Vancouver, Whistler & Vancouver Island - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 745

Yaletown
An old brick warehouse district transformed into swanky restaurants and boutiques,
pedestrian-friendly Yaletown is where the city's beautiful people come to be seen.
Engine 374 Pavilion MUSEUM
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( www.roundhouse.ca ; Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews;
Yaletown-Roundhouse) On May 23, 1887 Engine 374 pulled Canada's first transcon-
tinental passenger train into Vancouver, symbolically linking the country. Retired in
1945, the engine was (after many years of neglect) finally restored and placed in this
lovely free-entry pavilion. Drop by for a chat with the friendly volunteers.
David Lam Park PARK
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( www.vancouverparks.ca ; cnr Drake St & Pacific Blvd; Yaletown-Roundhouse) A crooked elbow
of landscaped waterfront at the neck of False Creek, Yaletown's main green space is
sometimes used for free alfresco summer movie screenings. It's an ideal launch point for
a seawall walk along the north bank of False Creek to Science World; you'll pass in-
triguing public artworks and the glass condo towers that transformed the neighborhood in
the 1990s.
Gastown & Chinatown
The city's oldest neighborhoods - both now National Historic Sites - are where Van-
couver began. Many heritage buildings remain, most now housing cool bars, restaurants
or trendy shops.
Steam Clock LANDMARK
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(cnr Water & Cambie Sts; Waterfront) Halfway along Water St, this oddly popular tourist
magnet lures the cameras with its tooting steam whistle. Built in 1977, the clock's mech-
anism is actually driven by electricity, while only the pipes on top are fueled by steam
(this might cause a riot if you reveal it to the patiently waiting tourists). Sounding every
15 minutes, it marks each hour with little whistling symphonies.