Vancouver/Gastown-Chinatown

Gastown and Chinatown are in the east end of downtown Vancouver between downtown and East Van. The area is one of the oldest parts of the city and much of the early architecture and character remains, giving it a different look and feel to the glass and concrete of the rest of downtown. Its boundaries are imprecise, but it is roughly bounded by Gore St in the east, Dunsmuir St to the south, the railway tracks to the north and Cambie St/Cordova St/Waterfront Station to the west. Hastings Street runs between the two neighbourhoods, with Gastown to its north and Chinatown to its south.

Understand
Much of the neighbourhoods' distinctiveness is derived from their early importance to Vancouver and subsequent decline. Gastown emerged from a collection of shanties around a sawmill in the 1860s, later becoming part of the city of Vancouver when it was incorporated in 1886. It was the early entertainment district of the city, with a large number of saloons and drinking establishments. Hastings Street, on its south side, became a commercial area with many of the city's early office buildings. Chinatown, to the southeast, was settled primarily by Chinese immigrants who came to Canada in the late 1800s to build the trans-continental railway. Many remained in Canada and started their own businesses that helped make Chinatown, and Vancouver, flourish.

The city's business district slowly shifted westwards towards the Granville Street area and Gastown and Chinatown began a long decline after the Great Depression. A proposal to demolish much of the area to make way for an expressway in the 1960s started a debate about their future and helped spark interest in the neighbourhoods. Renewal has been uneven, and today Gastown and Chinatown (and the broader Downtown Eastside, which they are part of) are in varying states of decay and restoration. Tourist spots and trendy bars sit just a couple of blocks from street-front drug deals, and hip new condos look over what is called Canada's poorest postal code.

The Gastown of today has all the appearances of mass-market tourism and can generate a bit of a love/hate feeling. It's a popular spot for the tour buses and the tacky souvenir shops know it... there's another one every few storefronts. But the wide sidewalks, street-level patios and old brick and stone buildings lend a charm and almost give it a European feel. Water Street has many of the tourist shops and restaurants while Cordova Street is more run-down (particularly east of Cambie St) and has a number of shops selling vintage items.

Chinatown, the second largest Chinatown in North America by area, is further from the tourist path and feels rougher around the edges than Gastown. It has the usual Chinese-influenced buildings, along with a handful of Chinese provision shops, restaurants and community associations. However, those expecting something like the Chinatowns in New York City, San Francisco or Sydney will likely be sorely disappointed; Vancouver's Chinatown has declined considerably since its heyday, and is today a shadow of its former self; it is run down with large numbers of homeless people, and turns into a ghost town in the evenings. Today, the heart of Chinese Vancouver beats in the suburb of Richmond instead.

In between these neighbourhoods (along Hastings Street) and east of them is the Downtown Eastside, an area known for its drug use, prostitution and homelessness. It's certainly walkable during the day, but some people may feel uncomfortable and it can be a dangerous area at night if you are not familiar with it. Other than cheap accommodation, there is little to attract the visitor so touring this area is not recommended.

Get in
See Vancouver for options to get in the Vancouver area by plane, by bus, and by train, and by boat.

Gastown begins outside of Waterfront Station (on Cordova St), so the easiest way is to walk in. Water Street, its main drag, will be the first street on the left.

Chinatown is also easily accessible on foot, just head east on Pender Street. The Millennium Gate, at Pender and Taylor, marks the entrance to Chinatown but most of the action is a few blocks further east and along Keefer Street, one block south.

If travelling by car, Hastings Street is the major east-west street and connects with the Trans-Canada Highway.

By public transit
Passengers can pay for fares using Compass Cards ($6 refundable deposit), Compass Tickets, or tap-to-pay using contactless credit cards (only American Express, Mastercard or Visa) or mobile wallets. Passengers using Compass Cards and Compass Tickets pay discounted fares. Passengers can transfer for up to 90 minutes, except if taking West Coast Express, in which case they can transfer for up to 120 minutes. On bus and HandyDART, passengers can also pay in cash, but in that case will not receive change and are not eligible for transfers. Zone based fares apply between Monday and Friday for trips starting before 6:30 pm, if travel involves SkyTrain or SeaBus. Outside of those hours or for travel on only bus or HandyDART, a single zone rate applies. If traveling by West Coast Express, a higher cost zone based fare system applies regardless of time of travel.Children 12 and under can ride for free. People aged 13 to 18, and 65 and older pay discounted concession fares.

By SkyTrain
The closest option by SkyTrain is to ride to the Expo Line to. Head north and just past the T&T will be Pender Street. The Millennium Gate is one block east.

If traveling to Gastown, the closest option is to travel to by the Expo Line, by the Canada Line, or by Seabus, then to walk east. The Expo Line travels to Vancouver's downtown, Yaletown-False Creek and East Van, and beyond Vancouver to Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. The Canada Line travels to Vancouver's downtown and Mount Pleasant, and beyond Vancouver to Vancouver International Airport and Richmond. The Seabus travels to North Vancouver.

By bus
A number of bus routes run through Gastown-Chinatown on their way to and from Commercial Drive and the Hasting Park area. Routes 10 and 16 head out Hastings Street towards the PNE, Route 20 heads out Hastings Street and then down Commercial Drive and Route 3 heads down Main Street through Mount Pleasant and South Main.

See
Gastown and Chinatown are interesting places to wander around. Some of the oldest buildings in the city are found here and Gastown has been refreshed with distinctive lamps and paving stone streets. Perhaps not authentic, but a nice contrast to the glass and steel towers just a couple of blocks away.


 * Gastown Steam Clock 1.JPG
 * Dr-Sun-Yat-Sen-chinese-garden.jpg
 * SamKeeII.jpg
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Do

 * Vancouver, Chinese new year parade, 2005.jpg

Eat
While Chinatown might seem like a good place to get Chinese food, it has declined considerably since its heyday and today, most or the remaining restaurants are tourist traps serving mediocre food. If good authentic Chinese is what you are after, head to the suburb of Richmond instead, where a majority of the residents are ethnic Chinese.

Sleep
Accommodation in Gastown and Chinatown is of the budget variety, primarily hostels. If you are planning to stay in a hostel, it is probably better to ensure it is located west of Main Street and caters mainly to backpackers (tourists on a budget). If you are planning to find a cheap (significantly less than $90) hotel in this area, it is likely to be in the "East Side", infamous for its prostitution and drug problems.



Stay safe
Chinatown becomes mostly deserted after 5PM, and it filled with mostly homeless people at night. Most homeless people are harmless; they will likely only ask you for money and move on to the next person if you refuse, but you might still want to avoid walking through Chinatown in the evening and night if that makes you uncomfortable.