MOVING TO VANCOUVER

[Lise]

Hey Paul,

  Good on you for thinking about moving to Vancouver.

  It's a lovely city - both good and bad points. If you like hiking, general laid-back kinda lifestyle, beautiful city then Vancouver is for you. I fell in love with the city the first time I came here. It took a lot of getting used to but in the end, this is a city you appreciate all the more as you live here longer and longer.

  The bad points - obviously the general housing market. I've never seen market prices the way it is right now. It's so bad that a million dollars for a decent home in Vancouver isn't enough. You might have to go all the way to Surrey or Delta or Langley to get a house and even then the market is rising for these places. It's insane and I hope it'll stablized somewhat down the road but we'll have to see after 2010.

  Anyways, good luck and hope you'll have a great time here in this city.

  PS: Totally agree about DV when it comes to asking about Vancouver. Nothing good can come outta there.

[purelife]

Hi Paul,
 
 This year, there was a period of almost 31 days of non-stop rainy days.  Yes, it does rain often but not as much as Seattle.  The winters aren't as cold as TO and summers are not that hot.  I'm really used to the rain and I much prefer it at times.  There's something about the rain that I feel really relaxed about.  I love walking in the rain.  Anyways, in time, you'll get used to it.
 
 You say that you love the outdoors.  Oh, you'll love the great outdoor choices Vancouver can bring to you.  A few hours drive will take you to Interior BC, to Squamish, to the Islands, to Cultus and to all the beautiful lakes in Vancouver/BC.  There are plays, operas and concerts.  There are networking events.  
 
 I do like living in Vancouver.  The only drawback that I feel is that you have to make so much money just to afford the cost of living here.   I hope to own my own home after the 2010.  I'm pretty sure that there will be a plunge in housing prices at around 2013.  
 
 I hope that I've helped.  Feel free to ask if you have more questions.
   

[greycat]

Flowers bloom in February...the only place in Canada where this happens i am sure! Right now in Alberta it is 1 degree, here it is 16 degrees. I was on the beach yesterday and it was frickin snowing in Alberta! Yes, it rains, but there are also sunny breaks, and yes, everything is green so it doesnt look like winter. Summer is non-stop sunshine between 23-30 degrees, its quite glorious! The scenery is amazing and there are so many neighbourhoods to tour around (unlike places like Edmonton where you have 1 main street!). As someone else mentioned, you are merely an hour or so from some of the best places in BC...and my gawd, Long Beach is just over there (gestures to the west)!

[greycat]

You didnt mention how much you expect to pay for rent, or whereabouts you would like to live. But if you want to live in the thick of it, (downtown, west end, kits, city hall areas) expect to pay between $800-$1500 in and around downtown, even Kits has some decent 1 bedrooms that arent too bad (go to craigslist to see what you can afford).

[CK]

The housing market has gone crazy here too. I sold my puny little condo in Burnaby a year and a half ago. Bought a nice heritage house in an older neighborhood in Calgary and had money left over for a vacation. Now, your small Burnaby condo will only buy a slightly larger condo here.

  The stuff I don't miss about Van,

The rain,

the rain,

the rain,

the rain...

did I mention the rain.

Yes, flowers in February, but don't really care.

  Stuff I do miss,

some friends, other than that, I doubt I will ever move back.

  Not crazy about Calgary weather either, +30, -1, +15, -10....changes by the hour. But I find, if you are into skiing, there are almost triple the choices in the Calgary area rather than just Whister..or Baker.

  Personally, sick of cities in general. I find outdoor winter and summer sports such as snowboarding and waterskiing much more exciting than anything in the city has to offer. I don't want to have to drive every time I want to do these activities. The city life was fun when I was single, now I am approaching my 30s, its a drag.

[CK]

^ I dont' mean to be too negative. Vancouver does have a lot to offer. It is all about individual likes and dislikes. I think you would have to live there to really know what it is like.

  Another thing I miss...the Canucks!! (life long die hard...don't care if they lose every game..they rule...)

[Paul]

Hey guys - appreciate your input about Vancouver.  I would expect to pay about $1000 in rent.  I know that s about the going rate for 1 bdrms downtown esp. in the west end.  2 bdrms would be my preference but a. they re not readily available in the west end and when they do come up they re way more than i can afford.  Perhaps it might  be possible to find a larger space in Burnaby, New West etc.
As for the RAIN,  I m still undecided whether it would bother me enuf or not.  My thinking now is it sure beats the Ottawa  -20c, winds and snow which is where i currently reside.   But I ve heard some say they would take the cold and snow over the perpetual rain and grey skies in Vancouver.  I would welcome more input on this from you guys
I ve gone on the Discover Vancouver forum and there are more people on that chat system that HATE Vancouver and I don t know why.  They complain just about everthing from the cost of real estate to the drug and homelessness problem, the list goes on.............
Thanks again to all for your opinions  
 

[greycat]

I lived in Vancouver for 10 years, the rain didnt bother me until the last year - it just also happened to be one of the longest rainiest months on record at that time too...plus other stuff was going on that helped me decide to move to Alberta (of all places). So then i live in alberta, its cold, its miserable, everything is dead...and no, it wasnt always that sunny either, mainly cold and overcast. So i moved back here and didnt find the winter to be too bad last year...we will see how i feel this winter. I am kind of looking forward to it though, a good time to hole up and work on my artistic endeavours. When its sunny every day i feel compelled to go outside and not do anything! Anyway, i absolutely hate the freezing cold of the rest of canada, getting into your vehicle and having to warm it up, scrape off the ice and snow, drive down dangerous, slippery streets etc. Its miserable. Here....its green and doesnt feel like winter at all.

[Cheeseburger]

greycat wrote:
 Here....its green and doesnt feel like winter at all.
   Yeah, I have to call your bluff...in December and January, it feels bloody cold in Vancouver. When it hits 1 or 2 degrees, with the cold breeze and sidways rain...brrrrrrr!! It DOES feel as cold as Alberta. Its a drier cold there. Vancouver cold chills to the bones.

[kitten]

I've lived in places with cold winters, and 1 or 2 degrees is definitely warmer than 25 or 30 below.  A raincoat , umbrella and jacket takes care of the winter out here, whereas elsewhere in Canada you have to pile on so many clothes you look like the Michelin Man.

[Sportsdude]

I'll say one thing. When I will eventually move to Seattle I'll learn to layer myself. Because when I went to Seattle. There was a cold I never felt before. I was a cool cold. Wet. I liked it a lot, just need to learn to layer. A tshirt and coat won't cut it anymore.  

[Cheeseburger]

stay away from cottons, they will freeze you to death. buy clothes that allow breathing..fleece works.

[Fishburger]

From the sound of these postings, it looks like Vancouver has a climate much like the North Sea coastal area of western Europe. It's a strange similitude, if you know that the relatively warm climate here is mainly caused by the Gulf Stream, without which we would probably have a climate like New York City has.

[Deep etc.]

Maybe simular weather?

I am sure though, there is more culture in one European city block than all of Vancouver.

[greycat]

Wet cold, dry cold. -25 is bloody freezing, big difference! You dont have to wear a sweater and a down filled jacket, mitts, scarf etc. here...not even close! 1 or 2 degrees is childs play!