Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1105981
tanya bus L O C A L I N T E L As seen on screen Vancouver is one of North America's largest film and tele- vision production centres – with 452 productions in 2017-18 – in part due to the variety of backdrops it offers, from inner-city grit in crime dramas to futuristic buildings in sci-fi. These locations may look familiar from your favourite movies and TV shows. tourismvancouver.com | 25 REBECCA BOLLWITT Since 2004, Rebecca Bollwitt has been blogging about life in British Columbia at her website, miss604.com. She's published over 9,000 posts on local events, history, people and travel. ¢ ¢ NEIGHBOURHOOD: I love the West End. You have all the proximity to the action downtown, but with the sandy shores of English Bay Beach and the jazzy concerts of Roedde House Museum rolled into a few blocks. The West End is also full of dining options. I like to duck into the Robson Market on Cardero and Robson streets, and head upstairs to Hida Takayama Ramen. On Denman, the hearty stalwart Ukrainian Village serves up borscht, perogies and cabbage rolls. Around the corner on Robson and Denman (and also on Denman near Comox) is Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine, with everything from rotis and curry to savoury brunch options. ¢ ¢ REFUGE: Stanley Park has been ranked as the top urban park in the world. In between its features like the Vancouver Aquarium and the perimeter Seawall, there is a network of over 20 km of trails. I encourage locals and visitors to get out on these trails. I rarely run into others while I'm hiking up Rawlings, Merilees or Tatlow trails. It's a vast network looping between old growth cedars, fern gullies, mossy maples and natural features like Beaver Lake. AQUABUS, TANYA GOEHRING (SCIENCE WORLD), TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX (DEADPOOL), COURTESY THECW (SUPERGIRL, RIVERDALE), NETFLIX (TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE), BOB LAI PHOTOGRAPHY (REBECCA BOLLWITT) TEENS IN TOW Cool diversions for the almost-grown BIG KIDS' PLAYGROUND: Clamber your way around the ladders, bridges, platforms and nets at WildPlay Element Park in Maple Ridge. Or combine a visit to Rope Runner in Squamish with a ride up the Sea to Sky Gondola for dizzyingly spectacular mountain views. RIDE A CLASSIC: From its gut-sinking 23-metre first drop to final handlebar-clenching G-force turn, the historic 1958 wooden roller coaster at Playland on the Pacific National Exhibition grounds is a guaranteed scream. Up for more? Open May to September, the amusement park's other gravity- flirting thrills include The Beast, Hellevator and Atmosfear. SOLVE A MYSTERY: Crack a code, break a spell... do you and your clan have what it takes to solve the intricate puzzles at Smarty Pantz or Find and Seek Vancouver's adventure escape rooms? Or take it outside: collect clues on downtown streets to solve a mystery with Vancouver Mysteries. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE Lara Jean Covey and her friends attend Adler High School, known to its real students and alumni as Point Grey Secondary School. RIVERDALE Veronica Lodge and family make their home in the opulent The Permanent Building and adjacent Victorian Hotel downtown on West Pender St. DEADPOOL The antihero's final confrontation with Francis and his thugs unfolds on the Georgia Viaduct, an otherwise busy thoroughfare for downtown commuters. SUPERGIRL The unmistakable curving façade of the Vancouver Public Library's central branch is the site of Lena Luthor's gala, attended by Kara and a band of criminals. Science World Aquabus