Did some digging, i think its these japa things that are bucks plus, not regular dogs:

http://www.japadog.com/en/

Yep, thats the stall i visited whilst in van!

the stalls are mobbed when I pass them at lunch. not really a hot dog fan so they don't look that appetizing to me.

Brother in law spent some time in Vancouver last year, at the end of his Bunac. Was underwhelmed by the place. Said it didn't live up to its hype.

What's the hype? All cities are pretty much the same, too many people, too much traffic and piles of stone, concrete and wood. No matter how it's put together I can see nothing attractive in buildings, they are just boxes to live, work or keep stuff. I'll stick with mountains, trees and rivers (and airports, not attractive but quite necessary).

No it doesn't. There is a smugness about how great Vancouver is that it would be better off without. Still, I like it here, it's easy living generally.

Haha, that's very fox and the grapes.

the place is over hyped. It also depends when you visit. Middle of summer the place is astonishing, middle of winter not so much so. You do have to spend time here to get to know the place - it grows on you. It is just a average city after all, but one plonked down in some incredible scenery.

no, me neither. I'd rather grab some cheap sushi somewhere for the same price.

I think Japadog's the only $6.50 hot dog in the city. You can buy regular hot dogs for $3.50 on the street anywhere. Pizza and sushi are the local cheap eats.

Vancouver's never had a large black community, but it has existed (look up Joe Fortes, Hogan's Alley). Historically the minorities were from Japan, China, and India (predominantly Punjabi/Sikh) and those demographics still dominate today.

Vancouver's rain's overrated. It falls from November to March then tapers off to a warm, dry summer and autumn. Spring flowers start blooming in March, or in some cases, February. By contrast, Montreal and Toronto are rainier places in the summer and autumn.

That's about it. It has a better location than most other cities of the world and a short ride into the back country.

I agree. The hyping of vancouver by politicans and the media constantly talking about 'putting vancouver on the map' with 'world class' things, events, whatever is very irritating (it definitely used to wind me up). However you quickly learn to ignore it and just realize vancouver is what it is and there is nothing actually wrong with that.

I agree, there are so many generalities made about vancouver, some of them the place brings on itself though. Even during the winter season , there are periods of reprieve with cloudless skies, and bright sunshine. You really have to spend time in vancouver to get to know the place. You either like vancouver or you don't. Vancouver is a young place and is still trying to find its way, I kind of like that, watching it grow up, i've seen so many changes in the past 17 years.

Yes, people always say things like take away the scenery and it would be just another north american city, but it does have the scenery and in my mind makes it what it is. Bit like saying take away the theater and arts from London and it would be just another British city.

Vancouver had done a very good job at preserving the views of the mountains from all over the city (view cones) walking along (for it is a very walkable place) any area you can catch incredible glimpses of mountains and ocean. From my kitchen I can see people skiing down grouse (not today mind).

Lance Berelowitz, a vancouver urban planner, sums it up when he says, vancouverites look out towards the mountains, its civic places are parks and beaches, not plazas.