Neighbourhood Tour Series: Granville Island & False Creek South

Welcome back to Vancouver, BC Canada!

I have so many photos I don’t know where to begin!

False Creek south wasn’t always a beautiful, desirable place to live like it is now. At one time it was the industrial heartland of Vancouver with sawmills, small port operations and railways. Over time industry moved out of the area, but left behind deteriorating buildings and deep environmental wounds. With a great deal of planning and effort, the area was reclaimed…

Here’s a map showing the area I’ll be touring you through:

Specifically, I’ll walk you from Granville Island in the West, to Stamp’s Landing in the East

So what changed to make False Creek that fabulous place that it is today? Granville Island!!

As you can see from the map I posted, Granville Island sits directly under the Granville Street Bridge. Once an industrial manufacturing area, it is now a healthy community filled with craft studios – glass blowing, printmaking, hat and shoemakers, jewellery designers and BC’s Potter’s Guild. It’s also the home of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design (my Mom’s alma mater), various theatres including the Arts Club Theatre Company, a large marina, the Granville Island Hotel, the fantastic Granville Island Brewery Co., top-notch restaurants, a fabulous non-profit organization called the Arts Umbrella who’s mandate it is to educate and engage children in the visual and performing arts, and – of course - the wonderful Public Market.

As you can imagine, Granville Island has become a major tourist destination! But you know… to us here in the Lower Mainland of BC, it’s a vibrant part of our community!!

Part of the charm of Granville Island is that all of the businesses, restaurants, the hotel and university… they’re all housed in the old manufacturing buildings and warehouses (with any new structures built to look like the old OR embellish the old [i.e., modern glass walls]).

I love the Market… flowers, fresh vegetables & fruit, baked goods, speciality foods, arts & crafts, small restaurants and regular entertainers: the Public Market has so much to offer! It’s such a vibrant place, particularly on a sunny day when you can sit outside on the wharf and snack on a special something purchased inside!!

Pretty fantastic, hey?!

With the establishment of Granville Island in the 1970s came the development of the south shore of False Creek into high-density low-rise condos. As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to live in this area! It’s all about lifestyle – close proximate to magical Granville Island and other local shopping areas, fabulous views of downtown Vancouver, parks, a community centre (at Granville Island) access to marinas and – of course – walking/running/biking/roller-blading on the Sea Wall, a sidewalk that extends along the shorelines surrounding the entire city (really!).

I love this particular condo with it’s lagoon – and it’s view! That’s the Granville Street Bridge with Granville Island on the other side of the marina.

And… more view shots!

How about a House Boat off the wharfs of Granville Island?!

To finish off your tour of Granville Island and False Creek… some photos showing some of my discoveries and a few more of Vancouverites enjoying a beautiful spring day!

I hope you’ve enjoyed your tour of Granville Island and False Creek south!!

Why not head over to this post If you’d like to explore another beautiful Vancouver neighbourhood. OR… if you love colourful homes, make your way over to this fabulous neighbourhood

Come back soon… Kelly and I have other wonderful neighbourhoods we’re researching just to share with you!!

Victoria from Edin Interiors

Jelly Bean Row

Kelly @ JAX Decor & Design

My hubby and I are addicted to Gourmet Sour Jelly Beans from WalMart. We could polish off a bag of them in one sitting — actually, I think we have!! Seriously, these are the best jelly beans EVER!! Hubby says they remind him of Rockets. Mmmm, Rockets!!

I have a little sour jelly bean ritual that I follow: I take a handful of sour jelly beans. I eat the orange & purple ones first, then the red & yellow ones, and then the blue & green ones. And I have to eat them two at a time. Preferably not two of the same colour. I think I have a mild case of jelly bean OCD!! ;-)

These particular Gourmet Sour Jelly Beans are made in Mississauga, Ontario and seem to only be sold at WalMart in Canada. We’ve never seen them at WalMart in the US. Imagine that, exclusive Canadian jelly beans!! Gourmet ones, even!! And that’s my clever (or not-so-clever!!) segue to another exclusive Canadian jelly bean…

Jelly Bean Row

Jelly Bean Row is in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s an area with wonderfully colourful houses — colourful like a bag of jelly beans :-) Many of the homes in Jelly Bean Row are Victorian heritage homes.

Let’s go for a little tour of Jelly Bean Row… as you can see, the architecture on this street isn’t fancy. Really, this is just a line of row houses. But don’t the bright colours give them great character?? :-)

Same houses from the other end of the street… the red car fits into the neighbourhood nicely :-)

Hard work walking up these hills!!

There’s a green house next to a yellow house…

And a green house between a yellow house and a blue house…

A bright red house beside a bright orange house…

And a bright blue house with orange trim… (photo by Geoff Meeker)

There’s the blue & orange house again, along with its colourful neighbours…

There’s a bright blue house with white trim and pretty window detailing…

Check out the cool Jelly Bean Row mailbox on this blue house :-) (Photo by Geoff Meeker)

One more street to walk down before the sun sets…

And that’s the end of our tour of Jelly Bean Row. Hope these colourful homes in St. John’s brighten up your Tuesday :-)

For more information on Jelly Bean Row and to see more photos by Geoff Meeker, check out:

Jelly Bean Row

To learn more about St. John’s, check out the city’s web site:

City of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

To see more of Kim Goodyear’s beautiful photography, check out her blog:

Kim Goodyear — Newfoundland photographer