When Vancouver Had Soul: Fred Herzog's "Vancouver Colour"

[Yume-sama]

lol a lot of immediately post war Britain was a "shithole" as you describe.

Clearly we have come a long way, and it is in human nature to long for the "good old days", no matter what generation.

I'm sure there were some cavemen who didn't approve of that new fangled "fire" thing the kids were playing with, and longed for simpler times.

[CameronT120]

Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.
~Franklin P. Adams

[invisibleairwaves]

Wow. It's pretty amazing to see the city my grandparents settled in. I guess you always have to have tradeoffs...you replace a rougher, "grittier" but more vibrant, neon-lit Vancouver with a safer, cleaner, NIMBY-run cultural wasteland of a city. Maybe I'm just romanticizing.

So if east Vancouver was that much of a mess in the 50's, I can't imagine what Surrey must have been like...

[squeezied]

Originally Posted by Phusion

Detroit suburbs are some of the nicest and most affluent in North America. Vancouver's are not.

Wealthy people need to live somewhere. Our's live in the city (and in one of the nicest and affluent suburbs named West Vancouver).

I'm sure if Vancouver had networks of highways and urban decay we would see much nicer suburbs. I'm glad the opposite is true.

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by Phusion

Detroit suburbs are some of the nicest and most affluent in North America. Vancouver's are not.

Really? So the people buying 28 million dollar waterfront homes in the wealthiest municipality in Canada (W Van.), should move to Grosse Point because it is nicer? Interesting idea, though I would have to disagree.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by CameronT120

Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.
~Franklin P. Adams

That is a great quote.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by invisibleairwaves

Wow. It's pretty amazing to see the city my grandparents settled in. I guess you always have to have tradeoffs...you replace a rougher, "grittier" but more vibrant, neon-lit Vancouver with a safer, cleaner, NIMBY-run cultural wasteland of a city. Maybe I'm just romanticizing.

So if east Vancouver was that much of a mess in the 50's, I can't imagine what Surrey must have been like...

Hmm, you should chat with people from that era. There were few places to go, no drinking on Sunday, men and women were seldom allowed to drink in the same places....few restaurants....Even some of my buddies who were out and about in the 1970's, don't have fond memories and feel the city has more going on now. As for Vancouver being a cultural wasterland......YAWN

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destin...ncouver-in-the-Fifties-BC-revisited.html

[MrOilers]

Man, there's some sketchy-looking stuff in that video.

Vancouver has definitely become a cleaner "resort" type of city in the last 20 years, as opposed to the "grimy port" city it once was.

I think that's progress.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Distill3d

When did we change our tone? In the 80's?

Closer to the mid-90s when Yaletown went from dilapidated warehouses and logging yards to condos. I came back to Vancouver in 1987 and it was still very much a small logging town then. Can't speak for the 50s but I have some fond memories of that Vancouver - we have lost something in the transition.

My mom grew up here and said she got verbally harassed by drunks in the DTES when going to church by herself as a kid on Sundays in the 1950s. But the fact that a pre-pubescent girl went through the DTES by herself frequently says a lot about how things have changed. Drunks are hardly model citizens but it wasn't until the 80s when hard drugs became the self-medication of choice that everything really went down the shitter.

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by invisibleairwaves

So if east Vancouver was that much of a mess in the 50's, I can't imagine what Surrey must have been like...

Much, much more rural. Highway 1 wasn't around yet, so the main route out was through New West and over the Pattullo Bridge, and down Fraser Hwy. Yes, there were some tough areas (Bridgeview), but it likely wasn't as "comparatively" bad as it some parts would be considered now, although I think Surrey in general gets a bad rap. There are more nicer areas than there are bad ones.

Originally Posted by Pinion

But the fact that a pre-pubescent girl went through the DTES by herself frequently says a lot about how things have changed. Drunks are hardly model citizens but it wasn't until the 80s when hard drugs became the self-medication of choice that everything really went down the shitter.

No coincidence that this shift on the 80's corresponds roughly with the deinstitutionalization of the majority of people at Riverview. Sad.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by Pinion

Closer to the mid-90s when Yaletown went from dilapidated warehouses and logging yards to condos. I came back to Vancouver in 1987 and it was still very much a small logging town then. Can't speak for the 50s but I have some fond memories of that Vancouver - we have lost something in the transition.

My mom grew up here and said she got verbally harassed by drunks in the DTES when going to church by herself as a kid on Sundays in the 1950s. But the fact that a pre-pubescent girl went through the DTES by herself frequently says a lot about how things have changed. Drunks are hardly model citizens but it wasn't until the 80s when hard drugs became the self-medication of choice that everything really went down the shitter.

I first came here in 1990 and have to say the city is better now. With the exception of the old Robson Street houses that served as stores (I liked them) can't say I miss much else. Unless there were dramatic changes between 1987 and 1990, I don't get it.

Coal Harbour was not there, neither was much of Yaletown. Gastown was worse, the DTES was worse, as was Mount Pleasant and Main Street. Granville Street was an area to be avoided.

[SpongeG]

expo 86 brought a lot of changes - finally alchohol could be served on sundays

prior to that point roberts - people always winder why there was a bar there - and bellingham and blaine did brisk business from people wanting to drink on a sunday and shop

my friends grand mother used to live in new west in the 50-60-70's era - and back than coming to vancouver was a big deal it was like a weekend getaway from new west - now people pop into vancouver for a coffee... back than the cities were very separate and you kinda stuck to your own city which is weird to think about

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by delboy

I first came here in 1990 and have to say the city is better now. With the exception of the old Robson Street houses that served as stores (I liked them) can't say I miss much else. Unless there were dramatic changes between 1987 and 1990, I don't get it.

