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  #21  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2008, 6:25 AM
EastVanMark EastVanMark is offline
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Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
theres a number of large clubs - that one that used to be mars on richards is pretty big and mulitlevelled - but its an asian gang bar now

the plaza is decent, the caprice is not bad

i don't know if a super club would be supported

other than weekends and holidays most clubs in this city are hurting
It would most definitely be supported. Its just that the city won't allow for one. Vancouver was one of the only (and the only major) municipality that didn't allow the changes to the liquor code that was brought in by the provincial government that allowed for the expansion of capacity for liquor primary licenses.
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  #22  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2008, 7:04 AM
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[edited by deasine]


inappropriate and offending

Last edited by deasine; Jun 2, 2008 at 7:28 AM.
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  #23  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2008, 10:11 PM
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Aww.... what did it say?

You're no fun deasine
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  #24  
Old Posted Jun 11, 2008, 6:47 PM
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Ahh yes, the good old days!. The first gay club I ever went to was the Gandy Dancer in 1988 (now Bar None). This was before Yaletown even existed as it does now. Graceland was a magical place! It wasn't strictly gay club but rather had a gay night during the week. There was a real nice mix of people there. I remember the night when Prince made an appearance. Johnny Depp used to hang there too when 21 Jump Street was filming in town. IMO the best club Vancouver has ever seen.
I was never at the Gandy Dancer. When I first toured Vancouver's gay bars/clubs it was August 1983 (I know, this officially makes me old). Went to John Barley's (in Gastown area), Neighbours (on Robson), Buddy's (on Burnaby, I think), Denman Station and Numbers.

Biggest change I have noticed in Vancouver's gay scene is the amount of lounges/sports bars - Pumpjack, Fountainhead, Majestic and one near Little Sister's whose name escapes me at the moment).

In years past I have been to the Odyssey and Celebrities.
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  #25  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2008, 6:14 AM
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the majestic is now a full fledged dance club but it seems like it closes early still

they blocked up half the windows and when walking past you can see dancing and hear the loud music as oppossed to seeing people sitting and watching drag shows
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  #26  
Old Posted Sep 16, 2008, 7:18 AM
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i heard that the old Tony Romas location is going to become the new home of the odyssey...

anyone else hear that?
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  #27  
Old Posted Sep 16, 2008, 5:02 PM
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Wow, I just ran into this thread. I haven't been to Vancouver in about a year but the Odyssey was my favorite gay spot. I'm really sad to hear that it is gone. It was one of the first gay bars that I went to at 19, before I could go to the bars here in the States. Plus, it was my first shower show...

I love to visit Vancouver, but I'm always surprised how few gay venues there are for a city of that size and gay population. I really wish that Vancouver's Davey Village more resembled Montreal's gay village with all the big clubs like the Sky Complex and le Parking, the Drugstore, etc.

Is the Tony Roma's place that old house all the way down Davey toward the Safeway?
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  #28  
Old Posted Sep 16, 2008, 10:04 PM
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no

its on pacific - just south of where the od is now - its still open i think another month...

its not in the "gay" district but close to yaletown and the west end

vancouver bars had always been pretty open minded - i know me an dmy friends probably went out to str8 bars just as much if not more than gay ones

there were some good alternative places like luv affair, graceland etc where gays and str8s mixed well

the granville street clubs aren't as friendly feeling however
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  #29  
Old Posted Sep 16, 2008, 10:15 PM
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Fonzo, you are thinking of Romano's Macaroni Grill on Davie in the big old house. Very different from Tony Roma's.
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  #30  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2008, 9:12 PM
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so the odyssey has secured a new location somewhere in the west end... they arent saying where yet.
they are also trying to get their license at the current location extended to around new years
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  #31  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2008, 10:59 PM
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damn i thought they were supposed to be closed down by now
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  #32  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2008, 12:58 AM
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Originally Posted by LeftCoaster View Post
Fonzo, you are thinking of Romano's Macaroni Grill on Davie in the big old house. Very different from Tony Roma's.
Speaking of... Macaroni Grill closed at the end of September. I walked past this past Sunday and they had a note thanking people's patronage for the past many years. Any idea what's going in there now?
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  #33  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2009, 6:40 AM
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Odyssey ready to move to Denman St, But official approval lagging

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Vancouver/...n_St-6143.aspx

After several months of quiet negotiations with the city, the province and various West End locations, the owner of the Odyssey has announced that the popular gay nightclub should soon have a new home.

