions was designed solely for Instagrammable moments, but it’s genuinely a fun place to be.

Entering through the porch of a charming 1901 house, you’re greeted by a ’70s-style rumpus room outfitted with chic turntables, harvest gold sofas, and knotty pine paneling. This vibrant space leads into a grand room, framed by expansive windows that flood the area with light, illuminating vintage wallpaper, beaded curtain doorways, old neon bar signs, and lively staff whose diverse hairstyles, tattoos, and overall charm seem to please the eye and fit an algorithm’s expectations.

The venue boasts an open front patio and a covered back patio, cleverly integrated with a modern building next door, featuring vibrant selfie-worthy murals above Astroturf-covered decks complete with picnic tables and colorful plastic lawn chairs. Each day, two menu specials are offered—one meat and one vegetarian, such as bang-bang short ribs or grilled miso radicchio—cooked over a Brazilian-style grill. Cocktails are expertly mixed, shaken, or served from frozen drink machines, all set to an upbeat curated soundtrack that keeps the energy high.