Friday, January 13, 2012

False Creek Seawall, January 2012

Yesterday we completed the second of our two recent city walks.  Again, I had been working at my listing on the edge of Yaletown so it was convenient to cross the Cambie St bridge and walk part of the Seawall that runs around False Creek.

We managed to get one of the rare 2hr free parking spots on Moberly Road which was great $ saving but ensured we could only be two hours.  We walk the remaining block or so to the waterfront, hitting it close to The Wicklow pub (on right with deck).

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Views across the adjacent Heather Marina, along False Creek with the Granville Street bridge in the distance.

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We start our walk along the Seawall.  Even though it’s wintertime the Aquabus water taxis are still numerous, ferrying commuters and tourists around the waterways.

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Panorama view of False Creek from Granville St bridge to Cambie St bridge.

Views of the south-Yaletown end of False Creek

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Yaletown again, across to the edge of the Cambie St bridge.

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An impressive collection of yachts in the marina

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Yaletown, roughly looking across at the head of Davie St.

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The soon to be extinct Edgewater Casino which has been a landmark on False Creek since Expo ‘86.

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Condo towers behind Coopers Park, with the edge of BC Place visible between them.

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Soon we approach the Olympic Village (now rebranded The Village on False Creek). These towers were constructed for and housed athletes for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Now this development is either a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy, or a bottomless drain on city coffers – depending on which side of the fence you sit !

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Back on the opposite side of False Creek we look across at BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions and where they won the 2011 Grey Cup in November, and the Edgewater Casino to the right.

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A closer view of BC Place.  This stadium underwent a major renovation through 2010 and the first half of 2011 to give it a giant new retractable roof.

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As we approach the Eastern end of False Creek we reach Science World with the residential towers of the Citygate neighbourhood behind.

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Panorama view from the Eastern end of False Creek, from Yaletown, across Downtown and the arenas, Citygate, Science World and then the Olympic Village.

BC Place on the left, the much smaller grey dome to the right is Rogers Arena, home of Vancouver’s beloved hockey team, the Canucks.  Snow-covered Lions just peeping out between the first two condo towers to the left of Science World.  In the foreground dragon boats resting, waiting for warm summer days to return.

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Views West along the still waters of False Creek, the Olympic Village and Seawall where we have just walked on the left.

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As we only had a limited amount of time available with parking, we decided to turn around at Science World and make our way back, rather than make a loop around the False Creek as we did previously when walking here with my parents in 2009.

On our route back we head through the Olympic Village to see the new shops that have opened.

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In plenty of time we are back at the car. 

Mojo may be unimpressed at trading sticks and wading in creeks for avoiding joggers, strollers and hanging out with micro-sized condo-living pooches out for their morning stroll.  But on the other hand, Mojo does finish his walk as clean as he started it which is a treat.  No hosing down and towel drying off today !

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Another fun, different walk in our beautiful city on one of our rare beautiful January days.

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