In government files online this building is described as a two-storey house—standard.
That hardly seems fair.
Just over a decade ago, 1910 E Second Ave was Kwan Ling Grocery Store. Upstairs there was a residence, but downstairs it was a neighbourhood corner store, serving the residents living around East Second Avenue and Victoria Street, just a little ways from Commercial Drive.
While there is still a residence upstairs, the downstairs is one of the more unusual homes in Vancouver. It's a bachelor apartment now, with the former storefront now someone's front door. Inside, where groceries, newspapers and cigarettes were sold is a living room and kitchen.
And a bedroom of sorts; it's got a Murphy bed, the most famous of the beds stored vertically.
While looks like a home, there are a few features that are odd, like the pillars or the concrete floor. The strangest section is likely the front wall, which faces Victoria Street. Huge street-level windows look out onto the sidewalk while a recessed door looks exactly like something you'd see for a shop, but is unexpected for a residence.
Upstairs is pretty standard, but look at that back deck! It's probably the high point for the whole building.
The property, which also includes a garage and a bit of backyard space, is on sale right now, running $1.888 million.
