Hi, <BR> <BR>I am coming to Vancouver in July and I was planning to stay at the C&N Backpackers which is at 927 Main St (between Prior and National). Can someone please tell me if this is a good and safe area. And also, which are the unsafe areas in Vancouver. I understand that Hastings & Main is not considered safe, but don't know how far this extends or where else. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey there, <BR> <BR>I wrote a huge long reply but when I pressed "post", it got deleted. E-mail me at the e-mail address above, and I'll send you a link to a website I've been building. It has all sorts of information on the Vancouver hostels... I'd post it up here, but the site's incomplete.

Hi Nicholas, <BR> <BR>I e-mailed you, but for some reason the e-mail bounced back, so I'll just copy and paste some of the information I already have. Hope this helps! Here it goes: <BR> <BR>Vancouver has several hostels, almost all of them are located downtown. Each hostel is different. Some are large, some are small. Some have their own cafes, some don't. Some cost $10, some cost $20. Some are in quiet neighbourhoods, some are in the nightlife district, and some are borderlining the seedy skid row area. <BR> <BR>There's always one thing to keep in mind while chosing a hostel: you get what you pay for. In other words, if you want a cheap hostel, don't expect it to be pretty. If you pay the extra $10 a night, expect the hostel to be good. <BR> <BR>The cheaper the hostel is, the more likely it's located in skid row. The hostel itself will be okay, but it's the neighbourhood that will be ugly. <BR> <BR>Skid row is also known as the "downtown east side". This is the part of Vancouver located between Gastown, Chinatown and the Pacific Central train/bus station. While this area is not dangerous, many drug addicts and homeless people live here. They won't harm you, but don't be surprised to see "junkie junk" on the roads, or people asking you for change. <BR> <BR>The more expensive the hostel is, the more likely it is to be in a good, clean, safe neighbourhood, and there's a good chance the hostel itself has more to offer.

---------------------------------------- <BR>American Backpackers Hostel <BR>http://www.ameribackpackers.com <BR>Address: 347 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1T3 <BR>Pros: Nearby Gastown, short walk to the downtown core <BR>Cons: That block of Pender can be a bit grimey <BR>In A Nutshell: I've never been inside this hostel, but from the outside it doesn't look too bad. The building just looks old. The lobby downstairs looks really funky (in a good way)! You're a short walk from Gastown, and about a 10 minute walk into the heart of Vancouver's shopping and entertainment district. But the actual block of Pender that the hostel is on looks a bit run down compared to other parts, but it's by all means safe. <BR> <BR>---------------------------------------- <BR>C&N Backpackers Hostel <BR>http://www.cnnbackpackers.com <BR>Address: 927 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 2V8 <BR>Pros: Close to the train/bus/skytrain stations, close to Chinatown <BR>Cons: A bit of a walk across the viaduct to the downtown core, close to skid row, a lot of homeless in the area <BR>In A Nutshell: I always have to laugh when I look at their website, because they show a beautiful photo of the city, but that's not at all where the hostel is located! The hostel is in probably one of the grimiest buildings (on the outside) that I've seen. I'm sure the hostel and staff is great once you get inside, but hey share buildings with a run-down hotel/bar called the Cobalt. I don't know what it's like inside, but from my experiences driving by this place, it's by no means paradise. I wouldn't say it's dangerous, but don't be surprised to see drug addicts hanging around. It's also located east of downtown, so unless you absolutely have to stay next to the train station, keep in mind you're not going to be where all the downtown nightlife action is. <BR> <BR>---------------------------------------- <BR>Global Village Backpackers Hostel <BR>http://www.globalbackpackers.com/vancouver/van.htm <BR>Address: 1018 Granville Street, Vancouver <BR>Pros: Right in the heart of the downtown nightlife area, a short walk to the downtown attractions like Robson Street and Gastown. <BR>Cons: Can be noisy at night, that block of Granville is a bit seedy <BR>In A Nutshell: This is Canada's largest independent hostel I believe, and it's located in a central part of downtown. The inside of the hostel is large and home-like. I believe there's at least 4 floors in that hostel and they have various lounges. The only drawback is that you're on a main downtown street with pawn shops and porn shops nearby... but you're also next to other hotels, nightclubs, restaurants , music stores, theatres and such that it's really not bad at all. The music can be quite loud if there's a concert going on nearby, but otherwise it seems to be a really fun and youth-oriented place to stay. <BR>