"The place that we have chosen to move the Odyssey is the old Starlight Theatre on Denman St," Michael Levy told Xtra West Jan 8.

"I feel it's very central to the community. It's a nice-looking building, it has a nice structure, it has windows. It's the whole upstairs, which will allow us to accommodate an equal number of seats as we have here. I think it will make a great Odyssey."

The announcement puts months of community speculation on the move to rest. Levy has been searching for a new home for the club ever since the city prematurely terminated its lease on Howe St last May.

The city-owned Howe St site will soon be redeveloped into a 12-storey building with 110 units of supportive housing for people with HIV/AIDS. Construction on the project was scheduled to begin last fall but has been delayed. A spokesperson for BC Housing says the development permit approval process for the site is underway and construction should begin some time this year.

In October, the city granted Levy a three-month extension on his lease, buying the Odyssey more time to secure a new location.

Although Levy says the club's new location has now been secured, he has yet to confirm a moving date.

Levy blames the slow process of bureaucracy for the delay.

He says the province has reviewed his application to relocate the club and is now waiting for input from the city.

"Currently the application is with us," a spokesperson for BC's Liquor Control and Licensing Branch confirms. "We will be asking local government to assess the community impacts and views of the residents, and provide a resolution to the Branch saying whether they support the relocation application. A major component of our criteria is whether the local government supports the application."

Levy admits he is frustrated with how long the process is taking

"They [the city] are the ones with the carrot and the stick," he says. "We're working as fast as we can [and] we're as eager as we can be to move. Our staff is eager to move. But it is out of our control. The city is the one that has our lease and the city is the one who can give us the license."

Levy suspects the issue will go to council next month but is urging city licensing to speed the process along, adding that renovations on the new space can't begin until the city grants a permit.

"They're not cutting us any slack," he points out. "What they could do on the licensing end of things is expedite things. Our position is: 'You're expediting our demise from this place; expedite our revival at the other space.'"

But the city licensing coordinator says the city has no way of expediting the process —and there is no way the process will be complete by Jan 31, the date the extended lease is set to expire on Howe St.

"They haven't even applied yet," says Lucia Cumerlato.

According to Cumerlato, the city has not yet received notice from the province to move forward with the licensing and bylaw process —and until they do, the city's hands are tied

"As soon as we get approval from the province then we can start the process," Cumerlato says.

Levy is adamant that the Odyssey shouldn't be forced to close its doors on Howe St if the city delays its application to relocate.

"They can let us stay here until the last possible minute. Until they have their building permits in order, until the financing is in order, until BC housing approves everything that needs to be approved," he says.

"I don't see the bulldozers at the door," he points out. "The last thing we want is for this place to be sitting idle for six months and the city not getting revenue, 40 people out of work and the community losing a valued establishment."

Cumerlato estimates the entire process will take another two months. The community consultation could take up to a month, she explains, then the application has to go to city council for approval before it is finalized by the province.

Asked if council could help expedite the process, lesbian city councillor Ellen Woodsworth says she'll look into it. "Generally speaking we cannot speed up a process as that would be unfair to other applications in the process," she says.

But she doesn't anticipate a problem once the Odyssey's relocation application gets to council.

"Given that there are other liquor licenses in that area, I don't see it as being a problem. [However] it is the city's standard practice to see that the neighbourhood approves of anything that goes in," she says.

Gay councillor Tim Stevenson was unavailable for comment prior to press time.

In the meantime, Levy has applied for another extension on the Howe St lease.

But Jerry Evans, associate director of real estate for the city, says another extension won't happen.

"What we agreed to do was extend the lease until the end of January. Just because the Odyssey doesn't have a permit for the new location doesn't mean we are going to extend their lease again," he says

"We've extended it once and we were very clear with the Odyssey that that is all we were going to extend it."

Levy says he was anticipating that the city might reject his request but says he will continue to "push a little harder" to get the extension.

As for the new venue, Levy says the space may look different but the club will continue to cater to the gay community.

