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Built in 1912 by William Ingram with money from the Klondike gold rush, the hotel cost $17,000 to build and boasted hot and cold running water and a billiards room when it first opened. In 1926 a beer parlour took over the main floor, and is still there almost 100 years later, surrounded by a growing number of craft breweries. 

This was originally the site of Vancouver's first hospital. The present building has been here since 1923, and currently serves as a retirement home. St James Anglican Church can be seen under construction in the background. 

At the turn of the 20th century the eastern edge of False Creek was a tidal mud flat, extending almost to Clark Drive. As the rail line was being completed, the Grandview cut was dug out, providing much of the fill for the area. The station was completed in 1919, and Canadian Northern merged with Canadian National in 1923.

This is one of photographer Fred Herzog's most notable images from 1965. When BC Housing took over the 1912 hotel a few years ago they converted the building to an SRO and restored the hotel entrance on the ground floor. 

Possibly one of Vancouver's first fusion restaurants, Fuji Chop Suey straddled the boundary between Chinatown and Japantown. It was built in 1931 and operated until the early 1940s, when the property was confiscated and Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from the Coast. In fact, the banquet room on the upper floor was used by the federal government to administer the uprooting of Japanese citizens, according to Audrey Kobayashi. After the war, Sunrise Market opened here, and the owners made small batches of tofu in the back. That small business blossomed over the years to become Sunrise Soya Foods, the largest manufacturer of tofu in Canada. 

Located at the eastern edge of Chinatown, the The Chinese Nationalist League or Kuomintang (KMT) built their Western Canadian headquarters here in 1920. The KMT ruled China from 1927 until the communist takeover in 1948. The building is notable both for its architectural features as well as its cultural value. 

The Clarence was built in 1894 by the Marquis of Queensberry, who owned other properties in the area. It has changed hands (and appearances) many times over the years. The arched entrance and cornices are long gone, and its rugged exterior stands in sharp contrast to the gleaming towers nearby. But when you've managed to survive for over 120 years you can wear that grime with pride. Today it's a thriving sports bar with a hostel in the upper rooms.  

Built in 1913 at a cost of $50,000 during the construction boom of the early 20th century, it has somehow managed to survive the wrecking ball long enough to get a Heritage Designation from the City.  Notice the pre-1900 era house to the left, on what is now one of Vancouver's busiest commercial city streets. 

One of the oldest office buildings in downtown Vancouver, the Arts & Crafts Building had only three storeys in 1911. Three more were added in 1927. Fortunately the original design has been preserved over the years.  It was originally built for a printing company, and has had many commercial tenants since then. Recently a proposal was made to transform it into an apartment hotel. 

A Fred Herzog image that captures a slice of life in 1964 Vancouver. These images were taken on the roof of the English Bay Bathhouse, with the Sylvia Hotel in the background. Image courtesy of the Equinox Gallery.