---------------------------------------- <BR>Grand Trunk Hostel <BR>http://www.mdi.ca/gthostel <BR>Address: 55 Powell Street, Vancouver <BR>Pros: Close to Gastown <BR>Cons: Skid row <BR>In A Nutshell: I don't even know if I've seen this hostel before, but I know this area is the beginning of skid row. At the same time, it's also the beginning of Gastown, and there's some great shops and restaurants nearby. <BR> <BR>---------------------------------------- <BR>Hostelling International - Downtown Hostel <BR>http://www.hihostels.bc.ca/mainvancouver.htm <BR>Address: 1114 Burnaby Street, Vancouver <BR>Pros: Close to the beach, the seawall, Granville Island, English Bay, Vancouver's gay district on Davie Street, resedential neighbourhood <BR>Cons: Not much <BR>In A Nutshell: This is like the dream hostel of Vancouver. It's supposed to be really comfy, professional, clean, etc. It's also in a resedential part of downtown, so it's quiet, but you're only a short walk from restaurants, nightlife, the beach and Stanley Park. Tourists go to Robson Street for entertainment, but the true local hang out is this neighbourhood. The nearby Davie Street especially comes alive at night (moreso on weekends). If you're homophobic stay away, but if you want to experience living in Vancouver's downtown west end, this is the place to be. <BR>Comments: "Nice, friendly and helpful staff, they sell day pass, ferry ticket to the Granville Island, give away free city map and even let us borrow the hair dryer too ! Clean bathrooms and dorm rooms. Nice location - close to Granville Island, Robson Street (shopping), Denman Street (funky stores), Davie Street (oh my fave Greek restaurant Stepho's) and etc ..." - Cindee, Hong Kong <BR>

---------------------------------------- <BR>Hostelling International - Jericho Beach Hostel <BR>http://www.hihostels.bc.ca/mainjericho.htm <BR>Address: 1515 Discovery Street, Vancouver <BR>Pros: Literally situated in a park on the beach, awesome scenery and views, public sports field nearby, trails and forests to explore <BR>Cons: 15 minute drive outside of downtown <BR>In A Nutshell: I'd say this is the most beautiful hostel in the entire city as you're literally on the beach looking out to English Bay, the north shore mountains, the city skyline, windsurfers, etc. The nextdoor neighbours who also share this view pay at least half a million, if not more, to live there. This is prime real estate, yet you can stay there for the price of a hostel. The UBC campus is to your west, and the trendy beachside community of Kitsilano is to your east. You're about a 15 minute drive from downtown Vancouver, but they have a shuttle bus, so it's really no problem. This is a great hostel for a "home base"... especially if you want a quiet, relaxing place to stay but you also want fast access to fun and the downtown nightlife. The Jericho Beach hostel used to be military barracks, but is now the largest hostel in Canada. <BR>Comments: "Less privacy as the dorm I stayed has around 20 bunk beds ! Clean and cheaper tho heheh - $16 /nite" - Cindee, Hong Kong <BR> <BR>---------------------------------------- <BR>The Cambie International Hostel - Gastown <BR>http://www.cambiehostels.com <BR>Address: 300 Cambie Street, Vancouver <BR>Pros: Located in a cool block of Gastown, popular pub downstairs <BR>Cons: The blocks nearby can be a bit vacant or run-down <BR>In A Nutshell: This is the original Cambie Hostel situated in the middle of Gastown. The building's a bit older and grittier, and same with the neighbourhood, but that's half the fun! The Cambie also has a popular pub downstairs which is a major hangout to locals and backpackers alike. With Gastown you're in a historical area (brick buildings, cobblestone roads), and it's sort of a blend of funky shops and tourist traps... definitely one of the alternative and anti-yuppy places left in downtown Vancouver. The Cambie definitely has it's own unique party atmosphere, that's for sure! <BR>Comments: "Cheapest one of the three, $15/nite came with a hearty breakfast (for us Chinese it certainly was heheh)" - Cindee, Hong Kong <BR> <BR>---------------------------------------- <BR>The Cambie International Hostel - Seymour Cambie <BR>http://www.cambiehostels.com <BR>Address: 515 Seymour Street, Vancouver <BR>Pros: Located downtown, nearby Gastown, close to attractions, popular pub downstairs <BR>Cons: Small lobby, smaller hostel <BR>In A Nutshell: I've walked through the halls of this hostel before and I have to say I was quite impressed. They're situated in an old heritage building with hardwood floors, small and tidy rooms, and generally it's a very clean and quiet hostel. What's cool is that there's a popular pub called Malone's downstairs, and there's several cafes, restaurants, music shops, language and tech schools all up and down the road. I work just down the street from here, and everyime I walk by here on my break, the street is always full of international students just hanging out. You're pretty much close to all the downtown attractions, but just in the right area so that it's not noisy or dirty.