"It's going to stay the same, catering to the same clientele with similar promotions. It's a formula that's worked for us for many, many years and we have no intention of altering that."

The old Starlight Theatre is situated across from King George High School and the West End Community Centre on Denman St. The surrounding streets are residential.

Although Levy acknowledges that a nightclub at that venue could pose a problem for some in the community, Brent Granby, president of the West End Residents Association, is not concerned.

"I think as long as they are respectful of the residents I don't think there is going to be a problem," he says.

Vancouver should be more active in the promotion of mixed-use zoning where businesses operate in close proximity to residential buildings, Granby adds. "It brings a lot of variety to a residential neighbourhood."
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  #34  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2009, 6:49 AM
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wow

thats just above where the blendz is right?

interesting
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  #35  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2009, 7:35 AM
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Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
wow

thats just above where the blendz is right?

interesting
yup, it is this building

picture courtesy iTripped on flickr.com

The Odyssey would take up the upper floor space closer to the photographer. It was/is occupied by an Indian restaurant called the Desi Lounge or something. There is another business on the other half of the upper floor.
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  #36  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2009, 8:38 AM
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I don't think Vancouver will ever be like Montreal's district and have a 3 level bar like Le Drugstore. I'll find out this summer if it still exists.

I would rather see a gay bar and those 2 huge beautiful trees than a 12 storey building from my place but that's the way it goes. Interestingly enough, although I live so close, I haven't been there for 3 years. Ha
As a Vancouverite living in Montreal for 4 years, I cannot resist comment. Le Drugstore is a 3 storey lesbian bar. As for multi-story gay bars, we have 3 : Unity II , Le Parking, and Complexe Sky. Sky has a rooftop patio boasting 2 bars, a pool and a hot tub. There are 4 stripper bars, a bar owned by drag queens that is centered around shows each night, 2 leather bars, and a host of other smaller more specialized bars including jazz lounges and kareoke bars. Add into the mix 20 restaurants and you have the village which is solid gay commercial space for at least ten blocks. In summer they close off the street to car traffic and install massive patios out into the street and pour out drinks in a way that vancouver liquor laws would never allow. I'm sorry but vancouver doesn't have any gay clubs. The oddessey came close, but it's capacity and atmosphere were more akin to a smalltown watering hole than a full-fledged club.

This is not a bad thing, vancouver is a great place for gay people to get married and have kids and just generally fit in. There are many alternatives to clubbing that gay men have to socialize, including the gay sports teams or just walking through the streets of amazing neighbourhoods like the west end or yaletown. I do think however that the lack of nightlife may be affecting tourism.
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  #37  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2009, 10:39 AM
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celebs is good

but its usually str8s on fridays since they have taken it over since the gay crowd doesn't seem to support it

yes vancouver's gay scene is pretty lame but its always been lacking and well until all the clubs moved to granville street a lot of "str8" clubs were gay friendly and mixed

like luv affair, graceland, shine etc
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  #38  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 11:14 PM
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odyssey still hasn't shut down - must have got its extension
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  #39  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2009, 1:41 AM
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[edited by deasine]


inappropriate and offending
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Originally Posted by LeftCoaster View Post
Aww.... what did it say?

You're no fun deasine
well since this thread was brought back from the dead, i think i should probably explain this. by editting my post with this, the mod probably did more damage by making people think that i had intended some sort of offense. it was more than half a year ago and i'm pretty sure i was drunk, so i don't remember exactly what i said, but i'm pretty sure the message i left was mocking the religious/christian viewpoint of homosexuality and didn't reflect my true opinion of it. i'm cool with homosexuality, i'm not always cool with religious doctrine...
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  #40  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2009, 3:39 AM
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Odyssey Cabaret Relocation

An application has been received to approve the relocation of the Odyssey Cabaret from 1251 Howe Street to 200-911 Denman Street.

To learn more about this application and meet with the applicant and City staff, please attend:

OPEN HOUSE
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
6:30 – 9 pm
West End Community Centre
Auditorium, Main Floor 870 Denman Street

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

604.871.6555 or e-mail liquor.comments@vancouver.ca

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/ads/feb...09/odyssey.htm

Last edited by jlousa; Feb 11, 2009 at 5:49 AM.
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