Prince George

[FlamesAddiction]

Does anyone have any experience with Prince George, BC?

A little while ago I started a thread about Fort St.John because I was going to work there, however I could not start when they wanted me to so I had to decline in the end. Now the same company has offered me a position in Prince George, which I accepted and will start on Monday.

There seems to be a lot of apartments and houses for rent there, which is good. But does anyone have any insight or advice about the city in general? From the way people I know describe it, it sounds a lot like another city I used to live in (Thunder Bay), but with better skiing.

[flamingmoe4444]

I Live in PG

It is a good city to live in good cheap rent, and there is lots to do.

[Sylvanfan]

I lived in PG for 5 years from 1996 to 2001. The best thing I did was not buy any real estate there and get out when I did. Truth be told I should have jumped ship for Alberta two years earlier. I personally was not crazy about the city as I found it isolated and unexciting. But I must admit that the slow economy there at the time did allow for reasonably cheap living. There was also a good Mens Rec Hockey League, and Fastball league where I was able to get on teams. There is also some good mountain biking in the area as well as hunting, fishing and other bush like activities, and a couple reasonable ski hills near by.

I guess it depends on your personality and what you like. I found that the weather was similar to what Alberta is, and that it was an isolated place (ie drive 5 hours to Kamloops, 8-9 to Edmonton/Calgary or 10 to Vancouver although WestJet is there). It's also not a very pretty city as it's pretty rough, and pretty industrial. Personally I think I like where I currently live in St.Albert a lot better, and I like my hometown of Kamloops a lot more than I like St.Albert which would put PG a ways down on my list. But thats my list, and theres people who grew up that love it and either don't want to leave, or did leave and want to go back.

But from what I hear PG has good growth potential in terms of real estate these days because the house prices are low, the University of Northern BC is growing, and the forest industry is due to rebound. So if you go up there and you buy a house and it skyrockets in value, make sure to unload it when the market is high because it's a one horse town that will always be subject to the cylcles of the forest industry.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I guess it depends on your personality and what you like. I found that the weather was similar to what Alberta is, and that it was an isolated place (ie drive 5 hours to Kamloops, 8-9 to Edmonton/Calgary or 10 to Vancouver although WestJet is there). It's also not a very pretty city as it's pretty rough, and pretty industrial. Personally I think I like where I currently live in St.Albert a lot better, and I like my hometown of Kamloops a lot more than I like St.Albert which would put PG a ways down on my list. But thats my list, and theres people who grew up that love it and either don't want to leave, or did leave and want to go back.

Thanks, that is all good stuff to know.

I don't think the isolation would bother me that much. Like I said, I used to live in Thunder Bay, which is practically just as isolated and around the same size (8 hours from Winnipeg, 7 hours from Min-ST.P, and about 16 hours from TO). The economy was also pretty rough there.

It kind of sucks though, that the city is not picturesque like you said. Right now, I am in probably one of the most scenic areas of the country and really appreciate that.

I doubt I will be buying any property up there. The company I will be working for is a subsiduary of a very large engineering company that has offices all over Canada and the world. I am committed to a 3 year term, but after that, I can be reolcated when positions open elsewhere. In fact, I believe I am taking a position that became open after someone was relocated to Kelowna. So it is quite possible that PG will not be my permanent home. Who knows though....

You are right about the costs of living in terms of rent. Right now I am paying $750/mo for a small, slummy (really terrible - leaky pipes, mold, and insects) 2 bedroom apartment, but looking on the net, I could get a house or pretty big apartment in PG for close to the same. Add to that the close to 50% raise in pay I'll be getting, and it is a good deal I think.

I'm just hoping they at least have a good Japanese restaurant somewhere, or at least an Asian food store.

[jar_e]

In regards to picturesque, though it is quite a drive, Highway 16 westbound to Prince Rupert is quite stunning. I used to live in Terrace (around 6 hours from PG) so just remember you can always be more isolated! Sylvanfan summed it up pretty good. Definitely a one horse town. But, you never know, it all comes down to personal preferences and such.

