BoB_09_2009 Burrard St Bridge Jul 11 2009_DSC7325

BoB_09_2009 Burrard St Bridge Jul 11 2009_DSC7325, originally uploaded by VancouverDoug.

This is a view from the Burrard Street bridge in Vancouver. A heritage bridge (built 1930 to 1932) that connects the Kitsilano area to the downtown core. The shot was from the English Bay side of the bridge looking towards the downtown core. The building I live in is just to the left of the shot's field of view.

I love the colors in this shot as well as the 'old' versus nearly 'science-fiction new' dichotomy that Vancouver's architectural mix delivers. Given that the city burned to the ground on the 13th of June 1886 (during what was aptly named "The Great Vancouver Fire") Vancouver thrives on being a city caught in perpetual renewal. The 1986 Expo kick started the city into becoming a global metropolis and with the 2010 Olympics about to get rolling a similar effect will reoccur but be even stronger I expect.

The best part of downtown Vancouver though has got to be City Hall's perpetual dislike of the automobile. I live and work in downtown Vancouver so I love it but I'm certain there are thousands of daily commuters (I see them idling on this very bridge for many minutes during the morning rush) who hate it. In fact over the past 5 years the city has worked hard to make driving into and out of the downtown core even more frustrating. I love such an in-your-face green attitude. Heck - someone's got to take a stand against Henry Ford.

Vancouver transportation factoid: The city, during the 1980's, decided not to have a 10 line highway plow through its downtown core. As a result the downtown is mostly residential unlike most cities the size of Vancouver and up. I love this city. :)