moving to vancouver

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by pylon

If you like rude, hypersensitive, self involved people fill your boots. I cannot even stand the relatives I have that live there. They all have that tainted Vancouverness to them. Arguments with them are mind blowingly hilarious. Once you throw any sort of criticism about their city their way they get all butt hurt like the people in this thread.

It's not butt hurt or whatever you wanna call it, but forgive if I wanna defend the place that you called "hell on Earth" and offered gross generalizations from bad experiences you had. Like Winsor said, maybe it was you. I don't know, I don't know you obviously, but how come I never run into these sorts of issues and I've lived here all my life, but in the 9 months you were here, you've got a huge list?

Believe me, there's plenty I don't like about Vancouver, and plenty of the stuff in this thread I agree with. I keep my mouth shut about those. I think Vancouver is the best place to live, but that's only because I only know Vancouver. I've never lived anywhere else. But if someone unfairly says something about Vancouver or any city for that matter, I'm gonna speak up. But does that mean it's butt hurt or whatever? No, I ultimately could care less, I'll just think you're pretty stupid and call you out on it.

If you're gonna say something unfair about a certain city, expect the residents of that area to speak up. If I said Calgary is this, Calgary is that, I'm sure I'd take a lot of heat. I once commented on the streets of Calgary being really dirty, which they are because of the salt/snow etc, and I got attacked. Hell, that was a fair comment, and I got attacked. But you're "hell on Earth" comment is what irked me and I felt the need to say something.

[scotty2hotty]

I've lived in the following cities for at least a few years each:

Calgary (raised, consider it 'home')
Atlanta, Georgia
Dublin, Ireland
Vancouver

I can unquestionably say that Vancouverites are the least friendly/outgoing/most difficult to get to know/ whatever you want to call it, people of the bunch. Atlanta had the most friendly people.

I can also agree with almost every pro and con everyone else has stated here.

Having said that, I have now lived in Vancouver for four years and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else ...including Calgary.

[MelBridgeman]

Lived there for 4 years.
I agree about the segregation...hard to meet people and very clicky.

I think the walkability is a little overrated..but it all depends on where you live. Most of Vancouver (90%) is not walkable - I had to get a car. I walk more in Calgary now. But the denisty still makes it more walkable than Calgary in "theory" anyways

[AR_Six]

Born and raised... some comments,

Originally Posted by feartheflames

As for the earlier comments about the commute, My work would be located downtown- so I take it the extra dollars in rent is more favorable than battling the traffic...

Not necessarily. Getting a place downtown for a reasonable rent is pretty difficult. Meanwhile, the Canada Line makes the transit commute actually quicker than driving, and you don't have to deal with this -30 bullcarp we're currently wrestling with. Just park and ride. It takes literally 15-20 minutes on that thing to Granville and Georgia, no matter where you get on. It can get crowded, but small price to pay in exchange for the significant downtick in rent, cost of gas and parking - not to mention the aggravation of dealing with traffic. If it were me I'd live within striking distance of a station.

Originally Posted by flames_1987

I don't want to Hijack this thread, but to echo what some people have said, after living in both cities, Toronto beats Vancouver in nearly every category besides it's waterfront. Vancouver by itself has a lot to offer and going for it, but I always shake my head when anyone there tries to compare it Toronto.

Someone never took advantage of the mountains or the islands. The main thing Van has over Tdot for me is Whistler. The second thing is that it's 20 minutes from downtown to Horseshoe Bay, and then a 20 minute ferry ride to Bowen Island. There are myriad other differences in atmosphere and culture which would probably come down to personal preference.

Originally Posted by NomNomNom

I moved from Calgary to Van for school in the summer but this is something I don't agree on. Yes there are lots of clubs located pretty close to each other on Granville but compared to the clubs Calgary has to offer, they blow. Maybe not so much the actual club but the club scene - it's horrible.

Having lived in both places, I find each city's club scene equally godawful in completely different ways.

Not to mention if you don't live right in Vancouver and are planning on hitting Granville street on a Saturday night you better have a DD because the last skytrain out of Van is at ~1:00 am and that's way too early considering the time it takes to get to/from your club and the amount of time it takes to get in.

