SOUTH GRANVILLE’S GALLERY ROW

January 29, 2010 – 12:19 PM

Vancouver has a thriving art scene, and there are serious, inspired galleries emerging all over the city.

But few would dispute that the highest concentration of art, antiques, sculpture, and one-of-a-kind curiosities can be found at South Granville’s Gallery Row. The area has been the nerve centre of Vancouver’s art community for 40 years. Today, there are over 20 galleries clustered along this stretch of Granville, many of them serious cultural contenders.

For those who are lucky enough to live in the immediate vicinity, Gallery Row offers a varied, ever-shifting pantheon of some of the best art and antiques in town. A walk along this strip always makes for very a satisfying afternoon of window shopping, any day of the year.

And who knows? You might even find that stirring piece that completes you – and walk away with something truly singular for your new Fairview home.

Here’s a run-down of some of the best, most innovative galleries along this strip. But there are many others. Get out there, and edify. It’s well worth it.

Bau-Xi Gallery – The oldest contemporary gallery in Vancouver, Bau-Xi (meaning ‘great gift’) was established in 1965 to provide a channel for emerging contemporary artists on the West Coast. The gallery has since become a major institution in Vancouver, displaying a full range of works in painting, sculpture, prints, and drawing. Bau-Xi has helped many, many local artists to achieve international recognition and acclaim.

Equinox Gallery – Another major cultural arbiter in Vancouver, Equinox Gallery has been showcasing local and super-regional Canadian artists – in the context of a significant international program – for more than thirty years.

Heffel Fine Art Auction House – You’ll know the historic Heffel building (at 7th and Granville) by the distinctive horse-and-rider statue that marks this corner. Primarily an auction house, Heffel deals in some of the most spectacular, rare, and eye-popping fine art pieces to be found in this city, and displays/previews their inventory in an expansive 7,500-foot space. Definitely worth a visit. (Just pretend you’re an international collector.)

Monte Clark Gallery – This landmark gallery is a major purveyor of local Vancouver works in photography, painting, video, and digital media. Monte Clark hosts exhibitions by such notables as Douglas Coupland, Roy Arden, and Scott MacFarland.

Winsor Gallery – Winsor Gallery works with contemporary local artists in photography, multi-media, painting, and sculpture, and hosts solo and group exhibitions for local collectors. A very clean, airy space (at Granville and 14th), Winsor Gallery is a fertile place to see some of the most vivid new works in the city.

These are some of the best galleries in town, but they truly are just the beginning. There is so much to see here – from every era, genre, and in every medium. And it’s always changing. For more, visit the South Granville Gallery Association (www.sgga.ca).

Most importantly, take some time to explore this strip for yourself! It’s a tremendous way enrich your perspective on the city’s art scene – and see how central this neighbourhood really is to Vancouver’s local culture.

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Fairview, South Granville | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

HARDWIRED FOR TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY

January 21, 2010 – 9:35 AM

We all want things to be seamless in today’s world. We all want our connections to work efficiently and quickly – and at Spruce we fully understand those needs.

Our boutique homes are hardwired for today’s technology – which means you won’t need to add in any other cabling or worry about everything being integrated through a central convergence panel. It also means that as technology changes, the panel can easily be adapted and upgraded as required.

High-speed Internet access in every room? Check. Cable TV – and, what’s more, high-definition cable TV – throughout the home? Check. A wireless security system that has a control panel for the entry door, along with security cameras for each condo, and siren? Check. Being energy wise with room-controlled electric heating so you can adjust the temperature to individual zones throughout your home? Check. Hard-wired smoke detectors in all homes? Check.

If you’re technical, here’s the science bit: We have installed Cat5e – or enhanced – wiring to ensure this in-suite ethernet network, telephone, and ADSL Internet throughout your home. We have distributed quad-shield RG6 coaxial cable runs for cable TV, HDTV and high-speed Internet access.

So not only is Spruce perfectly positioned in Fairview, the boutique homes are perfectly wired. We’d love to talk more about the seamless technology – please visit us at:

SPRUCE PRESENTATION CENTRE
2nd floor, 1595 W. Broadway At Fir
CLICK HERE FOR A MAP

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Construction | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

A VIDEO TOUR
OF SOUTH GRANVILLE

January 8, 2010 – 4:44 PM

We came across this video about South Granville the other day, and thought it was a great little overview of the neighbourhood. Some of the spots in the video – icons like Vij’s, West, and Meinhardt – are places we’ve featured in previous blogs.

We hope this is a good little reminder of all the great stuff that clusters around here. Now that the Christmas crowds have cleared, it’s a great time to get out there and explore the area (before the Olympics get here, that is…)

And while you’re here, pay us a visit at the presentation centre! We’d love to see you.

