My hometown Vancouver is certainly getting Olympics-ready. The city has that freshly-scrubbed feeling as a good host city expecting millions of visitors coming 2/12-2/28. I paid a short visit last week, and tried to sample the various construction projects I had been monitoring over the last few years.I didn't get to see the Olympic village, but caught sight of it from a distance. A friend tells me it's on track and looking good. The downtown area is still cleaning up from the Skytrain extension of the Canada Line, and Granville St is not fully open yet. But the CL is running to the airport (since August 17th), and I got the chance to try it on my way back to SF. It was extremely easy and fast, and pretty economical at less than $4 from anywhere in Vancouver (2 zones). I worried that the trains were too tight to carry your luggage, and it was rather cramped, but better than the BART trains in SF.
I finally visited the gorgeous new Shangri-La Vancouver. The exterior seems to be "in progress", and I didn't have time to check out the posh interiors. However, it has already changed the skyline of the city with it's handsome profile. The other high profile skyscraper Jameson House, the Norman Foster designed condo, has barely progressed. I wonder if it's back on track?
I was most eager to check out the new Convention Centre, and it's almost ready. The green roof looks complete but gates are still keeping the place closed to the public. I asked a security guard about the opening, and he vaguely stated "after the Olympics".
And once again I admired the Coal Harbor area, thinking "now this is development done right". I hope someone in SF is taking notes.
