Spring has sprung, and with it the urge to grow things ourselves!

If you own real estate in Gastown, but still want to have a garden, there are some great options.

First there’s the Hastings Folk Garden for those that want to get involved in community gardening.

But if you’d rather learn to grow food in your own space, then check out this workshop at the Old Faithful Shop on May 12th, 2012.

Back by popular demand is our Container Gardening Workshop! Brought to you by Old Faithful Shop and Victory Gardens, this workshop promises to teach the fundamentals of growing food in small places.

Each participant will finish the workshop with their very own wooden container packed with greens and herbs for easy tending throughout the summer months!

The workshop will take place on May 12th from 9:30 AM to 11 Am. Reserve your space now! Space is limited and this one sold out super fast last year.

You can register online at The Old Faithful Shop website.

Learn more about buying and selling real estate in Gastown by contacting Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh

Owning real estate in an urban environment like Gastown as many perks, like proximity to almost everything you need.

The one thing that is missing though, is your own garden plot.

Thankfully, there are many pro-community garden initiatives around Vancouver and there are currently over 75 of them now!

The Hastings Folk Garden is an urban farm/community garden on the 100-block of Hastings Street near Columbia Street… If you’re feeling the need to get down in the dirt and plant something, here’s a link to their Facebook page so you can connect with them.

If you’d like to know more about buying or selling real estate in Gastown, please contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh.

Photo by ARLEN REDEKOP — The Province

One of the great things about owning real estate in Gastown is being able to walk almost everywhere!

If you’re looking for something different, Science World is hosting the Da Vinci Exhibit ‘Da Vinci-The Genius’ from April 28th – September 3rd.

From Inside Vancouver:

Da Vinci – The Genius is a sprawling, 10,000-square-foot exhibit dedicated to the life and incredible creations of Leonardo Da Vinci. It fills much of the newly renovated space in Science World and is being labeled as “the most comprehensive exhibition ever compiled on the works of Leonardo Da Vinci.”

The exhibit opens on Saturday, April 28, and museum officials have remained tight-lipped about exactly what’s in store. But from the few details that have leaked out, Da Vinci – The Genius looks absolutely spellbinding. The exhibit features full-scale reproductions of Da Vinci’s most famous and whimsical machines, meticulously built by hand based on the master’s personal notebooks. During his day, Da Vinci sketched out plans for not only a helicopter, but a hang glider, an early tank, an ingenious system of movable barricades and a steam-fired cannon, among hundreds of other ideas.

Find out more about the Da Vinci Exhibit by visiting the Science World website.

Find out more about buying or selling real estate in Gastown by contacting Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh.

It’s no secret that Gastown is an artist’s haven. Much of the commercial real estate here is home to creative endeavors, from fashion designers to musicians, film companies to visual effects houses – Gastown has become somewhat of a muse.

This spring there’s a new kid on the Gastown real estate block – a new Big kid called Industrial Light & Magic. They’re best known for a little movie called “Star Wars.”

“The facility will be up and running in the June time frame of this year and we expect it to be active for about a year at least initially, and there’s a potential for an extension if there are future projects that warrant,” ILM spokesman Miles Perkins said in a telephone interview from California. “We’re probably going to have about a hundred artists there in most of the visual effects disciplines.”
Many of the world’s top visual and digital effects studios, including Pixar, Motion Picture Company, Scanline, Rhythm & Hues, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Digital Domain, have set up operations here – joining homegrown companies such as Image Engine and Rainmaker Entertainment as part of a recent boom that has provided work for at least 2,200 visual and digital effects artists.

“Vancouver has always had a great artists’ community.”

Yes, we know… You can read the whole Vancouver Sun article here.

Find out how to land your own piece of Gastown real estate by contacting Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh.

Sequel 138 Condos is a new condo project by Sequel 138 Development Corp. currently in preconstruction at 138 E Hastings St in Vancouver. The project has a total of 97 units.

From Sequel 138 Development Corp:

Sequel 138 will provide affordable, entry-level housing for artists & entry-level housing for workers in non-profits helping the people of the Downtown Eastside.
Sequel 138 will provide social housing run by a Downtown Eastside non-profit.
And there will be 2500 square feet of arts space set aside for the resident artists, and for the community.

View Larger Map

If you’d like to know more about owning at Sequel 138, or other Gastown real estate, please contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh.

Businesses all over Gastown will be hosting the Spring Shop Hop in their real estate Thursday, April 12th from 5-9 pm.

Wander through the diverse shops, sample tasty treats, and even shop for real estate while you’re here.