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Home Retail, Restaurants, South Granville | Comments (0)

A GUSTATORY TOUR OF THE AREA

December 18, 2009 – 10:51 AM

It’s one of the best things about getting to know a new neighbourhood: You discover an incredible restaurant, just around the corner. You fall in love with a dish from the menu. Before long, it becomes a regular part of your weekly routine. You get to know the staff by name. It becomes your spot, like a natural extension of living in your new place.

The area right around Spruce is absolutely filled with excellent restaurants – any number of which could qualify for a special relationship like this one. There’s only one problem: there are so many great spots around here, it might take a while to settle on one. But don’t worry. You have plenty of time.

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Vij’s
Vij’s offers an unforgettable take on traditional Indian cuisine, tailored specifically for contemporary palates. The food here is delicate, rich, a little healthier than your usual Indian fare – and celebrated by top critics from around the world. A must-visit in South Granville, but be advised: Vij’s does not take reservations, and wait times can stretch out to two hours. Get there early, or be ready to wait awhile.

West
You’d have a hard time finding a more celebrated Vancouver restaurant than West. Having been recognized as one of the “ten of the best, worldwide” in UK’s Sunday Independent – not to mention a host of other awards and distinctions – West proudly advances a simple concept: fresh regional foods, beautifully prepared, and presented with flawless service. This is a true Vancouver landmark. And it’s just a few blocks from Spruce.

Ouisi Bistro
This casual, spicy little place is an authentic piece of Louisiana, right on South Granville. It’s Vancouver’s original Cajun/Creole restaurant, and serves up catfish, jambalaya, and “voodoo back ribs” made with the freshest local ingredients. A great place for brunch, too.

Red Door
Red Door is a pan-Asian restaurant with a young, upbeat feel, cool tunes, and a masterfully executed menu. The chef strives to create dishes that taste authentically home-cooked, in the same style as they are prepared in small towns across Asia. The food here is infused with patience and care – and can be very addictive.

Death By Chocolate
The ominous name is appropriate: this place gives a whole new meaning to feeding your dark urges. Beautiful cakes, pies, cheesecakes, ice cream, and designer desserts – great for an after dinner stop any night of the week. (Just make sure you’ve got that gym membership all straightened out as well.)

Banana Leaf
Banana Leaf, on Broadway, offers a truly new angle on fresh Asian cuisine. The Malaysian menu is wonderfully prepared, and served in a warm, mellow, colourful atmosphere. And with prices that feel more like a lunch out than a satisfying dinner, it’s a great place for mid-week curries and salads.

FigMint Restaurant
Standing prominently at 12th and Cambie, Figmint has become something of a cult favourite in this neighbourhood. Executive Chef Dennis Peckham has crafted a menu that coaxes out the vivid flavours from fresh local ingredients, for cuisine that is inventive and memorable, and served in an environment that takes design cues from fashion icon Paul Smith.

Kirin Restaurant
Many people don’t even know that this Kirin location is here, tucked away as it is in City Centre Mall. But lovers of truly excellent Chinese cuisine have been coming here for years. This is world-class Chinese dining, in a space that is a far cry from your usual noodle house. By the way: some of the best dim sum this side of Beijing.

This is just the beginning, but you get the picture. When it comes to gustatory experiences, you’re right in the heart of a real nexus here in Fairview. Get down here, and get a head start on your love affair with your new favourite.

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Restaurants | Comments (0)

FAIRVIEW’S SECRET SPOTS

December 10, 2009 – 12:17 PM

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Places like Chapters, Meinhardt, West, etc. are landmarks in this part of the city. We all know them well, and associate them closely with this area.

But there is nothing like finding that that rich second layer in a new neighbourhood – the secret spots that few people know about.

The area around Spruce is packed with so many stores, restaurants, and mini-attractions, tucked away in little corners, waiting to be discovered. When you’re passing through, they are easy to miss. But if you live around here, these little-known places will be all yours.

Here are just a few of the secret spots that give this neighbourhood its unique character.

Oscar’s Art Books (Broadway at Granville)
If you are into any kind of art, design, architecture, photography – or even just a lover of beautiful, hard to find books – this little shop is sure to become a favorite haunt of yours. Whether it’s for reference, design inspiration, or coffee-table fodder for your rainy Sunday afternoons, this is a truly singular source for rare art books in Vancouver.