This is definitely true, the nightbus is a pain in the ass. If you can't catch a skytrain, Translink in general is a total pain in the ass. No organization has ever tempted me to commit terrorist activities the way Translink used to. Come to think of it that might explain where the animus for the riot came from.

[NomNomNom]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I both agree and disagree with this. You are right in everything you said, but the scene for rock clubs is WAY better in Vancouver. It is rare for me to hit da club on Granville, but I can say with confidence that the rock and roll night scene is booming.

I agree on the rock & roll scene, it's very dominant at all the places I end up at. I just want a DJ and some bass drops. How can I get pumped to CCR? DROP THE BASS! It's all opinion anyway so to each their own.

[seattleflamer]

Very few places in the world where you can get world class sushi and snowboard within 10 minutes of each other. I love how you can take public transit to Grouse or Cypress.

I'ved lived, studied, worked in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, NY, Winnipeg and Seattle and imho, nothing beats Vancouver though I technically have never lived or worked there.

It is my Disneyland. Grouse Mountain:

[AR_Six]

^You can't take public transit to Cypress, you still need a shuttle to the lodge. And Grouse isn't world class skiing. It's a tourist trap. Damned nice view, though, and even nicer one from the corner of Panorama on Cypress, but Seymour is the gem of the shore.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

^You can't take public transit to Cypress, you still need a shuttle to the lodge. And Grouse isn't world class skiing. It's a tourist trap. Damned nice view, though, and even nicer one from the corner of Panorama on Cypress, but Seymour is the gem of the shore.

There's world class skiing on the local hills?

Cypress/Grouse/Seymour. That's how I rank em.

[burnin_vernon]

I moved here from a small town 4 months ago and I love it. I live right off the seawall and I enjoyed more than enough of the sun this summer. I think the rain is hardly and issue and the warm weather makes up for it.

I don't know too many people yet and I don't really go to clubs so I can't comment on the social scene. I see a bit of a tendency towards the materialistic side of the dating scene, though. I've joined a hockey team and met some good people there.

Driving downtown isn't fun, but i don't mind driving anywhere else. I mostly walk everywhere but commute to North Van and ride my motorcycle for leisure. A scooter actually seems like a decent idea in this city.

Great place to live!

[blankall]

Originally Posted by NomNomNom

I agree on the rock & roll scene, it's very dominant at all the places I end up at. I just want a DJ and some bass drops. How can I get pumped to CCR? DROP THE BASS! It's all opinion anyway so to each their own.

There are a ton of places in Vancovuer that have DJs in gastown and also in the Celebrities area. Most of the mainstream bars won't play it though. In BC a lot of the DJ stuff gets associated with small town BC and cities like Nanaimo. So you won't find it on Granville Street.

Toronto is the type of place for that kind of music though.

[Muta]

You mean people in Vancouver don't drive pea cars?



I really don't know why I posted this, to be honest. For some reason it was the first thing on my mind.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

^You can't take public transit to Cypress, you still need a shuttle to the lodge. And Grouse isn't world class skiing. It's a tourist trap. Damned nice view, though, and even nicer one from the corner of Panorama on Cypress, but Seymour is the gem of the shore.

With Whistler and mount Baker being so close, I have no idea why you would ever want to try and sell people on the idea of Grouse. That would be like selling people on the skiing at COP or Wintergreen over Lake Louise and Sunshine.

[burnin_vernon]

Originally Posted by NomNomNom

I agree on the rock & roll scene, it's very dominant at all the places I end up at. I just want a DJ and some bass drops. How can I get pumped to CCR? DROP THE BASS! It's all opinion anyway so to each their own.

You shouldn't drive your Delorean on your nights out.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by blankall

With Whistler and mount Baker being so close, I have no idea why you would ever want to try and sell people on the idea of Grouse. That would be like selling people on the skiing at COP or Wintergreen over Lake Louise and Sunshine.

Night skiing and 20 mins from downtown are big selling points. Grouse also has an amazing view of the city.

