The apartment was very clean and beautifully kitted out. The area however was completely unsafe - we did not feel comfortable leaving the apartment even in the day.
A few days prior to staying we were warned about ‘homeless encampments’. This however is not an honest picture. People were openly doing drugs outside the apartment during the day and night, regardless of which way we turned.
Things we experienced:
- drug taking all times of day and night around the apartment, throughout Gastown and surrounding area
- several people collapsed on the pavement in the ally way behind the apartment - we saw other people buying, selling and taking drugs and then checking the pulses of these individuals (can view from the windows)
- a ‘detox centre’ a few doors up from the apartment building
- tons of people walking round in a ‘zombie-like’ state, weeing openly in the streets and taking drugs openly in the streets
- we could not grab a morning coffee without seeing any of this and certainly did not feel safe leaving at night
- our cab driver told us that this is the worst part of Vancouver to stay in and that we should avoid it