 | Gastown & the Steam Clock, Vancouver |
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Gastown & the Steam Clock, Vancouver
All about Vancouver: Vancouver Tourist Traps: Gastown & the Steam Clock tips and photos posted by real travelers and Vancouver locals. • 17 Photos
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The Gastown Clock is not even that exciting. So what to blows off some steam.
The clock does not tell the story behind the area. The statue of Gassy Jack should be considered more important to the area.
Take a photo So you can show other people. Then they can skip it.
That way you've done your good deed for the day.
Take a photo of Gassy Jack. At least there is a story behind the person on whom the area is named after. Leave a Comment
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Gastown is really quite a tourist trap. The whole area is overpriced stuff you can get anywhere else, and the location is ... not the best.
It's located smack dab in the middle of the downtown Eastside, aka heroin-addict/drunk central.
If you really want to see it (the cobblestone streets are kindof neat), access and leave it from the west (Burrard or Granville and Hastings), stay away from all things east of Gastown, and you really don't want to enter on Main St, or Abbott, or similar streets, or you'll be hassled by drug addicts.
For 'touristy knick-nacks', try Robson street between Granville and Denman, just a half dozen or so blocks away. Leave a Comment
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Another place that's full of tourists. This is a very busy place in the summer because of the Steam Clock and all the souvenir stores. Most people crowd around the Steam Clock.
Maybe a good idea to go earlier in the day or later in the day. This way you can avoid the mainstream of tourists. There are no ways to avoid the big crowds here though, so keep in mind that it might get crowdy. Also an idea is NOT to visit in the summer months (July and August).
Take the Vancouver Trolley, if you don't mind being in a bus for awhile. This is a tourist bus that will take you to all the famous spots in Vancouver. This way you can enjoy all the places in Vancouver with a guide that will give you great information about all the different tourist traps. Or you just take the 2 hour tour, or you get off and on at any tourist attraction to take your time to visit it. Get on the trolley again after you are done. It cost $25.00 CAD ($16 USD) for one full day and you can get off and on the trolley at any of the trolley stops. Leave a Comment
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Gastown: an area just 5 minutes' walk east of Waterfront SkyTrain station and Canada Place, named after 'Gassy Jack' that will remind you of Central Europe. The cobblestone streets, the hanging baskets of flowers, great selection of restaurants and little souvenir shops ... not much to see here. It's best that you take your picture by the Steam Clock and move on. Leave a Comment
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The Gastown area is Vancouver's oldest part (about 100 years). It's a nice little area, but really it's not that big and not that special either. Moreover, it's VERY touristy and there are quite a few drug addicts walking around as well, which might scare off the less experienced traveler. Leave a Comment
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Gastown is Vancouver's historic district as it was here where the city was first built out of the wilderness in the 1880's and 1890's. Water Street was one of the first streets to be built in Vancouver, and it runs parallel to the railroad tracks which sit on the industrial waterfront. Unlike practically everywhere else in downtown Vancouver, Water Street doesn't actually give you waterfront access. Even if it did, you'd be overlooking cargo containers along the port. This is in comparison to other waterfronts in downtown Vancouver which look over sandy beaches or the seawall promenade.
So why have I targeted Water Street in particular? Water Street is the main commercial heart of Gastown. Locals don't really come here to hang out - it's almost entirely tourists. It's about 4 blocks that you can walk from one end to the other in the span of about 10 minutes. While a lot of the buildings on Water Street are considered historic (relatively speaking), the shops that reside inside of them are often tacky-looking souvenir shops. That's fine if you're looking for this kind of thing, but a bit underwhelming if you're looking for a shopping/restaurant destination. Most of the businesses only cater to tourists, and most of them shut their doors by 6pm. After 6pm, Gastown has a real seedy/scuzzy vibe and it's best not to go to Gastown just to leisurely stroll around as you'll see very little. If you have to go to Gastown in the evening, you should have a reason to (a concert, a club, a restaurant, a pub). Not a good place to go exploring in the evening unless you are particularly interested the seedy underbelly of Vancouver.
In my experience, Water Street is worth a half hour look. Some newer shops have opened up recently that don't cater exclusively to tourists which ironically may be of more interest to tourists.