Yeah price of living will be alot cheaper. I was looking around back home at MLS listings and realized that I could buy around three 3000 sq. foot houses for the price of one 1500 sq. foot house here.

[Looger]

jumping in after my self-imposed exile (account still active and i've been posthumously accused of holocaust denial so i'll be back anyway to shoot back at some sick *******s) to offer some PG tidbits, i lived there in three stints.

good japanese restaurant in the coast plaza hotel, 'shogun' - a lot like 'japanese village', the chefs are really funny, very interactive experience, and the food is above par.

other good restaurants are 'the achillion' downtown, 'the china sail' in taber area, and a hidden gem on the highway called 'daddios'.

pubs are pretty decent, one with talented staff and an unreal ambiance is 'the publik' at the casino. looks like it should be in scandinavia or something, low leather chairs, red / dark colours, communist propoganda on the walls, and bathrooms that teach you japanese.

sushi scene is weak, though one place up on the hart highway is decent if out of the way. most sushi i found is at all-you-can-eat chinese buffets, of which there are a few.

pizza? best place, again, is up on the hart, called 'hartway pizza'. 'zorbas' is decent as well.

PG is kind of a softball mecca for the surrounding area, great new diamonds by the Y and lots of teams in town.

the bar scene is not bad, lots of out-of-towners and university girls on the weekends, a few standard clubs, a scene i'm not too into anymore but:
'rum jungle' (no relation) - trendy packed or tomblike hip-hop / dance
'fyre' - trendy, young crowd, dance music, top 40
'the generator' - top 40, meat market extraordinaire
'cadillac ranch' - cougar bar - country, top 40
'ironhorse'(renamed) on 1st ave. - hoighty toighty girls, dance music

in general the people-watching is out of this world.

downtown is a total hole. red-light, probably twice as much as calgary, whole neighbourhoods. queensway park/river areas nice during the day and demilitarized zones at night.

the strip club 'joes place' has to be seen to be believed. the wilder nights feature girls in the crowd taking it off for money, i've seen fights between them and the strippers!

mountainbiking is out of this world. 'otway' and 'the love trail' are two accessible ones. anything up by 'forests for the world'.

the natural beauty of this city i think is one of its top points, though all the beetle-kill in the immediate area is clearing out the green of the city big-time.

golf is plentiful and decently-priced, no beer carts and no bunkers:
"Aberdeen" - never played, but is supposed to be awesome. definitely the cream of the crop.
"Aspen Grove" - my fave course. short but nice scenery, good greens, relaxed play.
"Ness Lake" - cheap and parched, terrible greens and lots of mosquitos. but $20 a day is the right price.
"PG Golf and Country Club" - overblown reputation coming from a few years ago when it could afford to be exclusive. dead pine trees necessitating a move out of town.
"Pine Hills" - now called 'no pine hills'. flat and boring par-3.
"Links of Maggy May" - a links course, 9 holes running across a field with the same water hazard. yawn.
"Yellowhead" - very short course, 9 holes, fun but dangerous.

as mentioned outdoor activities are good. i floated down the river this year for kicks, always a decent time. plenty of 4x4 trails - get a hold of the Canfor map!

as for the economy, here's my take. the beetle-kill epidemic has sparked a short-term boom, with mills going up to exploit the 5-7 years everyone seems to think they have. in april i talked to salesmen that had been at mills where the wood was already too dry. it'll be over very soon.

the cargo terminal in rupert won't help out as much as everyone seems to think. the cargo expansion at the airport (lufthansa) will not either until edmonton's muni airport closes. there is some major oil and gas finds lately, but they could sit idle forever. the oil west of mackenzie in particular will be serviced out of PG. the gas pocket by chetwynd will not help PG that much.

house prices are currently higher than they should be, decent houses in college heights going for 200-250, way over what they will be in 5 years when half the mills are closed.

remarkable place in many ways, but very flawed as well. i'd recommend giving it a whirl, there are some peculiarities that are definitely unique.

