Commercial Drive, also called "The Drive," comprises
of twelve sauntering blocks of modest and unfussy
counter-culture. Straddling the line between
sophisticated and unadorned, it is favoured by
students, artists, writers, designers, and start-ups,
and suffused throughout with a healthy off-beat
counter-culture. The kind of neighbourhood which
well-springs thought-revolutions and has the odd bit
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of self-aware graffiti, Commercial Drive has resisted
gentrification in favor of continuing to build a
thriving den of affordable multiculturalism. Once
known as Vancouver's "Little Italy," it has also been
the immigration point for Guatemalans, Hondurans, and
Portuguese to the city. The resulting hodgepodge makes
for poetry readings in espresso cafes, social debates
in early-open bakeries, and eco-activism posters
pinned up in the many multi-ethnic markets in the
area. Commercial Drive is where you go to feel like a
local, and if you have them, bring the kids – The
Drive has a number of bookshops, toy stores, and
attractions to get them involved too.
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