SEEN IN VANCOUVER #335: Pretty Reigned In This Morning’s Snow At Hastings & Main

EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER

The View From Your Window #117:

Reader “V.C.” | BC Place Sunrise | Vancouver, BC | 8:25am |  SHARE YOUR VIEW

We love posting the photographs that reveal the views from our reader’s windows. Whether it’s a back alley in the fall or a sandy beach in high summer, we’re always stoked to see what you see from home, work or while on the road. Some of our all-time favourite reader submissions below… Read more

CITY BRIEFS: On Log Booms, Range Rovers, And Exploring The Fraser River On A Bicycle

by Ellen Johnston | Ask any Vancouverite for directions north, and they’ll point you towards the mountains. Ask them how to get to the water, and they’ll likely give you the same answer too: north – to English Bay, to Burrard Inlet, to the beaches, to False Creek. While there are occasional exceptions, it’s fair to say that that’s how we tend to orient ourselves. Downtown is perched on our northernmost shore, and all the neighbourhoods we love to talk about – Gastown, Yaletown, False Creek, the West End, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Commercial Drive – they are all located in the northern sections of our city. These places are where our heritage is located, where we go out to eat, go to shows, run, bike and shop. This is the Vancouver of postcards, of houseboats and beachfront yoga, of shimmering glass condos and funky coffee shops. As far as many of us are concerned, there is never all that much point in venturing south of King Edward Avenue. And yet, with housing prices on the rise, it’s an inevitability that unless those desirable northern neighbourhoods seriously densify, even the cool kids will have to start moving south.

There’s no reason why they shouldn’t. There’s even a shoreline down there, though we often forget that the Fraser River, so often associated with places like New Westminster and Richmond, runs along our city’s entire southern boundary. That’s why I decided to follow the river myself, and learn what it could tell me about my city, and my own ignorance concerning this oft forgotten southern shoreline. I found that it was a place rich with local history, fantastic maritime views, and an urban fabric that is on the verge of becoming very, very interesting. It’s best seen by bicycle or on foot, since much the shoreline can only be accessed by small paths.

My journey began in Southlands, at the foot of Balaclava Street, where I had heard that there were new developments being built along the water (see my route here). The place where Balaclava meets the Fraser is one of incredible juxtaposition. To the west there lies an old industrial building, and to the east a row of giant new houses. The one nearest is a mansion with a multicar garage, and two new adjoining buildings are being built on the site. Another house had two Range Rovers parked in front. It was quite clear that this development was being styled as a southern equivalent of Point Grey Road or Northwest Marine Drive, though on an even larger scale. And yet it stood across the street from an old industrial building, and just down the road from the site of the Celtic Cannery, one of the Fraser River’s first fish-packing plants, both signs of Vancouver’s fading blue collar past. The irony increased when I saw that the industrial building across from those brand spanking new mansions was the home of Smallworks, one of Vancouver most successful builders of laneway houses. Read more

GOODS: Kitsilano’s Acclaimed “Maenam” Plating Multi-Course Supper For $55 On NYE

West 4th's crticially acclaimed Maenam is located at 1938 West 4th Ave in Kits | 604-730-5579 | www.maenam.ca

The GOODS from Maenam

Vancouver, BC | Venture to Thailand this New Year’s Eve with a four-course menu of Maenam favourites for $55 per person. Chef Angus An will be offering NYE revellers specialty Thai dishes influenced by the best of Southeast Asia. Guests can expect traditional flavours covering the gamut of hot, sour, salty and sweet, with the option of celebratory savvy pairings and pours of grower champagne from sommelier Brooke Delves. Get the menu and details after the jump… Read more

SCOUT CHRISTMAS: 10 Thoughtful, Local & Awesome Presents For Under Twenty Beans

Stumped with not a lot of coin? We’ve got you covered. Clockwise from top left:

