Awesome Vancouver

[This article appeared in LoveLetter in June 2007, under the title, “Einzigartiges Vancouver.”]

There’s something magical about the Pacific Northwest. If you were born here, it’s difficult to live anywhere else. There’s a combination of ocean, rugged beaches, mountains, giant trees, lovely gardens; of a First Nations foundation, old world British colonialism and long-time multiculturalism that’s irresistible. We’re Lotus Land, after all! Our temperate climate, gorgeous scenery and laid-back residents combine to make a paradise that attracts people from the rest of Canada and all over the world. Wow, I realize I’m sounding like I work for Tourism BC! Honestly, I don’t, it’s just that I’m lucky enough to live in a place I love.

I was born in Victoria, British Columbia, renowned for the spectacular Butchart Gardens and luscious high tea at the Empress Hotel. Growing up with sunshine and the ocean, I became addicted to both.

Now my home is Vancouver, on the mainland, just a short ferry trip away from Victoria. I could give you some statistics on Vancouver – like, it was incorporated in 1886, with a population of 1000 people, and now it has over 600,000 – but if I tell you that, you’ll imagine a huge metropolis. That’s not the true story. In fact, Vancouver is a patchwork of neighbourhoods, each with its own special charm.

I live in the heart of my favourite community, the West End. Within a mile of my condo I can walk to 400-hectare Stanley Park and several beaches. Or I can choose the oceanfront walk around the busy downtown harbour. There’s Robson Street for trendy shops, the high office towers of the business centre, and let’s not forget those fabulous restaurants, featuring cuisines from all over the world.

As I walk, depending on the season, I’ll see a half dozen varieties of flowering cherry trees, magnolias blooming amid office towers, squirrels collecting nuts, great blue herons fishing at the edge of the water, a majestic eagle, raccoons and even the occasional skunk. I’ll hear voices speaking in a dozen different languages, watch kids walking to elementary school and seniors riding scooters, see gay lovers holding hands and encounter transient kids and people with mental disabilities begging on the streets.

Oops. Skunks? Beggars? Perhaps I shouldn’t mention those things, but they’re part of my reality.

It’s true, Vancouver’s not for everyone. It’s a big melting pot of very real life, from the glamour of designer shops and movie shoots to the tragedy of addicts and sex-trade workers. It’s alive and bustling, but in its own special laid-back West Coast way. For a writer, it’s a constant source of stimulation and ideas.

For example, take my Awesome Foursome series. The books feature four girlfriends, kind of like the characters in the TV series, Sex And The City. Except, my heroines are in their twenties, the time when a girl is trying to figure out who she is as a woman, and what she wants out of life. How is she the same as, and different from, her parents? How does she feel about career, marriage and kids? By the way, you can take a look at the girls on my website at www.susanlyons.ca.

I had been told that American publishers didn’t buy Canadian settings, but it was important to me to set my story in the city I love. So I did – and in the end, my New York publisher, Kensington, didn’t say a word about the location. Personally, I think the venue enhances the stories, and there are lots of readers who are interested in Vancouver and want to learn more about it.

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So, let me tell you a bit about the Awesome Foursome and their Vancouver. First, because this is a multicultural city, I knew the girlfriends couldn’t all be white girls dating white guys. So, English-Canadian Suzanne meets African-American Jaxon, Chinese-Canadian Jenny finds German-Canadian Scott, Jewish Rina meets Italian Giancarlo, and English-Canadian Ann hooks up with Adonis, who you can probably guess is Greek.

Second, like most Vancouverites, these girls like to eat and drink. They get together each Monday at a different restaurant, eating outside when the weather permits and sampling different ethnic cuisines.

Third, remember what I said about Vancouver being made up of neighbourhoods? Well, each of my main characters lives in a different one. Rina’s in North Van, under the mountains and amid the tall evergreens, where heavier rainfall makes for lush green parks and gardens. Ann lives in False Creek, where trendy condos and townhouses line the water, rowers practice for the Dragon Boat races, and everyone buys groceries at the colourful Public Market on Granville Island. Jenny’s in Chinatown, and Vancouver’s Chinatown is Canada’s largest, and endlessly fascinating. Suzanne lives in the upscale residential neighbourhood of Kerrisdale where, yet again, there are lovely gardens. Adonis is in Kitsilano, a neighbourhood with shops, restaurants, a popular beach, modern condos and restored heritage homes. And Scott lives just a few blocks away from where I do, in the West End. As for Jaxon and Giancarlo – well, they’re out-of-towners but my bet is that it won’t be long before they want to move to Vancouver too!

Fourth, the girls enjoy many of the activities of Vancouver besides dining out. I don’t want to spoil the stories, but let’s just say that kayaking around Stanley Park, strolling the beach at Spanish Banks, exploring a firehall and flying in a float plane all figure in the books.

Yes, my stories are truly Vancouver ones. They couldn’t possibly have been set anywhere else. Nor could I imagine living anywhere else.

And now, before I max out my word count, I’d like to share a few more of the Vancouver places and activities that are special to me. Van Dusen Botanical Gardens is a fantastic place to have a long, lazy lunch, then go strolling with my camera and a good friend. (You can see some of my photos on my website.) The Sequoia Grill restaurant at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park is the best place in the world to dine outside on a summer evening, and watch the sun set over the ocean. And then, for four magical nights in the heart of summer, there’s the Celebration of Light/Symphony of Fire fireworks display at English Bay.

Have I tempted you? Well then, you’ll just have to come and visit my awesome Vancouver.

Susan Lyons writes sweet short fiction and sexy novels. Her four-book Awesome Foursome series is published by Kensington Aphrodisia (Champagne Rules, Feb 2006; Hot in Here, Aug 2006; Touch Me, Sept 2007; and book 4, Feb 2008). Champagne Rules has been published in German by Random House Bertelsmann (Heyne) as Haut wie Samt. Visit Susan’s website at www.susanlyons.ca.