West End

Vancouver's West End area runs west from Burrard St., east from Denman St., and south from W. Georgia St. Over the course of time this has generally referred to all areas between Burrard St. and Stanley Park, and most residents of the area still see it as such. However, most areas on the west of Denman, including Coal Harbour, have a more affluent and differing population.

The West End neighborhood of Vancouver is highly desirable for retirees, tourists, immigrants, and young people. Because of this fact, this highly populated area features a diverse mixture of residents and visitors. This area is close to the downtown area, beach, and Stanley Park, which is a reason for its bustling nature. However, the area still manages to have a residential feeling, thanks to traffic containing programs and a large number of parks in the vicinity. Vancouver's most popular gay neighborhood, Davie St. Village, is also in the West End area.

West End residents are mere minutes away from nightlife, shopping, the park or the beach, yet still bask in a basically quiet neighborhood. That can change a bit based on the season, as many people from all over Vancouver come to English Bay to take a dive into the Pacific.

The West End neighborhood hosts many popular events each year, such as the HSBC Celebration of Light towards the end of July into the beginning of August, as well as the Vancouver Gay Pride parade, also in early August. The actual events create a wonderfully festive atmosphere, but the crowds are somewhat troubling to the residents. Furthermore, while the West End does maintain its residential feel, the proximity it has to the city brings about urban issues such as panhandling, drugs and squatting. These issues are fairly mild in nature, but an active neighborhood association makes sure that recurring issues are dealt with by the proper authorities.