 From the station in the cheap hotel district, it runs through the porn, prostitution and drugs area to modern Vesterbro, where 1900s tenement style blocks have undergone significant modernisation.It is generally considered the heart of Vesterbro and was a main traffic artery until 2013 where the street has traffic reducing measures installed.Istedgade's history dates back to 1858, when the first buildings were completed around Gasvejen (today called Gasværksvej), but it was not until 1859 that Istedgade got its official name, the street subsequently growing rapidly towards the railway station, and in 1900 Istedgade reached Enghave Plads.