Kitsilano

What you gain

• ↑Kitsilano Pool (2305 Cornwall Ave) is one of the great public swimming facilities in North America — 137.5m long (the longest in Canada), saltwater, heated to 26°C, open May through mid-September, with views of the English Bay anchorage and downtown. An $8 day pass provides access to a swimming experience that would cost significantly more anywhere else in the world.
• ↑West 4th Avenue between Burrard and Balsam is Vancouver's most liveable restaurant corridor — Bishop's (pioneering farm-to-table, 40 years of excellence), Rangoli (Indian), Nook (Italian small plates), and Aphrodite's Organic Café represent four different meals at four different price points without moving a block. The café culture extends up and down the street with several of the city's best independent coffee roasters.
• ↑The Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St, at Vanier Park) and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre are adjacent, making the waterfront park a cultural morning combined with the beach afternoon — one of the best day structures available in the city.

What you sacrifice

• ↓Kitsilano is not particularly well-served by transit — the SkyTrain doesn't reach it, and bus service from downtown (buses 4 and 9 on Cornwall) is frequent but slow. Residents use bikes or cars; visitors should budget for ride-share or be comfortable with a 25-minute bus ride.
• ↓The neighbourhood is expensive to eat and drink in by Canadian standards — the demographic of the local residents (tech professionals, families, lawyers) means restaurant pricing is calibrated for incomes above the tourist average. Budget eating requires knowing where to look.