Vancouver Island

Fernwood is an artsy area, with hip stores on its namesake square selling vinyl and vintage wear, and laid-back eateries serving inventive pizza and house-roasted coffee. Theatregoers grab drinks at a cozy corner pub or wine bar, then catch contemporary drama at the Belfry Theatre, a former 19th-century church. Colourful early-1900s homes and hand-painted telephone poles line the streets, punctuated with small parks.