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Before 1929, this intersection marked the boundary between the towns of Vancouver, South Vancouver, and Point Grey (hence the sudden jog in the road).  The image shows the construction of the BC Electric Railway line along Oak Street just after the merger of the three municipalities.  The two buildings on the right of the 1929 photo are still standing. 

Another view of the iconic Dominion Building. The caption on this photo says 'the business centre of Vancouver in 1911.' 

 

There are very few old photos of Vancouver this far east. This one from 1965 shows the 800 block of East Hastings Street, including the Rice Block on the corner, which was built in 1912 at the height of Vancouver's building boom of the early 20th century. It has been restored and is owned by BC Housing, providing 42 units of affordable homes.

 

In an area once known as Shanghai Alley, the corner of Carrall and Pender Streets is steeped in the history of both Vancouver and China.  The Chinese Empire Reform Association once called 525 Carrall Street home, and across the street sits the Chinese Freemason Building. Both played an integral part in the evolution of China in the early 1900s. 

Streetcar tracks were being removed from Commercial Drive in this 1954 image taken by Walter E. Frost.  The BC Block and Florida Market buildings are still standing today. 

Before it was the Enigma Restaurant, this building was home to Moodie's Quality Meats. 1939 photo courtesy of  Dominion Photo Company and the Vancouver Public Library. 

This 1939 photo was taken by Dominion Photo, a commercial photography company founded in 1914 by Percy Bentley (no relation). It was part of a set of photographs of Safeway stores throughout the Lower Mainland and is housed at the Vancouver Public Library archives. 

This 1912 building served as a grocery store and lodging for the ship building industry down at the foot of Lonsdale. For many years it was painted bright turquoise for reasons unknown.  These days it houses a popular coffee shop and restaurant. I have no idea when the original photo was taken or who took it, so I'm guessing it was the mid-2000s, judging by the car in the background. 

The Edwardian Baroque architecture of Ridgeway Elementary School was intended to reflect the sophistication of the nearby Grand Boulevard subdivision, which in the early 1900s was being promoted as the finest neighborhood on the North Shore. It was completed in 1912, just before the general economic depression of 1913 halted ambitious construction projects like this. Several additions have been made to the school, but fortunately they have been faithful to the original design.  

Built in 1904 for Vancouver's first city solicitor, Hamersley House has seen duty as a sanitarium, municipal hospital, an old folks home and a restaurant over the years. In 2005 it was granted heritage status and is now a day care centre.