The intersection where Vancouver began was the site of 'Gassy' Jack Deighton's first bar, and the spot where the inaugural city-council meeting was held under a large maple tree. It drips with old-town charm. Snap a photo of the jaunty statue of Jack, plus the nearby, recently restored Byrnes Block, the oldest Vancouver building still in its original location.
Gastown was designated a national historic site in 2010, in the main because of this area. Stocked with historic buildings completed a few years after the 1886 Great Fire, Carrall St has some handsome historic architecture. Images from Vancouver's early days (just after it was renamed from the original moniker of 'Granville') show that the first 'city hall' was actually a sagging tent with a handwritten sign on it.
