Nominations are now open for the 30th annual Best of Vancouver awards

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Get the best of Vancouver in your inbox, every Tuesday and Thursday. Sign up for our free newsletter. In 1996, the Georgia Straight decided to do something simple: find out what our readers' favourite parts of Vancouver were.

In those days, before the widespread adoption of the internet, the only way to gather that data was to have readers painstakingly fill in physical forms that they then had to mail back to us. Fast forward 30 years, and things are different. No longer do we have to painstakingly decipher handwriting, clutter up desks with stacks of forms, and rely on Canada Post to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Instead, you can cast your votes in a handy form, accessible here and embedded on the page below. In the first round of nominations, which runs until 11 p.m. on July 26, your job is to write in your picks for the best of the bunch. From bookstores to bike shops to B.C. getaways, we want to know your top picks.

There are 77 categories this year over four main sections: - Arts & Entertainment: The stuff that makes Vancouver fun - Community: West Coast essentials like beaches, buses, and do-gooders - Shop: Where to do your purchasing and perusing - Wellness: The places that help you feel your best After we've crunched the numbers and determined the finalists, voting will be open for two weeks, from August 10 to 23. Remember: if you want to vote for something in the final, it has to be nominated. So get writing in, and for the Best of Vancouver's pearl anniversary celebration, tell us about the pearls of Vancouver.