Cheesecake Etc. (Granville at 7th Ave.)
Places like this one are really rare in this city: It’s old (founded in ’78), it has a very simple specialty (basically all cheesecake, all the time) and it feels like a bona fide institution. Started by two seasoned jazz musicians, Cheescake Etc. has made live jazz a key ingredient since day one, and the warm little room is dark, old-timey, and full of atmosphere. Plus, the cheesecake is spectacular. An ideal place for a date.

Sha-Lin Noodles (Broadway at Cambie)
This no nonsense, bare-bones noodle house is a truly underappreciated Vancouver gem. Specializing in fresh-cut noodles in a variety of Chinese sauces and soups, Sha Lin noodles is all about the food – and plenty of it. Once you try their al dente noodles, you’ll be back. Probably every few weeks.

Museum of Vancouver (Vanier Park)
This one’s a short bike ride away, down near Vanier Park, but it’s worth it. The new taxidermy exhibit that is on display at the moment is breathtaking. It’s all about pulling the past back into the present, and revitalizing – which is exactly what the Museum itself is doing right now. An inspiring, unusual visit.

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (Vanier Park)
Okay, maybe we’re nerding out a bit here. But since you’re down in Vanier Park already, you might as well swing into the Space Centre. If you’re lucky, you might catch a laser show set to Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Yes, it’s a little kitschy. But it really is awesome. And what better way to spend a winter’s Saturday?

Whole Foods (Cambie at 8th Ave.)
Okay, this one’s not exactly a big secret. But this location is so new – and on an area of Cambie that most people just power through – so we thought we’d remind you of it. Whole Foods, (as everybody knows) stocks fresh, healthy, alternative food products – perfect for our changing world. In this case, it also happens to be a big lynchpin for this changing neighbourhood.

This list is far from exhaustive, obviously. Get out there and find your own little-known favourites. And if you feel there’s something we absolutely should have included here, by all means hit us up on Twitter.

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Fairview | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

A HOTBED OF DESIGN OPTIONS FOR YOUR HOME

December 2, 2009 – 10:30 AM

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What’s a boutique home if you can’t make it truly yours? And if some of the city’s best interiors stores are right nearby, all the better.

In this neighbourhood, a wealth of resources to craft a stylish, personal home – one that brings a small sigh of satisfaction, every time you step through the door – is just a few steps away.

South Granville has become something of an interiors destination in this city: If you live at Spruce, chances are you’ll get to know the staff at cute interior boutiques like 18 Karat and Peridot pretty well.

Meanwhile, Granville’s Gallery Row has so many options to cover the walls with something truly local and unique – for those of us who are a little more culturally inclined, that is.

Looking for that perfect, rare Italian sofa to anchor your living room? Just down the hill from here, at Inspiration Interiors, are tons of unique furniture options that will make your friends flush with envy. (Even if you’re not actively looking, the vast showrooms are a great place to get…erm, inspired.)

For the guys that have had their eye on that 32-speaker, 52-inch-plasma, command-centre of a home theatre, Best Buy is just around the corner, at Cambie and 6th.  And when something needs fixing – or you just need more of that daily-life kind of stuff – both Home Depot and Canadian Tire are right on the same block.

It’s great to have a beautiful new home in the city. But it’s even better when everything you need to bring it to life is just a few steps away.

Have fun decorating!

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Home Retail | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

GETTING AROUND VANCOUVER FROM SPRUCE

November 26, 2009 – 12:23 PM

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We’ve certainly crowed a lot about how Spruce is in the perfect Vancouver position. There’s a good reason for this: This neighbourhood is surrounded by so many incredible, thriving pockets of this city. And it’s getting better all the time.

But the immediate neighbourhood isn’t the whole story. When you need to get further afield in Vancouver, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more central point of departure.

You will, of course, need to take the car sometimes – that’s just Vancouver living. But at Spruce, when you come home with your new stuff from Ikea, the grocery store, or Best Buy, you won’t have to jockey for parking out on the rainy streets; every one of these boutique homes comes with an easy, dry parking spot in the building’s underground. (This is a big factor for safety too, of course.)

These days, though, as traffic gets tighter, and we all make an effort to live more sustainably, many of us are trying to live without our cars a lot more often.

At Spruce, leaving the car at home will be a breeze. Along Broadway, all kinds of transit routes converge.

And then there’s the new Canada Line. The line runs north all the way to Waterfront Station and south to the Airport, and adds 19 kms and 16 new stations to the light rail transit network in Vancouver. It makes the city so much more easily accessible, and will be great for growth all along the line’s routes. And Spruce owners will be in a great position to take advantage – there’s a Canada Line stop just a few blocks away, at Broadway and Cambie.

