Considered as the third largest area in Canada, Vancouver is home to approximately 2.6 million citizens. Bounded by the English Bay, the Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to its south, this city is a coastal seaport that draws a variety of immigrants from nearby countries and visitors from neighbouring Canadian cities. With a land area of approximately 114 square kilometres, the city has a wide cultural diversity and is also among the most liveable cities in the world because of its open-door policy, as well as its weather being the fairest in the whole of Canada.
Sex workers do their business discreetly in many areas in the city but mostly at the Kingsway strip. There are still a few who can be spotted around the Downtown Eastside (DTES): Chinatown, Oppenheimer Park (formerly called Japantown), Gastown, Strathcona, Thornton Park, and Victory Square.
History of the RLD
Vancouver's sex trade started to as early as 1867 when Birdie Stewart established the city's first brothel. However, during the late 1930s, authorities shut down the district found on Dupont Street (now West Pender between Cambie and Main). The shutting down didn't go well as the industry spread into the city's hotels and beer parlours. In 1975, when the Penthouse (considered as the city's most notorious house of debauchery) has been raided and busted by the police, the prostitutes took their trade to other areas.
How to find the RLD
Prostitutes can be found in the Downtown Eastside: Oppenheimer Park, Strathcona, Chinatown, Gastown, Thornton Park and Victory Square, and the light industrial area to the North. But nowadays, most congregate on Kingsway, and around Seymour and Nelson.
Stay safe in the RLD
One should be extra careful especially the area surrounding E Hastings and Main Street, north of Chinatown, and east of Gastown. These areas are where lower income families and individuals thrive. Although it is not a violent neighbourhood, upon passing through the Downtown Eastside, you will be able to observe the massive homelessness, prostitution, and open drug use. And if you’re new to this type of environment, you might be threatened by the situation going on so it is best to be extra cautious to all your belongings and orient yourself of the situation. This may not be a typical place to visit if you’re a tourist, but it is best to know what to expect.
Adult entertainment in Vancouver has long existed. At present, adult businesses are found at the Kingsway strip, however, escorts are found all over the city and would gladly offer their services to their homes or hotels. There’s nothing to worry about the city’s policies on sex trade and prostitution as it is well accepted here. Street prostitution, strip clubs, as well as brothels are all found in the city.
With the advent of technology, escorts in Vancouver have their own websites where agreement takes place through the internet. And for those who have no websites, they are found in advertisements and classifieds.
Adult Cinemas
Street Prostitution
Street prostitution in Vancouver exists. Most of the street workers are in Downtown Eastside and Kingsway.
Vancouver’s prostitution has limited legality which means selling sex is fine but buying sex would mean facing a minimum fine and a five-year imprisonment period.
In Canada, most people who are in the sex trade are technically breaking the criminal law. The following are illegal operations when it comes to prostitution: It is illegal to operate brothels, assist another person to engage in prostitution, pimping, communicating in a public place for the purpose of prostitution, selling sex near an area where a person under the age of 18 could be expected to be present such as in school grounds, playgrounds, and day care centers, purchasing sexual services or communicating with the intention of buying sex, advertising the sale of other ladies’ sexual services, offering or obtaining sexual services from a person under the age of 18.
Aside from the city’s adult nightlife scene, there’s a whole lot of other things to do in Vancouver. The city’s non-adult entertainment doesn’t focus on getting the people drunk; rather, it consisted of a wide variety of things for the more wholesome crowd.
Being a gay in Vancouver could be a blessing as it is one of the gay friendliest destinations in Canada with laws allowing same-sex marriages. Aside from that, Canada has been referred to as one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world. A recent poll shows that a large majority of Canadians support same-sex marriage.
Transsexual Prostitutes
Aside from the lady prostitutes who wait for their customers at the side streets north of Hastings and at Cordova Street, there are also transsexual prostitutes in Vancouver on the other side of the railway tracks.