Growing up in Vancouver

[Per]

She died this morning.

My condolences.

[Vpete]

Sorry to hear Topper- find some piece within you for her and she's always be there.

As for Vancouver and growing up- I had a pretty charmed life. As a young lad I lived in Kerrisdale south across the from the train tracks that ran down Arbutus. Up on 57th ave there as a classic, corner store 'Bob's' as we called it run by a really nice Chinese man and his family. The same strip had a barber shop, bank and the classic drug store where you could get your treats and comics, plus a Red and White- remember those?

I moved to Kits Point in the 80 when the parents split. Lived right across from the beach where the lifeguard and concession is- ground zero of good times. Freedom was everything. The kids who lived on the Point ran that area and owned it from under the Burrard Bridge to Kits Pool. The 'snakelands' as we called the forested area beside Burrard Bridge. We knew all the ins and out of the Museum and the Maritime Museum too- no one ever paid to go in there!

Back then Kits was still this pseudo hippie neighbourhood where single moms and the urban youth lived. People hung out at the legion and no business on earth could last longer than 4 months on Yew and Cornwall across from Starbucks. Used to collect tennis balls from bushes and then sell them back the tennis players the next day. Oh we owned that beach and Point!

Life got a little easier and tamer when we moved to Dunbar. Up on the plateau there was less 'trouble' and things were a little more privileged. Hardly ever went east of Granville but many many adventures in the endowment lands, UBC and wreck beach. Jericho was our home beach and sneaking into the yacht club there to use the clay tennis courts was our 'entertainment'. Liquor stores never thought too much about ID then and there was always some one with enough hair on the face to pass as 'of age'.

There's more and it will come but thinking about it brings back a lot of weird adolescent memories.

[Blob Mckenzie]

My condolences Topper.

[rats19]

This time...so sorry tops..

[ODB]

I don't REALLY understand why you'd tell me to keep laughing (as if my laughing at your Santa story has anything to do with your mother passing away) but, sorry to hear the bad news.

[Corb]

Sorry for the bad news Topper.

[Topper]

Thanks folks,

The old gal was 91, time caught up to her.

[rats19]

Thanks folks,

The old gal was 91, time caught up to her.

She kicked times ass....

[Arachnid]

Thanks folks,

The old gal was 91, time caught up to her.

I'm sure Creeps will keep her entertained

Condolences mate

[damonberryman]

Topper. Your remark about the White Lunch brought so much back. Woodwards also. I grew up in the East End and while we never starved we did not have much. My grandma considered two places in Vancouver to be the top of dining excellence. One was your White Lunch but when she wanted to act 'like the Duke of Donuts' she would go to Scotties on Granville and order the Club Sandwich. I grew up believing those two spots to be the best of dining and the club sandwich to be the very height of sophistication. This despite the people sleeping it off at the tables and the awful smell of street rubbies. I always ordered the fried chicken and mashed. They used to have a white lunch on Granville too.

I did live in Richmond for a while when I was young. Just down number three on Bennet right in Brig House. My mom used to run a clothing store called (get ready for it) the Pink Poodle. She did this with a lady named Marg Macdonald whose husband was Alex. One of the few judges in BC who went to prison. Growing up in my family going to prison was more about coming of age than it was about anything to feel bad about. That is unless you were kicking a smack habit or methadone habit. I ended up shaking two of them in Oakalla and many chippy habits in the local main street lock up.

My brother and I used to catch frogs out of the ditches in Richmond and sell them again to the chinese restaurants in the area. there was one right in Brig House. Some of the frogs were huge. I went to Blundell. I lived in 13 different locations in Van when I was a kid, but mainly in the Northeast part of town. Ex park was the place my Grandma loved and I could read a racing form by the age of 8 or 9. God I loved growing up in the Vancouver of my childhood. Oh gosh. I almost forgot. Do any of you remember Monties spareribs just off Georgia? I have never had better ribs. they used the baby ribs. What a treat. Of course, the White Spot was big too and I still cannot feature how they got rid of chicken pickens.

