Richmond (British Columbia)

Richmond is a riverine city to the south of Vancouver in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Comprising several islands, the city is protected by a system of dikes from the Fraser River's occasional flooding. Richmond has the country's largest Asian-Canadian population by percentage, many Cantonese speaking; over 60% of the population is non-white. Richmond is mainly composed of four main islands connected by roads: Lulu Island (by far the largest and most populated of the islands), Sea Island (mostly occupied by Vancouver International Airport ), Mitchell Island (industrial land) and Iona Island (a park and a wastewater treatment plant). Steveston, a former fishing village that is now a tourist and shopping district, sits at the southwestern tip.

The character of Richmond has changed dramatically since the 1980s. It used to be primarily a farming community with a large fishing village. It has become a centre of new immigrants, mostly from Asia, especially Hong Kong and mainland China. There are now many residential high rise towers and Hong Kong-style shopping malls like Aberdeen Centre. Today, the heart of Chinese Vancouver beats here in Richmond and not in Chinatown.

Talk
Mandarin and Cantonese are commonly heard in Richmond due to the large population of Chinese immigrants who have settled here. If you look East Asian, service staff at many businesses may instinctively address you in Mandarin or Cantonese. If you don't speak either of those, just politely say that you don't understand, and you will be accommodated in English.

Get in
See Vancouver for options to get in the Vancouver area by plane, by bus, and by train, and by boat.

By plane
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island within Richmond. The airport consists of the  and. It is a short ride by taxi or on public transit using SkyTrain from the airport's Domestic and International Terminals (remember to transfer to a train heading south to Richmond Centre at Bridgeport Station). If you're already in Vancouver, or elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, Richmond is well integrated with the region's road and public transit system.

By car
The main highway in and out of Richmond is Highway 99. From Vancouver, it is accessed via the Oak St bridge. If coming from Surrey or New Westminster, Highway 91/91A can also be used.

By Skytrain
SkyTrain's Canada Line, connects Richmond with Vancouver. The Canada Line reaches Vancouver's neighbourhoods of downtown, Yaletown-False Creek, Mount Pleasant, and South Vancouver. For destinations south of, trains alternate between traveling to either to (Richmond's downtown) or  (servicing Vancouver International Airport's domestic and international terminals).

By bus
The following buses all run direct to Richmond from other localities within Greater Vancouver:
 * #301 - Connects Bridgeport station to North Delta and Surrey
 * #351 - Connects Bridgeport station to South Surrey and White Rock
 * #410 - Connects Brighouse station to 22nd Street SkyTrain station in New Westminster
 * #430 - Connects Brighouse station to Metrotown station (SkyTrain Expo Line) in Burnaby
 * #480 - Connects Bridgeport station to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver
 * #351 - Connects Bridgeport station to South Surrey and White Rock
 * #601 - Connects Bridgeport station to Delta's Ladner and Tsawwassen areas. Its southern terminus is within walking distance of Point Roberts.
 * #620 - Connects Bridgeport station via Delta to Tsawwassen Ferry for travel Vancouver Island and Southern Gulf Islands

Get around
Richmond is mostly a grid with fairly wide streets so driving around isn't a problem. Major north-south roads tend to be numbered (No. 1 Rd, No. 2 Rd, and so forth, with No. 3 Road considered the main street). Major east-west streets include Bridgeport Rd (alternate access to the airport), Westminster Highway (access to Richmond Centre, the closest thing Richmond has to a 'downtown') and Steveston Highway.

By public transit
Passengers can pay for fares using Compass Cards ($6 refundable deposit), Compass Tickets, or tap-to-pay using contactless credit cards (only American Express, Mastercard or Visa) or mobile wallets. Passengers using Compass Cards and Compass Tickets pay discounted fares. Passengers can transfer for up to 90 minutes, except if taking West Coast Express, in which case they can transfer for up to 120 minutes. On bus and HandyDART, passengers can also pay in cash, but in that case will not receive change and are not eligible for transfers. Zone based fares apply between Monday and Friday for trips starting before 6:30PM, if travel involves SkyTrain or SeaBus. Outside of those hours or for travel on only bus or HandyDART, a single zone rate applies. If traveling by West Coast Express, a higher cost zone based fare system applies regardless of time of travel. Children 12 and under can ride for free. People aged 13 to 18, and 65 and older pay discounted concession fares.

The standard fare (effective ) to get into Richmond is by bus and  by SkyTrain (for a two zone ticket) from most places in the Greater Vancouver area. Fares for travel within Richmond are. A trip from Vancouver International Airport to Richmond costs, consisting of for a one-zone transit fare and  for an airport AddFare. This AddFare only has to be paid on trips from the airport, not on trips to the airport. You can avoid the AddFare by buying prepaid transit tickets from the 7-Eleven or Pharmasave in the bottom level of the Domestic terminal of the airport (but not standard Compass cards, which will still be charged the AddFare).

By bus
Brighouse station is the transit hub for buses within Richmond with connections to Steveston (buses #401, #402, #406, and #407), the Riverport Complex (buses #403 and #404, evening and weekend trips on bus #408) and the Buddhist temple (bus #403).

By taxi
Richmond based taxi companies:





Lulu Island

 * Minoru Chapel (502223858).jpg
 * Minoru Chapel (502223858).jpg

Steveston
Steveston is in the southwest corner of Richmond where the Fraser River meets the Pacific Ocean. It used to be a fishing village and is now a tourist destination. There are good fish and chip shops in Steveston, and on sunny days you can sit out by the water on the boat docks and eat. Many movies and television series have been filmed here. A nearby park towards the western end of the village offers great views of the ocean and is a common area for barbecues in the summer. During the summer there is a popular farmers market.

Sea Island
While most of Sea Island is occupied by Vancouver International Airport, there are some other things on Sea Island.

Lulu Island

 * Ionajetty.jpg
 * Ionajetty.jpg
 * Ionajetty.jpg
 * Ionajetty.jpg

Asian shopping malls
There is a large number of Asian shopping malls in Richmond. These usually have many small shops with a huge variety of things for sale.



Night market
Richmond has enjoyed Asian-style night markets on summer weekends since at least 1998, but the locations and operators change with the years. Expect a token admission fee, huge crowds, lots of food stalls, vendors overflowing with cheap merchandise, and a few attractions for the kids. A pleasant way to pass a summer evening.



Eat
There are a number of fine dining places and a variety of Asian cuisines in Richmond. A Seattle newspaper columnist credited Richmond with having the best reasonably-priced Chinese food in the Northwest. In addition to the restaurants listed here, the night markets overflow with food stalls, and shopping malls offer an abundance of choice at their food courts.

Sleep
There are a number of hotels and motels that serve the airport, including the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, which is in the U.S. departures area of the airport.

Go next

 * Delta to the immediate south-east
 * Vancouver South to the north, across the Fraser River
 * White Rock and its beach are 20-30 minutes south-east on Highway 99 or take bus #351 from Bridgeport SkyTrain station.
 * The Tsawassen ferry terminal is 20-30 minutes south-west on Highways 99 and 17 (or take bus #620 from Bridgeport Canada Line station). It has connections to Victoria, the provincial capital, Duke Point (mid Island) and several of the Southern Gulf Islands.