For more than 35 years, Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood has been the home of Pride, and a place where people from all walks of life can call home.
“It’s a great place to visit, and it’s a great place to live,” says Stephen Regan, executive director of the West End BIA.
The diversity of the neighbourhood is apparent the second you step foot on the street. People of every culture, background, age, and sexual orientation have been drawn to the neighbourhood thanks to its proximity to nature and to Downtown Vancouver.
Although the West End is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in North America, it has a well-deserved reputation for being a friendly and welcoming place, to visitors and new residents alike.
“There’s a recognition here that you have to share this wealth and share these blessings,” says Regan.”This neighbourhood has always opened its doors.”
Life in the West End is centred around Davie, Denman, and Robson streets, and each bring their own unique flavour.
Davie Village is the quirky hub of Vancouver’s gay community, and also home to many of the services in the West End, with St. Paul’s Hospital providing the 24-hour heartbeat for the neighbourhood.
Denman is a tourist mecca stretching from sea to sea, lined with some of Vancouver’s best restaurants, all a stone’s throw from majestic Stanley Park.
Robson boasts some of the best shopping anywhere, and is a hub for Vancouver’s Asian community.
“We have three great streets making up one great neighbourhood,” says Regan.
The West End is Vancouver’s second oldest residential neighbourhood, and quickly became a desirable destination for families who didn’t want to live near the many mills that once lined Vancouver’s harbour.
The Manhattan Building located on the corner of Robson and Thurlow is Vancouver’s oldest apartment building. The corner of Davie and Georgia was once home to the grand Denman Arena, a 10,500-capacity rink that was the home ice of the Vancouver Millionaires, winners of the 1915 Stanley Cup.
The neighbourhood was also the birthplace of tourism in Vancouver, thanks to its close proximity to English Bay, Coal Harbour, and Stanley Park.
Today, the West End is one of the most desirable neighbourhoods in the city, the place where Vancouver comes to celebrate, and is expected to grow by 10,000 people in the coming decades, according to Regan.
“There’s a renewed energy and vitality here,” he says. “This neighbourhood has a bright future. It’s just humming!”
