Monday, October 15, 2018

Downtown Eastside



Yesterday I visited Mina at her studio. Because I am always early, I walked around the neighbourhood and took in its changes.

A notable change was the demolition and replacement of what was once the Exercise (and later Model) Gallery and artist studios at the 100-block of Main Street. But a bigger change was to the overall volume and density of the area.

Lots that sat empty for years suddenly had buildings on them. And unlike past buildings, these new ones were built to the street, with guarded porticos. Same for the spaces between these buildings -- nooks and crannies where people once took refuge.

The picture above is from a location that was once the Helen Pitt Gallery. The Sardine Can refers to itself as Spanish tapas, but when I caught its sign from the corner of my eye, I saw not its can but its ovoids.

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