Although Nirvana are internationally renowned as a ‘Seattle band’, not one of them were actually born there. Meanwhile, another rock legend – who is famed for his time in New York and London – was. And the young Jimi Hendrix spent his summer holidays with grandmother Nora, just a couple of hours north in Vancouver. Inspired by this history, and the nearby Georgia Street viaduct (that expedites ‘crosstown traffic’), The Union Bar – located next to where Nora Hendrix once worked at Vie’s Chicken Shack – carries the lyrics to the afroed-icon’s venerable classic, Crosstown Traffic, on a barn-board installation; courtesy of its designers, Evoke International Design.
Communal benches, Jieldé Augustin industrial-chic lighting, a retro-diner colour palette, and Janis Nicolay’s photography of the gritty Chinatown/Strathcona neighbourhood, complete the bar’s satisfyingly endearing aesthetic – whilst a Southeast Asian inspired menu and persuasive selection of craft beers and cocktails complete the appeal.
