An Original on West 17th Avenue

This  house was for sale off and on since 2011 and was torn down during the week of February 10-14, 2014. Here is what this simple unimproved cottage looked like in August 2011:

A friend who lived nearby took a photo of the rear of the house in August 2013. The two apple trees produced their last apples.

Or maybe not...the trees were dug up just before the demolition by a large truck-mounted tree spade and taken away to a new home somewhere. Or will they be returned to the back yard at 3760 West 17th Avenue?

Now a trip down memory lane!

Knob and tube wiring on a solid wood construction.

Old linoleum.

Monday was laundry day with this ample sink.

Tuesday was ironing day with the ironing board conveniently folding down from the wall in the kitchen.

These bathroom tiles lasted a long time.

A wee leaded glass window (sorry it was night when this was photographed), a picture rail, and cove ceiling.

 Thank you to yet another neighbour for taking these interior shots, just prior to the demolition. Think about all the materials that went to the landfill.

Torn down in late November 2013

"Value mainly in the land" is what the real estate ad of 2012 stated of this house, probably because the lot is 55 feet wide. Address is 3345 West 24th Avenue.

This second house was sold in March 2013. It was on a small lot, but the front garden was very colourful in May 2013. The house was near Dunbar Street, at 3588 West 31st Avenue.

Both of these houses were torn down at the end of November 2013.

Calfornia Occupants?

This was a most interesting house, but I had difficulty getting photos without trespassing, and the photos that I did get are not very good at showing the creativity that went into this house. Since I do not know the history, I am going to create a fictional one. The house was a "starter" purchased by a young UBC professor and his wife who moved to Vancouver in the late 1960's from California. Being 60's people, they liked the rustic cabin look and had the house painted a dark brown. They built a second storey so they could have a balcony looking toward the mountains. They appreciated the larger 57 foot lot and the seclusion that the lush West Coast vegetation provided as it grew. Eventually, they could not care for the house, and it was rented out and then sold. However, its interior needed updating, and the style was not attractive to someone paying over two million dollars. Now for a true but sad statement: the house was demolished sometime between June and October 2013.

A Petition to the City of Vancouver

I just signed the petition "City of Vancouver Mayor and Council: Save Vancouver’s Character Houses" on Change.org.

It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-vancouver-mayor-and-council-save-vancouver-s-character-houses?recruiter=79408352&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Globe and Mail Article

There is a recent article in the Globe and Mail reporting on the loss of memories that results from demolitions in Vancouver, with a special mention of the changing neighbourhood on   West 23rd Avenue in the Dunbar area of Vancouver.

Two Vancouver Specials Disappear in Dunbar

Most "Vancouver Specials" were built between 1965 and 1985 to replace an earlier house on the lot. The Dunbar area does not have as many Vancouver Specials as some other areas of the city, possibly because the original housing stock was kept in better shape and in less need of being replaced. Times have changed, and even houses in great condition are torn down these days. The condition of this Vancouver Special may not have been that good. It was for sale at the time this photo was taken, April 2013, and was torn down in the late summer or fall. Address: 3435 West 40th Avenue.

 This Vancouver Special at 3360 West 29th was torn down in January 2014:

Vancouver Specials can have a large interior space and recently, they are beginning to be considered vintage and even cool; here's a link to how they can be renovated.