The City of Vancouver is divided into East Side and West Side at Ontario Street (near Main Street). The West Side has several well-established neighbourhoods, each with its own character and unique features.

The West Side has some of the most expensive housing in the Greater Vancouver region.

The West Side contains different types of housing ranging from small bungalows, through condominium complexes to multimillion-dollar waterfront estates. Older "character" houses are popular on the West Side and you can expect to pay a lot for them. Although much of the housing is single family housing, several neighbourhoods such as Downtown, the West End, False Creek and Fairview Slopes have primarily apartments and townhouse developments.

The West Side is a shopper's paradise and attracts people from all over Greater Vancouver. Downtown shopping revolves around Robson Street, with its designer fashion stores, and Gastown, a popular tourist destination full of small boutiques and gift shops.

The West Side is blessed with an abundance of parkland and over 50 kilometres of beaches. Walking along the water you can go from Kits beach to Jericho, Locarno, Spanish Banks and "clothing optional" Wreck Beach.