Best for
Main Street runs the entire north-south length of the city, but the stretch that locals mean when they say "Main Street" is the roughly 25 blocks from Broadway south to 33rd Avenue. It's Vancouver's most consistently independent retail corridor: vintage shops, design studios, bookstores, cafés, and restaurants that haven't been taken over by chains. The north end (Mount Pleasant, covered separately) is breweries and bars; the south end is more residential and slower-paced.
The sweet spot for first-time visitors is around Main and 21st. From there you can walk 20 blocks in either direction and pass a new interesting shop every thirty metres. The restaurant scene is strong and unpretentious — this is where Vancouver's working creative class eats dinner on a Tuesday, not where the tourists go.
Rent on the South Main residential side streets is roughly comparable to Mount Pleasant — $1,800–2,300 for a one-bedroom in a character-house suite, slightly higher in newer buildings. Transit access is good via the 3 Main bus and a short walk to Broadway–City Hall SkyTrain. Main Street suits people who want the indie-Vancouver lifestyle without committing to the density of downtown or the distance of Commercial Drive.
Services in Vancouver
Local price ranges for services — we don't yet break these down to the neighbourhood level, but prices in Vancouver are consistent across most inner areas.