Downtown Eastside, Vancouver

Just a helpful tip. Go to googleMaps. Type in Main and Hasting Vancouver. Take a look at the street shots or web cams, this allows you to take a look at the people and type of behavior that seems to take place there. A visual idea of what to expect.

There are fabulous things you'll miss if you leave the DTES (downtown east side) of Vancouver out of your trip. The chinese garden is phonominal and the Carnegie Center stained glass windows are a tourist stop because they haven't begun to warp as all glass does even though they are more than a century old.
Unfortunatly the Carnegie is located at Hastings and Main - the epicenter of the DTES. usually surrounded by people, many of whom are selling drugs. Mostly perscriptions. The thing about dealers is this. None want to attract police attention. They want to make their money and go. As long as you are not showing any inclination in purchasing said product, You are left alone. Now don't assume that because of your way of dress or type of personallity or age might show you aren;t there to buy, but having spent time there, I can say I have seen ALL types so it isn't rudeness to be asked, usually soemeone is trying to sell fake stuff to the unaware or just simply try to help a newcome to find their drug of choice. Many come to reduce pain. Not to get high.
Don't get involved and they will not bother you.

I am 16 now and I used to live on East Hastings as a drug user.
Vancouver is a beautiful city and not one to ignore or miss out on when traveling. You will be warned time and time again not to go to Main or Hastings (A.K.A Downtown East side). Ironically enough these streets are right between China Town and Gas Town. Both great tourist sites.
I lived there for a little over a year in a run down apartment with no bathroom and part of the floor missing. I know how hard it is and the people living down there don't deserve to be gawked at like sideshow freaks because WE'RE not.
Everyone there will frighten you, I'm sure. It's not every day you walk down a street that smells of urine and is stained with blood. I myself suggest not to walk around the area at night but you won't find trouble unless you really go looking for it.
I lived in ground zero and I even went looking for trouble. The very worst that may happen in the day time is someone will look at you and ask for some money.

Vancouver is an amazing city. From the richest to the poorest. You can enjoy both. I myself have lived in Yaletown and frequented the Downtown East side daily and never once had any type of confrontation. Some basic tips, look the part. If you go walking into the the east side looking like a tourist, splashing a flashy watch, wearing shiny metal or gold rings, sporting brand new $300.00 running shows, smell of polo then you are asking for trouble.

If you are a frugal tourist or on a tight budget you could utilize some amazing resources in the East Side. A full course lunch/ dinner for $2.50 at the 44 club on east Alexander st. A free lunch and dinner at the Union gospel, free coffee and snacks all throughout the neighborhood if you slow yourself down and observe what others are doing.

Dress the part and like someone else indicated, do not treat the people there as sideshows. Again, people will pick up on it and pounce.

I usually dress in jeans (American Eagle) , a pull over sweat shirt (American Eagle or GAP) Toque (Nike -in winter) and keep my watch un-noticed. No other jewelry. You don't have to dress like you're homeless or in walmart brand clothes. Just don't dress excessive, don't appear afraid, look like you know where you are heading and be observant of whats going on around you, You can enjoy all of Vancouver if you exercise a little common sense.

As for at night. Well, I always got through it by looking like I'm uber pissed off about something and ready to snap. No one ever has approached me yet. One of my friends which lives further up on East Hasting sometimes has to walk Hastings home, what she does is act like a crazy person screaming and pointing at people. One has bothered her yet either.

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All the warnings I have read afterwards I went accidently to this place have been true.And I was there during daylight!Thank god I didn`t go there during the night.Blood on the street,awful smell and all those sick people.

As well-travelled Australians, my husband and I have been to the big cities - Paris, London, Rome, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, etc. But we can honestly say that we have NEVER experienced poverty in a city like we saw in the Eastside of Downtown Vancouver. Like many tourists, we were innocently wandering the streets in search of Chinatown from Gastown. And before we reached the infamous East Hastings Street, we came across an alley named "Blood Street" - it was dark and dingy, and we should have headed its warning. Within a couple of minutes we found what appeared to be hundreds of people living in poverty. The homeless, the drug addicts, the prostitutes, and the just-plain-dodgy were all out in search of who-knows-what - and it was only 3pm! Never have I felt so terrified as a tourist. No law enforcement could be seen, and if it wasn't for a bus, and a very kind bus driver, I don't know what would have happened next.
Just stay away.

My wife and I went to CHINATOWN and thought we could just walk the few blocks on Carrell st. to qucikly get to GASTOWN. Wrong. The area goes from bad to worse real quick. Best described as what it must be like to see the Plague in real life, right in front of your face. Hundreds of people thin and obviously sick. Open Sores. The smell of the place was stuck in my MOUTH for probably 10 blocks after. NOT GOOD. If your in Vancouver on a nice vacation do not go here! Avoid it at all costs. You do not need to see this. It is not just some bums sitting around, its full blown drug addicts. It felt like a wicked sick place. I spoke with police later in the evening about the situation on East Hastings, they said the druggies pretty much leave the tourists alone (dont take comfort in this). He said its been like that since the 60's but lately there are more people. Don't let your curiosity get the best of you. I wish I had never walked thru. I am 6ft. and weight 225 muscular. I have no pictures because my hands were wet with sweat and I was walking so fast, pulling my wife along.

I was walking there monday evening around 8PM and I have never so many people so wasted before. All other places where I have seen wasted people they have been alone, or maximum two of them. But in here tens of people were wandering the street without knowing what happend around them.