Gus Digital
my digital realm, my digital voice
Living Downtown – The Bad and The Ugly
I have to admit I love living downtown Vancouver. I have a 20 minute walk to work and I’m close to many restaurants, sushi bars, and close to the water. That being said, there are some draw backs as well.
With the hotter weather hitting us these past few days, I have to have windows open which brings in a lot of the downtown noise into the condo. I have the joys of living next door to an Ambulance station as well as the Atlantis Night Club. Don’t get me wrong I knew what I was getting myself into when I moved here. I did my research, but I guess lately it is starting to bother me a little.
This past weekend there was nothing but constant sirens blazing the Vancouver downtown core and it seemed to be all concentrating near by. If this wasn’t bad enough there is always the lovely after bars traffic. The girls here really can’t hold their liquor and when they are drunk they are the loudest creatures on earth. The profanity alone would make any mother cringed.
Last night at 2am I was awoken by someone yelling outside down the street that he couldn’t see and he needed water. Not only was he begging for help, but he also had the profanity to go with it. It got to a point where people were yelling outside their windows to quiet down. Someone actually went downstairs and gave the man a bottle water, which he threw back at them (nice I know). Eventually the police showed up and at this point I was just wishing they would taser him to quiet him up (yeah I know it is probably mean, but hell I wasn’t in a great mood).
I’m also noticing more and more people camping out at Emery Barnes Park at the corner of Davie and Richards. This is a park I like to take Junior out for his night walk and it is starting to feel more and more scary.
Again don’t get me wrong I love living downtown, but lately with the warmer weather people seem to be a little more cranky and scary. Hopefully some rain will make people calmer and the sirens will slow down a little and let us sleep. 
July 2, 2008 - 9:22 pm
I have to agree, Gus. Living next door to St Paul’s gets irritating, especially when their alarms go off constantly, bringing with it the constant noise of fire engines.
Also, with the summer comes to the lovely aroma that comes with people using the city streets and alleyways as a toilet.
July 2, 2008 - 9:40 pm
That’s why I am an East Van boy
hehehe
July 3, 2008 - 8:59 am
I’ll probably be moving downtown this winter with the girlfriend. She currently resides in the west end and I love it there. I don’t have to use my car and I can walk everywhere I need to. Though I’d have to find a new job or tell my current employer if they want to keep me they will need for me to work from home like I did in the past.
The only thing I dislike about being downtown during the summer seasons is the amount of tourists that invade Denman and English Bay (i’m in the west end twice a week and usually on the weekends). It’s just so crowded. Though being able to get to the seawall in the early hours of the morning for a run/walk is great! I also find that most tourists don’t get past Second Beach lol.
So I’ll be looking to move west of Denman where it’s more neighbourhood like and tourists don’t seem to venture. In fact when I’m downtown I don’t walk down Denman, Davie or Robson if I don’t have to. I’ll take to the side streets like Barclay etc a) it’s quieter and b) it’s more relaxing.
July 3, 2008 - 10:21 am
@Theresa I hear you on that one, gotta love the back lane smells :-/
@Raul you still get some interesting folks in your neck of the woods
@Tyler when I first moved to Vancouver I was living west of Denman and I was surprised how quiet it was just to live one block away from the “action”. I loved living there but alas when our rent went up we decided it was time to move and bought a condo instead.