REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

Talon · 08-31-2009, 11:50 PM

Here's what I remember growing up in Chinatown in the early 80's...
There used to be a park with a pagoda and all, at Gore and Union. Now it's an open space. They had to remove the pagoda thingy cuz there where too many drunks hanging out there. Junkies weren't a problem at that time. Prostitutes would be hanging out along Gore between Union and Georgia. Woodwards 6th floor was the where the toy department was located..loved it. There was also a $1.49 day and you could pick up food (located in the basement) for cheap. There was also a Wools Worth west of Woodwards on Hastings and a Fields across from Army & Navy. Used to buy hotdogs at Army and Navy for something like twenty cents.

There used to be an archade on Georgia across from Phnom Penh that also sold Vietnamese sandwiches. A gas station/automotive repair shop was located on the corner of Georgia and Gore. False Creek was a polluted industrial sh_t hole before Expo. There was at least two Chinese theatres along Hastings.

Strathcona luch program was awesome...Mondays were hotdogs, Wednesdays were hamburgers, Fridays were pizza, and Tuesdays & Thursdays were wild cards (some where along those lines). You could have lunch for about $1. Because we were inner city, we got free passes to the circus, ice capades and PNE.

That's it for now.

MG1 · 08-31-2009, 11:59 PM

Where are all the old farts?

Thunderbirds chocolate bars. Biggest thing to hit the stores back in?????

ok, that has nothing to do with Vancouver. Back on track.

Back in the day, Oppenheimer Park was home to the Industrial Baseball League. I'm not sure if anything like this still exists. Oppenheimer park, as of today, has no signs of a full size baseball park ever existing, but it was very popular years ago. The industrial league had representative teams from municipalities Burnaby, Coquitlam, and a few other places. Home town team was the Vancouver Longshoremen. I worked at the baseball park as batboy, scoreboard attendee, ball shagger, etc. I worked for 25 cents a game as a batboy and made 50 cents as a score keeper. It was actually a two person job. We had a box full of heavey metal plates that weighed, what felt like, a ton each. We hooked these metal plates that had numbers neatly painted on them up on the scoreboard on bent nails. Pretty primitive, but it was like the most prestigiuous job ever. Let me tell ya, if you messed up, the crowd got on your case real fast. Ball shagging was right up there, too. Because the operator of the ball park was on a limited budget, baseballs were to be retrieved by a shagger. As a shagger, you risked life and limb chasing homeruns and doubles. That meant dodging traffic on Powell Street and Cordova. Foul balls, too. A buddy of mine, who wasn't careful got run over by a speeding car. He survived with a few cuts here and there. Rolled off the hood. Back in those days, cars were made of real steel. If you got hit dead on, that what became of you, dead. When the balls got dirty, the owner/operator used a cool homemade device that consisted of an old bench grinder that had erasers mounted on it. Worked really well. Admission to the games was 5 cents. At the end of the game, I got paid in nickels, duh. I would treat myself to a soda, which was 7 cents back then. No deposit, but you did get money for empty bottles. I collected bottles after the games and made extra money that way. I think the rate was one cent. Man, those were the days.

I said my family was the poorest of the poor. I lived in a rooming house building, where all the families there, about 20 or so, shared the same bathroom facilities. The building was run down, full of mice and cockroaches. My god, cockroaches. I still hate those fucking things. To this day I still have nightmares about them. The way they scatter when you turn the lights on or open the doors into the room. The stove........ I gotta stop. It freaks me out. As for the neighbourhood, Powell Street was no cake walk. At night, the hookers and drug addicts took over the street. I lived above a night club. Danned, you think you have it bad with a pie plate, try deep bass all night long and neon lights flashing all the time into your bedroom. In the morning, there would be a drunk on the doorstep to the building. Piss and whatever everywhere. Once in a while if the rear doors to the building were left unlocked, a drug addict would sneak into the bathroom and shoot up. Many a needles and spoons left behind.

I look back at the living conditions I went through as a child and wonder now how the hell I got through that shit, but at the same time, they were the best times I ever had. Never a dull moment. We played hard and had lots of fun. A colleague of mine once told me you are richer than a lot of rich people out there. At the time, I never really understood, but now I really do.

I don't know why I am spilling my guts out here on RS, but I feel it has some importance. I visit the old neighbourhood every once in a while. I cannot help but to shop at Kay's Seafood or Sunrise Market, or New World Confectionary. The same people still run the place. They still recognize me. I walk the streets and I get a real strange feeling. Most outsiders walk around that neighbourhood and they get stared at. I don't. Kind of freaky.

I took my kids out to the neighbourhood a few times. I stopped taking them there, because one of them said to me, yeah, yeah, dad we get it....... What's that saying again? There by the grace of god go I.

Poverty. It sucks.

