jamesq | Vancouver Fall 2012: Adventures on Commercial Drive

Humanity is walking by my window.

I'm sitting here at the window of the Stormcrow tavern. Outside on Commercial drive the light rain has stopped (for now – it is Vancouver afterall) and people are our and about on a lazy Friday afternoon.

Kitsilano has the beautiful people, but Commercial drive seems to have everyone. In the last five minutes I've seen beautiful people, ugly people, old people, hippies and many many Italians (Commercial drive used to be Vancouver's “Little Italy”, and the number of cappucino shops, Italian deli's and old guys watching Soccer is still way above the average).

Mostly what people are is real. I haven't seen anyone who doesn't look like they have a backstory, which of course everyone has. Still it's nice to see it. The businessman downtown wearing his suit and carrying a briefcase has a backstory too, but you can't see it because he's wearing the uniform. He's playing a role.

Three girls walk by. One is wearing a faded army surplus jacket that has been lovingly repaired. I picture her picking it out of a surplus store. A guy dressed “urban” walks by. Hoodie and shorts, the sort of fellow who knows his hip hip the way I know my eighties. Two kids are walking with him and they're both dressed and look similar enough to him that at least one must be his son. His world is much different from me, but he and the kids walk with confidence and I sense that he's a good father. What are the kids going to be like when they're grown up? Differnt from me. Different from dad.

The number of old folks I see on the street is huge. And so many of them are completely unconcerned with their gray hair. And so many of them are healthier than I'd have expected – the west coast lifestyle has its benefits. Not everyone is healthy of course, I see a lot of people in wheelchairs. Again, no one seems to make a fuss about people in wheelchairs. Make way because that's the thing to do, but certainly not noteworthy.

The cross section of people is not something I encounter much in Calgary, possibly because I spent my life in my routine when in Calgary. I occasionally get to the Beltline, which is the closest equivalent neighbourhood, but it's not the same. I suspect it's simply because Calgary is not as diverse as Vancouver, so Calgary's most diverse area is simply not going to compare to Vancouver's most diverse area. I think another big part of it is I'm on vacation in Vancouver, so I have the time to observe these things, wheras in Calgary I'm peroccupied with my own life. It's a big part of why I want to retire out here – To have this feeling most of the time, without having to worry about work all the time.

Stormcrow itself is something I like – it's a bar that specifically caters to the nerd crowd. Shields, swords and devices decorate the walls. There's steampunk guns, BSG propaganda posters all over the place. Shelves have RPG manuals and choose-your-own adventure books. A big screen TV is behind me playing Thor. The other night it was playing an old Godzilla movie (that included giant praying mantis' and Minizilla!). If the sound were on I wouldn't be writing this, I'd be looking the other way. The servers often wear costumes. One is dressed as a witch (and she's hott! And I suspect it was at least partially not a costume), the other night one was in ren faire/gypsy chick/elf garb.

Sadly, aside from occasionally having creme brulee on the menu, the joint's menu is kind of bland. I think they're going for a whole medieval tavern vibe, but people's palates are more diverse now – especially their target audience. Keep the hobbit food, but add some gastro-pub fare too. Please – I don't want an excuse to go elsewhere.

So it's a nice place and it's pushed Calhoun's out of my mind as the place to be and to sit quietly and write. I'm in a coccoon of warm embracing nerdiness while looking through a window on humanity. Can you imagine how much this appeals to my INTP nature? I can sit back and let my mind chew on the greatest puzzle of all – people.