What are "Hasting Street Girls"?

[dzMusica]

Hello,

Can someone explain to me what a "Hasting Street Girl" is? Also, if you know of any links to show as well that would be good.

Sincerely,
dzMusica

[acooolcat]

I guess you know what/where Hastings Street was.

It's a phrase I've never heard before, but it could refer to a hooker or simply a young woman who lived in that neighborhood.

Where did you hear it?

[robb_k]

I'm guessing that Jobete Rob will soon be chiming in on this topic, as Vancouver is in his neck o' the woods.

[jobeterob]

Hastings Street is Vancouver at its very worst.......at least prior to the Stanley Cup riots. A land of troubled people, street people, addicts, down and outers, hookers.

Hastings Street Girl sounds so polite; sadly, I would think there are very few "girls" there; too polite and kind a term.

Probably a match for what Harlem means to a New Yorker.

[dzMusica]

I guess you know what/where Hastings Street was.

It's a phrase I've never heard before, but it could refer to a hooker or simply a young woman who lived in that neighborhood.

Where did you hear it?

No, I don't know anything about Hastings street. All I know is that there is one in Detroit [[or was). I guy named Dudley Randall wrote a poem about these girls but I can't find a copy online.

dzMusica

[splanky]

So jobeterob wrote:

Probably a match for what Harlem means to a New Yorker

The problem I have with this is that Harlem has had a long history of change including periods of growth and decline with
both well to do and extremely poor and all in between making up the community. At present, like other parts of New York
City it is rapidly being gentrified with many of the population being pushed out the homes they've known for years, most
of these, working class people. That Harlem has been for so many years prior to this predominately black is a nationwide
known fact and so it becomes open to stereotypes. The truth is wherever there is some poverty there will be alcohol and/or drug abuse and crime and that has been true all over the city, even in the white neighborhoods of Manhattan, or
can you say The Bowery? We had some rough times but Harlem had a lot of beauty in the 60's and early 70's even while
dealing with the first wave of drug infestation, Heroin, and many of our highest achievers in black culture were often seen or even lived there. Few politicians and almost no police gave a hot monkey sh*t when locals asked for help with
crime problems when the victims were black but some of can't help but notice how the neighborhood was re-formatted
to accomodate all of the newest residents, not only with crime related issues but with shutting down small businesses and raising rents. But then, this is just a repeat of much earlier times, pre Harlem, blacks were pushed out of the lower west side the same way...

[jobeterob]

There is a lot more to the Harlem story than the Hastings Street story.

Hastings isn't a neighbourhood; it is a street and the part that is famous is pretty much all addicts, hookers, petty criminals and very troubled people. But I suppose it it's own way, it has somewhat of a community feel. There are people that operate soup kitchens on Hastings and try to assist the people that live there.

[marv2]

There is a lot more to the Harlem story than the Hastings Street story.

Hastings isn't a neighbourhood; it is a street and the part that is famous is pretty much all addicts, hookers, petty criminals and very troubled people. But I suppose it it's own way, it has somewhat of a community feel. There are people that operate soup kitchens on Hastings and try to assist the people that live there.

First of all, you probably would not be able to afford to live in Harlem today! I was home over the Thanksgiving Holiday and saw some really great and interesting documentaries on the CBC [[http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/ ). One was about all of these organized crime, drug lords, the Bacon Brothers,etc. I never would have never guessed that Vancouver and surrounding areas were so crime infested.

[dzMusica]

Is there a Hastings Streett in Detroit though?

[marv2]

Is there a Hastings Streett in Detroit though?

There use to be........before "Urban Renewal"!

[dzMusica]

There use to be........before "Urban Renewal"!

Well what does the term "Hasting Street Girls" mean applying to the street in Detroit?

[marv2]

Well what does the term "Hasting Street Girls" mean applying to the street in Detroit?

It does not apply to Detroit's street whatsover as it is nothing more than a row of old industrial warehouses and part freeway.

[acooolcat]

Hastings Street was the main black street in Detroit from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was the center of what was then known as Black Bottom. You will find reference to it in many books on the history of Detroit, such as Berry Gordy's biography, or Dancing In The Street - Motown & The Cultural Politics of Detroit [[Suzanne E Smith), and also Toast of the Town [[Sunnie Wilson). Joe Von Battle's record store was based at number 350 Hastings.

Check out the CD from Ace/Kent records...

http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content....9&release=7343

And here's a link to an interesting article by Joe's daughter...

http://marshamusic.wordpress.com/pag...cord-shop-man/

[marv2]

Hastings Street was the main black street in Detroit from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was the center of what was then known as Black Bottom. You will find reference to it in many books on the history of Detroit, such as Berry Gordy's biography, or Dancing In The Street - Motown & The Cultural Politics of Detroit [[Suzanne E Smith), and also Toast of the Town [[Sunnie Wilson). Joe Von Battle's record store was based at number 350 Hastings.

Check out the CD from Ace/Kent records...

http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content....9&release=7343

And here's a link to an interesting article by Joe's daughter...

http://marshamusic.wordpress.com/pag...cord-shop-man/

Yeah, that was all way before I was born. My Grandpa would have known about it [[RIP Granddaddy). Since I've been around, it was never much there. Urban Renewal did that to many black communities across the country in the 50's, 60's and early 70's.