
In our breakdown of Vancouver’s neighbourhoods, we count Main Street as a north-south linear amalgam of Mount Pleasant/Riley Park/Little Mountain, a contiguous high street entity (including 2-3 residential and industrial blocks on its east-west peripheries) from Prior St. all the way to 41st Ave. It boasts beautiful parks both small and large, a dizzying variety of retail shops (many of them used/vintage), a handful of art galleries, a torrent of new breweries, good record stores, a litter of interesting independent restaurants that run the cuisine gamut (including 24hr fried chicken), quality cafes/hangouts, legendary live music venues, bingo games, a happening legion, and even a farmer’s market. Known as much for its cool factor as for its diversity and down to earth accessibility, Main Street – in our estimation of its modern borders – is as honest a cross-sectioned representation of Vancouver’s cultural promise as you’ll find.



Neighbourhood colour palettes change over time, but right now we’re seeing (left to right): City Centre Motor Hotel quad-colour; exterior of the new Fox Cabaret; red signage of Pizzeria Farina; pool table felt in the Ivanhoe Pub; the polished concrete floor at Gene; 49th Parallel Coffee turquoise; takeaway box from Lucky’s Doughnuts; neon blue exterior signage at The Cascade Room; beer battered halloumi at The Acorn; “Fall Back” session stout at Brassneck Brwery; Red Truck Brewery’s red truck; the facing stones of Heritage Hall.

COMMUNITY EVENTS AT HISTORIC HERITAGE HALL
STILL OPERABLE PUBLIC TELEPHONE BOOTHS (MIRACULOUS)
THE YEAR-ROUND SIDEWALK PATIO AT JJ BEAN
WHISPERED REMINDERS OF LONG GONE BREWERY CREEK
THE COOL STORY OF DEPENCIER HOUSE
HAIRCUTS AT THE BELMONT
THE ALWAYS INTERESTING VANCOUVER SPECIAL
GIGS AT THE BILTMORE AND THE FOX CABARET
A DOZEN VINTAGE CLOTHING SHOPS OF VARYING DEGREES OF WORTHINESS
FRESH PRODUCE (AND SAUSAGES) AT THE MAIN STREET STATION FARMER’S MARKET
THE ICONIC LEE BUILDING
AN EXCELLENT SELECTION OF KNIVES AND CHEF TOOLS AT KNIFEWEAR
GAMES OF POOL AT GUYS & DOLLS
CAREFULLY CURATED VINYL COLLECTIONS AT RED CAT AND DANDELION EMPORIUM
GAMES OF BAR RULES POOL AT THE IVANHOE
STACKS OF GOOD, REASONABLY PRICED BOOKS AT PULP FICTION
THE CULTURAL DELIGHT THAT IS THE WESTERN FRONT
THE INTANGIBLY EXCELLENT HASTY MARKET
VINTAGE MS. PACMAN AT ANTISOCIAL SKATEBOARD SHOP
PEOPLE WATCHING AT 49TH PARALLEL COFFEE ROASTERS

– Main Street was formerly known as Westminster Avenue. Local merchants requested a change in 1910 to help establish a commercial, cosmopolitan character.
– The area of Mount Pleasant attracted several breweries from 1888 to 1912, many of which used water from the local creeks.
– The Lee Building at Main and Broadway was the first skyscraper outside of Vancouver’s downtown core.
– Mount Pleasant takes its name from the Irish birthplace of the wife of H.V. Edmonds, a New Westminster municipal clerk with extensive property titles in the area.
– The Main and Broadway area is recognized as Vancouver’s first suburb, which developed following the nearby construction of the Kingsway and Main Street intersection in the 1890s.

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Main St. alley get together
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Elizabeth from Dock Lunch, chatting with a customer
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Outside Vancouver Special
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Main Street construction
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Scored a Dirty Burger at @campupstairs last night (pictured with @brassneckbrew). Get in early cuz they sell out fast!
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Hank and Dank, sidewalk stencil off Main
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Livable Laneways | Main Street
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Tight branding | Main Street Brewing
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Erica of Earnest Ice Cream at the Main St. Farmers Market
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33 Acres Tasting Flight
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Sayuri packing away gyoza for staff meal at Chicha
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Lady on Main Street
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Brassneck Co-founders: Nigel Springthorpe & Conrad Gmoser
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Yaaar...
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Lifetime Collective Little Mountain Workshop | Main Street
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Beta5 chocolate trio
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Taking the paper off the windows | Elysian Coffee | Mount Pleasant
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When Gene was Fei Bing for a day...
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Main Street Car Free Day June 2009 039
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Le Marché St George
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Main & Prior
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Charlie's Italian
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Burdock & Co.
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A Selection of Lucky's Doughnuts
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Le Marché St George
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Scott Swanson, Taylor Burnham, Ryan Reed, Matthew van Dinther.
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Still Life
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Don't Argue Pizza
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Main Street Car Free Day
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We miss you, chef
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Main Street Thrift Rack
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Acorn Owner, Shira Blustein and Chef de Cuisine, Rob Clarke
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Main Street Car Free Day
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In the roastery | Elysian Coffee | Mount Pleasant
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Nigel pours at Brassneck
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Nuba - 3rd & Main
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Heritage Hall, Main Street
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Campagnolo (Opening Night)
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Main St. Exterior | The Fox Cabaret
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33 Acres Ceramic Growler
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Chicha team enjoying a staff meal
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Helen's Grill
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Ham, Tomato and arugula on a fresh biscuit with a side of summer garden soup | Dock Lunch
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Marché St. George Spring Dinner
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Hasty Market
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Main St. Farmers Market
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Nomad
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Main Street Market
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Chicha
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At The Farmers Market, Main Street
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City Centre Motel
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Acorn construction as seen from the kitchen pass
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Neptoon Records on Main Street
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Aurora Bistro's old bones
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Rumpus Room Flamingos (RIP)
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Main Street Light
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Don't Argue Pizza
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Main Street Mural
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Sunshine on Main Street
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Juice Truck Boys (Zach and Ryan)
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Burdock & Co.
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Main Street
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Main Street ©Scout
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Cafe Nuba on 3rd at Main
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Nick Devine of The Cascade Room
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Pizzeria Farina | Excellent pizza | 915 Main St. | Strathcona
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Campagnolo | Great pizzas, pastas, and signature crispy ceci salad | 1020 Main | Strathcona
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Burdock & Co.
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Main Street Rainbow
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Main Street Development
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Don't Argue Pizza on Main Street
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Mount Pleasant Clock
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Interior, Gene Coffee
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Lucky’s Doughnuts
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Antisocial | Main Street
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Punk Rock Main Street
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Rob Clark + Mike McDermid | Fish Market
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Main alleyway
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Main Street reading girl
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Long's Noodle House
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Main Street - Regional Assembly of Text ©Scout 2009
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The Cobalt Motor Hotel
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Zipang Provisions, Main Street
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33 Acres Waffle Brunch
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33 Acres Bestie Plate
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Backside lipslide on Main St.
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On a Main Street corner
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Main Street Window
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Main St. blooms
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Main Street Car Free Day
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Beer Break in back of The Fish Counter / Construction
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Helens Diner
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Zipang Provisions
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Lifetime Collective Little Mountain Workshop | Main Street
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Lucky's | EAST SIDE
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Sam at Livable Laneways, Main Street
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Sugo Sauce table at Livable Laneways
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