Is the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver really that dangerous?

Q: Well, I am moving to Vancouver soon and am considering living in the downtown eastside. I know that there is alot of junkies and prostitutes there but that doesn't bother me. I know its alot cheaper to live there compared to other places in Vancouver so I'm wondering exactly how dangerous is it? I have heard mixed opinions, some people say as long as you mind your own business you will be fine, and other people tell me to avoid that area at all costs. Whats the real deal with the downtown eastside area?

A: It's more depressing than it is dangerous. In terms of real danger, as in being shot or stabbed, you could probably find more dangerous places in Halifax or Regina. A lot of those druggies, prostitutes, drunks and mental patients are actually quite passive people, and there is a heavy police presence in that area. After all, it's very easy for tourists checking out Gastown, etc. to wander into that area unintentionally and you don't hear of them being killed off. The Downtown Eastside is not a very good place when it comes to quality of life though. A lot of those drug addicts ended up that way because they needed a way to cope with life on the Downtown Eastside. I mean, you have obviously mentally ill people talking to themselves, native people destroyed by alcohol, girls selling themselves to buy a fix, johns cruising for said girls-it's not pleasant at all. The safe injection sites have helped a little bit because at least you don't have people fixing on the street, but those may close.

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