Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Jump forward 100 years and through a variety of transformations to the early 1990s,
and Yaletown's empty warehouses and rundown industrial streets were in desperate need
of revitalization. Nearby Granville Island had been transformed in the 1970s; much of
FalseCreekhadbeenrevitalizedforExpo86;andmodernresidentialtowershadbeencon-
structed across the water. In contrast, the area between Homer Street and the waterfront,
borderedbyDrakeStreettothewestandNelsonStreettotheeast,wasleftarelicfromthe
past. The rundown feel of Yaletown began changing in the early 1990s, and by the end of
thedecade,itsonce-emptybuildingshadbecomeahotbedofhigh-tech.Brickwarehouses,
originally built forthegarment trade, wererevitalized. Oldloading dockscreated theideal
environment for artists and architects to ply their trade. A large tract of industrial waste-
land was rezoned for a high-tech park that catered to the needs of knowledge-based com-
panies. Finally, the old cafés and corner stores were replaced by trendy bistros, gourmet
supermarkets, specialty retail shops, and one of the world's hippest hostelries, the Opus
Hotel.
False Creek
False Creek, the narrow tidal inlet that almost cuts downtown off from the rest of the city,
has undergone enormous changes over the last four decades and is now a bona fide tourist
attraction. In the 1920s the waterway and surrounding land were Vancouver's main indus-
trial area, home to railway yards, sawmills, processing plants, wharves, and warehouses,
but by the 1970s it had been all but abandoned and was in desperate need of a facelift.
The head ofFalse Creek was transformed forExpo86 with the construction ofthe Plaza of
Nations (which held the Expo's BC Pavilion) and Expo headquarters, now Science World.
The Expo spurred further changes, including a waterfront path that made it possible to
walk or cycle between downtown and Granville Island. In the ensuing years, much of the
land was rezoned, allowing for the construction of modern apartment complexes. The first
ofthesewasbuiltalongthesouthshore,insuburbanFairview.Themostrecentmajorcon-
struction phase was the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, when the Athletes'
Village was built on the southeast corner of the False Creek (the village has since been
converted to 1,000 units of residential housing). The precinct is home to a public plaza,
gardens, and artificially-constructed Habitat Island, which has been planted with native
species.
BC Place Stadium
As host of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games,
the 55,000-seat
BC
Place
Stadium
(777 Pacific Blvd., 604/669-2300,
