MOVING TO VANCOUVER

[Paul]

 Hi forum, wanted to get any info on Vancouver.  Has anyone visited, moved there or thinking about it
Would like to find out what life is like there.  
I ve been on the Discover Vancouver forum - but many yahoos frequent that site -  youngsters ranting and swearing away etc it s difficult to make heads or tails about that city.  Most bash Vancouver etc and I m looking for a more serious and balanced dialogue on the pros and cons of living there.  Somebody there mentioned I should try here to get more serious responses and info!  Much appreciated  

[P.C.]

Hi Paul

I was born and raised in Vancouver, but as I no longer live there, I may not have the best perspective.  But this is what I know.  Vancouver housing prices are high....to purchase or to rent.  It has it's 'big city' problems like everywhere else.  It's beautiful and has much to offer no matter what you're into.  There are a number of people on this forum who live in work in Vancouver who will probably be able to give you better insight.

[kitten]

Welcome to Vancouver!

  The first thing to consider is housing.  You will find the rents rather high, but if you have a decent job lined up, that may not be a factor.  There are many different communities, each with their own lifestyle.  There is a lot to like about the city, and a lot to do here.  If you are into sports activities there are plenty of opportunities to join groups of like-minded people.  If you could list a few of the things that interest you, I'm sure there are a lot of people here that could help you.

       

[Paul]

thanks pc and kittie
I have some questions but gotta head out right now - in the meantime, please keep your replies coming!

[CK]

I was born and lived in Burnaby for years. I guess the first thing I would have to ask is, what do you want at this time out of your life?

Vancouver is a very cool city in many ways. It all depends what you want?

[Mutilated Mind]

Paul, if I were you, I would do a search on the internet.
Google, Metacrawler, Teoma, Vivisimo - take your pick ! Search engines enough.

You may get a few personal opinions from people trying to be helpful here but in my view, that's limited. I am sure there are plenty sites out there with tons of factual and useful information.

[CK]

Yeah, DV really sucks as far as any point of view towards Vancouver..Canada..the world...universe goes so, you are best to take mutilated's advice.

[kitten]

There is plenty of factual information on the Internet, but to get a true idea of what it is like, asking the residents for their opinions might provide a more subjective view.

[kingy]

it all depends on what lifestyle you have and what activities you like to do.

  it is an very expensive city to live in, but there is no shortage of activities/entertainment. the weather is a little wacky at times. you could go skiing/snowboarding and then play golf on the same day.

[purelife]

Paul, what's your age group?  late teens, mid 20's, late 30's?
 
 It depends on the lifestyle you prefer.  What kind of job you're looking for.  The type of area you prefer.
 
 I live in Vancouver for almost all of my life.  It's a very expensive city if you don't know how to budget.  Making friends may take a while depending on how social you are.  
 
 So, I can't really answer your question because I don't know what you're looking for or want out of Vancouver.  
 
 What do you know so far about Vancouver?
   

[Paul]

Hi ppl.  Thanks for your replies  
Purelife, I am 40 yrs old.  I ve been to Vancouver a handful of times - most recently last summer for holidays.  As for what I am looking for, kind of hard to explain really.  Originally, I m from Ottawa- lived in Toronto for many years (12)- self-employed there but decided the city was getting to big and stressful so moved back to Ottawa where I ve been for the last 5 yrs. Problem with Ottawa is that aside from having family here, the city s missing something... not very exciting.  It s a government town really therefore it s attitudes is very conservative and provincial.  The winters are horrible, very cold and damp and ugly.
It s nice in the summertime but that s about it.   As I m an entrepreneur, I can pretty much set up shop where ever i like it s only a matter of choosing a product or service a given market will go for...
I fell in love with Vancouver from day 1.  I like the setting, the mountains, ocean, the urbanization of downtown-  some people hate lots of condo and office towers etc but i still as a 40 yr old man get a charge from it  I like the fact the city is compact enuf to get around quite easily.  the place has a cosmopolitan feel to it- a city large enuf to feel like you live in a big city but not really.  I always viewed Vancouver as being an in between Toronto (too big) and Ottawa (too small) sort of place.
I also like the fairly laid back west coast, laid back attitude and lifestyle.
The only drawbacks I see so far are the following:  1. it s way out there away from family in friends back in Ontario. 2.  cost of real estate (would have to rent instead of buy) 3.  i hear employment is a problem (only low-paying service industry jobs) although this may not be an issue for me as i would think about setting up some type of business. 4.  the long RAINY season (they say, load up on anti-depressants- the place is dark and gloomy from October to April- very little or NO SUNSHINE- is this true)
As for sporting activities:  i like the outdoors
Bars, clubs... i don t really care if the place is hopping or not- i m past that bar-hopping clubbing phase.
Anyway, just a few things for you to advise me on- thanks all for your input!

[Paul]

Does it really rain non-stop in Vancouver in the winter time
or is there some of   from time to time  

[Bacon]

Paul wrote:
Does it really rain non-stop in Vancouver in the winter time
or is there some of   from time to time  
   Yeah, in the winter, if it is not raining, it is drizzling..or you might get that one day where a hint of blue sky peeks at you and a huge sky of grey follows. Summers can be very sunny and dry though.

[kitten]

It's not all that bad, although there is a fair amount of rain in the winter.  But it keeps the place lovely and green, and usually it doesn't snow much, if at all.  If you like snow, the mountains aren't that far away.

[Sportsdude]

Vancouver isn't Seattle when it comes to rain. Me on the other hand come alive when it rains.

I too am focusing on moving to Vancouver. Its going to take me longer to get there since I'm an american. But someday I will be there.

  Its the healthiest city in Canada and one of the healthiest cities in North America. Its obesity rate is much lower then the average rate in North America. That has to do with it being a walkable city and so many outdoor things to do. I come from the midwest and I cannot imagine life without a car. In Vancouver if you live near skytrain (there also building two new routes a north south route that connects YVR to downtown and a Burnaby- Port Coquitlam route) and work downtown you don't ever need a car. I find that awesome and amazing.

  The housing markets high but then again every single city on the West Coast is high. People want to move there. From San Diego to Vancouver prices are the same no matter where you go. Purelife is right though, if you want to live a comfortable life on the west coast you are going to have to learn how to budget money. Its a way of life on West Coast. But once you know how to do that its not so bad.

Vancouverites have a reputation of not leaving the B.C. area for travel and such. And my response is why would they want to. B.C. is an amazing place, so big. Who needs to travel when you've got it in BC? lol.

  Vancouverites keep to themselves but then again people in Portland and Seattle do the same.

Its cold in the winter but not freezing cold like Rest of Canada. Like the Canadian actor/comedian Dave Foley said about Vancouver: "Its the only place in Canada that doesn't freeze over in the winter"

  Its laize-faire in attitude and a lot more liberal then oh its western counterpart Calgary. So I don't know what your political affilaition is but its definately not like Ottawa. Plus I don't know how polarized politics have become in Canada. But in general Pacific Northwest has an attitude live and let live. Which I like, you're free to be yourself.