 | Vancouver Downtown Eastside Reviews | 21 - 30 of 55 |  |
Vancouver is a very safe city. Of course there are drug problems, but unless you run with that crowd, or hang out at Main & Hastings, you should not be too concerned about personal safety, most people are harmless. Leave a Comment
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There was only one thing to beware of in Vancouver, the East Hastings St. area is a haven for drugged out junkies, pimps and hookers and even in the bright light of day is a very rough area.
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We've got these two areas which are highly touted for tourism: Gastown and Chinatown. Unfortunately, Skid Row lies right in between the two. It looks worse than it is but you'll definitely want to keep an eye on what's going on around you.
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A lot of people tell horror stories about the Downtown Eastside. Most of those people down there are hurting and homeless, and don't want any trouble. If you just ignore them, almost all of the time, they'll leave you alone. Walking down there in the daytime isn't a pretty sight, but I highly doubt you'll run into trouble unless you deliberately go looking for it. There's no need to get all freaked out about it if you find yourself there, day or night. Just keep to yourself, and keep moving, and you should be fine. Like I stated before, you'll only run into trouble if you go down and initiate it. I'd be more concerned about finding myself venturing into alleys and some of the poorly lit side streets off Main which are more of a potential threat than Hastings St. itself.
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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.
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Avoid Main & Hastings intersections at all costs. This is one of the worst, if not the worst, parts of Vancouver. When I lived in Vancouver I referred to this area as the "Valley of Lost Souls".
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Do not wander around east & south of Gastown for a few blocks! Leave a Comment
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Don't you dare go down there at night by yourself, and if you happen to - put on your best snarl and don't stop. I vouch danger zone from McLean - Richards, Powell - Prior. Leave a Comment Phone: 911
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Everyone is so freaked out about the DTES. It's like this: If you aren't looking to score drugs or a looking for sex from a "professional" then you are basically safe.
Don't let paranoia get you, especially since the Chinatown night market is in the DTES, you may miss something special. Gastown is also in the area (on the fringes) but in the day you won't be bothered, stay off of Hastings though.
I would reccomend not parking in the area...property crime is pretty high in Vancouver (especially there), but violent crimes are not commmon unless you are trying to do something illegal anyway. Leave a Comment
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Have you heard enough about the heroin problem in Van? It's real. Here in Toronto I've never seen anything close to what I regularly witnessed in Downtown Vancouver. Try to avoid the neighbourhood east of Gastown - you'll know it when you see it. Junkies also get around all parts of the downtown core, and can be found in store alcoves and near major bus transfer points. That being said, these are human beings, and they aren't (usually) out to bother anyone. For all that I was warned of danger, and even with how threatening some streets seem at night, no one paid me the least bit of attention. Be cool, keep your wits about you, and it should be fine. That being said, don't park your car in this neighbourhood, flaunt wealth, or otherwise draw attention to yourself!
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