A Brief History of Granville Street

[@nan2yvr804]

Wish all those neon signs still existed

[@Observations67]

Well done! Great editing!

[@stickynorth]

Battery trams running down Granville and the reopening of the Movie Palaces is what I'd love to see.... Vancouver is Hollywood North and the street should reflect this!

[@househistorian]

Well done! Nice to see Anthony after all these years.

[@niomidelain6526]

I enjoy the wonderful memories growing up the back streets of Vancouver, new every nook and cranny, Cedar Cottage, Grandview, was my neighbourhood. Is there any pictures of the old Denman auditorium? My grandfather built that building. Thank you.

[@classicrockcafe]

I am more interested in, Douglas Road, which used to run through Vancouver as shown on that early road map on your video. I understand it extended to Stamp's Mill at one time.

[@aarondietrich102]

By 1912 according to the fire map the Hastings Townsite area was all gridded already, no sign of Douglas Road. The City of Burnaby says it was realigned to meet Grandview Highway in 1926 (becoming current Canada Way in 1967). The 1912 map does show a southward curve in 1st Ave at Boundary with a streetcar line and a note saying "To New West" so I'm guessing that may have been the connection to Douglas Road at that time?

[@ytpremium6294]

this is so nice

[@Ranbir604]

Narrator doesn't even have a westcoast accent

[@JJ-eu3fl]

R Hineman HES A FRAUD

[@stewartmanson8992]

R Hineman I found it hard to focus because of the way he was pronouncing Granville

[@Solar55]

Stopped watching because of the nasally "Gran - Ville" !

[@ouagadougou62]

Lots of good memories from that street. The neon signs were incredible. Is the Cecil Hotel still there?

[@stonks1059]

The Cecil is gone. Replaced by a condo tower.

[@lifeisharditsharderifyoure6822]

No more the neon signs, we the people going green, I mean back to the dark ages. Why those people of green ideology don't live in the dugout as an example to the public

[@markosabo]

great video!

[@davepubliday6410]

How the heck did you miss the “almost pedestrianization” effort of Granville in the70s which ironically made it bus-only which indelibly set it’s vibe to this day?

[@andrewjensen8189]

Ayo where'd you get that paper stop motion film from? I made one of those at the planetarium when I was in elementary school

[@caffeinedriven1588]

Informative and entertaining. Nice video

[@pattigee1]

At one time was a classy street with the Bay and Birks, West Georgia to the Art Gallery and Hotel Vancouver, and a wonderful view of the North Shore mountains.

[@s.n.7990]

So many homeless there, and the smell of urine.

[@s.n.7990]

@Zk AY I am living in the Westend area downtown for over 5 years, close to Nelson-Denman. It is impossible to walk in Granville street and not smell it. Homelessness is a serious issue here, no one can deny it (not saying that homeless ppl are bad or something, they are victims of property pricing).

[@scarletta.w8721]

😂

[@shdj1200]

Everyone on here complaining about the smell of urine is new to the area. Pre 2010 You could smell it from East Van

[@auyn57]

@sebastian Sm Right, because they are "disappeared"

[@euminkong]

@sebastian Sm the saddest part is there is ruined communal garden.

[@blizzy6392]

Granville Mall, along with the Pacific Centre mall, killed the once vibrant Granville Street. And the clown who made it his crusade to eliminate the “tacky” neon signage didn’t help either…

[@garym444]

Fascinating

[@classicrockcafe]

0:52 Gas Town was originally a two word name. I have seen that on other old documents.

[@TheBCSandman]

old loggers stayed at the st hellens hotel till they were broke then back to the bush

[@glen6945]

TRUE

[@tamistone2632]

In 1967 I took a school trip to Wallace Neon in Vancouver where all those signs were made. At the time they boasted Vancouver had the most neon signs in North America. These signs were works of art and the largest freestanding sign in the world (at the time) was the Bowmac sign of the Bowmac car dealer on west Broadway. For more history on Vancouver’s neon signs... www.vancouversun.com/touch/bright+lights+city+remembering+vancouver+neon+glory/2221273/story.html

[@mr.2cents.846]

I walk this street almost every day.

