New York Times publishes ode to Vancouver's favourite cycling path

The Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver is one of the city’s most prized attractions for cyclists, joggers and anyone seeking a scenic stroll, puppers included.

A writer based in Vancouver recently wrote about the seawall for The New York Times, paying tribute to it and highlighting how it’s a food-loving sightseer’s dream.

Vancouver leaders may like to identify the city as world-class, but Vancouver doesn’t always get media attention on the world stage from publications like The New York Times very often unless it has to do with stories like the 2010 Olympic Games or the 2011 riots.

On that note, publications in Vancouver don’t often celebrate the city the way The New York Times celebrated the seawall in this piece.

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Vancouverites tend to prefer arguing about bike lanes or a lack of attractions in the city, which some say is what made the barge such a popular destination: residents hungry for more attractions.

Regardless, the Vancouver seawall deserves to be celebrated, especially after surviving some rough times recently.

A truly unique experience

There isn’t a lot out there that compares to the seawall on a global stage.

In the NYT article titled “Seeing Vancouver by Bike,” the author talks about the unique viewpoint you get of Vancouver by cycling, specifically along the seawall. Within an hour, you can hit up several beaches, parks, False Creek, Granville Island and other beautiful spots in the city.

The author highlights how spots along the seawall make for perfect picnic destinations.

If you prefer the dine-in experience, there are tons of restaurants, bars and coffee shops punctuating this cycling tour making for fun and delicious stops along the way. There are also many areas you can park your bike, take a seat on a bench and soak in the beauty of Vancouver.

Pretty present, petty past

Construction on Vancouver’s iconic gem began back in 1917. According to the City of Vancouver, construction was completed on the entire seawall loop around Stanley Park on September 21, 1980.

Despite the majesty of the seawall, the history of the route has been complicated, with many disputes between pedestrians and cyclists over the years. Wikipedia cited that cycling was even outlawed on the seawall in the ’70s, and police would hand out tickets to those who broke the rules.

Things have smoothed out over the years with further improvements made by the city and having wholly independent walking and cycling paths help.

Vancouver also appeared in another recent New York Times article that celebrated seven different cities that are great to bike in.

Like it or not, Vancouver has been making and continues to make a big push to make Vancouver a cycling-friendly city, and that’s a good thing for the environment. You may also be blessed by a bike fairy if you decide to adopt a bicycle.

Disputes between cyclists and pedestrians and cyclists and drivers will likely never end, but can we all agree that the seawall is pretty rad?