Olympic Village & Southeast False Creek Updates Discussion

[easy as pie]

problem is obviously that the absurd music that those meat-heads rock out to would be offensive to virtually anyone intelligent enough to earn the money necessary to live in the hood.

[Metro-One]

Nice work on the London Drugs!

[duener]

Originally Posted by easy as pie

problem is obviously that the absurd music that those meat-heads rock out to would be offensive to virtually anyone intelligent enough to earn the money necessary to live in the hood.

I didn't notice the lack of music when I visited that patio back in July. There was enough buzz from people chatting.

But I did notice a few pubs in downtown played Nirvana and other 90s rock. I couldn't believe it. It's 2012... leave Abba, Bee Gees, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, classic rock for retro night.

Anyway, that would ruin that patio if they blared rock songs from 20 years ago.

[Jimbo604]

The "West" development has started demolishing another building on their site at W 2nd Ave between Columbia St and Manitoba St.



The above building from the alley. From here you can see it is already half demolished.



Over at the Meccanica development (E 1st Ave between Quebec St and Main St) demolition has also started. One building has already been demolished to the west of this one. This one is currently being demolished. And the building to the east of this is being prepped for demolition.



View from the alley.






Auto shop between and the new social housing tower on Main St has closed up and moved to New Westminster.

Photo Credit: me

Google Street View of how the site was before demolition started

[Jimbo604]

Olympic Village sheds ghost town vibe (with video) September 2, 2012
link - Vancouver Sun Article

"... In February 2011, the Village was relaunched and rebranded by Rennie Marketing with new show homes, a name change and price reductions that averaged 30 per less than those that were in place in 2010.

Condo marketer Bob Rennie said more homeowners have been buying the units in the last few months, rather than those seeking investment opportunities.

He said as a result there are a lot more young families with children moving in, breathing new life into the place.

"We have a lot of first-time buyers and empty nesters," he said. "It's people who don't want to live downtown and like that it's not a car dependent community ... It takes 18 minutes to walk to Granville Island.

Of the 737 units in the Village, only 186 are left, said Rennie. He noted that as of Saturday, they had sold 26 units, ranging from $395,000 to $3 million, since July.

He speculated that the rest of the units will be sold by the end of next year. ..."

[djh]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Olympic Village sheds ghost town vibe (with video) September 2, 2012
link - Vancouver Sun Article

"It's people who don't want to live downtown and like that it's not a car dependent community ... It takes 18 minutes to walk to Granville Island.

..."

Pffft...or double that, maybe:
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Walte...a&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=15&t=m&z=15


It's when salespeople like this stretch the truth to win you over that every rational person stops trusting *any* thing they say, even when they are speaking the truth (see my other post about the exaggerated renderings of buildings)

[osirisboy]

as a Realtor, I couldnt agree more with you. one of the reasons I hate the whole industry is its filled with such bullshit!

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by djh

Pffft...or double that, maybe:
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Walte...a&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=15&t=m&z=15


It's when salespeople like this stretch the truth to win you over that every rational person stops trusting *any* thing they say, even when they are speaking the truth (see my other post about the exaggerated renderings of buildings)

From Olympic Village Station, it's about 18 minutes... Of course, Olympic village station is 15 minutes from the edge of the Olympic village.

It sounds like typical Rennie Marketing Systems spin.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

From Olympic Village Station, it's about 18 minutes... Of course, Olympic village station is 15 minutes from the edge of the Olympic village.

It sounds like typical Rennie Marketing Systems spin.

When it comes to stuff like this, yes they are lying but do your own research, it's not hard.

18 mins including water taxi maybe.

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

From Olympic Village Station, it's about 18 minutes... Of course, Olympic village station is 15 minutes from the edge of the Olympic village.

It sounds like typical Rennie Marketing Systems spin.

Not to be an apologist, but sad fact is that the realtors are doing their job. They're closing sales by doing whatever is necessary. If that means creating a fiction, so be it, that's what they're paid to do. Alas, the reporters who repeat these lies by failing to fact-check are absolutely not doing their jobs.

