Eileen Fisher's first Canadian store opened on South Granville in August 2011. Photo: Dana Lynch
The last ten years have seen huge changes in most Vancouver neighbourhoods. Gentrification and development have made once “seedy” neighbourhoods hip and trendy (see: SoMa, Lower Mount Pleasant), created brand-new residential areas (like the Olympic Village), and transformed certain districts so thoroughly that, if you hadn’t seen them in ten years, you wouldn’t recognize them.
One such district is South Granville, the shopping and entertainment district in Fairview that extends from the Granville Street Bridge to 16th Ave. Known best for its art galleries (hence the famous moniker “Gallery Row,”), restaurants (West Restaurant and Vij’s are both in South Granville), and the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, South Granville has been developing its reputation as a major Vancouver shopping destination for many years. In the last five years alone, South Granville has transformed from an eclectic collection of mostly independent shops into a kind of Robson Street for yuppies.
Anthropologie on South Granville. Photo: Dana Lynch
South Granville is my old neighbourhood; I lived there for five years before moving to East Van in the summer of 2010. When I first arrived in South Granville, back in 2005, the street still had a few mom-and-pop grocers, butcher shops and bakeries. There were clothing shops that could be considered “cheap” (or, at least, relatively inexpensive). But all of that has changed. The grocers and butchers have long since been replaced by Calvin Klein Underwear and Lucky Brand Jeans, and, though some of the better-known high-end, locally-owned boutiques (e.g., Boboli and Misch) are still there, most of the less expensive fashion shops are gone. TNA has a South Granville location, but that’s about it for bargain shopping.
Instead, South Granville has become a go-to destination for big-name international shops, including “first-in-Canada” or “first-in-B.C.” locations for many major U.S. brands. In addition to its long-time residents Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, the district added Williams-Sonoma (opened in Dec. 2007), Pottery Barn Kids (opened 2009), Anthroplogie (opened May 2011), and Eileen Fisher (opened August 2011) to a roster of shops that already included DKNY, James Perse, and Max Mara.
To stereotype, today’s South Granville is a fabulous place to shop if you are affluent, affluent with kids and/or a gourmet kitchen, or an affluent woman in your 40s or older (because no twenty- or thirty-something is shopping at Eileen Fisher, DKNY or Boboli, no matter how much money they have).
Spank opened a location on South Granville in 2011. Photo: Dana Lynch
There are a few, non-U.S. boutiques in South Granville that appeal to a wider range of clientele: other new(ish) residents include Spank, JNBY and Ella Shoes. And there is still interesting fashion there, too, at Misch, Bacci’s, Lord’s Shoes, Freedman Shoes, and Jack & Jill—it’s just uniformly high-end; the lower-end options have disappeared.
Opinions on the evolution of South Granville will always vary. For some, maybe myself included, there’s a sense of loss at another unique shopping district becoming more mainstream/U.S./gentrified. But for many others, the new (and continuing-to-transform) South Granville is exactly what they want: a place where you can find higher-end brands for yourself, your kids and your home, all in a few short blocks.
Have you been to South Granville lately? I’d love to hear what you think of about this ever-changing area in the comments!
4:20 pm
You are right, South Granville has undergone significant changes in the last decade.
I am of the mind that a neighbourhood either moves forwards or it moves backwards. Staying the same is not a realistic expectation. We are organic and if you watch closely, you can see the ebb and flow across various Vancouver neighbourhoods.
According to real estate experts (which I am not) 6-8% turnover is healthy. It helps keep rents moderated but it also clears out businesses that have forgotten to change with the times or sharpen their business skills.
For the most part, South Granville has maintained that 6-8% turnover on an annual basis. What is interesting… is that by my calculations, in spite of all that change, we can still boast 50% local, independent ownership. They may not have the biggest square footage on the street but they hold their own and offer exquisite product and services not always found elsewhere.
South Granville has been chosen by several well known US retailers in the last decade that have not only flourished but in some instances, outperformed their US locations. Those high profile businesses draw customers to our neighbourhood. Those customers often shop elsewhere during the same trip. The malls have anchors for a reason… we may not be a mall but the marketing principles still can apply. I consider our mix the best of both worlds.
Sharon Townsend
Executive Director
South Granville Business Improvement Association
8:08 am
We took the opportunity of an apartment in South Granville not far from Granville St and Broadway a few months ago but have already decided we’ll move out soon. The street is very unusual for a residential area that it doesn’t have the essentials people need to live – food stores, butchers, local bars, etc, etc. It’s not the correct way to build a neighbourhood and hopefully the Business Improvement Association will recognise this and get more of a mix of stores for the locals – not all affluent by the way as there are lots of rental suites around here. To not have an affordable food store in a neighbourhood this size that people can walk to is inexcusable.