EDIT: i forgot the new par-3 east of the city which is picturesque and is a 2h 45m play tops. alder hills.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by jar_e

In regards to picturesque, though it is quite a drive, Highway 16 westbound to Prince Rupert is quite stunning. I used to live in Terrace (around 6 hours from PG) so just remember you can always be more isolated! Sylvanfan summed it up pretty good. Definitely a one horse town. But, you never know, it all comes down to personal preferences and such.

Yeah price of living will be alot cheaper. I was looking around back home at MLS listings and realized that I could buy around three 3000 sq. foot houses for the price of one 1500 sq. foot house here.

Right on. My job will entail a lot of travel on that road. Terrace, Prince Rupert, as well as Burns Lake, Williams Lake, Quesnel, and FSJ. I hope to see some nice country.

And thanks Looger for that post. Lots of great things for me to look into when I am there. I guess I have a good reason to start golfing now! Fishing is good too I bet.

Sucks about the sushi. I make my own anyway, but it is never as good as most restaurants. I guess I'll probably have to stock up here.

[kootenayguy9]

I read something in the summer that said Prince George is the most undervalued market in all of Canada if that says anything.

[Looger]

Originally Posted by kootenayguy9

I read something in the summer that said Prince George is the most undervalued market in all of Canada if that says anything.

prices have SKYROCKETED there in the last 2 years, so what was it before?

the gains have been made as far as i can see, but real estate speculation has more to do with apparent value than actual value so who knows.

west lake is the immediate lake west, properties there go for like 200+ for nothing special, some without services.

next lake or two, 10 minutes further, cluculz or bednesti, are on the order of 35-45 for non-service cabins on lakefront, though it's a long-term lease on native land, like $99 a month or something - less than most property tax. though if it ever gets really hot the whities will be kicked off as per usual.

there is a bridge in the works that will link the west and the south highways, which are just across the river from each other but you have to drive into the city then back out currently, my actual previous commute. since the new burbs are in the west and a lot of people work just south of town, this is the prime money-maker opportunity in my opinion.

cluculz and bednesti will become more viable to actually live at, as west lake is now. this bridge will in my opinion make this lakefront a 5-10x return in 5-10 years. actually a former co-worker lives there with her two boys, loves it.

if i'd stayed i'd be stockpiling cash to live out there as we speak, who knows, i might still.

ness lake also has some cheap property but it's not close. trailers in the bush north of town, not on lakes, still go for 20-30 with hookups, but usually are in a crappy location, like 20+ minutes out of town.

as for houses the best deals seem to be in the core, some of the river property in the hood is dirt DIRT cheap and is quite nice, just happens to have homeless people drifting through your yard every night. something tells me a lot of this land is going to be crazy expensive.

i'd be genuinely shocked if the houses in the burbs returned investment after 5 years, ask some homeowners who sold when the bottom fell out in the late 90s. it will happen there again, it always does.

[flamingmoe4444]

Good posts about the city of Prince George I too am fairly new to the town this was very informative.

[JD]

I have family that moved there about a year ago, and have visited a couple times. Can't say as much as others, but if you value another opinion, I thought it was a pretty nice place. The city seems very sports-orientated with lots of ball fields and hockey rinks, which appealed to me.

It is very isolated though. I think I could put up with a few years of my youth there.

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah, my inlaws just moved from Prince Rupert and the whole time I lived in PG I never went out West. It wasn't until after I left and the wife wanted to go and visit a couple times that I did. But it's something you should definitely do, especially in the summer as the scenery in the Skeena Valley is terrific. I fully reccommend going out to Rupert and going out fishing as even a hack amateur like me snagged a couple nice Chinook, and Hali. Once you do get outside of the city of Prince George itself it isn't a bad area at all.

I was there when I was young and single and was making decent money at the time. I did meet some really good people and enjoyed playing hockey and ball. Also with the lower living cost and making decent money I was able to do things like go to Europe, or Australia, or Brazil every year. If it's a good job and they won't stick you there for life there are worse places to go. But for example, I lived in Sylvan Lake which is really close to Red Deer which is a similar size city to PG, and I found that Red Deer offered a lot more to do, and a lot of that was due to it's proximity to Calgary or Edmonton. Thats why I look back now and figure that the isolation up there was likely the reason I didn't want to stick around.