1. Farmers Market Membership | Discounts at market, free access to special events | $10
2. “Vancouver” pennant | Civic Pride and retro design all in one | The Found + The Freed | $18
3. Linen ‘Mushroom’ tea towel  | Old tea towels are stinky | Walrus Home | $17
4. Mini Terrarium | Just plain awesome | The Window Community Art Shop | $5
5. Burnt Honey Caramels  | Worth every penny | Beta5 Chocolates | $6
6. Chocolate Chili Chai Tea | Sweet and spicy. So good! | Davids Teas (Fourth Ave ) | $7
7. A Good Read | A well loved second hand book is genius | Pulp Fiction | $15 or less, easy.
8. Concert tickets | Good place to start: Pack AD is playing the Rickshaw on January 28 | $16
9. Bird Calendar | Everyone needs to get sorted for 2012 | Regional Assembly of Text | $17
10. Honest John’s Red | A bottle of local red wine is always a sure bet | Road 13 | $19.90

Behold The “Festival Of Lights” This Holiday Season At The VanDusen Botanical Gardens

VanDusen Botanical Garden’s annual Festival Of Lights opens this Friday, December 9th, and we’re all kinds of stoked for it. Along with Tchaikovsky, Bing Crosby, Dylan Thomas, and repeated viewings of A Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life, nothing gets us more in the mood for Christmas than walking – thickly toqued, well-scarved, heavily coated, and serenaded by a choir – around the magically transformed gardens, hot chocolates in gloved hands. Read more

Fifteen Minutes With George And Park Of Southern Barbecue Palace “Memphis Blues”

Vancouver’s popular Memphis Blues may now be serving all that is delicious and tender in 5 locations (two in the city, two in the burbs, one in Kelowna), but no matter how big it gets, it’s doubtful that we’ll ever think of the Southern Barbecue restaurants as amounting a “chain”. They’re just too good for aspirational veneers or airs. Memphis Blues is what it is, which is as honest and unpretentious an operation as any diner (red in tooth and claw) could possibly hope for. We’ve long suspected the same was true of owners George Siu (above right) and Park Heffelfinger (above left), as further evidenced by their answers to the following questions…

Name the thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating?

George: pork rinds.

Park: ice cream.

Default drink/cocktail of choice?

George: Pimms No.1 with ginger ale and a slice of cucumber.

Your favourite word?

George: “absolutely”.

Park: I can’t use it.

Your least favourite word?

George: “no”.

Park: “can’t”.

Your favourite curse word?

George: fuck.

Park: that’s the one I can’t use.

The character flaw in others that you can’t abide?

George: rudeness.

Park: indecisiveness, I think.

How do you know when you can trust someone?

George: by their actions.

Park: when you’ve broken bread with them.

Read more

Owners Of “This Space” At 243 Union Street Canvassing The Neighbourhood For Ideas

Well here’s an interesting concept happening just down the street from our office…

This Space is a community business project situated at 243 Union Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown/Strathcona neighbourhood. Over the coming months, a series of polls will allow people to vote on the various decisions needed to start a business in This Space. From big decisions such as “What type of business?”, to simpler questions like “What art should design the walls?”, the community will help us decide every aspect of This Space. If you live, work or play near This Space, you can vote on these and other questions. We encourage comments and discussion on all related topics. Every question will be important in building a sustainable business that your community needs. If you have skills, there will be opportunities along the way to work for This Space.

Take a closer look here. Personally, I’m only interested in a restaurant that does nothing but proper risotto in many guises. Please make that happen. Thank you.

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GOODS: Slow Braised & Dry Rubbed Summer Updates From “Big Lou’s Butcher Shop”

Big Lou's Butcher Shop is located at 269 Powell Street in Vancouver, BC | 604-566-9229 | www.biglousbutchershop.com

The GOODS from Big Lou’s

Vancouver, BC | The lazy days of summer have been just the opposite at Big Lou’s Butcher Shop and so, with tons of news to pass along we thought we’d combine a few items into squick update on a few new things that have us excited. Get all the details on our Hunting & Game Butchery Class, our picnic baskets and boxed lunches, and our brand new sandwich after the jump… Read more

DINER: Pies Tested & Ready, Anticipated “Pizzeria Farina” To Open This Wednesday

Pizzeria Farina, the new pizza joint (delivery by bicycle) landing at Main and Prior in Strathcona, will open its doors on Wednesday, August 17th. Here’s the word: “Everything is near completion and [chef] J.C. Poirier and his team are excited to start serving their classic Italian-inspired pizza. The pizzeria will open at 5PM and will close when the dough runs out.” Can’t hardly wait. In the interim, should it be your thing, you can follow them on Twitter and “like” them on Facebook. Don’t mind me if I just sit here drooling at the photo after the jump (look at that crust!)… Read more

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