Nightlife

Vancouver's evening social calendar is filled with a variety of events, from productions by cutting-edge theater companies and a top-notch opera to symphony, folk, and jazz festivals that draw people from up and down the coast. And then there are the bars, pubs, clubs, and cafes -- lots of them -- for every taste, budget, and fetish. Dining out at a fine restaurant is also considered an evening out; at a restaurant like C or West, the presentation is theater on a plate; in a restaurant-lounge like the new Sanafir, the theatricality of the decor will wow you.

For the best overview of Vancouver's nightlife, pick up a copy of the weekly Georgia Straight (www.georgiastraight.com). The Thursday edition of the Vancouver Sun contains the weekly entertainment section Queue. The monthly Vancouver magazine (www.vanmag.com) is filled with listings and strong views about what's really hot in the city. Or, get a copy of Xtra! West (www.xtra.ca), the free gay and lesbian biweekly tabloid, available in shops and restaurants throughout the West End.

The Alliance for Arts and Culture, 100-938 Howe St. (tel. 604/681-3535; www.allianceforarts.com), is a great information source for all performing arts, literary events, and art films. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Ticketmaster (Vancouver Ticket Centre), 1304 Hornby St. (tel. 604/280-4444; www.ticketmaster.ca), has 40 outlets in the Vancouver area.

Half-price tickets for same-day shows and events are available at the Tickets Tonight (www.ticketstonight.ca) kiosk (open Tues-Sat 11am-6pm) in the Vancouver Touristinfo Centre, 200 Burrard St. (tel. 604/684-2787 for recorded events info). The Touristinfo Centre is open from May to Labour Day daily from 8am to 6pm; the rest of the year, it's open Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 5pm.

Dance Clubs -- Generally clubs are open until 2am every day but Sunday, when they close at midnight. In the summer months (mid-June through Labour Day), opening hours are extended to 4am. The city's clubs and discos are concentrated around two "entertainment zones," downtown around Granville Street, and along Water and Pender streets in Gastown.

Gay & Lesbian Clubs -- B.C.'s enlightened attitude -- remember, same-sex couples can wed in Canada -- has had a curious effect on Vancouver's queer dance-club scene: It's so laid-back and attitude-free that it's often hard to tell straight from gay, male go-go dancers and naked men in showers notwithstanding. The "Gay Village" is in the West End, particularly on Davie and Denman streets. Many clubs feature theme nights and dance parties, drag shows are ever popular, and every year in early August, as Gay Pride nears, the scene goes into overdrive. The Gay Lesbian Transgendered Bisexual Community Centre, 2-1170 Bute St. (tel. 604/684-5307; www.lgtbcentrevancouver.com), has information on the current hot spots, but it's easier just to pick up a free copy of Xtra West!, available in most downtown cafes.

Cinema

Thanks to the number of resident moviemakers (both studio and independent), Vancouver is becoming quite a film town. First-run theaters show the same Hollywood junk seen everywhere in the world, but for those with something more adventurous in mind, plenty of options can be found.

Attendance at the Vancouver International Film Festival (tel. 604/685-0260; www.viff.org) reaches more than 100,000, not including the celebs who drop in. At this highly respected October event, more than 250 new films are shown, representing filmmakers from 40 countries. Asian films are particularly well represented.

Specialty Theatres -- Since 1972, the Pacific Cinematheque, 1131 Howe St. (tel. 604/688-FILM; www.cinematheque.bc.ca), has featured classic and contemporary films from around the world. Screenings are organized into themes, such as "Jean Luc Godard's Early Efforts," film noir, or the "Hong Kong Action Flick: A Retrospective." Schedules are available in hipper cafes, record shops, and video stores around town, and on the website. Admission is C$9.50 (£4.75) for adults, C$8 (£4) for seniors and students; double features cost C$2 (£1) extra. Annual membership, required to purchase tickets, is C$3 (£1.50).

At the CN IMAX, Canada Place (tel. 604/682-IMAX), a gargantuan screen features large-format flicks about denizens of the animal kingdom (sharks, wolves, elephants, extreme athletes). A similar large screen at the Alcan OMNIMAX, Science World (tel. 604/443-7443), features flicks about empty, wide-open spaces, colorful coral reefs, and the like.

Way off in the strip-mall lands of farthest Kingsway stands the Raja, 3215 Kingsway (tel. 604/436-1545; www.rajacinema.com), a modest single-screen movie house dedicated to bringing in the best flicks from Bombay, the world's moviemaking capital. Expect unbelievable plots mixed with big-production musical numbers. Some have English subtitles, though strictly speaking they're not necessary. If Kingsway is too far off, another Raja is on 639 Commercial Dr. (tel. 604/253-0402).