Alongside a rich history and gorgeous heritage backdrop, the neighbourhood is a rapidly rejuvenating hub for a host of new and exciting developments. A history of deviant alleys in vancouver by lani russwurm the lost souls of gastown tour meanders through the oldest alleys of gastown. Hogans alley was the local, unofficial name for park lane, an alley that ran through the. As the first downtown core of the city, the neighbourhood has transitioned into a centre of innovation and truly memorable experiences, for locals and tourists alike, while maintaining a strong connection to its history. Exploring gastown, vancouver british columbia travel. Pam 197616 the vancouver centennial museum presents the gastown organ. Nowadays we know gastown as one of the most beautiful and historic neighbourhoods in vancouver. Fifty years after they first faced the wrecking ball, vancouvers historic stanley.
People were friendly and there was a variety of shops and restaurants within just a few blocks. The city of vancouver is proposing a major rehabilitation of blood alley in gastown, with construction beginning in 2018. Gastown in downtown vancouver has always been one of my favourite neighbourhoods in this city. Gastowns hidden architectural secrets and mysteries culture trip. Take a walking tour through the cobblestoned streets and stop along the way to eat, drink, shop and soak up the areas rich history.
The new guide to gastown vancouver, canada youtube. In fact, watching that episode only made me want to go there more. The atmosphere is definitely vintage for vancouver, keeping in mind that vancouver was founded in 1886 and most of its original buildings no longer exist, with exception to most of the buildings in gastown and chinatown. Historic gastown is one of the top 10 places to shop in vancouver, for good reason. I have a hard enough time in regular races what with the camera swinging and my own general incompetence, but at least when i mess up, i can pull back onto the asphalt, boost, and blow up my competition. After it burned down in vancouvers great fire of 1886, it was replaced by a brick fire hall.
Currently, it is a national historic site and a neighbourhood in the northwest. Gastown news newspapers books scholar jstor february 2009 learn how and when to remove this. During high tide, a canoe could be paddled between the two bodies of water. Go to notturno in gastown if youre looking for italian wine.
Gastown, vancouvers original downtown is rich in history, unique shops, restaurants and clubs. Gastown s best shopping recommendations by local experts in vancouver. Gastown chinatown is in the east end of downtown vancouver between the central business area and east van. Storyeum offered up a live, interactive, educational, recreation of british columbias history through special effects, actors and actresses in a 65minute show. Locals called it gastown because the first saloon was started by jack deighton, known as gassy jack because he loved to talk apparently for hours. Blood alley got its name back in the days when most of the shops there belong to butchers in the area. Behind the building is a cobblestoned courtyard, where a hangmans scaffold once stood.
On the burrard inlet end was a landmark called lekleki meaning grove of beautiful trees between todays abbott and carrall streets. Blood covered the wooden planks of the narrow alley. Over the decades, there has been an ebb and flow to its fortunes, brought on by a string of storied events that included the promise in 1871 to extend the canadian pacific railway to b. Gastown neighbourhood guide, most instagrammable places in. Considered vancouvers birthplace and historic heart, gastown is a distinctive, charming and proudly independent district, filled with some of vancouvers very best food, shopping, culture and nightlife. For some reason lack of time visiting salt has eluded me, until a few weeks ago. Not to take anything away from this progressive entrepreneurial pioneer, but the buildings in the area are what were talking about when it comes to history in gastown and the fact that it is possible to inhabit one of these historic buildings, which have been converted into. Created by forbidden vancouvers chief storyteller will woods and based on documented vancouver history the plot weaves through back streets and alleyways to a dramatic finale in the heart of gastowns maple tree square. Media in category gastown the following 102 files are in this category, out of 102 total. Storyeum offered up a live, interactive, educational, recreation of british columbias history through special effects, actors and. After a day of butchering cattle to provide vancouver with the freshest cuts of beef, the butcher would wash the floor flushing bloody runoff onto the planks of what would become known as blood alley. Salt tasting room is a place that i have been wanting to eat at for years. Gastown has some history and its not all about some boozin man called gassy jack. Storyeum was located in the largely touristy area of the gastown neighbourhood of vancouver, british columbia, canada.
