The neighbourhood

Cambie Street was named after Henry John Cambie, a surveyor born in Ireland, who was charged with the task for bringing the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) to its terminus on the coast, which he decided would be Vancouver. King Edward Avenue, our nearest major cross-street (1 block), was named after King Edward VII (and not the infamous "Longshanks" King Edward I, from the epic "Braveheart").

The Cambie area is centred around City Hall, an iconic building built in 1936, typifying the Art Deco/Art Moderne styling of the day. The area north of King Edward developed in the boom years following the turn of the 19th century. By 1926, houses dotted the area surrounding Douglas Park, and by the mid-1950s, the last remaining raw land just north of 41st Avenue (used as army barracks during the war) was released by the federal government for development. Our house was built in 1938 along with most of the houses on our street.

A central thoroughfare to get back and forth to downtown Vancouver, Cambie Street is also populated with many shops and restaurants, mostly between 12th and 19th Avenue, known as Cambie Village. The underground, "Canada Line" runs underneath Cambie street, and will operate service from Richmond and the Vancouver Airport, through to downtown Vancouver. While the underground construction was inconvenient, the residents of the South Cambie area are now reaping the benefits, as the City has made extensive streetscape improvements to the area, including improved street lighting, widened sidewalks and landscaping. While Cambie Village offers residents most services needed for everyday living, the central location allows easy access to the diversity of Vancouver.

City Square Shopping Centre, a neighbourhood mall built around two heritage school buildings, incorporates modern design elements with the original architecture and houses over 50 shops and services. If you want more diversity, only 5 minutes (or one tube stop) south, is the much larger, Oakridge Centre offers over 150 shops and services, including The Bay, Banana Republic, Nine West and many other fashion retailers. Oakridge also has movie theatres, so that you can avoid the hustle and bustle of downtown if you merely want to take in a first-run movie.

Just six blocks East, you will find Cambie Street's alter-ego - Main Street. A vibrant, eclectic mix of shops, bistros, pubs and services, South Main (SoMa) is bustling with activity, day and night. You won't find any chain stores here; instead, you'll uncover trendy boutiques, novelty shops and ethnic restaurants of all origin. Vintage clothing shops, antique stores and art galleries dot the strip. A few minutes South in a car or bus will put you at the edge of Little India, where you can get some of the finest East Indian cuisine in town.

Two of the "Top Ten Vancouver Adventures" are only a 10-minute walk from our house; Queen Elizabeth Park, and The Bloedel Conservatory. Stroll through the gardens in the two former stone quarrys and enjoy the views from the world-famous Seasons restaurant. Or escape the winter chill by exploring the indoor lush tropical environment, with over 100 free-flying exotic birds and colourful Koi fish.