I'm looking up Commercial Drive on Yahoo maps, but I see E Pender, E Keefer, is it on the seedy East side?
If it's a different area, how do you get to Commercial Drive from, say Gastown, by the clock?

I'd say it's about a 2-mile walk, but that is one section of town I wouldn't want to walk through. If you take the bus, which is easy, you will no doubt see some, uh, interesting characters but it will be safe. A cab ride would be a few dollars.

Commercial Drive is on the east side but not the downtown east side, but you have to go through the seedy downtown east side to get there from Gastown. The Drive is sometimes a bit seedy, but I've never been afraid there, and there is a lot of interest.

For bus routes:
http://www.translink.bc.ca

Commercial Drive isn't a neighbourhood people would generally walk to from downtown. It's easier to take the skytrain.

Take any downtown skytrain (Waterfront, Burrard, Granville, Stadium), and take the eastbound train, and get off at Broadway station.

Broadway station's located on the intersection of Broadway and Commercial Drive. Then head northbound along Commercial Drive. The shops/restaurants don't really start to get interesting until a few blocks north of the station. Generally the area in Commercial Drive you'd want to visit is between E 1st Ave and Venables Street.

Take a cab to Commercial Drive. Do not walk !

.......Unfortunately, the area between
downtown and Commercial Drive (aka 'the
Drive') is the nastiest part of Vancouver. I'd avoid it at all costs
- even the skytrain station at Broadway
is infamous! If you must go there take
the previous poster's advice and take
a cab.