East Hastings was the gateway to the Vancouver city core for those of us who grew up in the suburbs to the east (North Burnaby, in my case). This view is actually of the first two blocks of West Hastings. The dividing line between east and west is Carrall St, yet despite the misnomer, many of us still refer to these blocks, east of the curve at Cambie St, as still being East Hastings.
I started this painting in 1990 when this neighbourhood was just starting into a slow economic decline, becoming part of the more notorious skid row a few blocks east. After putting this piece aside for years, I finally finished it in 2014, which seemed fitting as these blocks had begun seeing a revival in overall economy and culture.