Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
DTES although may be harmless, looks absolutely scary. My heart was racing when I accidentally wandered into it about 10 years ago. I hope it is better now. The seedy Moss Park in downtown east Toronto looks way tamer than that.
It's not better, maybe more concentrated as gentrification is moving along Hastings Street. I took two friend from Toronto through there to show them and they had never seen anything like it.
That's the thing though. Vancouver seedy underbelly is right there in the open, not hidden away since it's between two parts of downtown that attract tourists, Chinatown and Gastown.
I have to giggle the Americans project their inner city problems onto Canadian cities.
I'm in the middle of a weeklong program at UBC. As a small-town girl, this is my first time in Vancouver, and the first time I've been alone in a big city. I have been enjoying this beautiful city so far. But I went downtown to go see a talk, and then afterwards I decided to walk around a little... Before I knew it, I was in the only part of the city that I found to be ugly, so I decided to figure out how to get back to campus. I looked at a map, and my blood ran cold when I realized I was in Downtown Eastside. I had heard all over the Internet that Downtown Eastside at night is the one time and place you shouldn't be in Vancouver, especially as a young, well-dressed woman who's never lived in a city. I asked someone how to get to UBC and he told me that I would have to walk through Main Street, although acknowledging that it was really sketchy. Being the little fraidy-cat that I am, I sprinted in the opposite direction, eyes wide open and on the verge of tears, and hopped on the nearest bus. With some help from some really kind strangers, I made it back safe and sound, despite being a naive idiot with no sense of direction. Next time I'll be more careful so I don't end up in Downtown Eastside again!
Having said that, no one actually bothered me there. There were a couple people asking for spare change, but even then they weren't rude about it. Everyone else was just minding their own business. It makes me wonder, how dangerous is it, really? What parts of Canada (or the US) are just as or even more dangerous?
TL; DR, is Downtown Eastside really as dangerous as it seems?
If you bike, rent a bike and go around the seawall. Start at Stanley Park and keep going until you get to Kitsilano Beach. Relax a bit and head back taking a short cut over the Burrard Street Bridge, head under the bridge to get back on the seawall.
You can rent a bike from Spokes, at Georgia and Denman streets. It will give you a good idea of what Vancouver has to offer.
I was in it a few months ago, and it definitely isn't that nice, but interesting. Some said it's dangerous, some said it's not that dangerous. However, I wouldn't walk around it at night, which I almost did, but only went during the daytime. Some homeless people asked me for money. However a guy I was staying at a hostel with in Victoria said he lived in East Vancouver and said it's a place to get shot or stabbed, and said it's kinda dangerous.
Despite its safety, Vancouver has one of the highest rates of heroin abuse in North America.
Why is heroin use so prevalent in certain cities on the west coast of North America? I have read San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver are among the worst for this particular drug.
Last edited by UrbanLuis; 08-24-2016 at 09:59 AM..
Despite its safety, Vancouver has one of the highest rates of heroin abuse in North America.
Why is heroin use so prevalent in certain cities on the west coast of North America? I have read San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver are among the worst for this particular drug.
My theory is its because of ports, which makes smuggling drugs in easier, and that they are cities with many transplants. A lack of a strong social network or family base leads to more people in precarious situations.
Despite its safety, Vancouver has one of the highest rates of heroin abuse in North America.
Why is heroin use so prevalent in certain cities on the west coast of North America? I have read San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver are among the worst for this particular drug.
I'd say mid-west is probably much worse as well as some island in Massachusetts, with heroin problems
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
