Crab Park

Welcome to the Riviera of the downtown east side! Mean Streets meets moms out with tots in a living diorama of the gentrification of Gas Town and its neighboring hoods.
While extremely close to Hastings & Main, I actually feel quite a bit safer here, and it’s worth stopping by for the unique views of the city, north shore, and port. The park is cleaner than you’d expect and well tended.
The usual route for getting here on foot is most likely taking Water street then Alexander street an taking a left at Main, but if you feel like an odder route you can take the elevator outside the Cactus Club at Canada Place and walk underground along West Waterfront Road to the park. Spooky.
Fun, but more for urban explorers and people watchers than for a day out on the beach.

Nice place for a walk.
So we had some time to kill before having to be somewhere. I suggested to my partner in life that we should go for a walk somewhere. We decided to go to Crab Park since I hadn’t been there in forever, and he hadn’t been there ever. I tried to park in the lot, but it’s one of those ones you have to use a credit card for. Since I didn’t want my cc number stolen, I decided to park on Alexander St and pay coins at a meter. It added to our walk.
Good view of the North Shore. My hubby took photos. We sat in the sun for a bit. I wish I brought my bike… Wait, scratch that… it’s a great place for other people to ride around. I don’t actually want to ride my bike. It’s a lot of effort.

The best place to see Canada Day Fireworks! Awesome view :)

I love CRAB (many people don’t know that it actually stands for community recreational access beach). I’ve been going there since I was a child and it’s a nice little oasis in an otherwise very industrial area. While there is a beach there, DO NOT go in the water. I’ve gone in a few times, and every time I got a rash on every part of my body that touched the water. Don’t ask me why I went in more than once…

There’s so many cigarette butts on the beach it feels like I’m sitting in a giant sandy ashtray. ⁵⁄₅ would do it again.

Seems the only time I give a review is when I’m grumpy about something. Oh well, it is what it is. Anyway:
Crab Park IS a very nice little green space, nice views, not crowded (more on that coming), and just off of Gastown. But:
Oh Lord, the parking situation. When we showed up yesterday, the small, near-​to-​the-​park lot, in centre of cloverleaf at north end of Main Street was off-​limits, reserved for a film crew. And so…, well, yeah. We eventually found a small, hole-​in-​the-​wall strip of parking, about ½ km to the west, for $ 4 hourly.
Walking back to the park we passed VAST lots, either fenced off or with signs posted, indicating private parking, violators to be towed. Directly adjacent to the park we walked across a great expanse of empty parking, cordoned off with chain, rivalling the park in area.
The one positive, and likely the rational behind the lack of parking, is to avoid overcrowding. I guess.
It got me thinking, to a few years back, parking at Waikiki beach, a couple/​three blocks from the water, on the street, for free.
Anyway, the way things are going, I think Vancouver will soon be an economic atoll, just a big vacuum at the centre. ;(

Great park and I can’t believe I’ve never set foot here until now. Private, peaceful and there’s a beach too! And no litter or needles or anything bad scattered on the grassy areas! Will definitely be back. The view is fantastic.

I almost don’t want to spread the word about this place because I wouldn’t want it to get too crowded… but here’s for all the moms out there… this is an awesome park.
Just be aware that this park is on the DTES, so you know you can expect a bunch of the Main and Hastings type residents… but just trust me… it’s ok.
Crab park does have a lot of people breaking the rules. There are some people on the perimeter that look like they probably live there full time.
I’ve never had a problem. Everyone here I have encountered has been quiet, calm and respectful.
Yes, some people are drinking beer with their picnic, but I have never seen them get out of hand and people here typically clean up after themselves when they leave.
This park is well maintained. The washrooms aren’t even as bad as other park washrooms. The grass is always neat, and everything is usually free from trash.
Childless adults tend to give the playground a wide berth, so there is always room for kids to play.
My son loves this park because he gets to play on the swings while he watches the action at the port, the seabus come and go, the helijet take off and land and hear the CPR trains chug by all at the same time.
The spray park is a godsend in the summer and typically uncrowded.
On a hot day it’s really nice to pack up the kids, grab a sandwich and spend the afternoon here catching breezes off the water and sitting in the grass while the kids play.

