Commercial Drive

Vancouver's most bohemian street

Noteworthy for: The annual Vancouver Dyke March takes place here in the summer. Its a family-friendly festival with music, events and stalls.
This edgy area of East Vancouver is famous for being the centre of the city's underground counter-culture. Nearly two and a half kilometers long, it's a hub of boho hangouts and community groups dedicated to keeping the area as colorful, clean and safe as possible. Stretching from Broadway East to the harbour, this is where the political rallies of the 1960s were held, while the 1980s saw a huge influx of artists, writers and designers inspired by the street's ethnic diversity.

There's a host of alternative shops, bookstores, coffee houses and art galleries on Commercial Drive, as well as comedy clubs, nightclubs and, at the last count, more than 100 restaurants. Large groups of Italians, Portuguese, Latin Americans and Africans call the street home, and it's the place to experience weird and wonderful events like poetry festivals, exotic car shows and the Parade of Lost Souls, a public, costumed march on the Sunday closest to Halloween.