Granville Entertainment District

Granville Entertainment District
Neighbourhood
Location within Vancouver
Coordinates: 49°16′53″N 123°07′26″W / 49.28139°N 123.12389°WCoordinates: 49°16′53″N 123°07′26″W / 49.28139°N 123.12389°W
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
City	Vancouver

The Granville Entertainment District is a neighourhood in Downtown Vancouver known for its vast assortment of bars, danceclubs, restaurants, nightlife, and urban adult oriented shoppes and entertainment. The entertainment district centred on a seven-block stretch of the Granville Mall and surrounding streets.

History

The Vancouver city council originally came up with the concept of having most of the downtown's drinking establishments centred in one area in the late 1990s. The initiative came with an extension of late night liquor service to 3:00am, and according to Vancouver Police reports, has resulted in a steady increase of assaults and calls for police assistance in the area.

Prior to the establishment of the current Entertainment District, in what is now the Granville Mall was home to a number of movie theatres, which gave that stretch of Granville Street the nickname "Theatre Row" for many years. The closure of those theatres over the years (and the conversion of some of them into their current nightclub forms), however, has left no more movie theatres still operating in the former Theatre Row area as of November 4, 2012 (the date of the closure of the last remaining theatre there, the Granville 7 Cinemas).

Former Theatre Row

• Capitol, 820 Granville (1920-1974, 1977-2005 as Capitol 6; demolished for the Capitol Residences condominium tower)
• Caprice, 965 Granville (1929-1967 as Dominion, 1967-1988 as Downtown, 1992-1999; now the Caprice Nightclub)
• Colonial, 603 Granville (1929-1972; demolished for the second phase of Pacific Centre)
• Granville 7, 855 Granville (1929-1935 as Globe, 1935-1964 as Paradise, 1964-1986 as Coronet, 1987-2012; was the last remaining cinema complex on Granville Street before its closure. Still under the name Granville 7, most recently owned and operated by Empire Theatres.)
• Lyric, 765 Granville (1891 - 1907 as Vancouver Opera House, 1913-1927 Orpheum, 1927-1935 Vancouver Theater, 1939-1947 and 1961-1969, 1947-1960 as International Cinema; demolished to make way for Eatons Department Store, now location of Nordstrom.)
• Orpheum, 884 Granville (1927-1975; concert hall and home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 1977. Originally built as the New Orpheum)
• Paradise, 919 Granville (1949-1972 and 1984-1989 as Studio, 1972-1978 as Eve, 1979-1981 as Lyric, 1981-1984 as Towne, 1989-1999; now the Studio Nightclub)
• Plaza, 881 Granville (1934-1935 as the Maple Leaf, 1936-1963, 1988-1991 and 1993-1997, 1963-1987 as Odeon; now the Venue Nightclub)
• Vancouver Centre, 650 West Georgia at Granville (1977-2002; now used by JLS Business College) (although officially addressed to West Georgia Street, technically part of Theatre Row due to its proximity with Granville. It basically sat on the site of the Strand and old Birks Building)
• Vogue, 918 Granville (1941-1987; now a live theatre)

Granville Entertainment District, looking south.

Large crowds at the many bars and nightclubs.

Sample Bars and Danceclubs

• 555 Vibes
• AuBAR
• Bar None
• Barcelona Night Club
• Caprice Night Club
• Cellar
• Cinema Club
• Club 816/The World (Afterhours club)
• Commodore Ballroom
• Doolins Irish Pub
• Edge Social Grille and Lounge
• Forum Sports Bar
• Famous Warehouse
• Gorg-O-Mish (Afterhours club)
• Gossip (Formerly Plush Night Club)
• Granville Room
• Joseph Richard
• The Lennox Pub
• Mint (Formerly Cyber Night Club)
• The Orpheum Theatre
• The Penthouse Night Club
• The Red Room
• Republic Night Club
• The Roxy
• Serontonin (Afterhours club)
• Space Lounge
• Speakeasy
• Studio Night Club
• Venue Night Club
• Vogue Theatre
• Yale Night Club

See also

Downtown Granville.com