The Steamclock which exists as the beacon of all tourist traps is located on Water Street across from the Starbucks. This is a clock built in the 1970's to cover up a steam vent. It actually no longer runs on steam, so it's a bit of a hoax, and yet, perhaps the most photographed object in Vancouver by tourists. I just mention it because it's not worth going out of your way to see, but if you're here, you'll pass by it regardless.
There are actually more shops along the side streets that don't necessarily cater to tourists. There are some really neat vintage clothing stores and one-of-a-kind boutiques along W Cordova between Cambie and Richards. And there are some favourite local haunts tucked away on and around Water Street such as Chill Winston, Kitanoya Guu with Otokomae, Jules Bistro, Salt, the Irish Heather, and the Shebeen Whiskey House. It's just that there are some very obvious tourist traps like the Old Spaghetti Factory which never fail to reel tourists in. Great for 5 year olds, but very plain, uninspiring places especially when there are hundreds of more interesting options in Vancouver.
Vancouver is not not a historic destination globally speaking as the buildings are rarely older than 100 years old. There is only one other historic neighbourhood in downtown (aside from Chinatown), and that's Yaletown.
Yaletown is a nice alternative to Gastown - it's located about 5-6 blocks south of Gastown along Mainland Street and Hamilton Street, south of Nelson Street. It also has some nice waterfront along the foot of Davie Street and all along False Creek. There aren't any touristy shops, but lots of clothing boutiques, unique gift shops, trendy and stylish lounges, and tons of restaurants of all kinds. It lacks the seedy/tackiness that exists in Gastown, plus there are far more restaurant choices. The restaurants generally stay open until late at night and the shops stay open until 7pm (and sometimes later) on average.
If you're looking for somewhere to go after dinner for an evening stroll, I would steer away from Water Street and head towards Robson Street (between Granville and Denman), Denman Street, or Davie Street. Or, you can simply just walk down to English Bay and enjoy the sunset from the beach. These are far nicer places to visit by evening because the shops stay open late, there are tons of people out enjoying themselves, and it completely lacks the tacky touristy theme that Water Street is famous for. Leave a Comment
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Gastown's Steamclock is probably the most photographed landmark in all of Vancouver.
However, don't think that the Steamclock is any more culturally significant to Vancouver that it really is. While every tourist brochure tells you that this is the world's first steam clock, any local could tell you the truth about it...
... it no longer runs on steam!!!
Also, the design of the Steamclock was created to look much older than it actually is. It's not a remnant of Gastown's historic past, but a reminder of how the city resurrected the neighbourhood to attract tourism. The Steamclock was built in the 1970's to cover a steam vent. It's really not the antique that tourists seem to think it is.
Eventually they discovered that the clock wasn't reliable running on steam, so they installed an electric motor to run the clock. This is how it still remains today. While the steam still emits from the pipes in the clock, it's merely for show.
If you're going to stand with the masses to watch the Steamclock, you might as well catch it at the quarter hour when the clock toots its pipes. Normally the tune sounds off... off as in, out of tune. Regardless, it's definitely a unique sound to Gastown which is unforgettable.
Once you have seen the Steamclock, don't run away just yet. Try to explore more to Gastown than just Water Street and the souvenir shops. There are some great clothing boutiques, restaurants and book shops in the area. I'm particularly thinking of Richards, Cordova, Alexander and Cambie. Don't spend all your time with the hoards of tourists. Explore off of Water Street and you'll find the real historic Gastown neighbourhood that the locals frequent. Leave a Comment
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I don't get why people want to visit the 'steam' clock in gastown. It doesn't even run on steam for god's sake! Gastown in itself is a huge tourist trap and is only worth going to at night for the clubs and to the stores Block and Dream for the clothes. Oh, and there's a candy store that sells Yorkies, so go there, too. Leave a Comment
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Gas Town is a tourist trap. There's nothing really there - just some generic type restaurants that are supposed to appeal to tourists. http://www.gastown.org/
Granville Island might be considered a trap too...but I liked it better than Gas Town.
On Granville Island, there is a brewery where you can sample their beer. Leave a Comment
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The only 'tourist trap' I encountered in Vancouver was the area of Gastown- it was and it wasn't. It was overrated,with not much to see besides the steam clock and ALOT of souvenir stores. However, I thought it was the greatest place I'd been to buy souvenirs because it's cheap, cheap cheap!! You can buy the same things there as other places and they cost half as much. Leave a Comment
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