by Sean Orr | Apparently Gregor was Carried away by communism. It’s got to be pretty hard when his so-called “green city” has to fight tooth and nail to put a bike lane on a bridge. Nevertheless, I think someone should start a local Tea Party movement. I heard the mayor doesn’t even have Canadian citizenship. I mean, I’ve never seen his birth certificate, have you?
Two Suicides in Two Days. I think this might have been the very first live tweeted suicide I’ve ever seen. Either way, is this something we should be talking about? Why does mainstream media not? What role does social media play in this? How many are in the DTES? Do I look smarter when I ask a whole bunch of rhetorical questions?
Bartender ordered to wear skirts, high heels takes case to BC Human Rights Tribunal. You applied for a job at the Shark Club. That is all.
Rebecca Belmore Quits Being an Artist. Well, there might be a position open at the Shark Club.
Advocate says new bar sign of rapid gentrification in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Well, they certainly couldn’t have chosen a douchier bunch to run the place than the Adelphia Group.
Rollins on Vancouver. (It’s not a good review)
Weird Pop Vancouver podcast.
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I’m sorry if this is inappropriate but fuck The Charles Bar.
Fuck it in it’s douchy, opportunistic ass.
The Donnely dives co-existed peacefully with our great neighborhood bars like Six Acres, The Diamond, the heather joints, L’abbatoir, etc. Even doing them a favor by drawing away just enough of the touristy/bridge and tunnel crowd leaving the good places for those who knew them. I wish that there was large enough a crowd of industry workers/people in the know to support all of these great businesses but a solid lineup/bar rail of regulars just isn’t enough to support most of them. The Charles Bar could steal a significant portion of the business from gastown eateries/bars and open it up to other 100+(in their case 200+) seat monsters that would be better suited for yaletown or the Granville district. In the very least, if it does manage to be moderately busy it will jack up rent prices for the rest of the neighborhood.
I hope my speculation is the bitter, misguided, too many drinks after work variety but I fear it is not.
I understand the sentiment. Perfectly natural when a neighbourhood is in such obvious flux. It’s just that’s it’s not the first time. Happens everywhere, all the time. It’s not stealing. It’s the way. The Glowbal Group is coming. Earls is coming. So is Cactus. More loft conversions, galleries, Starbucks and probably The Gap. Since you love it so, I’m sure you’re around on weekend evenings. You know they might as well already be here. The end may be nigh for what you appreciate, but it won’t be utterly lost.
I don’t get the hype over The Charles. The only difference I can see between Donnelly’s rooms and Adelphia’s latest is that Donnelly has taken over previously borderline dive bars, painted them all black and stuck a bunch of flat screens up, whereas Adelphia has taken over new space, and built from scratch. (Both Pivo and The Charles) Other than that, the price points are the same, the staff looks the same and the food tastes the same. The Charles serves burgers, tacos and fries, has a long but average beer list, including 4.75 draft. How does this represent over-gentrification?
Did someone close the Cambie down and put in an Earls? Is the Bourbon in danger of becoming the next Cactus Club? Come on, people. This hysterical yelping is silly. What did Mr. Condon think would open in the basement of a building that has 700 sq ft condos selling for 400K?
How is a PUB getting slammed for over-accelerating gentrification, but restaurants with plates in the high twenties and bumping into the thirties, serving cocktails for 11-20 bucks get the nod? This smells like someone has an agenda against Adelphia, and why them and not Donnelly or any of the other guys taking over Gastown’s retail space is beyond me. I get supporting Heather and Brand – they live in the community and are highly respected for their commitment to the neighborhood. But to suggest that the rest are “co-existing peacefully”, as if they don’t care about making money, is just ridiculous. Do I think Donnelly is worried about The Charles Bar? Hell no.
Also ridiculous – thinking that a room like the Charles is going to steal business away from Boneta, the Irish Heather or any of the other eateries in Gastown. It’s a pub. And not a spectacular one. It’s average. Not a bad thing, in my opinion, but when I want to have a cocktail or a meal, I’m heading to my favorite places – the restaurants jm lists above. Do I feel like a quick pint at three in the afternoon? I may go to The Charles – it’s convenient enough.
Has Mr. Condon spoken to the owners of Orling and Wu? Parliament? InForm fer chrissakes? What about all the tourist shops on Water selling mosse dressed up as Mounties? Are they “serving the needs” of the long-term residents? What, pray tell, would “serve the needs”? What should have gone into the space where The Charles Bar is?
I don’t see how The Charles is being any more opportunistic than any business in Gastown. I live in the Woodward’s building, and I love living in Gastown. If you want to know why – go see the quote up in the foyer at the Diamond.
X
I actually agree with you Xtina, I was merely pointing out they sure didn’t do themselves any favours going with that group in terms of the gentrification argument. Andrew and I were talking about this the other day, and I provided a similar counterpoint. The neighbourhood that exists here isn’t going away. It should provide an interesting cross section of class and culture, something missing from the other previously gentrified areas of the city.
I’d like to make it clear that I wasn’t defending the donnely group, just saying that those places brought enough suck to the neighborhood. Andrew, sean and xtina I agree with what you’re saying it’s not the first time and it’s not the end. Perhaps I was being hysterical but for fuck’s sake they have a french fry bar.
That sounds rad. 🙂
Hey Sean,
Isn’t there some kind of code in the media to not cover suicides? I don’t know if it’s true or not but I was under the impression that they keep it hush because of the likelihood of someone else committing suicide after reading about it is pretty significant.
I didn’t hear anything about the woman who was thrown/jumped out of the regent hotel window last wednesday to her death or the jumper on alexander st just before that. Also, there was the guy that stabbed/beat into a coma in front of the bottle depot last monday, never heard about that one in any news.
But then again, I don’t really read the papers so who knows.
I guess I should have actually read the link you were referring to before commenting.