Hi everyone! :smile:
Some friends and I are visiting Vancouver this summer from Ireland and we might be living in
East Vancouver. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what its like, is that a good area for gigs, restaurants, night life etc. Also if there are any nice areas to live within East Vancouver we'd love to hear about them!
Cheers 
Aside from Hastings and Main (which I believe you should at least drive by to see what everyone's talking about), there are lots of places that are accessible to you from East Vancouver.
Here's a long list, but that's because there are lots to do. It's by no means a complete list. It's just stuff that I've done over the years and stuff that I plan to do this summer.
1. Visit The Keg... get some steak. If money is no object, try Hy's or Gothams.
2. Views and lookout points. Grouse Mountain has an excellent unobstructed view. The lookout point going up to Cypress Bowl is nice too. The top of Harbour Centre has nice views from within the city. Stanely Park has a nice view of downtown.
3. Visit Nature... take a bus to Whistler and go mountain biking, fishing, golfing, or ziplining. You get to see what it's like before 2010 Olympics. Walk the seawall in Stanley Park... If you're hard core you can go hiking at Golden Ears Park. For a weekend trip, you must go to Banff, Alberta. Drive a little and you can go horseback riding in Maple Ridge.
4. Nightclubs, there are few in Gastown.
5. Golfing... it's a big thing over here and they are everywhere. Westwood Plateau and Swan-e-set are the ones I recommend.
6. Take the BC ferry to Victoria and visit the Museum and Parliament buildings. Drive up the coast and you can go on some fishing tours.
7. Starlight Dinner Train... a little expensive, but it's a train ride with dinner.
8. Depending on when you are in Vancouver during the summer, you may be able to catch the HSBC Celebration of Light Fireworks... For 2007, it is on July 25 (Spain), July 28 (Canada), August 1 (China) and August 4 (Grand Finale).
9. Again, depending on when you are here, August 10-12th is the Abbotsford Airshow... here you can comment on how much better the Eurofighter is to the F-18.
10. If you're an animal lover, there is the Langely Zoo and the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park.
11. Beaches - lots in Vancouver. Spanish Banks, English Bay, some in West Vancouver... White Rock... lots.
12. Restaurants - lots of Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, French, Italian... the list goes on. For recommendations? Hmm... Chinese - Kirin or Sun Sui Wah in Richmond. Indian - Vij's on Granville and 11th, Korean - Gogung in Westwood Plateau, Japanese - Tojo's, Thai - Thai house, Vietnamese - Pho'99, French - Lumiere on Broadway, Italian - Macaroni Grill (although the last time I went it wasn't that great anymore).
13. There is the Richmond nightmarket near Bridgeport - May 18th to Oct 8th.
14. Mcdonalds - everywhere. So you can compare how much bigger the big macs are over here.
15. Sports - FIFA WorldCup UNDER 20 July 1st and July 4th at the Royal Athletic Park. Probably not the same calibre to what you are used to seeing.
16. Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and Playland - Playland open now until Sept. PNE is August 18th to Sept. 3rd.
That's it.
My question is why did you choose East Vancouver as a place to stay?