That said, it's like a 5 minute bike ride.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by Porfiry

Not to be an apologist, but sad fact is that the realtors are doing their job. They're closing sales by doing whatever is necessary. If that means creating a fiction, so be it, that's what they're paid to do.

My favorite is, everything west of Granville is Coal Harbour and everything east of Granville is Yaletown.


Other personal favorite in "fantasy marketing" was the Concord building on Water St next to the No5 Orange bar.
Sold out right away to foreign buyers thinking it was in Yaletown?, now there are homeless sleeping by the front entrance with graffiti being cleaned on a daily basis... surpise.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Porfiry

Not to be an apologist, but sad fact is that the realtors are doing their job. They're closing sales by doing whatever is necessary. If that means creating a fiction, so be it, that's what they're paid to do. Alas, the reporters who repeat these lies by failing to fact-check are absolutely not doing their jobs.

That said, it's like a 5 minute bike ride.

Actually misrepresenting facts to close a contract is illegal and can not only void the contract but result in civil and in some cases criminal legal action.

So no they aren't doing their jobs, at least not any more than a fraudulent banker or crooked cop.

[VanK]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

From Olympic Village Station, it's about 18 minutes... Of course, Olympic village station is 15 minutes from the edge of the Olympic village.

It sounds like typical Rennie Marketing Systems spin.

I actually timed the walk from the edge of Olympic Village to the Olympic Village Station (Cambie) a couple of times recently and it took me exactly 10 minutes.

Yesterday I also timed the walk from Beatty & Robson (BC Place) to the new London Drugs Olympic Village (going east around Science World) at it took me 20 minutes..

of course everyone's pace is different. 18 minutes is probably a bit of a stretch to Granville Island.. but the point is the location is pretty convenient. You can walk to either skytrain line in 10 mins or less.

[wrenegade]

The tower portion at Cressey's James building is complete and move-ins have begun (I take possession of my unit in ~2 weeks). The podium section is due to be complete in early October.

[bc2mb]

actually you obviously don't live in the hood. while the area is definitely a bit rough, that's hardly true. there are homeless people everywhere, including in the alleys of yaletown. as for graffiti, I live in the building and am on strata and we very rarely clean any graffiti off the building, because it doesn't happen often.

I'm not denying that concord was a bit misleading with the marketing, but the area is hardly as bad as you would believe. typical vancouver attitude.

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Other personal favorite in "fantasy marketing" was the Concord building on Water St next to the No5 Orange bar.
Sold out right away to foreign buyers thinking it was in Yaletown?, now there are homeless sleeping by the front entrance with graffiti being cleaned on a daily basis... surpise.

[bc2mb]

I should also add I have been there since the building opened.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by bc2mb

I'm not denying that concord was a bit misleading with the marketing, but the area is hardly as bad as you would believe. typical vancouver attitude.

Not really, just the truth.
The DTES is one of the worst ghettos in North America, your building is one block from ground zero. Denial wont solve the problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside

[Sir Conga]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Not really, just the truth.
The DTES is one of the worst ghettos in North America, your building is one block from ground zero. Denial wont solve the problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside

The guy lives there, and your argument is a wiki?

I haven't toured the "ghettos" of North America, but there is no way the DTES is of the worst. I wouldn't really even call it a ghetto anyways; it's more a skid row.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Sir Conga

The guy lives there, and your argument is a wiki?

I haven't toured the "ghettos" of North America, but there is no way the DTES is of the worst. I wouldn't really even call it a ghetto anyways; it's more a skid row.

I live in Yaletown, and I walk to gastown and the DTES area to visit friends, etc. There's an enormous difference. Especially around the property that is the subject of this discussion. Thinking any different is massive denial.

There's the odd homeless person around Yaletown, fishing around in a dumpster, but there are dozens of drug addled people on any one block in the DTES.

[Pinion]

The "bad" parts of the DTES are shrinking, from what I've seen. The addicts are still there, but they are dominating fewer and fewer blocks.

I worked at Alexander and Main for over a year and it was totally fine. The office building there doesn't even lock its door or elevator during the day.