Oppenheimer Park, Vancouver

This park should not be avoided at all. These people have hearts like all the rest of us. i spent 10 days in the downtown east side of the city and i played soccer and other sports with these people. I talked to them and gained a relationship with these people. Most of them are young and have a lot to live for and i think everyone should go there atleast once to look at what they go through on a day to day basis. maybe you will have a better outlook on your life and you will stop judging these people. I cant believe people would write reviews that are so rude like that

This park is not a place for a family to go to if they are looking for a nice afternoon in the sun. It's not a place for tourists who want to see the beauty of Vancouver. It should not be treated like a "Safari" as one sick person suggested. It is a park where people who are suffering congregate. There are needles, crack pipes, dealers, prostitutes etc, but in the end they are all people. Most of them are great people who have thoughts, feelings, and excellent sense's of humour if you give them a chance and talk to them with respect instead of driving by to gawk. I spent three days in the park and it definitely disturbed me but also taught me a large lesson in pride and treating everyone as equal no matter what problems they may have.

A person who has food has many problems. A person who has no food has only one problem. People have a fundamental right to life, food, shelter, health care, education and employment.People do not lose dignity because of disability, poverty,age,addiction, lack of success or race. This emphasizes people over things, being over having. Speak up in favor of low-income housing,shelters, homelessness prevention programs and other projects and programs that help fight poverty. Focus on a positive before judging...people do not wake up one day and want to live without a home, live with and addiction it can happen to anyone...I care and will continue to contribute and help where I can R.A.

This park is the home of what I like to call the cracktown crackers. Not a place to take the family on a picknic. Likely one of the most dangerous parks in North America.

I live near this park and it is definitely not in the heart of crack users central. The park the people above are talking about Pigeon Park or something along Hastings. I live in Fraserview/South Vancouver/Knight St. Bridge which is nowhere near Pigeon Park. Oppenheimer Park is a beautiful park where people are used to playing softball and soccer games during the year. I walk my dog there every day. The school is one of the better schools in that area and I highly doubt they would allow crackheads to hang out in school yards.

I'm a Vancouver resident and I've only been to this park a couple of times in my life. Once when I was a child watching my dad's softball games played there, and the other times attending the Powell Street Festival. The park is basically a place for drug dealers and users and homeless people and if you don't like that type of stuff then stay away. However, I can only assume that these people would largely leave you alone, and the festival is definitely an interesting event which I enjoy going. That being said, I would not necessarily go to the park by myself at any other time.

this is wher you go when the rest of the world has given up on you... you are accepted for who you are and not who you are not.

Oppenheimer Park is somethin out of a movie, only it is real. There are dozens of hard core herion addicts that use the park to openly shot-up. Crack pipes and other drug tools are all over the place. The churches that surround this park are covered in bars. I have travelled to many cities aound the world and this is a very bad and dangerous area for an outsider and you should avoid travel here on foot at ALL times.

This park is at the of one of North America's most notorious inner city skid row. The park has tried to shape up the image of Vancouver's desperate and sometimes dangerous downtown East side. In the heart of the park you can find potential drug dealers and addicts playing softball or another sport against the local help groups (Men's missions, recovery and half way houses, dexoses, are all features of the neighbourhood) or local authorities. To be safe, this park is best to just be driven by during the day.