Downtown Vancouver Updates

[mathew]

Originally Posted by vanhattan

Wow. I Love the strong opinions here and especially yours. I do however think you are quite harsh with your "Yaletown-style disaster" comment. I don't love everything about YT, but it is quite far from a disaster. Until I see something better come along in this town, it will remain one of my favorite neighborhoods.

I understand the implication of Yaletown disaster – for example as an example of intelligent urban planning, it is successful. Yaletown, however, has the same frontier feel and not-quite-urban deserted feel of Calgary's 7th Ave. Sure, there are boutique shops and some amenities, but no real colour, vibrancy or texture.

On Gastown, for example – "IT restaurants"? Do you mean Flux Bistro which has inkjet printed menus, $28 entrées and has the look and feel of a restaurant straight out of downtown Regina? I mean c'mon the only decent resto in Gastown is Guu and there are 3-4-5-6 other Guus all up the street. Cobre, Boneta, these seem poorly executed and slighty off-colour – like pulled off by MBA grads who think they can buy taste.

[jjjb]

I liked that mexican place by Livestock - here, now I get to use this icon

Guu is better when it's called Zakkushi IMO, and you're right about Flux, like what, the, f... it's got this small-town thing that makes those bad-joke nu-jazz ByWard Market restaurants almost worth the 120 bucks. The most conceptual spot Gastown has right now is that brand new pub that's cleverly themed after a Sony Store.

The thing is as harsh as I am about those establishments/phenomena, I like that stuff being around, even when the stretch SUVs are running my dogs over on Friday nights. I just think that in between the weekly hate crimes from the line-up at Blarney Stone and the constant aggravation of some of the more tenacious homeless (the rest of them are actually some of the nicest people in the neighbourhood) those of us who love living here should be able to achieve simple things like finding fresh produce or healthy/non-asian groceries after 6pm, or find a place to eat an honest-to-goodness meal or to just hang out in the evenings (a café would be nice). It's really about balance and we have a great opportunity to have it. Or maybe I'm just being idealistic.

Seriously though, I think discussion about Gastown is worthy of its own thread. Shall we?

[Jacques]

having live in Gastown for almost five years, I admit restaurant wise, it has become a bit pricey for my wallet, there used to be more affordable small eatery, mama papa store now its like stated IE: Jules then Salt when there paid a fortune for what is called charcuterie my butt, I'm French then me and my guess ended up stuffing ourselves in Chinatown afterword because we were famished.
I live very close to the Modern and Chill Winston, I tell you the attitude of the staff and brown nose are prevalent trying and succeeding very well at luring in yuppies or the youth with more money they do not know how to manage, and the disturbance has made the residential area close by a living hell with all the hooligans strutting their wares tits and drunken stupor, not to mention the urine smell at the lobby, that is not caused by the junkies nor the drug addicts, but those who care more about money then respecting the neighbourhood thanks to the Donnelly group, now until there a murder at the Modern case in point peace has gone out the door and the sleepless nights are now common state of being, we bought here because five years ago it was quiet, sadly not anymore due to the city bylaws on having one building still holding a liquor license, valid in a residential area
so much for diversity

[jjjb]

You're making excellent points about the bridge-and-seabus crowd treating this place like it's Tijuana or Hull in the 80s, and completely disregarding the neighbourhood just because they see it as just a dump. I don't actually really leave the house so much on weekend nights anymore because if it's not me getting harassed by the jocks, it's the homeless getting ridiculed, taunted and tortured by them.

I also deplore the imminent demise of such institutions as Army and Navy, and Saveon, which are all perfectly serviceable local businesses that don't get patronized because they "probably have homeless germs on them". That said, until the Wwds supermarket is here, if ONE of those Carrall street grocery stores could carry more produce that would be technically all you'd need.

[Jacques]

The big thing with Gastown is that every city in Canada has some heritage-y neighbourhood that got re-cobblestoned and filled with tourist traps and condos, and a lot of nothing in between. None of those really had the kind of "cleaning up" to do that acts as the impetus for the social housing going up in Wwds etc. Like it or not, there's gonna be diversity (think social classes) there FOREVER, and I think we have a chance to do something very meaningful with the neighbourhood if it doesn't end up being another bland, half-ashed, washed-up, nouveau-riche, Yaletown-style disaster.