I really like this park. Its dog friendly and the views are amazing!
At any given sunny day you can find groups of thirty somethings playing boccie and having a picnic, there aren’t volleyball nets but I have seen people set them up before.
It’s also very kid friendly, they have a water fountain during peak season and clean washrooms.

Big fan of the Crabless park, for a good dog swim and play, sort of weird that you cant have your dog off leash from 10−5pm but everyone does, its a silly bylaw. and parking sucks big time so for me its combo drive and walk, one needs to park south of the bridge and walk over is the best an easy option.

Crab is my favorite park of ALL the Vancity parks (that’s a lot of parks) for it’s chill atmosphere, diversity and huge OFF-​Leash area for the pups.
Location Location Location:
It’s so easy to get to, right on the North end of Main a stones throw from Alibi, it seems like it’s literally a 15 Min walk from everywhere, making it a great meeting spot. What also comes with a great location? Often a great view and Crab’s got you covered there too, love that you can lay on the beach and stare at the «giraffes» (working cranes as you might call them) on one side, Mountains in the middle and downtown and even North Van to your west.
Diverse Activities:
What can’t you do at Crab Park? You can certainly chill on the wharf, lay on a blanket on the beach, take your kids on the playground equipment, get respectfully drunk in public and actually not be bothered (disclaimer: drinking not to be coupled with the kids and playground equipment) and my most favorite, chill with your dogs off leash everywhere.
Crab Park is full of happy people content for the most part to respectfully have a good time while not bothering each other. The location tends to bring about a few of the charming downtown eastside residents but the bathrooms are still decently clean and it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.

Things you can do at crab park:
Bike Rave
Badminton
Frisbee
Homestyle lacrosse
Scoop ‘n’ chuck
Aerobi
Sleep
Tree climb
Beer drink
Swim (I’d reserve this one for dogs only)
Bike ride
Swing
Nap
Read a book
See friends
Look at mountains
Look at stars
Look at cruise ships (do people do this?)
Fly a kite
Really, I mean really, really, there is nothing you can’t do at Crab Park.
It is hands down my favourite park in the city to hang out, walk a dog in or generally cause a ruckus in.

Today when rode thought the park on the way to the Canada Day Event at the Convention Centre. At the Park a group was sponsoring a modest Canada Day BBQ for the people of the DTES it both reminded me of what I have in life but also may glad there a park in the city where everyone can enjoy the cities beauty and relax for a bit Crab Park appears to be that park.

I love this park. Best view, best post-​bike ride, best spot to watch the sun go down, best hangouts, best friends. Best, best place to NOT go skinny dipping in the middle of January. *ahem*

Crab Park seems like one of those hidden gems that only locals usually know about. I’m not a local, but I tend to immerse myself in local Vancouver culture because I love it so much. We watched the Canada Day fireworks here and it was the perfect spot. Not too crowded and great view of the fireworks.

NO RULES PARK:
My first time here I saw a man crab fishing beside the sign on the pier that said NO CRAB FISHING.
The next time I went to crab park for some drinking and a bonfire. A staff member came up and told us there were no fires. He promptly left and no one put the fire out. Even the VPD drove by and didn’t stop.
CRAB PARK = NO RULES = WINNING.

Having a dog and living in Gastown, this park is a Godsend. It can be tough having a dog in an apartment building, but with this off-​leash park just to blocks away, my pooch gets tons of exercise and she absolutely LOVES it there. I can sit and read a book or sketch while she runs around playing with other dogs or chasing birds.
Even if you don’t have a dog, it’s a beautiful little slice of nature in the downtown east side. If you live in this neighborhood, you definitely need to check it out. Also has a playground for the kids.

