About Vancouver

Vancouver is Northwest multiculturalism at its very best. Nestled between the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver continues to grow as a progressive urban city while still staying lush, green and eco-friendly. It's only natural that it has has been voted the "Best City in the Americas" for 2004, 2005, and 2006 by Condé Nast Traveler magazine and selected for the seventh straight year in a row as "the most attractive" and livable city in 2009 by the Economist! When considering factors such as stability, health care, culture, environment and, of course, education, our city is simply the best place to live. In addition, Vancouver has been selected as the proud host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games—truly, this is a world class city.

Vancouver embraces and encourages a variety of lifestyles, and there are many friendly neighbourhoods to suit everyone's interests. Visit Commercial Drive for art-house coffee and locally designed boutiques, or Mount Pleasant for a new or rare record and vintage clothing finds. Robson Street is famous for its stretch of trendy clothing stores at and is in the very heart of downtown Vancouver, while Kitsilano can boast of its beaches, bars and excellent array of restaurants. The finest hiking, skiing, bicycling and swimming is also an option with the grandeur of the Northwest mountains, lakes and ocean available at every turn! Wherever you go, you can be assured you can walk, bike or bus your way there – Vancouver's environmentally-conscious structure ensures that your travel will be both convenient and safe all year-round. With the current Skytrain expansions, getting around will be easier and faster than ever.

And with all the spectacular natural sights around Vancouver, you will want to travel! Take a bus to Whistler to experience world-class skiing and snowboarding before the Olympics arrive, hop a ferry over to Victoria and visit the museum, go surfing in the rainforest city of Tofino, or drive up to Kelowna to visit the best local wineries BC has to offer.

For any lifestyle, there is truly no shortage of activities both indoor and out to keep you occupied. Vancouver is people-focused, environmentally-conscious and safety-minded, and Ashton College is proud to be a downtown resident. Come stay, play and study in Vancouver, and you'll soon agree that it is one of the best places on earth!