Welcome to the Lion’s Roar: 557 Prior Street.
Affectionately known as the Lion’s Roar, this has been our home for almost 13 years.
This has been the seat of little Buzz the pug, the place where I spent almost the entirety of my 30s, and the place I’ve lived the longest.
We share this opportunity with mixed emotions, but mainly excitement: the chance for someone new to become the steward of 557 Prior after a long legacy on the edge of Chinatown and in the heart of Strathcona.
Living on Prior Street has always been more than the house itself. It may be the quickest possible access to downtown of any single detached family home.
Super close to Chinatown and Gastown, a short walk through the seawall to Yaletown, and connected to all the parts of Vancouver that have captivated my interests.
Strathcona is incredibly interesting: an urban residential neighbourhood with amenities, character, and downtown still right there in view.
Prior Street literally transforms into Georgia one way and Venables the other. It is an artery, which means it is busy, but also keeps you super connected.
Danae painted the door red and it’s way more inviting. Too bad it didn’t match the red below the windows.Possible fact tie-in: red doors have long been used as a symbol of welcome, protection, or “come on in.” In this case, also maybe “I committed to the bit before checking the window trim.”
This television has seen more hours of The Simpsons than arguably any other television ever in existence.
This room has held many a lazy Sunday, 13 wonderful Christmases, and uncountable after-work unwinds.
The corner of this couch is one of the places where I’ve enjoyed listening to music the most.
With high quality Monitor Audio speakers in the ceiling, towers and centre speaker in the middle, and a sub behind the couch, this living room has some of the most immersive and dynamic sound I’ve ever witnessed. The house is wired for sound, with speakers installed in the en suite, kitchen and sauna. It’s great sound, but Sonos has basically made this entire system obsolete.
It is a joy to go through your favourite albums in this room. Random Access Memories came out the year I moved in and it’s been played loud every year since. All of the music I’ve discovered in this chapter of my life has been heard through this system.
The living room serves as the heart of the house, with direct access to the kitchen and the stairs upstairs to the ensuite.
Possible quote tie-in: “Without music, life would be a mistake.” Nietzsche said that. The subwoofer behind the couch understood the assignment.
Kitchen
The kitchen itself is an absolute pleasure to cook in.
My culinary skills have levelled up in this kitchen, and I’ve made the best meals of my life here. Influenced by my friendships with chefs, chefs I’ve hosted here, memorable dinners, and plenty of barbecue preparation.
My favourite part of the kitchen is its horseshoe shape. Almost 360 degrees of counter space is never more than two or three steps away.
Everything is well appointed and feels like it’s where it should be.
Excessive cupboard space and maybe an aggressive amount of electrical outlets. You never have to go more than three feet without being able to plug something in.
The halo ceiling creates a warm ambiance, especially at night.
I’ve always loved the colour of the cupboards. The appliances haven’t been replaced since we’ve lived here, but they are all still going strong and are in the exact right spot.
The backsplash leaves something to be desired and is a constant reminder of an improvement that has been on my mind forever and never executed. Poetic really.
With an update to the backsplash and maybe replacing the counter with a less busy, simpler, more solid patterned granite, this kitchen could, with a few easy steps, be an absolute dream.
The wine that has gone through that wine rack. In younger days, I would fill it and think, “All right, well, this has to last months,” and often I’d be lucky if it got through the weekend. Different era.Possible fact tie-in: the kitchen triangle is a classic design idea connecting sink, stove, and fridge. This kitchen is less triangle, more “you are never more than two steps from a useful surface.”
Dining Room / Bar
I always imagined the dining room would be a place of hosting.
While we’ve certainly had dozens of really nice dinners at that table, the reality is most of the meals we’ve hosted at the Lion’s Roar have been outside.
That grid ceiling in the dining room is a real touch of character that I haven’t seen in other Strathcona rooms.
The bar behind it was influenced and stocked by many conversations with top staff from The Diamond, where my cocktail game improved incredibly.
I’ve had dreams of sitting at those stools at the bar and eating breakfast. I maybe did it six times in my life, but I guess that means I’ve got some time to make up for.
Possible quote tie-in: “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” Mark Twain gets blamed for that one a lot. Either way, the bar agrees.
Powder Room
Danae hates this sponge pattern wall in the powder room, and it really proves that she just doesn’t get it.
Possible fact tie-in: sponge painting had a real interior design moment. This wall is not a mistake. It is archaeological evidence.
Office
This is the office where I’ve written many a manifesto and many an Instagram caption.
It’s also where my fledgling meditation practice went from staggered and inconsistent to a daily ritual.
If you’ve been on a Zoom meeting with me, there is a 99% chance it was from this room.
I love this room.
One of the best parts of the office is that it has a full washroom attached to it.
Folks who have been around for a while remember that this used to be Adam’s bedroom. Don’t worry, the stink of Adam is well worn off.
Possible fact tie-in: Virginia Woolf wrote about needing “a room of one’s own.” In this case, a room of one’s own with a full washroom and a suspiciously large archive of Zoom calls.
Ensuite / Bathtub / Shower
Perhaps my favourite room in the house is the main ensuite on the top floor, with the skylight over the bathtub.
That is a deep bathtub. You can get fully submerged in there.
If you time it right, the moon can just float by through the skylight while you’re in there at night.
The halo ceiling creates a really nice atmosphere.
Every time we travel, I come home to this shower and say, “Man, this shower is better than any shower we ever find in any hotel.”
Sometimes you miss your bed when you’re travelling. We miss our shower.
Again with a skylight. At this time of year, before the leaves come out, you can see the lights of BC Place, Rogers Arena, and downtown wonderfully.
It’s weird to have a shower with a view, but man, an important feature I didn’t know I needed until I had it.Possible fact tie-in: “moon bathing” is a real phrase. Here it just means sitting in a tub and accidentally feeling like a Victorian poet with better plumbing.
The bedroom’s okay.
It’s cozy and comfortable.
The sloped walls are at least sloped enough that they don’t really affect the height too much.
The halo ceiling is a really nice detail.
The wood floors are particularly nice.
But it’s pretty simple. It is what it is.
Basement / Gym
If you’ve ever wondered why I am such an elite physical specimen, it is because of this home gym in the basement.
Replete with a guest bedroom.
Funkos not included.
The basement is divided in two: one half for us, and the other half as a rental unit.
Our side has an entry out onto Prior Street and a full bathroom.
This would be super cool for someone who wanted to run their paramedical business out of the basement. Separate service room, office area, washroom and its own exit - literally half a block away from the new St. Paul’s hospital.
Laundry / Sauna
The laundry room has a brand new washer and dryer and a bunch of sheets that haven’t been folded, which is a true testament to life at the Lion’s Roar.
It also has a sauna.
If you came here for the first half that I lived here, you may have been in the sauna crammed with about 12 other people.
You’ll be happy to know it has been used approximately three times in the last six years.
Fully operational. A wonderful waste of space unless you’re into that sort of thing.
Possible fact tie-in: Finland has millions of saunas. We have one sauna and, apparently, the discipline to ignore it almost completely.
Basement Suite
The suite in the basement is a basement suite. I don’t know what you want.
People rent it.
Unfortunately, Vancouver has a fairly severe housing crisis, so demand for this space, despite its lack of natural light, is high.It’s never a problem to rent a bedroom and a den.
