Before and after shots of West Hastings reveal dramatic changes in Downtown Eastside
For better or worse, the Downtown Eastside is changing.
Property values in the traditionally low-income neighbourhood more than tripled between 2001 and 2013, according to a 2014 City of Vancouver report.
For several years already, the Downtown Eastside has hosted relatively upscale restaurants like PiDGiN and Cuchillo. Now, there’s a new residential tower going up directly across the street from Insite, the City of Vancouver is attempting to relocate the Sunday market from Carrall to Powell Street, and so-called microlofts are renting for more than $1,000 a month.
Of course there was also the massive Woodwards redevelopment, which was officially completed in 2010.
That project along the north side of the 100 block of West Hastings was championed by former city councillor Jim Green. With sincere sympathy for the Downtown Eastside’s older lower-income residents, Green argued Woodwards had the potential to serve as a prototype for real-estate developments that could revitalize the Downtown Eastside while maintaining a mix of people from diverse social and economic backgrounds. With 200 below-market units, there’s no doubt Woodwards accomplished some of the goals Green envisioned for it. But it’s also transformed the area directly around its towers to a truly drastic extent.
That’s a fact I think anybody familiar with the Downtown Eastside takes for granted. But it might still come as a bit of shock to see just how different the 100 block of West Hastings looked before the Woodwards towers went up.
Here’s a before shot, captured by the Google Street View project in September 2007, compared to an after shot I took in August 2015.
Spot the difference.
(Tip: Click the enlarge button on the image at the top and then scroll back and forth between the two photos.)
Comments
5 Comments
Anonymous
Sep 14, 2015 at 6:30pm
The change is really unfortunate - gentrification makes matters far worse for the residents of the DTES and contributes directly to homelessness.
@Anonymous
Sep 15, 2015 at 12:13am
No, lack of development on the scads of land in north van already zoned residential, or which could be rezoned, is far more of an issue than the DTES being gentrified. Go look on DNV's website and see how much land up Sunshine Falls Lane is zoned residential, has been subdivided even since the 1890s, but not used. After all, the creme de la creme have ocean front properties out there!
That's Life
Sep 15, 2015 at 9:13am
I can definitely spot the differences. What was once an abandoned and dilapidated strip has been restored to it's original state as a prosperous city street, like it used to when the buildings were erected. I remember this stretch in the bad old days when nobody but drug dealers ventured down there. It was a horrific mess and I wouldn't want my worst enemy to have to live there.
The city has designated the area east of here, around Oppenheimer Park, as the region where low income housing and services will be moved. It makes much more sense and I'm happy to see the city taking back the downtown core from Poverty Inc. All I can advise is to accept change and make the most of what is being offered to the east.
Xander Davis
Sep 15, 2015 at 11:01am
And worse is the "google pins" on the streets highlighting such Atira-created dining hellholes like The MacKenzie, Ed's Diner on Powell, The Heatley on Hastings.
Children don't show up, only hipster coupling.
Lee Ving
Sep 15, 2015 at 1:38pm
It will change again, first the artists come to exploit cheap rent then they too are pushed out after they make the area desireable to live in. That strip in 10years will be global chain retailers as nobody can afford to rent there otherwise. Above the Prado cafe was once a hotel for low income residents it's now $1000/month postage stamp living. (a bargain compared to rents elsewhere in the area).