Here’s a run-down of a few popular destinations that are easily reached from Spruce by transit, and how long it will take you to get there:

Downtown (Robson + Burrard): 12 Minutes
Oakridge Centre: 12 minutes
UBC: 19 minutes
Vancouver Airport: 26 minutes
Stanley Park: 31 minutes
SFU Burnaby: 51 minutes
Chinatown: 16 minutes
Lonsdale Quay: 34 Minutes

*All of this is available, with a lot more detail about routes etc. at Translink.ca

Of course, two-wheeled pedal-power is always a good option. And thanks to Vancouver’s increasingly bike-friendly network, that option is looking better all the time. From Spruce, a quick coast down the hill, and a few pedals in whatever direction you choose, and you’re at the foot of any of the three bridges to downtown. To get east or west, you’ve got on-street bike paths basically right outside the door, at 7th avenue or 10th. To head south, you can swing onto the bike paths on either Angus or Heather. And of course, the whole network links up smoothly to the waterfront paths at False Creek and beyond, for more leisurely days of cruising along the water. (Download a full map of the city’s bike paths here)

All told, Spruce really is in a perfect position – both in its immediate vicinity, and for its access to the city at large.

We hope you’ll make the trip to see us soon!

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Fairview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

OVER 30% SOLD ALREADY!

November 19, 2009 – 10:10 AM

Our Grand Opening was a great success. Since we’ve only really just begun to spread the word about Spruce in the past few weeks, we were thrilled to see such a strong response.

But no one’s more thrilled than our happy new homeowners. They had plenty to be excited about – and plenty to tell us about what tipped their decision.

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Many buyers were drawn to this central, thriving, growing neighbourhood. Others were more excited that this is such a small, unique, intimate little building – the rarity of these boutique homes was definitely a factor. The views were a huge draw, too; buyers were quick to snap up the homes that they knew would afford them the most inspiring vistas from this excellent vantage point over the city.

Although we’ve sold more than a third of these boutique homes already, there are still many beautiful suites left at Spruce. But judging from the first week of sales, this won’t likely be true for long. Plus, for a limited time, buyers will still qualify for free* engineered hardwood flooring in the main living area.

So don’t hold off. If Spruce speaks to you, be sure to hurry down to our Presentation Centre soon – and position yourself perfectly, before it’s too late.

SPRUCE PRESENTATION CENTRE

2nd floor, 1595 W. Broadway At Fir

MAP: http://spruceliving.ca/neighbourhood/map.php

*Limited time offer. See salesperson for details.

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Spruce News | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

GRAND OPENING

November 13, 2009 – 3:53 PM

Making an entrance…The Grand Opening of Spruce is Saturday, November 14, from 10am to 5pm.

Perfectly positioned in Fairview, Spruce offers a host of superior details with 9’ ceilings, quality concrete construction, expansive windows… And if you buy during our Grand Opening Event, engineered hardwood flooring in the main living area will be included for free.*

One Bedrooms cost from $329,900, 1 Bedroom + Dens, from $369,900, and 2 Bedrooms, from $527,900. We’ve had significant interest already, so remember to come early to find the home you want: there are only 49 of these great boutique homes available.

Visit our Presentation Centre, located at Broadway and Fir, surrounded by the city’s most promising neighbourhoods – South Granville, Cambie Village, The Canada Line, Granville Island, and the Olympic Village.

SPRUCE PRESENTATION CENTRE

2nd floor, 1595 W. Broadway At Fir

MAP: http://spruceliving.ca/neighbourhood/map.php

*Limited time offer. See salesperson for details.

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Spruce News | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

PRESENTATION CENTRE OPENS NOVEMBER 14!

November 10, 2009 – 9:45 AM

It’s hard to believe it’s so soon, but the Grand Opening for Spruce is right around the corner.

Our Presentation Centre – located at Broadway and Fir – opens this Saturday, November 14th, from 10am-5pm. (Judging from the interest we’ve already had in these homes, you should probably plan to be there early on Saturday.)

At the Presentation Centre, you’ll get a closer look at floor plans, interior details, building elevations, and more. We’ll also be presenting lots of compelling statistics on the neighbourhood, the city, and what makes Spruce such a smart investment right now.

You’ll also get a chance to meet Ev Norris, our Sales Manager, and the other stellar sales staff – all of whom will be happy to answer any questions you might have about these homes.

We’re very excited. And we hope you are too!

See you very soon!

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Presentation Centre

1595 W. Broadway (at Fir) 2nd floor
Opens November 14, 2009
10am-5pm
T: 604.738.7075  |
F: 604.738.7071  |
E: info@spruceliving.ca

By The Spruce Sales Team | Posted in Spruce News | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

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