[@normamimosa5991]

Wow! Is that white-haired guy out of touch. Granville Street today, after closing it to traffic: Stench of marijuana; hoodies; rotting leaves; drug addicts shooting up; needles; beggars and their dogs, cats and rats; trash; human refuse and juices; street sleepers; tents; umbrella shelters; Roxy Siesta Rooms with thread-bare filthy curtains; night venues; boarded up buildings; graffiti; pigeons; crows; and rain.

[@lessears1]

It's a fraternity party. Trust Me. Even if You cross the street, You won't get pulled back. This is an overrated gross out HOT SPOT. Staying away from Granville at night. Even during the day It's kinda FKD. Forget Hastings until You All have contributed to the problems. This place is still available for help. Sometimes these CATZ only are awake for a meal and uncomfortable sleep. Walk by very fucking often. Can't help but think the entowering only deserve this. BROTHERS! HOLD ON!!!

[@glen6945]

now gran ville street is skid row

[@MNeathway]

Glenn parent Huh? Which block?

[@chadiotreetrunk]

lol wut are u even talking about

[@mrburns2101]

Excellent.

[@classicrockcafe]

Speaking of the shot on 0:52, what was, "Alhhmbra?"

[@p4p3rm4t3]

Was interested in this question so I did some digging for you with my google-fu. "The Alhambra Hotel sits on the corner where Jack Deighton rebuilt his saloon..."

[@canman5060]

Is it true that Vancouver was once called Granville before taking its name Vancouver ?

[@classicrockcafe]

+Lar M I prefer Granville over Vancouver. Because the one in Washington was named that first. But I think the wrong street was named, "Granville." Main Street should have been called Granville because it leads to the old Gastown / Granville area.

[@canman5060]

+classicrockcafe Make a lot of sense. Thank you.

[@classicrockcafe]

Before the term, Greater Vancouver was used, the area was known as, New Westminster District. I recently reawakened that on a Facebook, page.

[@canman5060]

We can see how British it was in the old days in Vancouver.

[@ostapbendervan7874]

00 48 it not say granville to Vancouver Maybe u heard it right Here Not Gynecologist Sauna Binary post A weekly Prostate exam Hermaphrodite queen bee Porn twink club U heard it right here.48 seconds

[@spenjor]

Capital 6 was the place to see movies in the late 70-early 80s. You’d be offered an opportunity to buy acid shrooms bennies by muffled passerbyers

[@eggshen27]

What about the left over abondoned buildings from the Tartarian Empire? How would early settlers be able to build any of those? No construction pictures? Hmmm

[@TheWolfsnack]

I recall back when they were digging the street up for the ill conceived Granville "Mall"...one of the local FM stations...I think CKLG/CFOX did a great story on some strange creature being dug up. It ranks right up there with the story they did on a child suffering from lycanthropy....which was hilarious...especially the people who called in upset about how the child's "rare disease" was being covered.

[@someyoungbrokedude1159]

lol I worked at the adult store at 3:48 for a year in 2012

[@UntoldRelic]

I lived on that street for a good chunk of my teens and twenties. The Austin, Regal, St. Helen's, Siesta. Even The Cecil way back when it was called Hotel California. Good times until the meth hit in the mid 90's. Then it all turned to shit. Well, smellier shit, anyways.

[@wuquanchi]

Unfortunately, I am trying to avoid passing through the Granville street. St. by itself attractive but not with the people. Sounds stupid I know but you don't want to smell that thing into your lungs. My biggest fear is downtown going to be Seattle in 10 years, maybe less.

[@sahilp70248]

wish that freeway actually existed

[@funnyhandle]

the city would be ruined like countless american cities that build freeways. look it up. freeways kill cities.

[@funnyhandle]

@sebastian Sm ah yes, "road insurance". shut your ignorant face idiot.

[@richardpacino8926]

You are nuts. It would destroy downtown

[@sahilp70248]

@@richardpacino8926 it may. However, it's better than it taking over an hour to get to downtown from the suburbs like Surrey/Coquitlam

[@richardpacino8926]

@@sahilp70248 obviously you dont care Vancouver downtown to turn into boring city soulless concrete jungle like most of mind numbing American downtowns

[@auyn57]

Oh man, I really do miss the ol'Vancouverite's cynical exchange.

