Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cathedral Place
Cathedral Place
isworthvisitingforanintriguingsculpture,
Navigational Device,
located
in the lobby. The high-rise, built in 1991, replaced a classic art deco building. To placate
opposition to the construction, architects incorporated various art deco elements into its
design and even a copper-colored roof similar to that of the nearby Hotel Vancouver.
Next door to Cathedral Place is the
Hongkong Bank
building, which features a
massive 27-meter (88-foot) aluminum pendulum in the lobby. Next door again, on the
corner of West Georgia and Burrard Streets, is
Christ Church Cathedral.
When built in
1895, it was in the heart of a residential area. Over the ensuing century, it was engulfed by
modern developments and is today Vancouver's oldest church, attracting more sightseers
than believers. Across West Georgia Street from these buildings is the
Fairmont Hotel
Vancouver
(900 W. Georgia St.). Built in 1887, the original hotel on this site featured 200
rooms,halfofwhichhadprivatebathrooms,unheardofinthatday.Itburnedtotheground
in 1932 and was replaced by the hotel that stands today, whose distinctive château-style
design topped by a copper roof reflects the heritage of hotels across the country that were
built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR).
TheWestEnd(nottobeconfusedwiththeWestSide,locatedsouthofdowntown,orWest
Vancouver,locatedonthenorthsideoftheharbor)lieswestofthecentralbusinessdistrict,
between Burrard Street and
English Bay Beach,
the gateway to Stanley Park. On foot,
walk along Robson Street and then south on Denman Street to reach pretty, park-fringed
English Bay Beach. The golden sands, tree-shaded grassy roadsides, and sidewalks at the
west end of the West End are popular with walkers, joggers, cyclists, and sun worshippers
year-round.
The West End was first developed in the late 1800s, when the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road began building large homes for its high-ranking officials, with other wealthy families
following. In 1901 a streetcar line opened down Robson Street, linking downtown to Eng-
lish Bay Beach and in the process increasing the popularity of the West End as a summer
getaway. As real estate prices across the city rose in the 1930s and 1940s, many of the ori-
ginal mansions were replaced by apartment buildings. Today around 43,000 residents call
the West End home, living in ritzy condos, high-rise apartment blocks, and the occasion-
al Edwardian- and Queen Anne-era home. (It's one of Canada's most densely populated
neighborhoods, with 115 residential units for every hectare—almost 10 times the city av-
