'''Surrey''' [http://www.surrey.ca] is a suburb of Vancouver. It is the largest city in land area in the Lower Mainland region and the second largest city in population after Vancouver proper.
Understand
Surrey is Vancouver's largest suburb in both population and area, containing a sizable immigrant population mostly from India and other parts of Asia. Because of this, Surrey is very culturally diverse. Surrey is mostly a working-class suburb, but it does have some of its own industry -- mostly factories and warehouses.
The city is divided by North and South, mostly by demographics and economics. North Surrey is for the most part middle class, while South Surrey is much more affluent. South Surrey, often referred to as White Rock (actually a different city), borders the United States and the Pacific Ocean through the beaches of Whiterock Beach, Crescent Beach, and Mud Bay.
Districts
For simplicity the Surrey area is separated into a number of districts. Most of the attractions associated with Surrey are in these districts.
These don't correspond to the legal divisions of the city, but instead a convenient way of sub-dividing Surrey for travellers.
'''Surrey City Centre'''. A gleaming new high-rise neighborhood around a Skytrain station.
'''Whalley'''. North of the city, on the Fraser River. Poorer than the rest of town.
'''Newton'''. An old village, absorbed by Surrey, and now home to corporate office parks.
'''Guildford'''. Home to Guildford Town Shopping Centre and Guildford Surrey Public Library.
'''Fleetwood'''
'''Cloverdale''': Cloverdale is historic centre of Surrey and is known for its small town charm. If you love antiques, then you have come to the right place. The traditional Cloverdale Town Centre is well known for being the _gAntique Capital of BC_h, famous for its antiques and collectibles.
'''Cresent Beach''': On the western coast of Surrey with the Georgia Strait. One of the sunniest beaches in the Greater Vancouver region. Popular activities at Crescent Beach include swimming, kayaking, crabbing, fishing, and boating. There are shops nearby and restaurants with ocean views.
'''Barnston Island''': Sits in the Fraser River along the Surrey section of the river. Although the island is unincorporated and not officially part of any municipality, mailing addresses on the island use Surrey as the city name. Barnston's a small island, (only about 2-3 square miles) and you get to it by taking a 5 minute ferry ride across Parson's Channel to the island. The ferry ride is free. The ferry is a barge operated by a small tug which serves Barnston Island. The ferry holds only about 7 vehicles per sailing, and, you have to back on the ferry on the return trip. Very unique and a fun experience. Barnston Island is flat with not much on there but farms. It takes about an hour to bike around the whole island.
Get in
By Air
Flying to Vancouver means just a 30 min drive to Surrey, as Surrey is a part of the Metro Vancouver Region . Vancouver Airport has daily flights to all over Canada, USA, Europe, Australia-Oceania and Asia. Thus making arrival to Surrey a very easy task to all foreign tourist.
By SkyTrain
Take an Expo Line train from any downtown Vancouver '''Skytrain''' station, all the stations on the other side of the Skybridge are in Surrey. The end of the line is at the King George station which is about a 45min trip from Waterfront station in Vancouver.
By car
Both of Greater Vancouver's two major freeways, BC 1 and BC 99, run directly through Surrey. It also has two secondary highways: Highway 91 links Highway 99 with the suburb of Burnaby, and the Pacific Highway (BC 15) links BC 1 with the USA/Canada border at Blaine. King George Highway (BC 99A) is actually a major surface street which runs from South Surrey to North Surrey.
See
Bear Creek Park. 3750 - 88 Avenue.. 1 604-501-5050. ttp://www.surrey.ca/Living+in+Surrey/Parks+and+Recreation/Parks+and+Environment/Park+Locations+and+Amenities/Parks+by+Community+Area/Whalley/Bear+Creek+Park.htm. lease call first. This community park offers the Bear Creek Gardens [http://www.surrey.ca/Living+in+Surrey/Parks+and+Recreation/Parks+and+Environment/Park+Locations+and+Amenities/Parks+by+Amenity+Feature/Gardens/Bear+Creek+Gardens.htm] as well as the Surrey Arts Centre [http://www.surrey.ca/Living+in+Surrey/Arts/Surrey+Art+Gallery/default.htm].
Darts Hill Garden Park. 70 Street.. 1 604-501-5050. ttp://www.dartshill.ca/. lease call first. 5.00 per person. This horticultural paradise is without equal in the region for it's variety of rare and native plants, shrubs and trees. Gifted to the City of Surrey by Francisca Darts upon the death of her husband, Edwin, the city maintains the garden with the help of the Darts Hill Garden Conservancy Trust.
Learn
Kwantlen University College offers trades training and full degree programs in traditional academic areas through 3 separate campuses in the city. This school operates primarily as a traditional community college with many students transferring to nearby Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.
Simon Fraser University Surrey is located in the new Central City building and operates as a satellite campus to SFU Burnaby. Most classes offered here are part of the Faculty of Business.
