From Wikitravel

UBC is a district in the west end of Vancouver occupying a pretty spot at the tip of the Point Grey peninsula. Its main occupant is the University of British Columbia (or UBC for short), the largest university in British Columbia and one of the larger universities in Canada. It includes not only the University, but also a residential area, a commercial area, several gardens and the acclaimed Museum of Anthropology. The campus is surrounded by Pacific Spirit Park, a large nature reserve.

For the purposes of this guide, UBC includes the university campus and Pacific Spirit Park. To the west are the districts of Kitsilano and Vancouver South, to the west and south is the Georgia Strait and to the north is the Burrard Inlet.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By public transit

UBC is well served by the TransLink bus system. Generally, the best bus to take is the 99 B Line which is an express bus that goes along Broadway and 10th Avenue from the Broadway/Commercial Skytrain station to UBC. Other useful bus routes include:

• #4 which connects UBC to the City Center.
• #9 which travels up and down 10th Ave/Broadway through Kitsilano, South Granville and East Van.
• #17 which runs along 10th Ave/Broadway and Oak St, connecting UBC with Vancouver South.
• #44 which connects UBC to Waterfront Station downtown (connection to the SeaBus and North Vancouver).

[edit] By car

4th Ave, 10th Ave/Broadway and 16th Ave are the main roads into UBC from Kitsilano. Marine Drive SW enters the district from Vancouver South and follows the coast around the campus.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Parks and gardens

• UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Drive (20 minute walk across campus from UBC campus bus loop, or take bus C20 to the gardens), ☎ +1-604-822-9666 (botg@interchange.ubc.ca, fax: +1 604-822-2016), [1]. 10AM-6PM (5PM in winter). Canada's longest continuously operating university garden, it contains over 8000 different kinds of plants in both designed landscapes and coastal forest settings. Must-sees are the Asian garden, the alpine garden and the food garden. An enchanting oasis. Compared to the more-visited Van Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver South, the remoteness of the garden means fewer people and a quieter, more private setting. Guided tours free with advance notice. $7 (discounts available), audioguide $3. Free for UBC students, and faculty, staff, or neighbors holding a Garden Pass.  edit

• Nitobe Memorial Garden, 1895 Lower Mall (entrance near the Museum of Anthropology), ☎ +1 604-822-9666 (info line), [2]. Daily from 9AM-5PM, mid-March to Oct. One of the most traditional, authentic Japanese gardens in North America and among the top five Japanese gardens outside of Japan. $2/5/6 (youth/senior/adult).  edit

• Pacific Spirit Park, (by bus, get off at any stop after Blanca St; by car, look for any of the small parking lots scattered throughout the park), ☎ +1 604-224-5739, [3]. 8AM-10PM (or dusk in winter). A relatively undeveloped and heavily forested park. It includes a strip of forest running north-south between Blanca Street and Alison Street, immediately to the west of UBC campus. There are over 100 kilometers of trails and beaches for running, biking, and horseback riding. It also includes the clothing-optional Wreck Beach, wrapping around the west end of the Point Grey peninsula. It's the closest thing to wilderness in the city. Free.  edit

[edit] University Buildings

• UBC Museum of Anthropology, 6393 N.W. Marine Dr, ☎ +1 604-822-5087 (info@moa.ubc.ca, fax: +1 604-822-2974), [4]. Daily 10AM-5PM (closes 9PM Tu). Devoted to world cultures, but with an emphasis on the First Nations of the British Columbia coast. Note: the museum will be closed to the public from Sept 2, 2008 to Mar 3, 2009 for renovations. $7/9 (child & seniors / adult); $5 after 5PM on Tu.  edit

• Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, 1825 Main Mall (just up from the Rose Garden), ☎ +1 604-822-2759 (fax: +1 604-822-6689), [5]. Tu-F 10AM-5PM, Sa-Su 12PM-5PM (closed Mondays and statutory holidays). A small gallery with regular exhibitions. What looks like a woodpile outside is actually a sculpture, made of concrete. Free.  edit

• Chan Centre for the Performing Arts— A concert hall and events centre; often the location of convocation ceremonies.

• Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS), Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall, [6]. M-Th 8AM-11PM, F 8AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 12PM-8PM. Automated "robot librarian" cranes scurry along 5-story shelves holding 1.6 million books, at the beck and call of human librarians. For a geek thrill, watch them through the ground floor windows on the north side of the building. On the 2nd floor, near the Circulation desk, is a more limited view. Free.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Wreck Beach— Probably North America's most famous and busiest clothing optional beach. The trail to Wreck beach is near the West Parkade, or more precisely at the extreme west end of University Boulevard just past the Place Vanier residences. You can either park on Marine Drive or you can take transit to UBC and continue down the same road the bus brought you on foot. The steep stairs are not recommended for the faint of heart. There is always a festive atmosphere at this beach and many types of goods are for sale from jewelry, to food, to beer. Watch out as the police do occasionally crack down on drug use and open consumption of alcohol.

[edit][add listing] Buy

University Village has a number of service stores including a Staples office supply store, photocopying services, several restaurants (including a subterranean foodcourt), a grocery, coffee shops, a liquor store, a newsstand, etc.

[edit][add listing] Eat

University Village is a small residential and commercial area on University Avenue on the eastern edge of campus, just before Pacific Spirit park. The main bus route onto campus (including the 99 B-line) passes here. The development at the corner of University Avenue and Allison Road is called University MarketPlace[7]. It has a full service Starbucks Coffee as well as a Blenz, Omio Japanese Restaurant, Pita Pit, McDonald's, and a number of smaller cafes etc. An underground food court has about nine Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Persian buffets, with lunch or dinner in the $5-$6 range. Dalhousie Road is the third side of this triangular area.

• One More Sushi, #222-2155 Allison Road (on 2nd floor, go up stairs near produce store and over bridge), ☎ +1-604-228-9773 (fax: +1-604-228-9772). Delicious, low-priced, authentic-tasting Japanese food in a friendly atmosphere. One of the best price/performance restaurants in the University Village. lunch $8-10.  edit
• Curry Point, B1-5728 University Blvd (in the underground food court off University Ave, to the left, all the way at the end), ☎ +1-604-221-0112. Very simple but rich and flavourful curry buffet of several curries, rice, naan bread. The best of the basement eateries, according to many students. $6-7 for a full meal.  edit

The AMS (Alma Mater Student Society) operates a number of campus restaurants including the Pendulum restaurant and Pacific Spirit Cafe. UBC Food services also manages a number of locations, including two outlets of the Tim Hortons chain.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• The Pit, East Mall, UBC campus. A student pub run by the Alma Mater Society (the student association).

• Koerners, 6371 Crescent Rd. A pub in the Graduate Student Building (run by the Grad Student Society) primarily catering to grad students and professors.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Staying in UBC tends to be quieter than some other spots in the city and the summer accommodation isn't bad value for what you get, but it is far from any attractions that aren't part of UBC. If you want to stay in the area, the university has a small hotel open year round and opens up some of the student residences during the summer. If you want to be close to both UBC and the other attractions, consider some of the options in Kitsilano and Vancouver South.

• Pacific Spirit Hostel at UBC, 1935 Lower Mall, ☎ 1-888-822-1030 (toll-free) or +1 604-822-1000, [8]. Private or twin rooms with shared washroom and kitchen facilities. Open from mid-May to mid-August. $33.  edit
• Gage Towers, 5959 Student Union Blvd, ☎ 1-888-822-1030 (toll-free) or +1 604-822-1000, [9]. Low-rise complex with a range of rooms. One bedroom and studio suites have private washroom and kitchenette. A tower suite room provides a private bedroom with a shared washroom and kitchenette (between 4-6 people). Open from mid-May to mid-August. $40-$140.  edit
• West Coast Suites, 5959 Student Union Blvd, ☎ 1-888-822-1030 (toll-free) or +1 604-822-1000, [10]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. One bedroom suites with kitchenettes. Open year round. $200 in summer, $130-$160 off-season.  edit

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!