The development that aims to revitalize the long-troubled Downtown Eastside, this former department-store building was a derelict, paint-peeled shell after closing in the early 1990s. Successive plans to renovate and transform it failed until, in 2010, it was finally reopened as a new hub for the community and a trigger for neighborhood gentrification. Combining new condos, shops and a university campus (plus a shiny new reproduction of the iconic neon 'W' that sat on the roof for decades), duck inside the atrium and check out the giant 'Gastown Riot' artwork. And consider coming back for a performance at the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre.