Homeless in Vancouver: Late afternoon sun on the Zeeb

Assuming money flows like water out of the rich residential neighbourhood of Shaughnessy—which begins on the south side of 16th Avenue—then 15th Avenue is very near the headwaters of the South Granville Street shopping area.

Most times it is a very peaceful intersection. The commercial pace of the street really picks up a block north at 14th Avenue.

The west side of the 15th Avenue intersection features a clothing store and a furniture store. On the east side, there is a condo tower and a credit union.

The Zebra Club, a “curation” of stuff and clothing for both men and women on the southwest corner, is in a modestly cool one-storey Art Moderne building dating from 1940.

Country Furniture on the northwest corner is a local institution. As signature Vancouver styles go, the rustic “found it in a barn” look has, since the late 1970s, been to Vancouver homes of a certain income bracket what yoga pants have lately been to women’s bottoms. The Country Furniture store only dates to 1979, but the unassuming building its in was built in 1928.

Hycroft Towers is a huge eight-storey building with a one-block footprint. It was built in 1952 in a clean Modernist style and originally marketed as “Canada’s largest apartment building”. Today its 158 suites are condo units.

The northeast corner is occupied by a large 2005 development wrapped on two sides by the heritage brick facade of the original 1920s apartment building it replaced. The corner ground floor tenant is a credit union. Other tenants include American Apparel.