RAISING KIDS AMID THE YUPPIES, HIPSTERS AND FLAKES IN VANCOUVER’S TRENDIEST NEIGHBORHOOD
(A response to Mike Comrie: “Raising Kids amid the hookers, junkies and drunks of Vancouver’s worst neighbourhood”, National Post, April 20, 2012 To read original article click on http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/04/20/mike-comrie-raising-kids-amid-the-hookers-junkies-and-drunks-of-vancouvers-worst-neighbourhood/ )
Main and 14th Ave. Otherwise known as Mount Pleasant, in the heart of Vancouver’s newly affluent east side. I’m walking home from the Library with my two sons Tylerdurden and Dolemite, aged 6 and 3. As we approach, a yuppie makes an awkward attempt to parallel park his orange SUV with “HIS” on the personalized license plate. Across the street is an identical orange SUV with the license plate reading “HERS”. All the while he is listening to Maroon 5 at full volume.
I hope my kids don’t see, but they can certainly hear “She Will Be Loved”.
Today walking in China Town.
Today after hanging out with my friend Claire, I went to catch the bus to my house. I walked down from main street skytrain station and soaked in all the smells of Chinatown. While waiting for the bus I saw a blind man walking and nearly hitting a lot of things, myself included. Out of the blue, a young woman went to help him cross the street and she helped him to walk to the end of the block where I lost sight of them. People who don’t know better always bad mouth Vancouver’s downtown east side, but I feel different about it. Never have I felt in danger walking around there save for one time before I moved to Vancouver. The only reason was because I was young and ignorant and bought into the image that drug addicts were the same as hardened criminals. Things are not like that. People there look out for each other since they cannot count on the protection of the police force. Let’s face it, the police is there to protect private property. Anyways, going back to the couple, it made me feel hopeful and made me feel lucky that I live in this city.
