City
THEN & NOW
Then: Parking: 10 cents for the first hour at Downtown Parking Corp.
Dunsmuir and Beatty For evidence of the city’s progress in weaning us from our reliance on the car, look no further than this intersection in the southeast corner of downtown. Once a veritable ode to the automobile, as in this 1974 shot (top), this prime piece of real estate has become a city-sanctioned safe haven for cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders—much to the chagrin of anyone angling for a parking spot.
Homer and Robson
City
Back in 1981 (bottom left) T HRobson E N & Street N O Whad yet to become Vancouver’s upscale retail row. Rather, the modest houses, mom-and-pop storefronts, and concentration of German residents gave it the
Then: Gas: 29 cents a litre; minimum wage: $3.65
moniker Robsonstrasse. Today (bottom right) pricey commerical rent downtown has driven distinctly unglamorous (but necessary) amenities like gas stations entirely out of the area—but you can bet you’ll never be left without a place to fuel up on caffeine.
Now: Starbucks Grande Latte: $4.25; minimum wage: $10.85
HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY CIT Y OF VANCOUVER
Now: Parking: 10 cents for three minutes at a downtown parking meter (or skip it altogether and take the SkyTrain: $2.75 for a 90-minute one-zone trip).