Yaletown

Located in downtown Vancouver, is the neighbourhood of Yaletown. This particular neighbourhood is currently surrounded by Robson Street, False Creek and Homer Street. In the beginning, Yaletown was an industrial region dominated by warehouses and rail yards. After Expo 86, it has undergone several transformations and has become amongst the most heavily inhabited districts within the city. There are numerous parks, high rise apartments, marinas, and converted heritage buildings within the neighborhood. Yaletown represents one of the most important urban regeneration projects within all of North America.

The nearness of False Creek and of the railway led Yaletown to become a really industrialized neighborhood as the years progressed. Even these days, various factories, rail buildings and warehouses still survive that period.

Yaletown became somewhat contaminated and shoddy after the real-estate bust and boom cycles during the 20th century. This caused the region to be acquired by the city. The entire district became ripe for development following Expo 86, or the 1986 World Fair. The location was sold to Li Ka-Shing; a Hong Kong based developer who set the redevelopment process and area facelift into motion that is still occurring nowadays.

Nearby, at the intersection of Davie Street and Pacific Boulevard, an old brick CP roundhouse has been transformed into the Roundhouse Community Centre. This particular building utilizes the old engine turntable as an outdoor, small amphitheatre. In order to give tribute to the local rail history, it likewise houses Engine 374, which pulled the first passenger train into Vancouver in 1887.

Many of the area's apartment blocks are situated around Midland and Hamilton Street. In Yaletown, a lot of the other architecture is newly built on the previously derelict yards. Many of the new residential and commercial buildings are concrete and uniform glass high-rise style.