Do
River's Bend Winery tasting. 5560 Colebrook Rd.. outh of Highway 10, just east of 152nd Street. 1-604.574.6106. ue-Sun 10-18h, Mon closed.. The ''only'' winery in Surrey, and thus the best.
Golf
There are many golf courses in Surrey. Several PGA tournaments have in the past been hosted in Surrey and parts of the movie Happy Gilmore was shot here.
Morgan Creek
Peace Portal
North View
Nico Wynd
Guildford Golf and County Club
Coyote Creek
Buy
Surrey has several major shopping malls. The biggest being Guildford Town Center. There are other smaller malls scattered all through the city. And to get to one of Canada's biggest malls, Metrotown, well a fun Skytrain ride will get you there in 20 min.
Eat
Budget
Surrey has a number of national and international fast food franchises, including:
'''Burger King'''
'''Churches Chicken''' (A fried chicken franchise much like KFC)
'''Dairy Queen'''
'''KFC'''
'''Mcdonalds'''
'''Mr. Sub''' (A Canadian submarine sandwich franchise)
'''Nando's Flame Grilled Chicken'''
'''Subway'''
'''Taco Bell'''
'''Tim Horton's'''
'''Whitespot Triple O's''' (a "fast food" version of the popular Whitespot restaurant chain)
In addition, Surrey has a number of East Indian Restaurants which offer popular Indian dishes such as Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, and Samosa's. Meals are authentic Indian cuisine and can be had for $5-10. There are also a number of Chinese restaurants, although the food here is largely "Westernized". Japanese food is equally prevalent and there are a number of reasonably priced sushi restaurants throughout the area. Finally, Pizza is popular in and interestingly enough, many owner operated pizza restaurants are operated by people of East Indian descent, making the taste quite distinct from the national franchises. These owner operated pizza restaurants are often very competitive in price.
Mid-range
Surrey has a number of mid-range national family restaurant franchises, including:
ABC Country Restaurant (A chain of traditional family restaurants)
Boston Pizza
Earls
Moxies (Restaurants feature low lighting and slightly higher end cuisine)
The Pantry
Red Robin
Whitespot (A chain of old fashioned drive-ins where food was once delivered on trays through patrons car windows. The chain has recently attempted to go upscale and many outlets no longer provide car service.)
Additionally, Surrey has a number of neighborhood pubs where food can be found reasonably cheap; Usually $5-8 for a burger & fries and around $10 for an entree. It is worth noting that BC has very high taxes on liquor, so although the food is reasonably priced at pubs, alcoholic beverages can be quite expensive with a jug of beer costing between $12 and $18 and highballs upwards of $5 each.
Splurge
Despite its size and cultural diversity, Surrey doesn't have much fine cuisine. The choice is better in nearby Vancouver. But here are some options.
The Old Surrey Restaurant. 3483 72 Avenue. ust west of King George Highway. 1-(604) 596-2313. ttp://www.oldsurreyrestaurant.ca/. u-Sun 5PM on; Mon closed. ntrees $20-38, prix fixe menu $40-60. This restaurant began as an old train station, but has been The Old Surrey Restaurant for as long as anyone can remember. Providing a five star experience, the establishment specializes in French Cuisine with the ChateauBriand Bouquetiere being a perennial favorite special. Reservations recommended
Villa Verdi. 3620 80 Ave. ear King George Highway. 1-(604) 591-2123. A great splurge for a fine dining Italian experience. Service is only matched by their tasty Italian treats. Reservations recommended.
The Keg Steakhouse & Bar. 948 120 Street. 1-604-591-6161. ttp://en.kegsteakhouse.com/locations/British_Columbia/Surrey/Scott_Road_Keg. Steak. Steak and potatoes. Steak and crab. Steak and beer. But mostly steak. A chain restaurant.
The Vault Restaurant. 764 176th Street in Cloverdale. 1-604-576-4243. ttp://www.vaultrestaurant.com/. Home of fabulous food, wicked wines and mouth watering martinis.
Drink
Surrey has a number of neighborhood pubs and one night club known as The Mirage. Though The Mirage is fairly upscale and those looking for a vibrant nightlife are advised to look to nearby Vancouver which has a number of popular bars and night clubs on its Granville strip.
Sleep
Budget
*Motel 6
Mid-Range
*Sheraton Guildford
Splurge
Stay safe
Surrey suffers from an image problem - though it is important to note that it has a lower crime rate than many other cities in British Columbia. One is advised to stay away from the Whalley area at night as poverty and homelessness are prevalent in this area. Interestingly enough, Surrey is attempting to rebuild the area and has even attempted to rid the area of the "Whalley" name as it carries with it negative connotations. The area is now often called "Gateway" or "Surrey Centre" and there are many new residential and business buildings in various stages of completion in the area. In this regard, the area is in a stage of transition, as although new million dollar developments are sprouting up, homelessness and drug dealing can be found within the same city blocks in some cases.
Get out