My wife and I stayed at Luca's townhome for five days and loved it. Nice big kitchen, all the pots and pans you'd need to cook and a comfy bed. Also a great shower with good pressure. Luca communicated with us very easily and the area is very safe. It is so safe that some of our close neighbors had their doors open on warm nights to enjoy the fresh air. There are many buses close by to take you everywhere around Vancouver. Most people head downtown to shop but all you'll find there is big corporate shops like any place in the US, but Mount Pleasant has tons of individually owned shops, restaurants and bars to enjoy. I mean old book shops, record shops filled with 12" LPs, and small restaurants. We were in "rummage heaven." I mean, when was the last time you saw a real barbers shop with the striped pole outside. Loved it!