Gastown: A Self-Guided Tour of Vancouver’s Oldest Neighborhood

Overview

Explore Gastown’s historic cobblestone streets on this two-hour walking tour that reveals Vancouver’s complex identity as a Pacific port city. Starting at Waterfront Station, you’ll see preserved architecture, confront issues like gentrification and houselessness, and visit key sites including Maple Tree Square, the Gastown Steam Clock, former Japantown, and the Astoria Hotel. Key highlights include: • Architecture saved by 1960s activists fighting urban renewal • Contrast between upscale eateries like Ask for Luigi and vulnerable residents • History of the Asahi baseball team and Japanese-Canadian internment • Vancouver’s only legal tent city at CRAB Park at Portside • Blood Alley’s transformation into a community space • Strathcona’s evolution into a green neighborhood • Vancouverism’s unique mixed-use urban planning approach The tour offers a deep dive into the city’s history, activism, and ongoing development.