MG1 · 09-01-2009, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eatman

are you sure it was nanaimo and charles and not 1st and renfrew for safeway?

It was Nanimo and Charles. The one on Renfrew got built way later.

MG1 · 09-01-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talon

Here's what I remember growing up in Chinatown in the early 80's...
There used to be a park with a pagoda and all, at Gore and Union. Now it's an open space. They had to remove the pagoda thingy cuz there where too many drunks hanging out there. Junkies weren't a problem at that time. Prostitutes would be hanging out along Gore between Union and Georgia. Woodwards 6th floor was the where the toy department was located..loved it. There was also a $1.49 day and you could pick up food (located in the basement) for cheap. There was also a Wools Worth west of Woodwards on Hastings and a Fields across from Army & Navy. Used to buy hotdogs at Army and Navy for something like twenty cents.

There used to be an archade on Georgia across from Phnom Penh that also sold Vietnamese sandwiches. A gas station/automotive repair shop was located on the corner of Georgia and Gore. False Creek was a polluted industrial sh_t hole before Expo. There was at least two Chinese theatres along Hastings.

Strathcona luch program was awesome...Mondays were hotdogs, Wednesdays were hamburgers, Fridays were pizza, and Tuesdays & Thursdays were wild cards (some where along those lines). You could have lunch for about $1. Because we were inner city, we got free passes to the circus, ice capades and PNE.

That's it for now.

Ah........... $1.49 day, Tuesday. I love that jingle. I bet it's somewhere in cyberspace. I'll have to google it one day. I remember walking with my mom on Saturdays to go shopping at Woodwards. My treat for carrying the groceries home with her was a delicious soft serve from the food floor.

Funniest thing is, my mom never stepped foot in Save On Meats. It was a very popular place, but for some reason we never went there. I believe it still exists and is still operated by the same familly.

Woolworths and Fields. I remember those places well. I remember the Lux Theatre. B movies for dirt cheap.

MG1 · 09-01-2009, 12:19 AM

OK, getting late. I have to go to sleep, but one more. I remember the PNE parade. It was like gigantic. It started out around the downtown core area and stretched out along Hastings to Clarke Drive. It was televised and was a real big deal back then. Floats and bands from around the Pacific Northwest and from across North America competed for trophies and prizes. People lined the streets. Dickie Dees Ice Cream vendors, clowns, free candy, celebs, etc. I wonder why it died after so many successful years. it was like a tradition.

Stevie P · 09-01-2009, 12:22 AM

Going to read this tomorrow, and it's going to be great.

K-Dub · 09-01-2009, 12:29 AM

Subscribed, and I nominate this for a sticky.

Razor Ramon HG · 09-01-2009, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89blkcivic

What's so strange? I was told 99.997% of Revscene memers were Asian. I'm just complying with the stats.

I always thought you were middle-aged, White, and in his 50s with a receding hairline

winson604 · 09-01-2009, 12:45 AM

I'm young being only 26 but did anybody remember the arcade at Oakridge Mall? Ahh good times

!Tigger · 09-01-2009, 12:47 AM

as a kid, i loved playing at the playground.. now all i see are little fat kids running around in malls and playing games.. those were the days.. going to the park to meet friends

InvisibleSoul · 09-01-2009, 12:50 AM

The southeast corner of Fraser & 33rd used to be an A&W Drive-In Diner...

And another Safeway used to be at Knight and Kingsway, which of course turned into a flea market for many years, before finally being turned into the King Edward Village condo complex...

InvisibleSoul · 09-01-2009, 12:59 AM

LoL, Playland used to be called Happyland?

InvisibleSoul · 09-01-2009, 01:00 AM

Use this to try and dig up some old pictures...

http://www3.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/spe/...tos-search.htm

ziggyx · 09-01-2009, 01:38 AM

I'm not that old but yeah here goes.

First is my elementary school Charles Dickens. I left this elementary school in 1999 I think?? It was a really nice school with about 500 kids. This school was one of vancouver's oldest buildings ever being built in 1912. Thats right it was built before World War 1 even started lol. Now it no longer stands there because it was torn down due to the fact that it wasn't a safe building if an earthquake ever hit. It was more cost effective for them to build a new school.

heres what the school used to look like

As for the new school you can see it. The address is 3351 Glen Dr. I can't find any pictures of it online.

Also I'm pretty sure that quite a few of you remember when station square used to be the place where all kids hung out? It had famous player movies that didn't have stadium style seating. This meant that if a really big person or someone with a huge ass afro sat in front of you, you would have to move seats lol. There's bubble tea and karaoke as well. Most importantly who could forget Johnny Zee's ?!? This place was so busy before metropolis, playdium and famous players silver city came along. Oh yeah and who could forget playdium. haha one of the best arcades that I have ever been to because they had some pretty wicked games. Like the ferrari racing game although it was hard as hell, DDR on a huge ass screen, and you could choose to have unlimited plays for an hour. Only crappy part was that they didn't really bother to maintain their equipment.