Even before giada talked about it on the food network. A historic walking tour of gastown in vancouver smart tips. Vancouver heritage advisory groups reject demolition of two. Gastown found new life as the centre of the citys wholesale produce distribution until the great depression in the 1930s. A brief history of how gastown got to where it is today. Nov 21, 2017 gastown is a retail and commercial district in vancouver, british columbia. Designed for adult audiences, the lost souls of gastown tour is both a walking tour and a theatre piece. Boasting legendary items such as the steam clock, 100 year old lampposts, and the classic triangular shaped hotel europe, gastowns history is one that holds vancouver together. Many are long gone or have relocated while still enabling one to envision vancouvers fascinating history. Visitors guide to historic gastown in downtown vancouver. Truth be told, the history of gastown can be quite scary and sometimes bloody.
Vancouvers oldest neighbourhood, gastown grew from a single tavern founded by john gassy jack deighton back in 1867. As youre about to find out, there is more to gastown than just cobblestones and statues though it has both. Vancouvers oldest neighbourhood, gastown is renowned for its legendary new age feel while still retaining its historic charm. Vancouvers history as a city has its roots in what was a tiny settlement nicknamed gastown. Despite its short history, it draws in people young and old to take a look at its gears and to watch it steam every hour. Lost souls of gastown walking tour tickets on sale now. I have heard of the steam powered clock and it looks so neat. Its one of the first places i take visitors to see.
Vancouver heritage advisory groups reject demolition of. Gastown is one of vancouvers most vibrant and unique areas. The gastown steam clock city of vancouver archives. Its historic brick buildings and cobblestone streets hold many secrets, such as. Drinking in vancouvers historic gastown district bbc.
Today we think of alleys as almost exclusively dedicated to garbage pickup, deliveries, and parking cars. Gastown is more interesting as a cocktailpubhopping and dining destination than a daytime sightseeing destination, in my opinion. Ask any city historian, and youll hear a frustrated sigh over this one. The hastings warehouse, gastown, vancouver urbanspoonzomato. And yet, walking the tree line streets filled with upscale boutiques, unique restaurants and plentiful bars, it is hard to believe that vancouver has its. Take a short walk and check out blood alley gastown. Named after a steamboat captain and barkeeper named gassy jack deighton who opened the first saloon in the area, the area became the site of a sawmill and seaport making it the centre of trade in the area.
Gastownchinatown is in the east end of downtown vancouver between the central business area and east van. Souls of gastown tour meanders through the oldest alleys of gastown. Gastown historic district of national significance. Gastowns origins date to the mid1800s, when it was vancouvers historic centre, an industrial district on the waters edge. The gastown historic area planning committee, at its meeting on december 20, 2000, agreed to request council to forward an official letter to the national historic site committee seeking official national historic site status for. Fifty years ago, two gastown hotels were set to be bulldozed. The first building on this site was built in the mid1800s. Hope to make it back soon and will definitely make note to visit this. Take a short walk and check out blood alley tripadvisor. The gastown historic area planning committee, at its meeting on december 20, 2000, agreed to request council to forward an official letter to the national historic site committee seeking official national historic site status for gastown. The gastown store boasts the largest selection of herschel products in the world including just under 800 backpacks and 1,000 wallets on display, and the space will become a venue for collaborations and exclusive events. Fonds am1519 city of vancouver archives pamphlet collection. There is something uniquely different about this neighbourhood compared to the rest.
Gastown is the birthplace of vancouver, and the two hotels, which are now used to house people on income assistance and the homeless, are representative of the time when the area was an important. Currently, it is a national historic site and a neighbourhood in the northwest end of downtown eastside, adjacent to downtown vancouver. Revitalization of blood alley in gastown on the way urbanyvr. This is one of the earliest photos of gastown, taken in 1886 in maple tree square in the town of granville now called vancouver. A walk into history in gastown vancouver pack me to. It is one of the oldest parts of the city and much of the early architecture and character remains, giving it a different look and feel than the glass and concrete of the rest of downtown. After the depression gastown was a largely forgotten neighbourhood of the larger city and fell into decline and disrepair as a. Gastown is the original settlement that became the core of the creation of vancouver, british columbia, canada. Its precise boundaries are difficult to pin down, but it is roughly bounded by gore st in the east. A history of deviant alleys in vancouver forbidden vancouver. The charming cobblestone streets and architecture will keep you looking up and around to take it all in.
