Vancouver is a very safe city which is one of the reasons it's very popular for conventions. An area to avoid, however, is the downtown Eastside. Not because of safety but because it's the ugly drug addicted and homeless side to our city. It is bordered by Cambie Street to the west, Clark Drive to the east, the waterfront to the north and Venables Street/Prior Avenue to the south, with Hastings Street running down the middle of the neighbourhood.

Again, it's not unsafe. It's just ugly.

Where are you planning on staying?

I would just add as well you might want to exercise caution on Granville Street between Robson and Pacific. The area is getting better slowly, but there's still some undesirables on the street even in daytime.

I think the first poster has given you far to wide an area to avoid...primarily the 3 or so square blocks around the intersection of Main St and East Hastings is the area I would miss. Again not because of safety so much as because of the number of addicted, homeless etc. Chinatown and the Dr Sun Yat Sen Gardens are both in close proximity to Main and Hastings but I would definitely tour the gardens. Chinatown is a shadoww of its former self but the gardens are a treasure...just don't walk down Main St to get there. Also parts of Gastown are in proximity to Main/Hastings but there are some interesting restaurants and shops comng back to this area.

The area on Granville that Vancouvrite67 mentions is a " nightclub/bar/party area" and can be quite noisy and have some offensive louts on it especially in the late evening.

Overall Vancouver is a very safe city..we have had a number of shootings this year but they are all "targeted" ie drug dealers fighting each other.. and if you have a rental car do NOT leave anything in it as we have a high incidence of theft from cars. Personally I think Vancouver is one of the safest places you can travel. one reason is the large number of people who actually live in the "downtown" so it doesn't empty out like some hotel/business areas. People here are helpful and I hope you have a great trip.

Whatever you do, do not drive in downtown Vancouver because parking is not safe. Vancouver is renowned for its car break-ins, especially on cars with out of province plates. Even in underground secure parking it is not safe. Our car was broken into at L'Hermitage Hotel (Robson and Richards St) in the underground parkade along with, at least, six others in June 2008. I've read reviews of late July 2008 car break-ins at the same hotel. Otherwise, we find Vancouver fairly safe but there are a lot of homeless people around Hastings and Main and drug addics seem to be roaming freely in that area.

Hello Heene,

I agree with both ciara and vancouvertraveltips. The folks in the downtown east side are pretty down and out. I've walked through that area any number of times and noticed that I am not their focus, basic needs (and drugs) are.

For Granville St., it is much more pleasant to walk down either Seymour or Howe.

For car parking safety, here are some tips that might help.

* keep the cabin of your car empty, transfer belongings to the trunk BEFORE you start out so that when you get there, you can just lock your car and walk away, from an uncluttered car.

* leave open the (empty) glove box when you park. This gives the message "I know about car breakins and I'm telling "you" that there is nothing worth stealing in this car."

Your person will be safer than your property. It is property that folks want as they can sell it easily for drug money.

Having said all that, Vancouver is generally a pretty nice place to freely walk around.

All good info here. Property crime is the main problem here. Here is a link to some info about protecting your car:

www.icbc.com/crime-fraud/autocr_thefta.asp

Thank you for all the really useful info. Will be staying on Robson Stree and will take the advice given. Will be walking to Delilah's restaurant; Denman/Comox, so hopefully all ok there. Have been before but that was ten years ago, didn't know if things had changed any.

Heene, you will not have any issues walking on Robson or Denman, or anywhere inbetween. The whole area from Granville West (to Stanley Park) is quite pleasant for walking around and you will not see anything other than the odd panhandler in the area. As others have pointed out, there is only a small area of the lower east side that can be unpleasant, and even then the average person seems invisible to the drug addicts in the area. I find walking through there more sobering than anything else as it is difficult to see people whose lives are so terribly destroyed.

Hi Heene:

It you're staying on Robson Street. If so, good choice. You mentioned Delihah's restaurant. At one time it was located at the corners ofr Haro and Guildford Streets in the Westn End (West of Denman). It has since moved to the corners of Denman and Comox (just East of Denman). Their original location was replaced by a new restaurant called Parkside. It has a wonderful outdoor patio and price fixed menu. I had dinner there recently and wasn't overly impressed with the menu selection. There menu is changing constantly based on what fresh local foods they can find. You can find out more at www.parksiderestaurant.ca. I have not been to Delilah's since it moved but I am sure it will have the same energy you experienced years ago. You can find out more about Delilah's at www.delilahs.ca.

The West End and Denman Streets are great. You may want to consider staying at the Sylvia Hotel. It is a boutique hotel directly across from English Bay and very near the entrance to Stanley Park and has very reasonable rates. Their website is www.sylviahotel.com.

I trust you will enjoy your trip.