East Vancouver’s bad reputation is no more

 

By Maria Asselin-Roy,
Staff Reporter

ast Vancouver has had a bad
Heemetos for as long as most

Vancouverites can remember.
Typically, people are given the
message to stay away from East Van
after sunset for their own safety.
However, the tables are turning. It
seems that people from Kitsilano and
West Vancouver are moving to the
east end of Main Street. Ironically,
Main Street seems to have become
Vancouver’s “main street” in terms
of trendy shops and hip restaurants.
According to the public, Main Street
is turning into a bigger and better
Commercial Drive. Commercial is
known for it’s interesting stores and
eateries, and now that Main Street
is coming back alive we are seeing
flashbacks of what Main and Hastings
used to be like.

This year, the East Van Culture
Crawl has been quite popular for
attracting visitors. This is an event
where many artists open their studios

to the public and sell their work, many
artworks featuring the East Van cross
which has become the area’s icon.
Many locals now say that “East Van
is the cultural heart of Vancouver.”
Ken Lum, who created the East Van
Cross, says that “East Van was always
the cultural heart of the city; it was
never a case of ‘becoming’ the cultural
heart.” Lum also says that it is East
Vancouver’s working-class culture that
defines Vancouver’s spirit and soul.
Because about forty percent of
Vancouver residents are from another
country, Vancouver is one of the most
diverse and multicultural cities in
Canada. Lum says that “this produces
all of these hybrids and cultures that
can’t really be found anywhere else.
East Van is arguably the epicentre for
this.” The different ethnicities and
cultural influences are what makes
Vancouver (and especially East Van) a
very interesting and happening place.
With the continued growth of East
Vancouver, surely it will once again be
known as the epicentre for all that is
hip and trendy.

  

 

we

   

What’s the deal with Groupon?

By Jessica Hewitt

roupon, which combines
“group” and “coupon,”
works on the idea of

collective buying power. If a certain,
predetermined number of people
sign up for the offer, then it becomes
available to everyone. If not, there

is no deal. There is no cost to sign
up for the site and subscribers get a
daily email offering them products
and services in their city. Groupon
offers small merchants the chance to
market their business by creating a
sudden buzz, for a fee much lower
than traditional advertising.

However, Groupon isn’t without
its problems. This sudden buzz
could mean that the business cannot
accommodate its clientele. This
results in poor customer satisfaction
and often not enough product
available for customers.

The daily deal website Groupon,
offers more than just discounted
hair cuts, spa days and restaurant
deals. It is also one of the fastest
growing companies, giving Facebook
mogul Mark Zuckerberg, a run for

Get the Daily Deal for: | Vancouver

. GROUPON

Organic ($90 Value)

: Valve Discount You Save
C$90 «550% CS$45
“F Buy it for a friend!
7. a
& 4h 10m 25s

Limited quantity available

of The dealis on!
Tipped at 3:02AM with 100 bought

 

| Expires in 1 year

with other of

$45 for a One-Hour Swedish or Hot
Stone Massage at Bioéthique Certified

   
   
 
    

The Fine Print

: Limit per person, may buy 2
additional as gifts. Reservation
required; subject to availability.
48-hour canceliation notice or
Groupon is forfeited. Do not apply
perfume prior to appointment. Tax
and gratuity not included. Not valid

See the rules that apply to all deals.

his money. According to Forbes
Magazine, Groupon is on track to

-be the fastest company to make $1

billion in profits.

Groupon creator Andrew Mason,
a music graduate from Northwestern
University and now multi-millionaire —
CEO never imagined his career
would be so tech heavy. Mason,
29, never thought of himself as an
entrepreneur. Instead, he admits,
“T just like to build things and do
things.”

Chicagomag.com calls the
site an “Internet business that has
partnered social networking with
bargain hunting” a revolutionary
idea that has attracted the eye of
Google. As of December 13, 2010,
Groupon declined Googles rumoured
5.3 billion dollar offer. Although it
cannot be confirmed, it is rumoured
that Mason’s entrepreneurial spirit
kept him from the sale. Groupon
insider Ron Conway says “What
we’ve done so far at Groupon is just
the beginning” and was not surprised
by Mason’s decision to hold on to his
company.

-

   
 
  
 

Deals By Email +

 
 
  
   
  

 

BIOETHIQUE

Highlights

« Organic spa products
« Two types of massage
» Open four days a week