Vancouver

Rediscover Vancouver’s East Village

Hastings Street from Commercial to Renfrew is lined with boast-worthy businesses you'll want to add to your favourites list

By Catherine Dunwoody /

Credit: Flickr / Waferboard

Vancouver’s East Village is now filled with cool cafes and shops, and might even tempt you with real estate

Formerly known as Hastings-Sunrise, Vancouver’s East Village has rebranded itself with an aspirational moniker befitting its hipster leanings and stylish additions

The neighbourhood, which spans the section of Hastings Street running from Commerical Drive to Renfrew, now boasts some of the best cafes, stores and services in Vancouver – and wants you to know it.

Not convinced? Spend a day strolling, shopping and noshing your way through Vancouver’s East Village – starting with these top stops.

Vancouver East Village Eateries

Laughing Bean Coffee

Laughing Bean Coffee has loyal regulars who love their organic Brazilian brew and freshly baked muffins. Family owned and run, this place has a nice homey feel and makes a great central meeting place for East Vanners and Westside folk to coffee klatsche.
2695 E Hastings St.; 604-251-5282

Tacofino

Need something a little more substantial? Known for its famous food trucks, Tacofino has recently opened its first restaurant, the Tacofino Commissary, for dinner Thursday through Monday. Try the tamale with spot prawns, $12, pork cheek taco, $6, and wash it all down with an ice cream sandwich, $6.
2327 E Hastings St.; 604-253-TACO

Campagnolo Roma

Surely one of the best Italian eateries in town, let alone East Van, Campagnolo Roma’s Early & Late Night Pizza & Beer, $15, is served 7 nights a week between 5-6 pm and 9-10 pm. Choose from one of its listed pizzas and draught beer. It’s also  served at lunch. Ask Siri to remind you.
2297 E Hastings Street; 604-569-0456 

Ugo & Joe’s

Ugo & Joe’s has been serving up Italian meats, cheese, olives, ciabatta and all things Ital-deli since 1969. After tasting the best cannoli in town, you won’t want to go anywhere else for your Italian grocery fix.
2406 E. Hastings St.; 604-253-6844

Wheelhouse Seafoods & Specialty Meats

Fan of the fish? Then visit Wheelhouse Seafoods & Specialty Meats for some of the freshest Sockeye in town.
2605 E. Hastings St.; 604-215-5562

Parallel 49 Brewing

Sit at Parallel 49 Brewing’s bar for a taste before buying. Try the Seedspitter, a crisp Belgian-style brew with a watermelon finish. That’s the fruit, not the gum – fear not, it’s neither cloyingly sweet nor will you feel the urge to blow bubbles with it. Purists will probably prefer the Old Boy ale.
1950 Triumph St.; 604-558-BREW

Services in the East Village

Beauty Cosmetic & Fragrance

The spa at Beauty Cosmetic & Fragrance offers a wide range of treatments, many of them affordable, like the classic manicure starting at $20 and classic pedicure at $35. It also offers advanced skin treatments like peels, microdermabrasion and hot stone massage, plus a beauty shop stocked with great brands like Dermalogica, Jane Iredale, OPI, Decleor, and more.
2542 E. Hastings St.; 604-216-1038

Dayton Boots

Since 1946, Dayton Boots has hand-made warrantied-for-life boots for loggers, bikers and style-sters right here in Vancouver. Back in the ’50s, bars posted signs that read ‘No Daytons Allowed’ to deter toughies from getting jacked up on joy-juice and then using their boots for a good old-fashioned bar-style butt-kicking. Johnny Depp wore them during his 21 Jump Street days, and no doubt still owns a pair or two.
2250 E Hastings St.; 604-253-6671

Alba/London Drugs

Location, location, location… a condo development called Alba will be built where the old London Drugs in the neighborhood currently stands. A new LD will take up the main floor of the building, and from the looks of the show suite, and the floor plans, it’s chic and more affordable than smack-in-the-city, and you get to live in this on-the-upswing neighbourhood. Worth checking out if you are in the market….
2642 E Hastings St; 604-251-2522