[@thomasbeirne6078]

I wish I knew Tiffany 6'2 years ago when I lived for several years likely in one of the 13 hotels mentioned .Tiffany is the one lady who if I marry we will likely both make it to 100 years of age .

[@mrbrainbob5320]

The buildings look very American

[@mrbrainbob5320]

@@cidv7447 nope they look American

[@mrbrainbob5320]

@@cidv7447 also huh? Why so triggered

[@funnyhandle]

@@mrbrainbob5320 we can tell you're an intelligent person with a strong understanding of architectural history lol

[@mrbrainbob5320]

@@funnyhandle well facts are facts the buildings do look American probably are as Canada does copy America in almost everything like art, music, film, fashion, food, style even accent. So Canada copying American architecture is not so surprising. Even Canadian suburban homes are just cheap American knockoffs.

[@funnyhandle]

@@mrbrainbob5320 they developed concurrently squid brains lmao

[@ostapbendervan7874]

K

[@sonnyblack0870]

They really messed up not building those freeways, that was definitely a missed opportunity.

[@richardpacino8926]

You are joking right? Highways decimated and gutted so many downtowns of North American cities. It was one of the disasters of 20th century.

[@sonnyblack0870]

@@richardpacino8926 I’m not joking... How were highways the disaster of the 20th century? They allow for free and efficient travel for the people of highly populated areas. There’s a reason why Vancouver ranks 3rd in North America behind LA & Mexico City for worst traffic congestion despite having 5-8x less people than them. Not only that but Vancouver could also benefit from better bridges and tunnels. A proper highway allows for more efficient commerce, especially with large commercial vehicles and public transit. It’s also beneficial to the environment since you use less fuel on the hwy than you do in areas where you have to slow down and speed up constantly.

[@richardpacino8926]

@@sonnyblack0870 You can google how Vancouver downtown was saved in the 70ties from monstrous highway which would completely leveled multiple historic districts, the little history and charm Vancouver had left. Not only that, there is lots of articles how freeways turned downtowns of American cities from unique neighborhoods and communities into concrete impersonal ghost towns. It's ok to run highways around cities to connect just like in Europe, not through them. That's why American downtowns are the ugliest most boring city centres in the world.

[@sonnyblack0870]

@@richardpacino8926 First off European cities have worse traffic than NA ones, you don’t wanna use their model, plus they’re incomparable due to their history and archaic layout. Your description of American cities, all due respect, is pretty ridiculous and disconnected from reality. Have you ever travelled abroad in the US? I live in Seattle, I’ve been all across both Canada and the US, and while I love Canada and it would be the only other country I’d want to live in, the cities in Canada are pretty boring and lifeless in comparison to US city centers. In fact the two most vibrant interesting cities in Canada happen to be the two that are the most American in their layout, Toronto and Montreal, both of which have hwys through them. The city of Toronto is way more exciting than Vancouver, and Montreal is unique as it has a cool blend of European & North American style cities; and plus it’s a great party town much like Atlanta and New Orleans.

[@sonnyblack0870]

@@richardpacino8926 Vancouver is a beautiful place but it’s a bland, boring, impersonal city. Not that a hwy would necessarily change that but it does add an element of scale and seriousness to a city. To be fair I looked up the freeway plans for Van in the 70’s and you’re right, they’re a little overbearing, but I have fam in Van so I go there a lot and the traffic is just stupid because of poor city planning. The bridges are too small, speed limits are too slow, and they cut off the freeways way too far out of the city. Vancouver would have little traffic issues if they had a highway from the airport up Granville St to the Granville bridge, ending short of the downtown core. Also extending hwy 1 over existing 1st street to the georgia st bridge ending before the downtown core; I’d even argue thru downtown along Georgia st and Stanley Park to the Lions bridge (which at the very least should be 4 lanes and ideally 6), over the bridge and back up to hwy 1 via Capilano, but I know any infrastructure discussions regarding Stanley Park is sacrilegious in Vancouver lol. Thing is too, and we do this in many of our cities, you can always bury the freeway as it goes thru the downtown core, obviously at a greater cost but this solves a lot of the intrusive issues regarding a highway.

[@piakhaira]

why does this remind me of vox