Don't know this area. where i work, largest amount of drug related crime in the UK, highest number of gun related reported incidents outside London. one particular street has seen a murder (jesse james) and three other shootings in less than a year. All figures on HMIC website. from what i have seen in france, germany, spain, greece, holland, russia, ukraine, bulgaria, turkey, brasil, n. africa, all working not package holidays i might add, have to agree with the original post you quote.

Sorry, not been on here for a good while. East Hastings Street (DTES)? Well for a start if you don't live there then the only time you'd be passing through Eart Hastings Street would be driving through - and it would appear no different to driving through an inner city area in England. Infact it looks alright to me.

If you're talking about the end of West Hastings Street up to Main Street (East Hastings starts after Main) then you may indeed touch this area on foot. Now I can't comment about walking around after 12 midnight, but in the evening (Gastown is part of this enclave btw), i'd imagine you'd have as much reason reason to worry in an English market town.

Sure you do see the odd Crystal Meth zombie or two wandering around in a world of their own (scary sight in a kind of sad way) - but in truth they are far less of a threat to you than an 8 pint pisshead if you get my drift. They have their own zombiefied world/problems to deal with!

Also, this so called down town eastside (DTES) is no more than a couple of blocks (anything further east is an irrelevence unless they have 1000 yard jab and that is being unfair to the Eastside residents). That said even this area further east on hastings is hardly an eye opener compared to inner city England - it feels about the same.

May I also add that these two or three DTES blocks (of any relevence to Downtown) are changing all the time. SOME of the hostels are closing down to be replaced by new Loft conversions/new condos. In short the place is changing and will have a healthy mix of spanking new 'des ressies' and affordable/social housing. Think pretty much any touted 'up and coming trendy inner citty area' of England.
I honestly believe that the DTES is the one area that can provide Vancouver with anything like a vibrant inner city nighlife comparable with English/European cities.

In short, unless you decide to live drink/eat/walk or shop in Gastown or the so called eastside at any given time then the whole DTES equation is of no relevence/consequence in the greater scheme of things regarding a move to Vancouver.
Gastown is a nice place to eat, walk and shop btw!

you are having a laugh? yes EVERY large city world wide has these problems because they are problems associated with a subsection of human beings. There are a lot of human beings in cities, enough for these people to become visible presence. If you haven't seen them then you are either blinkered or only saw the nice bits of the place.

Don't know what you're talking about, my ICU unit is full of wealthy private patients drinking tea

And my car paintwork was only altered by a lovely yokel because he/she wanted to show the admiration they had of me working hard for a living in order to purchase nice car and they didn't want to

You bleedin' liar print! I was held up at gunpoint only last week at the Oracle centre in Reading, Colt 45 he had, wanted my Rolex watch and Gucci sunglasses. Luckily I had my sawn off shotgun I always keep in my left sock and blew his Friggin' leg off. Just as he hit the ground he spluttered, "You asshole imperialist pig dog running mate for bush capitalist cu" he never got any further cos I splattered him with the other barrel. Take that! I screamed at his east european face!! He won't do that again

[QUOTE=Covenant;4451182]Without wishing to go into familiar territory about the decline in morals and the problems the UK has with Hoodies etc, there is an element of gun crime but it seems to be mainly to do with young kids getting hold of guns at the moment.QUOTE]

Why do I always read your posts with a slow deep sounding slurring type voice in my head? It's weird. Could be to do with that avatar? It looks amazingly like David Beckham too.

Oh i never go to the Oracle, way toooooo risky.

Much prefer the ambience of Festival Place, you get a nicer kind of mugger there.

I really hope you mean the m1911 semi automatic pistol and not admitting being mugged by a bottle of beer. And I don't think its wise to boast about slaying one of britain's new citizens, after all he probably paid good money for his authentic british passport!

Hmm, Festival Place, sounds like a Spanish holiday camp

Yep it had the '1911' enscribed just above the butt, I read it during the confusion. I never boast about slaying, I went Bob slaying last week, killed 20 Bobs...

P&K - good posting, it certainly put the current situation in the DTES in perspective, and I think you are quite right, it really is vibrant and has potential to be quite the up-and-coming place to be at. Since I started this thread I have been reminded many times of the inner-city problems in the UK, and as a frequent visitor there I really should remember that and not just remember gentle rolling hills and pretty countryside! I have to admit I feel far safer walking around the DTES, and especially the west end, than I do in city centres in the UK.

I was never threatened anywhere in the UK with a dirty needle. I have been twice in the DTES and my car was broken into more times than I care to remember down there. As with any inner city, if you can call Vancouver a city, caution should be exercised in all dodgy areas.

You certainly do seem to have a lot of negative experiences in Canada so I understand why your opinion of it is somewhat jaded. I work on the edge of the DTES, have done for many, many years, and have never had a bad experience. My concern is with the homeless and the drug addicts there, but I have never felt threatened.

It sounds rough, in London a lot of people are getting stabbed at the moment. Where my wife works in the West End she finds syringes all the time, I saw one in the street where I work in Southwark.

Come to Brussels - it's nice and safe here. The beggars and tramps are really friendly and the amputées at the traffic lights are so nice.

Joking aside, it's not a really violent city, except when English football fans arrive , but it has its share of poverty and alternative life-style choices. There are a lot of immigrants - the vast majority hard working.

I'm expecting exactly the same thing in Canada.

Would say though that I was always very careful when walking around UK cities at night (with the exception of Bristol), Brussels feels more secure in most areas.