[damonberryman]

Hey Topper. I just cought up with the rest of the posts. I would say I am sorry but I do not know how you feel about your Mom. Happy days is a fucking TV show eh? Maybe you are sad. Maybe not. Your business. Whatever the case, I feel for the process we all have to grow through when Mom and Dad are gone. Being an orphan in the world is a new experience for all of us. When my Dad died (one year after he got out of the joint) from cancer I was not very choked. he was a drunk and violent. he was also from Northern Ireland and was a catholic. If there is a more brutal group of Euro humans I do not know who it is. Anyhow, the point is parents are not always someone to mourn. i hope your Mom was and she sure got in a few years. 91. Wow.

[LotusBlossom]

Sorry to hear Topper- find some piece within you for her and she's always be there.

...
Back then Kits was still this pseudo hippie neighbourhood where single moms and the urban youth lived. People hung out at the legion and no business on earth could last longer than 4 months on Yew and Cornwall across from Starbucks. ...
...

There's more and it will come but thinking about it brings back a lot of weird adolescent memories.

The victim of that business not lasting very long seemed to have shifted to the corner of 1st and Yew. I remember for years it was da Pasta Bar and then it was something else before it became my friend's old restaurant called Karv. Now I believe it's yet again empty. Rossini's down that way on Yew (right beside Local) shut down last fall. I'm pretty good friends with Shane (he now runs the Rivers Reach in New West) who used to manage that place. I used to go in there just to have a few drinks and listen to some good local jazz talent. The place is still empty. It used to be such a cool little area on Yew street and just off Cornwall but it seems to no longer be a place to hang out on the weekends. Ever since the shut down the Urban Well, it's been a different vibe.

I used to live in Kits for a short time, but most of my adult living was definitely in the West End. I loved the area. I first moved there because of work and school. I had a lot of classes at the Harbour Centre campus of SFU and my workplaces were all downtown as well. No need to commute. It felt safe and there was always something open to wet your whistler or satisfy your palette. Denman used to have a place that served Montreal Style chicken called Rooster Quarters. I'm not sure what it is now, and that crappy old Safeway on Robson always had some interesting characters strolling past it or in it.

I lived right by the Denman Community Centre on Haro Street and I remember I used to send my friends to park there if they were in that area of downtown because it only cost a whole $2.50 to park for the night. Much cheaper than the street. Long gone are those days (thanks Olympics lol). I moved to Cardero street between Comox and Davie, right by the elementary school when my daughter started school. Oddly enough I sent her to French school on Victoria drive by SE Marine, so it was a bit of a funny move. It wasn't until she was about 9 years old we moved out of the DT core and bought a place in Collingwood...but that's another story.

[Topper]

Cornwall and Yew was the 7/11 of my mushroam tale (not Waterloo).

I think it was a gas station before it became rebuilt as a 7/11. There was already one at yew and 4th so it made no sense. It then became a series of restaurants. Now? I wonder what the landlord charges for that local and if that is bill that kills the margin.

Was anyone else a regular at Cafe Creme, just a door or two west of Yew on 4th.When I lived at 5th and Yew, the morning routine was to put the kettle on for coffee then run to Cafe Creme for a couple of spinach and cheese brioche and 7/11 for a morning paper. Back in time to pour the water through the Melita.

[Rumsfeld]

Lived on Mathers Ave next to West Van High as a wee 'un. Moved to Point Grey by Hastings Mill Park next to Jericho Beach for three years and went to St. George's private school. Then moved to Lynn Valley and eventually back to West Van, where my nefarious teenage years landed me in Willingdon Youth Detention Center for 9 months.

In hindsight, not sure which was worse. St George's or Willingdon.

[Rumsfeld]

. he was a drunk and violent. he was also from Northern Ireland and was a catholic. If there is a more brutal group of Euro humans I do not know who it is.

Russians. Without a doubt.

And after getting to know Pear all these years, perhaps Swedes as well.