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Footloose
on Commercial
Drive
by Jerry
W. Bird
 During
my childhood days and early school years, we lived
for a while in Vancouver's Grandview area, which
included (east to west) Victoria, Commercial and
Clark Drive, and from Hastings Street south to
Broadway. Commercial Drive, being on a major
streetcar line, was a star attraction. It was one
of Vancouver's crowning jewels, with blocks of
neat, brightly painted shops and stores. Many of my
relatives lived in the area on Grant and Gravely
streets, and for weekend family picnic excursions
to Stanley Park or Kitsilano beach, we took the
familiar Grandview Streetcar. My grade school was
Woodland, south of Commercial Drive. The big
attractions of my day were Crystal Dairy's
spotlessly clean, white-tiled ice cream parlor,
Woolworth's firehouse red-fronted 5-10 and 15 cent
store and the ever popular Grandview Park, with its
acre of lawns, wading pool and playground.
Being one of
Vancouver's first suburbs, the city planners named
this area "Grandview "for an obvious reason. From
my Aunt Mae's stucco clad bungalow (it's still
there) on Grant Street, a stone's throw from Clark
Drive, you could see past the industrial maze,
clear to the heart of the city, with Woodwards big
"W" and the Vancouver Sun's tower looming large. At
the time, I compared the Sun newspaper to
Superman's Daily Planet - and dreamed of working
there. Talk about serendipity. those same two
classic icons once bathed in neon, are prominent in
the front window of our present day Gastown
studio.
Being away from
Vancouver during the 60s and 70s , I missed its
rather abrupt change of character during the Hippy
era; yet upon returning a few years prior to Expo
'86, the 'Drive' became a magnet from the not so
distant past. I quickly discovered several new
favorite haunts; places to stroll, dine and shop,
such as Nick's Spaghetti House at 631 Commercial
and Uprising Breads at 1697 Venables facing BC
Electric's interurban tram line). I still visit the
health food store on Commercial and Napier, with
attached restaurant. There are new and used
clothing, ethnic shops and cafes galore, from
Italian to Asian. For their home or apartment,
you'll find antiques and used furniture. The
'Drive' has its own live theater and entertainment,
other than people watching. (Watch this space for a
list of recommendations from our editors and
friends)
Contacts:
Commercial Drive Business Society
Mercato Plaza
PO Box 21660, 1850 Commercial Drive,
Vancouver, BC V5N 4A5 (604) 251 2884
E-mail: info@thedrive.ca
Tourism
Vancouver's Main Website
http://www.tourism-vancouver.org/docs/visit/
Tourism
Vancouver's Main Website
http://www.tourism-vancouver.org/docs/visit/
Visitors
requiring assistance for accommodation can
call:
Tourism
British Columbia's 1.800.HELLOBC Tourism
Vancouver's Visitor InfoCentre on Burrard Street.
604.683.2000
World66
Vancouver Guide
http://www.world66.com/vancouver/htm
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Wonders
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