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Crab Park
Category: Active Life Parks Parks [Edit]
101 E Waterfront RdVancouver, BC V6A
Neighbourhood: Downtown
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Crab Park
9 reviews in English
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Review from Robin M.
3/24/2012 6 Check-ins Here
I love this park. Best view, best post-bike ride, best spot to watch the sun go down, best hangouts, best friends. Best, best place to NOT go skinny dipping in the middle of January. *ahem*
Listed in: East Van, Vancouver: Home Of The Great…
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Review from Sahra G.
7/4/2011 ROTD 3/2/2012
NO RULES PARK:
My first time here I saw a man crab fishing beside the sign on the pier that said NO CRAB FISHING.
The next time I went to crab park for some drinking and a bonfire. A staff member came up and told us there were no fires. He promptly left and no one put the fire out. Even the VPD drove by and didn't stop.
CRAB PARK = NO RULES = WINNING. -
Review from Derek W.
8/13/2010
An oasis amidst the docks, railway tracks, and touristy Gastown, Crab park is worth visiting at least once. Follow Main Street as far North as it goes, loop over and around the train tracks, and you'll find yourself at a vintage Vancouver waterfront park.
When I first happened upon Crab park less than a year ago, I couldn't believe I had lived in Vancouver this long and never been there. It isn't terribly accessible, as its on the North side of the railway tracks which contain Gastown. But the short walk over is worth it.
Crab park reminds me of waterfront parks in US Rustbelt cities - Buffalo and Detroit - and Northeast Port cities. The huge, colourful dock cranes will be fascinating for the kids, and a dock, complete with seating at the end, gets you out into the water for some unique views. But the North Shore mountains, like in many parts of Vancouver, steal the show.
Not everyone will feel 100% relaxed at Crab Park, because of the colourful locals who hang out there, though I've never had even a hint of a bad or unfriendly experience with any of them.Listed in: Railtown - Eats, Studios, and…
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Review from Tessa B.
4/11/2011
Having a dog and living in Gastown, this park is a Godsend. It can be tough having a dog in an apartment building, but with this off-leash park just to blocks away, my pooch gets tons of exercise and she absolutely LOVES it there. I can sit and read a book or sketch while she runs around playing with other dogs or chasing birds.
Even if you don't have a dog, it's a beautiful little slice of nature in the downtown east side. If you live in this neighborhood, you definitely need to check it out. Also has a playground for the kids. -
Review from Joshua C.
7/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Crab Park seems like one of those hidden gems that only locals usually know about. I'm not a local, but I tend to immerse myself in local Vancouver culture because I love it so much. We watched the Canada Day fireworks here and it was the perfect spot. Not too crowded and great view of the fireworks.
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Review from Mathieu Y.
Vancouver, BC
10/8/2009
This tiny hidden park in the downtown eastside is an undiscovered gem for many. With a beach, a large grassy area, a playground, a gazebo, a few walking paths, an expansive dock, benches along the bridge access, and a public washroom that is not disgusting, crab park has all the amenities of a large park without the large crowd. The beach gives great views of North and West Vancouver, the Vancouver port, and Canada place. You can see astoundingly large cruise ships sailing in the Burrard Inlet!
Crab park also occasionally hosts live music and public events. They had a large canada day event with a stage and sound system there.
I've been there at night, the crowd can be dangerous but in our case things turned out well. We had a beach party and an illegal "show" using some public outlets for power, and it was a lot of fun! The other park goers even joined in with the party and wanted to know what we were up to next hahaha.
Its a good park for a picnic, or to bring dogs to, or to get a relaxing beach side view of the sunset. To access it by transit, take the 7 to Cordova and Main and walk north until you see the bridge at alexander, OR take the skytrain to waterfront, walk to the sea bus port, down the escalator, and make a right to the small doors. You will find yourself on waterfront st, keep walking East past a few parking lots and youre there! Driving, access is either from the bridge on Main or Canada place downtown. -
Review from Joe L.
Vancouver, BC
9/22/2009 5 photos
An unexpectedly cancelled meeting at the convention centre today rendered me a walk through Gastown. By the time I reached the eastern edge at Alibi Room, I was going to turnaround until I saw a sign that said CRAB Park at Portside perched on the light pole at Alexander and Main. I remember reading about this area used to be called luk'luk'i by the Coast Salish peoples so I decided to take a detour see what it was like.
It is a gem off the beaten path. The easiest (perhaps the only) way to get to the park is by the overpass at the north end of Main at Alexander. The overpass is also wheel-friendly. It has a huge off-leash area (though not fenced and I don't still don't understand how you can have a off-leash dog area with no fence but I don't want to digress into civic issues), a foot path along the water and even a beach!
The view is absolutely gorgeous. Although you won't get a wide span view of downtown as you would from Spanish Bank, the south side of False Creek or Lonsdale Quay, the park renders you proximity to the building. The new Woodwards towers, Harbour Centre, Canada Place, Burrard Inlet and the cranes at the port are right there in front of you. When I was there during the day on a weekday around lunch time, there were only a handful of park visitors: nearby workers taking a lunch time stroll, neighbours walking their canine companions, retirees and those fortunate or unfortunate ones who do not work.
It is a perfect alternative resting spot for a picnic on the weekends if you are riding your bikes but want to avoid Stanley Park crowded with tourists.
I would image the view of downtown at night would be fantastic due to the proximity but I haven't been there at night. I would probably do a drive by with my car to check out how safe the park is at night before recommending anyone venturing out there on foot for a romantic walk after dinner in Gastown. It is, after all only a few blocks away from the most interesting spot in Vancouver according to Renee Zellweger (so she claimed on Regis and Kelly) - Main & Hastings. -
Review from Jeremy R.
Vancouver, BC
9/17/2010
Great beach, different than the other Vancouver beaches. Less crowded, more relaxed, out of the way. Near the eastside. Great place to relax, watch the seaplanes, ships come and go and relax with the hectic pace of Kits beach. Hidden gem, but not for everyone though.
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Review from Tamara H.
7/11/2010
So this park is beautiful...but then again so is 90% of Vancouver and the decidedly mixed crowd here is enough to keep me away. A mix of elderly chinese couples collecting cans, vaguely rude hipsters drinking alcohol out of jugs and threatening homeless men with dogs doesn't entice me back. During the day I would definitely give this park a 3 or 4 star rating but any place you have to clear out of as soon as sunset starts creeping close isn't a great place in my books. It's also a little awkward to get to, essentially the only entrance is at Main and Alexander. If you want a pretty walk that's off the beaten path I would check it out...but keep on moseying onwards
