Vancouver neighbourhood builds new identity as creative industry powerhouse

The light industrial/heritage mix of Lower Mount Pleasant has transformed the area from ‘a no man’s land’ to a hotbed of activity

By John Mackie, Vancouver Sun January 4, 2012

More Images
Statues line a shelf at St Andrew’s Books Gifts and Church supply in Mt Pleasant.
Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann, Vancouver Sun
Lower Mount Pleasant has long been one of Vancouver’s most invisible neighbourhoods. Originally residential, it was rezoned industrial decades back and became something of a no man’s land, a grab bag of light industrial buildings and old houses. It was the kind of area you drove around, or through.
Until now.
The tiny area north of Broadway, between Cambie and Main, has quietly developed into one of Vancouver’s most interesting neighbourhoods. It’s home to architectural offices, film companies and artist studios, print shops, clothing manufacturers and the head offices of Mountain Equipment Co-op.
It’s an eclectic blend, the living definition of what urban planners call “mixed use.”
Need a statuette of St. Michael, the patron saint of police officers? You can pick one up at St. Andrews Book, Gift and Church Supply, a 12,000 square-foot store and warehouse at 305 West 8th.
Looking for a great coffee? Milano Boutique Roasters (156 West 8th) grinds its own brand of beans in the back, and offers a drop-dead gorgeous view of the downtown skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows in its café.
Want some cultural nightlife? The Anza Club (3 West 8th) hosts concerts and The Celluloid Social Club, a monthly forum for local independent filmmakers. And the unsignposted Narrow Lounge (1898 Main St.) is one of Vancouver’s hottest little hipster bars.
Read More Here

Little Saigon in the Heart of Vancouver

LITTLE SAIGON NEIGHBOURHOOD OF VANCOUVER

by REMY SCALZA in TOWN on December 1, 2011

Great Article FROM: INSIDE VANVOUVER

Vancouver’s amazing diversity is no secret.  Walk down Robson Street most days and you’re likely to hear Farsi, English, French, Punjabi, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese and probably a half-dozen other languages.

But I was surprised to learn recently about an ethnic community in the city I had never heard of before: Little Saigon.  This informal district stretches along Kingsway, between Fraser and Nanaimo streets, in east Vancouver.  It’s home to many of the city’s estimated 25,000 people with Vietnamese heritage.

Take a stroll along this portion of Kingsway, and you’ll notice that pretty much every other storefront seems to be a pho noodle shop with Vietnamese writing in the window.  There are also plenty of Vietnamese-owned beauty salons, as well as Vietnamese coffee shops and bakeries.  It’s a fascinating section of the city, and not one that many people know about.

According to a great article in the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver’s first wave of Vietnamese immigrants came during the Vietnam War.  Fleeing the struggle between Communist-backed North Vietnam and US-backed South Vietnam, they settled in Vancouver’s east side.  These refugees were informally known as the “boat people.”

Today, many of these immigrants have lived in Canada for more than 30 years, and second- and third-generation Canadian-Vietnamese live in the neighbourhood, as well. Businesses in the area have even formally petitioned the city council to rename the district Little Saigon and to set up signs and banners, similar to Chinatown or thePunjabi Market (on Main Street).

I should point out, however, that many Vietnamese aren’t comfortable with the nickname Little Saigon.  Saigon, after all, was the capital of South Vietnam, which was subsequently taken by the Communist North Vietnamese and renamed Ho Chi Minh City.  Technically speaking, today there is no city called Saigon in Vietnam, although many Vietnamese still refer to the capital in that way.

Where and What Is Mount Pleasant? ...

Location of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood in Vancouver.

Mount Pleasant, Vancouver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood in Vancouver.
Mount Pleasant is a neighbourhood in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, stretching from Cambie Street to Clark Drive and from Great Northern Way and 2nd, to 16th and Kingsway. The neighbourhood, once characterized as working-class, has undergone a process of gentrification since the early 1990s, including the area around the Main Street and Broadway intersection that is increasingly becoming known as South Main, or SoMa. Vancouver City Hall is also located in Mount Pleasant.
The neighborhood is served by the Canada Line, an extension of SkyTrain from Downtown Vancouver to Vancouver International Airport.
Mount Pleasant is known as one of the more up and coming neighbourhoods, especially in the communities surrounding Vancouver's downtown peninsula. Many first-time homeowners and young professionals, as well as a growing number of families, call Mount Pleasant home, which gives it its vibrancy. It is also home to a number of artists and writers, including CBC personalities Ian Hanomansing and Tod Maffin, The Tyee editor David Beers and documentary filmmaker Peter W. Klein.
Vancouver seen from Mount Pleasant, looking north across Kingsway just before its intersection with Broadway and Main Street. Vancouver City Hall and Vancouver General Hospital are visible to the far left, Downtown Vancouver to the centre, and North Vancouver to the far right.

Contents:
1. History
Mount Pleasant owes much of its origins to a former stream and, because of it, developed much of its unique and rich character. The stream attracted a number of breweries from 1888 to 1912, hence it became known as Brewery Creek. In 1890, the first street cars arrived; as far south as 1st and Main. Brewery Creek, in conjunction with the connecting routes of Main and Kingsway, became the centre of industry and commercialism for the district of Mt. Pleasant. By 1897, there was a substantial population growth centred on Broadway and Main Street. The ability to commute to the City Centre and the industries of Brewery Creek and False Creek provided the draw for many working families that now populated the area below Broadway. In a sense, Mount Pleasant can be called Vancouver's "first suburb".
2. Demographics
As of 2006, Mt. Pleasant has 23,615 people, a 3.8% decrease from 2001. 13.7% of the population is under the age of 19; 44.8% is between 20 and 39; 33.4% is between 40 and 64; and 8.2% is 65 or older. 62.0% of Mt. Pleasant residents speak English as a first language, 10.0% speak a Chinese language, and 5.1% speak Tagalog. The median household income is $37,782, and 31.7% of its population lives in low-income households. Its unemployment rate is 5.5%. [1]