The Gastown Shop Hop is back for the Spring season! Come down Thursday, April 12th to shop, eat, drink, and enjoy exclusive in-store specials on tons of amazing brands and products. For one evening only, over 30 of Gastown’s stores and restaurants will have their doors open from 5-9 — shop and receive! Check out some of the retailers and restaurants below and start planning your hop.

Participating stores include:

1- ARTINA’S
2 – TWO OF A FEW
3 – ONE OF A FEW
4 – HOLLY
5 – PARLIAMENT
6 – JOHN FLUEVOG
7 – ISHARA
8 – OAK & FORT
9 – ORLING & WU
10 – NEIGHBOUR
11 – RODEN GRAY
12 – SHARKS & HAMMERS
13 – MANDULA
14 – LYNNsteven
15 – NIKA
16 – CROME YELLOW
17 – NOUVELLE NOUVELLE
18 – BRUCE EYEWEAR
19 – INNER SPACE YOGA
20 – INVENTORY
21 – ANTI-HERO
22 – DUTIL
23 – COLOUR BOX
24 – ROWAN SKY
25 – DREAM
26 – OLD FAITHFUL
27 – BLOCK
28 – (212)
29 – RUBI & KINO
30 – DELUXE JUNK
31 – TATE BOUTIQUE
32 – RIC YUENN
33 – HITZ BOUTIQUE

Support Gastown Businesses!

You can find out more about the Gastown Shop Hop at Gastown.Org

Find out more about buying or selling real estate in Gastown by contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh.

Do you own real estate in Gastown?

Are you and your better half considering either selling or renovating your space?

‘Love It or List It’ is an HGTV real estate reality show that’s looking for couples, or families to showcase their Gastown homes.

Participant Criteria:

If you’d like to know more about this, please contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh @ 604-780-3457.

Does owning real estate in Gastown – Vancouver’s most historic, and arguably most hip neighbourhood – sound appealing to you?

With great local artists, boutiques and some of the city’s best restaurants right outside your door, you’d be in great company.

Check out this recap of Gastown’s new real estate developments and see if there’s something here for you:

21 Doors is a new project from The Salient Group, who recently won an Outstanding Achievement Award from Heritage Vancouver for it’s “contributions to the rehabilitation of the Gastown area”.

‘The Flats’ Revealing Chinatown’s untapped potential is a unique, bold and innovative nine storey mid rise consisting of 28 distinctive city flats.

Smart Gastown Living is located on Powell Street, between Columbia and Main Street, in the heart of Chinatown.

The Paris Block is a collection of 29 new homes within a 100-year-old, 5 storey brick building.

Paris Annex is a new Gastown real estate project by The Salient Group, currently under construction at 47 West Hastings Street in Vancouver.

Terminus is located on Water Street, and is a unique blend of historic façades and all new construction with a very modern aesthetic.

If you’d like to know more about any of these developments, or other Gastown real estate opportunities, please contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh today.

If you’re in the market for a new home in Gastown, or have recently secured real estate here and need decorating inspiration, then take a look at this Ideabook which highlights hip and trendy Vancouver!

From Houzz.com contributor and design blogger Laura Gaskgill:

Natural beauty gets a cosmopolitan edge in this Canadian city that keeps its eye firmly on design style. From the lush mountains ringing the city to the charming shops and hip restaurants downtown, Vancouver, in Canada’s British Columbia, is a stunning mix of natural beauty and cosmopolitan style.

If you’re thinking about selling your Gastown real estate this Spring, use some of these ideas to stage your space…

Then contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh to help you get it on the market!

If you’re considering buying real estate in Gastown, and you’d like to learn a bit about the neighbourhood, here’s a fun, informative, and very tasty way to go about it! ‘Vancouver Food Tours’ hosts several different tours in Gastown, that include meals, wine pairings and a guided walk through the neighbourhood. Not a bad way to explore the real estate here too.

Taste and sip through the historic Gastown district, Vancouver’s most vibrant restaurant scene and Canada’s cocktail capitol. Expect award- winning restaurants, inventive cocktails, eccentric personalities, and inspiring decor.

Follow your guide into an inconspicuous, pebble stone back alley where two hidden gems are tucked away from everyday tourists.

For more information about ‘Vancouver Food Tours’ and their Gastown experience, visit their website.

If you’d like to know more about real estate opportunities in Gastown, contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh! You can also join our Vancouver Real Estate Facebook page for regular updates about this and other neighbourhoods like Coal Harbour.