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How is everyone!? If you'd like to skip the reading and head for the pictures just scroll down to "The Update Starts Here!" I have been working on Vancouver since about 2010. I started after seeing all the aerial shots of the City during the Winter Olympics. I thought it was so beautiful that I had to try and make something similar in Sim City. Well here we are almost three years later and not much about my Vancouver is similar to the real one. I quickly found that there isn't a lot of "Vancouver styled" custom content that I could put to use in my city. Add to that the diagonal nature of Downtown Vancouver's street grid and a full on recreation gets very difficult. So I decided to change direction. The real Vancouver is built as a very "green" city with solid environmental and infrastructure investments geared towards making the city as livable as possible. So instead of a Vancouver recreation I have a city based on Vancouver planning and design principles. So like the real Vancouver, my Vancouver has strong public transportation, extensive cycling networks, outstanding parks and greenways, dense walkable development, and NO freeways; however, these systems and networks differ in many ways from the actual ones. Many of you, especially Vancouver residents, will notice these changes yourselves. For the rest of you, these changes will be detailed throughout this journal. One final difference you will notice is the architecture. A lot of Vancouver architecture is modern and contemporary. These types of buildings are generally more difficult to find on the STEX and other Sim City exchanges. So my Vancouver has more of a New York City and Chicago feel with modern and contemporary buildings sprinkled throughout the city. The Update Starts Here! The first update will cover TransLink's extensive transit system here in Vancouver. TransLink operates all of the city's streetcar and elevated rail lines (in place of the real SkyTrain), the city's large commuter rail network, SeaBuses (ferries) and it's extensive bus system. All of these systems are interconnected with not only each other but also the city's extensive bike and pedestrian greenway system. These systems make nearly all of Vancouver "car optional." Intersection of the Main and Cordova Streetcar lines. Waterfront Station is on the Southeast corner of the intersection and houses TransLink's 5 Southbound commuter lines. Those lines include the West Coast Express and lines to Burnaby, Surrey, YVR Airport, and Point Grey. Main Street LRT heading North towards Cordova. Dunsmuir Blvd. passes underneath Waterfront Station. Waterfront LRT stop on Cordova line at Waterfront Station. Heading West on the Cordova Street LRT towards the Central Business District. The American Embassy is the large building across Main Street from Waterfront Station. Heading West on the Cordova LRT. Approaching Cordova/Oak LRT Transfer Station at Barclay Park. This photo is an old transfer between the Hastings Avenue and Cambie Street streetcar lines. This transfer no longer exists as the Cambie streetcar line was removed after the construction of the Pacific Blvd. streetcar along the Northern side of the Stadium District. (EDIT: 12/30/2012) Clark Drive LRT Line. Most of this line is elevated above streets. Then for its central portion it is "high lined" so it's double the height of the regular elevated line. This is leaving the First Avenue LRT Station, heading South. First Avenue LRT Station on the Clark Drive Line. Located near Downtown Strathcona, the historical core of Vancouver. Petticoat Lane, heading South. It is a short line, only 3 blocks long. It simply closes out the Strathcona Loop. Strathcona is the historical core of Vancouver, and was the city's "de-facto" Downtown until the City decided to move North in the early 20th Century to be near the Waterfront. Until recently most of it's LRT lines were elevated above streets. Today, aside from Clark Drive, all are streetcar based. The Loop is made up of the Clark Line as it's Eastern border. The 7th Ave./Broadway Line is the Southern border. The 4th Avenue Line is the Northern border. Finally, Petticoat Lane is it's Western border. A little history: The name Petticoat Lane came into wide usage during the 1920's. Petticoat Lane refers to the section of Campbell Ave. between 4th and 7th Avenues. Back in the 1920's this was the prime shopping district of the City and was usually crowded with women doing their daily shopping. Due to the height of the buildings on Petticoat it can become quite windy on this particular section of the street. Back in those days a gust of wind could (and usually did) blow the ladies dresses up in the air for a peak at their petticoats. Hence Petticoat Lane! (While not from Vancouver, this story is TRUE and comes from Kansas City, MO). Campbell Avenue itself runs from the Waterfront on the North to 7th Avenue on the South where it ends. Today the district still retains all of it's orginal buildings, many of them still department stores, despite the competition from higher-end stores in Downtown Vancouver. The entire historical downtown itself is still largely unchanged from those days. In fact it has grown larger. Most attribute this to the City deciding to preserve the Strathcona Streetcar Loop which retained (and increased) property values and kept the neighborhood very desireable. Many also cite the 3rd Avenue Greenway as a reason for the district's success too. I hope you all enjoy what I have to show! Would love to hear your comments and suggestions! No time for a comment? No worries, how about a little rep instead!? This is a repost from my Journal in the City Journal "tab/section." I wasn't aware there were two sections. Have a great one! Jason