Now station square is pretty much a ghost town and playdium doesn't even exist anymore.

Eatman · 09-01-2009, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89blkcivic

It was Nanimo and Charles. The one on Renfrew got built way later.

whoa, good to know.

TypeRNammer · 09-01-2009, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winson604

I'm young being only 26 but did anybody remember the arcade at Oakridge Mall? Ahh good times

Didn't there use to be laser tag in Metrotown?

teamsta · 09-01-2009, 03:56 AM

This is a great thread!

rb · 09-01-2009, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89blkcivic

OK, getting late. I have to go to sleep, but one more. I remember the PNE parade. It was like gigantic. It started out around the downtown core area and stretched out along Hastings to Clarke Drive. It was televised and was a real big deal back then. Floats and bands from around the Pacific Northwest and from across North America competed for trophies and prizes. People lined the streets. Dickie Dees Ice Cream vendors, clowns, free candy, celebs, etc. I wonder why it died after so many successful years. it was like a tradition.

Probably had to do with costs. It was certainly a tradition as you'd watch the parade on TV and it almost gets you pumped up for the fair, which would open its doors after the parade was done.

MG1 · 09-01-2009, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teamsta

This is a great thread!

I'm glad it has sparked some good stuff. I love Vancouver to death. This city has so much history and some of the stuff gets lost over time. I mean that snapshot of the school, for example, that was posted earlier. It was fairly recent, but that building no longer exists. People who went to and worked at that school must feel sad. Years from now, it will be remembered.

For all the shitty stuff the Internet brings, it has a lot of great benefits. The human component is what defines the Internet. It has the power to bring people together. Even you younger people have a lot to contribute. I have lost touch with Vancouver since moving to the valley and the stories I've been hearing of changes that have happened, even if it was like a few years ago, make a difference.

So please......... more stories. Not just the story, but your take on it. as seen through your eyes.

MG1 · 09-01-2009, 05:53 AM

Gastown. Boy was it ever a dump before it turned into what it is today. Developing just that little area changed the face of downtown Vancouver so much. It brought visitors and paved way for all the other things that followed.

The steam clock. I have no idea what the allure of it is, but it sure is popular with the tourists.

rb · 09-01-2009, 07:03 AM

You can't talk about Vancouver history without talking about Expo. I was only 3 when Expo 86 was on but damn did Vancouver seem like some fantasy land from the vague images I kinda recall.

MG1 · 09-01-2009, 08:34 AM

Expo was amazing. Hats off to Jimmy Pattison, who had a big part in making Expo a big success. I went there almost every day. My kids were young, but boy was it fun for everyone. You got lost in it and all your troubles went away. Sky Train was one of the major showcases. Expo Ernie was just as big a hit. Canada's lame version of Asimo.

I have my passport hidden away somewhere, complete with all the nations that participated. The great thing about Expo was it was affordable when you took under consideration the amount of times you got to go and stuff. McBarge......... floating restaurant. I cannot believe I never took a camera with me. How dumb was that?

Wetordry · 09-01-2009, 08:41 AM

when did they build the projects in chinatown? (keefer / jackson / union / gore)

winson604 · 09-01-2009, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TypeRNammer

Didn't there use to be laser tag in Metrotown?

What! Was there? haha oh memories

SumAznGuy · 09-01-2009, 08:54 AM

Awesome post. Here's my little bit.

Grandview and Rupert on the north sides where the Superstore and Petcetra is. The Petcetra use to be a Stacy's funiture store, and before that, it was an RCA warehouse. The office buildings north of Petcetra use to be a feild overgrown with wild berry prickle bushes.
On the other side, Superstore use to be another warehouse building. The parking lot use to be full of those wild berry prickle bushes. On the other side of the railroad track where the Liquor warehouse is, that use to be a Goodyear tire warehouse. They use to have monster truck sized tires out in the back.

The church on Rupert and Broadway use to be an old Texaco gas station.

AS for the $1.49 day at Woodwards, my grandmother passed away a few years ago and when we were cleaning out her apartment, we found 4 or 5 bars of soap that had the $1.49 Woodwards stickers on them.

To go downstairs to the food court at Woodwards, you had to walk down the stair that had those old school brass banisters. I use to go there with my mom, and as a treat she would buy me a chocolate milk.

As far as I can remember, the bus use to cost $0.35 for kids. I remember the really old buses with the swing doors at the top of the rear steps so that you couldn't go down the steps to the rear door.
Then there were those diesel buses that were mint green and you had to push on the doors for the rear doors to open.

I know I am rambling but most of the things that I remember are very vague. Let me sit for a while and see what else I can remember.