The Downtown Eastside has achieved a certain renown across the country. It's been described as the poorest postal code in Canada, and its problems with crime, homelessness, and substance misuse have been topics of national discussion. But the Downtown Eastside is also a community rich in history, architecture, and diversity.

The area - bound by Burrard Inlet to the north, Clark Drive to the east, Hastings Street to the south, and Main Street to the west - is one of the oldest communities in Vancouver. It is also a community that works hard to maintain its integrity and improve its identity as a vital inner-city neighbourhood.

Did You Know?

The 1907 Pantages Theatre near Main and Hastings is the oldest remaining Pantages Theatre in North America?

The upstairs of the Carnegie Library was the home to the Vancouver Museum until 1968?

Gore Street, the only street in the area to run at an angle to the regular grid system, was originally a logging skid road leading to the Hastings Sawmill on the waterfront.

Comments or questions? Send us e-mail at community@vancouver.ca