This autumn I introduced the Best of 604, in response to a local newspaper’s Best of Vancouver. Sure, my categories weren’t as diverse but I’m pretty free to build upon the Best of 604 at any time, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Photo credit: Kris Krug on Flickr

Reading Morning Brew this morning, I saw a link to the 24 Hours’ “24 ways to avoid your family“, which ended up being a list of “Vancouver’s best time-wasting web sites”.

They included the Katkam, which is a given, Urban Vancouver - a really great compilation on which anyone can write and Translink’s i-move.ca (that if you Google, my site comes up second, with Darren’s first).

A couple of the suggested reads made me chuckle to myself so I figured the best thing for me to do would be to make my own list.

Best of 604: Local Website Edition

Best Webcam that isn’t the Katkam: Numinous
Best Traffic Webcams and route info: GVRD directory

Best Site to get Surrey News: Surrey Leader
Best Site to get Burnaby News: A Burnaby blogger needs to Contact me.
Best Site to get New Westminster News: Royal City Record
Best Independent Daily News Source: The Tyee

Best. Lists. Ever.: Meg Fowler
Best Mommy blogger: Duck Cake
Best Marketing Blogger (that gives us free things): Darren Barefoot

Photo credit: Duane Storey on Flickr

Best Site for iPhone Users in Vancouver: John Biehler
Best Gadget Review site: Roland Tanglao

Local Radio Station That “Gets” It: 95 Crave, from their Drupal website, on-air personality blogs, to Ustream broadcasts.

Best Socialization and Silliness posts: Net Chick
Best Local Facebook Guru: Phillip Jeffrey
Best Concert Posters: ChalkedUp
Best HDR Photography: Coriolistic Anachronisms and Duane Storey

Hardest Working Podcaster: Dave Olson (upwards of six different podcasts for your listening pleasure)

Photo credit: Dave Olson on Flickr

Best Coffee Resource: Vancouver Coffee
Best City Development Resource: Pacific Metropolis

Best New Tech Blog: Techvibes
Best New Eco-Friendly Directory: happyfrog
Best New Restaurant Directory: Urbanspoon

Best New Blog (to me, in 2007) - Commuting: Paul Hillsdon
Best New Blog (to me, in 2007) - Shopping: The Style Spy
Best New Blog (to me, in 2007) - Restaurant Reviews: Raul’s “Dining out”

Most inspirational: Derek Miller and his wife Airdrie. Derek’s living with stage 4 metastatic cancer and blogging every step of the way.

If you are looking for anything else in Vancouver, try my categories “cheap things to do“, “stanley park“, “food“, “shopping“, “conference” and even “what the surrey“.

If you disagree with any of my choices, please make your own list (pass it on!), leave a comment below, or send links my way either on my contact form or via del.icio.us (tag your link as “for:miss604″).

Last month I put out a “Family Edition” of the Best of 604, focusing on parks, playgrounds and kid-friendly establishments. Having never been to one of the parks I recommended I did so solely on my sister’s advice. She has three kids, 7 years old and younger, so she knows a good park when she sees one.

Luckily for a reader of mine, the park proved to be all that and more. She tried to take her family to the pumpkin patch in Steveston last Sunday but it was just way too busy, they even told her it would be over 2 hours to get in and that if she had something else to do, she should do it…

…So, we turned around and I desperately tried to think of something to calm our 3 year old who, at this point, was crying, “Why can’t I go see Corny?” I then remembered a blog of yours in the last few weeks about family things to do around Vancouver and remembered the park in the flight path near YVR that you recommended.

Flight Path Park - Photo credit: Darren Barefoot on Flickr

So we zoomed over there, had our picnic and let the kids play. Our 3 yr old had a blast and the day was saved! Thanks - I really enjoy your blog, and saving us from being cooped up in the car with a crying toddler is no small feat!
[Contact Form Email from Naomi]

I’m so glad to get such a nice email, and a follow up on the recommendation for the Best of 604.

On a side note, the Steveston pumpkin patch is mentioned in last year’s “Pumpkin Patch Review“, which was written by my sister - she’s my correspondent when it comes to family-friendly matters, obviously.

Since I’m getting tons of Google hits from people looking for pumpkin patch information, and the post is from 2006, if you do have any updates, raves or reviews, please leave a comment and let us know, thanks!

To continue the “Best of 604″ I’ve put together a hodge podge of some more things I like and would recommend. This isn’t to compete with any other list, this is simply my spin on things as these are people, places and things that I personally find pleasant. With some help I hope to cover a different spectrum, all inclusive of the entire “604“.

Downtown:

Metro Vancouver:

The “Best of 604″ will be an ongoing series, so watch for more posts in this category.

The annual “Best of Vancouver” issue of The Georgia Straight left me wanting more and had some of my readers saying wondering just what we’ve done to deserve Nickelback as a top band in our city? Because of this, I’ve decided to follow in the footsteps of the MaGoggy’s and create my own awards, the Best of 604. These are not the things that are highest rated by Zagat or that have the most stars. These are people, places and things that I personally find enjoyable. With some help from John and my sister Jenny I hope to cover a different spectrum, all inclusive of the “604“.

The “Best of 604″ will be an ongoing series, so watch for more posts in this category.

I wanted to touch on a ‘real’ demographic and ‘real’ places in and around Metro Vancouver. The first edition of the “Best of 604″ is focused on family. Here are Jen’s recommendations.

Photo is property of True Colors Painting Ltd.