AS far as your statement goes I agree with most part, except the part about Yaletown, they have managed to still attract the likes of me a resident of Gastown at least once a week to shop and stroll around, because if you look at my neighbourhood there is nothing, International Plaza is more like Chinese and homeless Plaza, no decent food store if you tell me T&T well try reading Japanese, or Mandarin, or Taiwanese from their products in the aisles, I couldn't buy anything except maybe the bread and fruits and vegetables, but for that I go to Sunrise the best like hidden gem of Japan Town and Bread my local grocery corner store has some, as for Yaletown it has my best little pet shop store for what I need, and there is always a nice Blenz coffee shop nearby by.
Also someone mentioned the fear of shopping as SAVE on Meat on Hasting, well let me tell you that despite the fear of many,
they have been there for 75 years and I know some very wealthy friend(s) who swear by it when buying their meat, one of the rare place to get some Brie at half the price as in Granville Island, and the best Cappicoli and organic chicken.
I look forward to a nice food store, but I fear the price gougers from most of big box like IGA, CAPERS are just in for the money and couldn't care less, take Organic spinach 1.49 at Sunrise market and 4.49 the same darn thing at T&T and 5.29 at CHOICES, like anyone who has a mortgage to pay one has to watch every penny, have you read the latest statistic on how it takes over 60% of your budget to own.
The nouveau riche are here and there is nothing but snobs moving in the area, yet the disfranchised will be here to remind each and everyone that one minute who have everything and the next you could be in their shoes, I know I was there once, fall from grace takes courage to climb up again.
and Truly when someone tells me I own my condo, I always ask them is it fully paid, if not then you owe nothing the banks still own you.
Richard Kidd gone now it Fluefogg shoes or something of that sort, a lots of high end furniture stores no one here could fit in their sardine loft and yet they prance around like no tomorrows eating charcuterie at Salt and think they cool.
Will Gastown learn, well it doesn't look like it, even with the social housing around, and the tourists traps of maple syrup and t-shirt it lacks the quietness and serenity that once encompassed this area.
that is my take at this time

[giallo]

It certainly sounds like Gastown is at a crossroad. I rarely went there back in the day; Shine and Sonar were the only reasons, but I always saw so much potential. I, as all of you apparently, am looking forward to seeing what the future of GT holds.

[Jacques]

Maybe its time to get a thread for GASTOWN ????
there still so much to be said and much more to show and share!

[Built Form]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

that one building in gastown is full of gay guys - the gym is like gay church i am sure a gym would do well there

hehe

I find this comment offensive. Be it ethnic or sexual, minorities don't need to be disparaged on here.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Built Form

I find this comment offensive. Be it ethnic or sexual, minorities don't need to be disparaged on here.

sorry its true though - that one building has a high percentage of gay guysif you ever chat on gay.com you will find loads of guys live there

its sort of inside joke among gays - its like stack of fags on burnaby in the west end

[mathew]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

sorry its true though - that one building has a high percentage of gay guysif you ever chat on gay.com you will find loads of guys live there

its sort of inside joke among gays - its like stack of fags on burnaby in the west end

i guess i'm just not gay enough to know... but uh what building is it?

[SpongeG]

i think its the van horn in gastown

i don't know all my friends know it as the gay building

theres a lot of nick nams for building downtown like vaseline tower - cause it reminds people of a bottle of vaseline...

[Built Form]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i think its the van horn in gastown

i don't know all my friends know it as the gay building

theres a lot of nick nams for building downtown like vaseline tower - cause it reminds people of a bottle of vaseline...

lets not let out all of our little secrets, people will know where to find us!

Re: Eco Fitness- I think it will do well since the majority of condo buildings down there are small and have no amenities such as a gym. And lets not forget the sizable population of office workers who will make use of it as well.

[Jacques]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

sorry its true though - that one building has a high percentage of gay guysif you ever chat on gay.com you will find loads of guys live there

its sort of inside joke among gays - its like stack of fags on burnaby in the west end

I would restrain myself from passing such comment, after all, there many of the like of breeders and asexual and perverts and deviants living in this area and at three in the morning many hookers and flying tits for all to see and drunken stupor, so here is diversity.
I have notice gay people around because of that building at 55 west Cordova, but now you say that the Van Horne is a gay haven, we owned a Condo there wish we just sold last fall and after owning for 3 years I never saw what you call a fag, I see many unique individuals, but no gays, Only since the 55 has been converted into condos did I notice because they seemed to have these little puppies like the chinese people have you know the ones like Paris Hilton has.
Be very afraid you know these people are bad people, come on get a grip and be more tolerant
Peace out man
I couldn't care less as long as I am not bothered, but eh I am an old old old old old old old man so I am safe in that manner
laugh a little its all good

[leftside]

Originally Posted by Jacques

there many of the like of ... perverts and deviants living in this area

When I got deported from England, it was the only area they'd let me move to.

[phesto]

Anyone know what they were doing at the Hyatt this weekend? They had that huge mobile crane moving something on/off the roof - I'm guessing they are fixing or replacing part of the HVAC, but as far as I can tell, the hotel is still open.

[Jacques]

Originally Posted by leftside

When I got deported from England, it was the only area they'd let me move to.

I gather we are two alike

[jjjb]

For the WTF file:

[vanman]

Small update:

The Safeway site at Robson & Denman already has a crane up and looks as though work is wrapping up on the u/g parking. It is basically at grade now.
Across the street those small shops that burned down have already been rebuilt. It looks as though the windows are being installed now.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by jjjb

For the WTF file:

Is there anything more pretentious than Yaletown's condo market? I've had a lot of great laughs over the years reading some of these ads.

Keywords:
urban, cosmopolitan, last, lifestyle

[djh]

Originally Posted by vanman

Small update:

The Safeway site at Robson & Denman already has a crane up and looks as though work is wrapping up on the u/g parking. It is basically at grade now.
Across the street those small shops that burned down have already been rebuilt. It looks as though the windows are being installed now.

"Already"? I hope you have your tongue firmly in your cheek...that has got to be the s-l-o-w-e-s-t redevelopment of a corner in the history of Vancouver. Those buildings burned down in, what, 2005? And they've only just be rebuilt? On ROBSON - the "highest rent per square foot, blah blah blah"?