The bar that will never be used
I was involved with the renovations of the Waldorf Hotel in
2010. I have also been a resident inhabiting room 103 for the past 18 months.
This morning I was finishing the lamination on a new bar I built for the
cabaret when I received the news that it had been sold and closing by January
20th. It made me very sad. Vancouver and I have always had a
tumultuous relationship. I’ve moved away and returned literally more times than
I can count. Each time I return I try again to establish a healthy relationship
with this city. I try to find things I like about it. The Waldorf and the
community around was one of those things. Tom, Ernesto, Scott, Danny and
countless others created both a vibrant venue and creative compound in an
otherwise culturally hindered city. I felt honored to be a part of that. Now
with the news today I fear Vancouver and I might have irreconcilable
differences. Our values are dramatically different and once again I find myself
wondering if this is where I want to be. If this is where I belong.
I loved my little hotel room. I felt more at home there than
anywhere I’ve lived. Thank you for that opportunity.
It's an enormous loss. And I agree with you about Vancouver being a hard place to love. The Waldorf was one of the major things that turned that around for me… but now I think the love affair may be over.
ReplyDeleteAlso: lovely looking bar. Shame it won't be used.
...there's a whole lot of people who go back and forth in a love/hate relationship with this city... it's hard to invest yourself in a place when, wherever you take your stand, they keep pulling the rug out from under you and the wool over your eyes when you challenge them... I suggest you hang in there and find the next project... if something like the Waldorf can be done once, it can be done again... nice work on the bar!...
ReplyDeleteWhat keeps me in this city are the people. And I have tremendous faith in our collective ability to make this a city worth living in. Thank you so much for your comments!
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