Torn Down April, May, or June 2014, Part I

I was out of the country for five weeks in May and June. Upon my return, I discovered quite a few demolitions. Here are five of them. 

This one at 4028 West 30th Avenue was the first one to go, torn down April 27 or 28. It is one of the affordable 50's houses built for young families in the undeveloped 4000 blocks between West 31st and West 27th Avenue. Many of these sturdily built but unfashionable bungalows have been replaced. This photo is from 2011 when the house was for sale, although I think it sold again in 2012.

 

Across the street at 4015 stood this bungalow. It was torn down in May or June 2014.

  

The little 1928 cottage at 3518 West 31st Avenue was torn down in late April or early May 2014.

The 4000 block of West 33rd leads to a popular entrance to Pacific Spirit Park. It is also a popular block for sales and demolitions. This one at 4049 was torn down in early June 2014.

You may have seen a photo of this one in the Vancouver Sun. The  home stood in a prominent place at the corner of Blenheim Street and West 32nd Avenue. Both the setting and home were spectacular. However, among other things, the minimal second floor was probably totally unacceptable to the new owners.

Torn Down Twice

In 1976 I remember walking down my street (West 31st Avenue) towards Dunbar Street with my two very young children. On the corner of Wallace, bordering Memorial Park West (the one next to the Dunbar Community Centre), I saw a home being demolished. It was an unusual one that I especially liked, a "California mission" or Italian type. I told the workers that I liked the house, complaining that it was being torn down. Those were the days of building Vancouver specials. A developer probably made a large profit, building three Vancouver specials on the large lot. Of course, now all three have seen better days. The one on the corner was sold in 2011 and has been moldering ever since. The one next to it was sold in November 2012 and looks to be torn down sometime.

This Vancouver special in no way replaced that original house, but the builder did make some attempt to relate it to the corner.

The original back yard had at least one fruit tree, and you can see the trunk of it. I was intrigued with the old stone bench. It appears that no one has sat on it for a very long time! Just before the demolition, it disappeared. It was from the original house. I hope this vintage bench found a new home.

I really wish that I had a photo of the original house!! This Vancouver special replacement was torn down in May 2014. The next replacement appears to have the same footprint, but of course the hole is deeper. Is the new house destined to be torn down in 2054? Do the math.

4076 West 31st Avenue

Times change. Daffodils and grape hyacinths were blooming in the brick planter in April 2013 in front of this house.

The next April, they bloomed again, but the house on the left had been torn down, and a new one was under construction.

In mid 2013, the house was  no longer being rented, and the neighbourhood knew that the owners planned to rebuild.

I usually do not show a photo of the rear of the  house, but this one stood very near where I live, hence more detail, as I lurk about in the lane.

This house is the third in a row on this side of the block to be torn down: the others were 4064 (in July 2011) and 4070 (in July 2013). Many neighbours can still remember the three as the Sanders', Hers', and McCabe's houses. This latest one was torn down in late May or early June 2014.