Loved seeing some of its filming locations in the gastown neighborhood. Gastowns best shopping recommendations by local experts in vancouver. In recent decades, gastown has evolved into a haven for stylish locals and funloving tourists, brimming with innovative restaurants, hip cafes, oneofakind boutiques, as well as some of the. Lemongrass house canada is an award winning maker of spa and body care products. The freeway was blocked, and strathcona, chinatown and gastown were saved from the.
As youre about to find out, there is more to gastown than just cobblestones and statues though it. Located in charming gastown, one of a few is a lovely boutique where youll always find something to treat yourself. The story of vancouvers alleys long time home to vice, sin and various. Local coast salish people knew the area that would become gastown as a portage route between burrard inlet and false creek, where carrall street is today.
The town soon prospered as the site of hastings mill sawmill, seaport, and quickly became a general centre of trade and commerce on burrard inlet as well as a. No gastown trip would be complete without seeing the statues fourfaced steampowered clock and hearing its whistle that plays a pretty melody every 15 minutes. With forrest wong, patrick carr, isabelle carrier, miles ellis. Loved my glass of musella valpolicella ripasso which had hints of sweetness.
Jul, 2018 the gastown store boasts the largest selection of herschel products in the world including just under 800 backpacks and 1,000 wallets on display, and the space will become a venue for collaborations and exclusive events. I really love the space its a small narrow room, with dark walls, and wood tables. Gastown is a great area for a stroll during the day or at night. Blood alley square and gaolers mews are evocative names. Drinking in vancouvers historic gastown district gastowns oncedodgy bar scene where cheap beer was served with fistfights is now the citys best, with more than a dozen watering. The neverending story is a favorite movie of mine from childhood. John gassy jack deighton was in 1867 the first settler on the site from which vancouver was to evolve. Home to some of the best highend, independent fashion boutiques in vancouver, gastown is a fashion hotspot as well as the epicenter for vancouver interior design. The existing brick paving and granite blocks were introduced to blood alley also known as trounce alley in the 1970s, as part of the citys gastown beautification project. Good for couples a national historic site brimming with independent shops, cool bars, and trendy restaurants, gastown is a thriving hotspot in the heart of vancouver. The gastown project a special series by the vancouver sun. According to tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience gastown. The gastown project 2011 privacy policy a series by andrea woo, mark yuen and chris parry of the vancouver sun. Currently, it is a national historic site and a neighbourhood in the northwest end of downtown eastside, adjacent to downtown vancouver its historical boundaries were the waterfront now water street and the cpr tracks, columbia street, hastings street, and cambie street, which.
Guide books and tourism websites always include them in their itineraries conjuring visions of brawls and murders, or butchers hacking away at poor beasts, the hangmans noose, and of course ghosts. The name gastown came into use because a fraser river pilot turned saloonkeeper with the name capt. Offering the perfect mix of old and new, vancouvers gastown neighbourhood is home to iconic local landmarks and heritage buildings, as well some of the citys trendiest restaurants, bars, galleries and boutiques. Apr 27, 2015 the neverending story is a favorite movie of mine from childhood. Ive been to vancouver a few times but have never made it to gastown. Sad to hear this place will be closing down and revamping after end of april 2016 so go while you still can. It is bounded by cordova street and the waterfront between richards street and main street. The original gastown settlement formed the nucleus for the city of vancouver and is now a national historic site.
Home to some of the best highend, independent fashion boutiques in vancouver, gastown is a fashion hotspot as. Dec 22, 2012 gastown is more interesting as a cocktailpubhopping and dining destination than a daytime sightseeing destination, in my opinion. Storyeum was a shortlived tourist attraction, located at 142 water street, vancouver. The tour winds through gastown and waterfront station, covering centuries of local history and recounting numerous tall tales and grisly stories, including that of the headless railroad worker. Aug 14, 2016 the city of vancouver is proposing a major rehabilitation of blood alley in gastown, with construction beginning in 2018.