LOL, I love it when people reveal that their idea of "fun" and "culture" boils down to getting drunk.
Granville Street was thriving up till the time a "socially aware" council decided to plunk down a trendy pedestrian mall and kill it off. Look at any photos up to the 1950's-60's.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/entheos_fog/4073959861/
The changes in Vancouver mirror changes in almost any other Western city. Look up photos of London's docklands area or NY's meatpacking district from the same time periods.