Coal Harbour was not there, neither was much of Yaletown. Gastown was worse, the DTES was worse, as was Mount Pleasant and Main Street. Granville Street was an area to be avoided.

1994-1995 on granville street was dreadful - we used to go to the underground - gay club - and it was like one of the only places there among the sex shops and corner stores and the roxy it was pretty dire and i don't wanna say scary but not pleasant - there were hookers all over richards and seymour - yaletown wasn't much at all had some billiard halls, more nightclubs

as bland and souless as people paint granville now its a millions times better than it used to be it has street life and people which it lacked for a long time

if you wanted late night eats - there was a place on robson and a place on davie and not much else - oh the dennys on burrard of course - granville didn't have any eating spots really to just hang out at

the downtown was different - the clubs and bars were spread out so there was a lot of packs of club goers walking around from place to place - it kind of gave a different vibe than now

i've read about the 70's and 80's - the gay scene anyway - bars couldn't serve alchohol or something but you could bring in your own and they would serve it to you

things are definately getting better

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by invisibleairwaves

So if east Vancouver was that much of a mess in the 50's, I can't imagine what Surrey must have been like...

FWIW Surrey in the 70's was still largely rural with scattered pockets of development.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by Pinion

I came back to Vancouver in 1987....it was still very much a small logging town...

Your post as quoted has to be the dumbest single sentence I have ever read on this forum-my Best Guess is that you have never been in a small logging town.

[Distill3d]

Originally Posted by delboy

Granville Street was an area to be avoided.

My mom grew up here and had that attitude about Granville for the longest time. She live's in Calgary now and would always sort of cringe when I told her I was going to hang out on Granville. So, I took her down there this summer when she was in town, and she was like "Wow! It's certainly come into its own now, never thought I'd see this happen in my life time!"

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Conrad Yablonski

Your post as quoted has to be the dumbest single sentence I have ever read on this forum-my Best Guess is that you have never been in a small logging town.

Holy hyperbole, Batman.

I live in BC - of course I've been to a "small logging town," by your definition. What qualifies as a town obviously depends on your perspective. I grew up in a city of 4+ million - Vancouver is still small to me.

Thanks for the pointless derail.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

1994-1995 on granville street was dreadful - we used to go to the underground - gay club - and it was like one of the only places there among the sex shops and corner stores and the roxy it was pretty dire and i don't wanna say scary but not pleasant - there were hookers all over richards and seymour - yaletown wasn't much at all had some billiard halls, more nightclubs

as bland and souless as people paint granville now its a millions times better than it used to be it has street life and people which it lacked for a long time

if you wanted late night eats - there was a place on robson and a place on davie and not much else - oh the dennys on burrard of course - granville didn't have any eating spots really to just hang out at

the downtown was different - the clubs and bars were spread out so there was a lot of packs of club goers walking around from place to place - it kind of gave a different vibe than now

i've read about the 70's and 80's - the gay scene anyway - bars couldn't serve alchohol or something but you could bring in your own and they would serve it to you

things are definately getting better

I agree. That's the Vancouver I remember in the early 90's. I moved here from Miami so it was a bit of a shock socially. Late night drinking consisted of the 'special tea' at Tsua Hang on Granville or the same at the Vine Yard. the rose and thorn (now the kingston bar) was about the only pub downtown. Davie steet around thurlow had most of the late night eateries such as Ham Burger Mary's or Dolls and Pennys. And Rocks which is now the Dennys.

I can also remember how you had to order food in most places before you could get a drink and how you couldn't carry a beer across the pub???

I have never been much of a club person but the Roxy, Richards adn Richards, Luv Affair, were the staples as i remember.

For those that somehow think that Vancouver has regressed from a Cultural mecca......well, I'll have some of that cool aid please.

Vancouver has experienced a remarkable turn around since the 20 or so years that I have been here. Way, way more places than before. We're definately not there yet, but give us another 5 - 10 and I think we have a lot of potential.

[whatnext]

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.

[agrant]

Originally Posted by delboy

I agree. That's the Vancouver I remember in the early 90's. I moved here from Miami so it was a bit of a shock socially. Late night drinking consisted of the 'special tea' at Tsua Hang on Granville or the same at the Vine Yard. the rose and thorn (now the kingston bar) was about the only pub downtown. Davie steet around thurlow had most of the late night eateries such as Ham Burger Mary's or Dolls and Pennys. And Rocks which is now the Dennys.

I can also remember how you had to order food in most places before you could get a drink and how you couldn't carry a beer across the pub???

I have never been much of a club person but the Roxy, Richards adn Richards, Luv Affair, were the staples as i remember.

For those that somehow think that Vancouver has regressed from a Cultural mecca......well, I'll have some of that cool aid please.

Vancouver has experienced a remarkable turn around since the 20 or so years that I have been here. Way, way more places than before. We're definately not there yet, but give us another 5 - 10 and I think we have a lot of potential.

I agree, but where is "there"? I don't think there is any end to reforming/changing this city. Once you think we're "there", there will always be someone to replace you that isn't content.