An oasis amidst the docks, railway tracks, and touristy Gastown, Crab park is worth visiting at least once. Follow Main Street as far North as it goes, loop over and around the train tracks, and you’ll find yourself at a vintage Vancouver waterfront park.
When I first happened upon Crab park less than a year ago, I couldn’t believe I had lived in Vancouver this long and never been there. It isn’t terribly accessible, as its on the North side of the railway tracks which contain Gastown. But the short walk over is worth it.
Crab park reminds me of waterfront parks in US Rustbelt cities — Buffalo and Detroit — and Northeast Port cities. The huge, colourful dock cranes will be fascinating for the kids, and a dock, complete with seating at the end, gets you out into the water for some unique views. But the North Shore mountains, like in many parts of Vancouver, steal the show.
Not everyone will feel 100% relaxed at Crab Park, because of the colourful locals who hang out there, though I’ve never had even a hint of a bad or unfriendly experience with any of them.

This tiny hidden park in the downtown eastside is an undiscovered gem for many. With a beach, a large grassy area, a playground, a gazebo, a few walking paths, an expansive dock, benches along the bridge access, and a public washroom that is not disgusting, crab park has all the amenities of a large park without the large crowd. The beach gives great views of North and West Vancouver, the Vancouver port, and Canada place. You can see astoundingly large cruise ships sailing in the Burrard Inlet!
Crab park also occasionally hosts live music and public events. They had a large canada day event with a stage and sound system there.
I’ve been there at night, the crowd can be dangerous but in our case things turned out well. We had a beach party and an illegal «show» using some public outlets for power, and it was a lot of fun! The other park goers even joined in with the party and wanted to know what we were up to next hahaha.
Its a good park for a picnic, or to bring dogs to, or to get a relaxing beach side view of the sunset. To access it by transit, take the 7 to Cordova and Main and walk north until you see the bridge at alexander, OR take the skytrain to waterfront, walk to the sea bus port, down the escalator, and make a right to the small doors. You will find yourself on waterfront st, keep walking East past a few parking lots and youre there! Driving, access is either from the bridge on Main or Canada place downtown.

An unexpectedly cancelled meeting at the convention centre today rendered me a walk through Gastown. By the time I reached the eastern edge at Alibi Room, I was going to turnaround until I saw a sign that said CRAB Park at Portside perched on the light pole at Alexander and Main. I remember reading about this area used to be called luk’luk’i by the Coast Salish peoples so I decided to take a detour see what it was like.
It is a gem off the beaten path. The easiest (perhaps the only) way to get to the park is by the overpass at the north end of Main at Alexander. The overpass is also wheel-​friendly. It has a huge off-​leash area (though not fenced and I don’t still don’t understand how you can have a off-​leash dog area with no fence but I don’t want to digress into civic issues), a foot path along the water and even a beach!
The view is absolutely gorgeous. Although you won’t get a wide span view of downtown as you would from Spanish Bank, the south side of False Creek or Lonsdale Quay, the park renders you proximity to the building. The new Woodwards towers, Harbour Centre, Canada Place, Burrard Inlet and the cranes at the port are right there in front of you. When I was there during the day on a weekday around lunch time, there were only a handful of park visitors: nearby workers taking a lunch time stroll, neighbours walking their canine companions, retirees and those fortunate or unfortunate ones who do not work.
It is a perfect alternative resting spot for a picnic on the weekends if you are riding your bikes but want to avoid Stanley Park crowded with tourists.
I would image the view of downtown at night would be fantastic due to the proximity but I haven’t been there at night. I would probably do a drive by with my car to check out how safe the park is at night before recommending anyone venturing out there on foot for a romantic walk after dinner in Gastown. It is, after all only a few blocks away from the most interesting spot in Vancouver according to Renee Zellweger (so she claimed on Regis and Kelly) — Main & Hastings.