If we're talking just about the skiing, there's obviously no comparing Grouse to Whistler. They shouldn't even be in the same sentence.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Night skiing and 20 mins from downtown are big selling points. Grouse also has an amazing view of the city.

If we're talking just about the skiing, there's obviously no comparing Grouse to Whistler. They shouldn't even be in the same sentence.

Fair enough, the night skiing is good.

I feel to be fair though, we should mention that the ski season in Vancovuer is relatively short. It's really just all crap prior to mid-January. You can be lucky to get a day in after a dump but the rain will usually destroy whatever snow is there.

Spring skiing in Vancouver is amazing though. It will go quite late in the season too.

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

^You can't take public transit to Cypress, you still need a shuttle to the lodge. And Grouse isn't world class skiing. It's a tourist trap. Damned nice view, though, and even nicer one from the corner of Panorama on Cypress, but Seymour is the gem of the shore.

I never said Grouse is World Class skiing but I'm sure someone from Tokyo is going to jump all over the " Vancouver has world class sushi" comment Life on the internets.


The fact that you can ski black diamond runs or decide to go sailing within 15 minutes of a downtown core is pretty unique in urban living.

For my needs, Grouse is perfect when you're trying to do something for everyone in the family. Certainly a tourist trap but it works for me to make it home on time for junior's nap time without spending 2 hours each way to get my snowboard fix like at Stevens or certainly Baker.

[NuclearFart]

Unless you enjoy bed bugs, I'd stay the heck out of the bug epicenter aka. The West end (Davie/Denman). Vancouver has a huge bed bug issue that's been swept under the rug and no landlords/realtors will tell you about it. If you want to live downtown and avoid this, your best bet is to rent something built in the last 3 years likely putting you in Yaletown +/- Coal Harbour which is going to cost you alot for a tiny apartment. If you find a building you like, google the name/address + "bed bug" and see what comes up. All it takes is one unit to be infested because they can crawl under walls & carpet.

I will confirm that Vancouver has a relatively xenophobic culture. You will find that the majority of the good friends you make will not originally be from Vancouver. Also be prepared to meet alot of flakey people here - your strong & logical Alberta soul will die a slow painful death every time a local opens their mouth. Someone like Troutman would go absolutely postal here!

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

If you find a building you like, google the name/address + "bed bug" and see what comes up.

I found a site. I'd freak if I had bedbugs.

http://bedbugregistry.com/metro/vancouver

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

I will confirm that Vancouver has a relatively xenophobic culture. You will find that the majority of the good friends you make will not originally be from Vancouver. Also be prepared to meet alot of flakey people here - your strong & logical Alberta soul will die a slow painful death every time a local opens their mouth. Someone like Troutman would go absolutely postal here!

Xenophobia might be an issue but it wouldn't be the only one. There are pockets of Metro Van where you can live your life and not need to learn a word of English. I even ran into a Quebecer who has lived in BC a decade but isn't able to speak any English.

========

On the whole, I agree with a lot of the criticisms posted.

• There are a lot of bad drivers here. Not crazy like in a lot of other places but clueless, which is worse, imo.
• The city can exhibit superiority and inferiority complexes at the same time.
• I like the weather here. A lot of people from east don't like the rain and clouds. Lifelong Vancouverites complain it's too cold (really). Can't please everyone.
• Translink sucks.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by NomNomNom

I moved from Calgary to Van for school in the summer but this is something I don't agree on. Yes there are lots of clubs located pretty close to each other on Granville but compared to the clubs Calgary has to offer, they blow. Maybe not so much the actual club but the club scene - it's horrible.

Not to mention if you don't live right in Vancouver and are planning on hitting Granville street on a Saturday night you better have a DD because the last skytrain out of Van is at ~1:00 am and that's way too early considering the time it takes to get to/from your club and the amount of time it takes to get in.

Vancouver has never been known for its club scene. Toronto and montreal are far better when it comes to clubs and nightlife. Although vancouver has gotten better over the course of the last few years. However im surprised you think the calgary club scene is better. Calgary now is primarily pubs and lounges, the club scene here is one of the worst for a city of this size. There is not much nightlife in Calgary anymore at all.

Unless you are into the pubs and lounges. These days thats the primary extent of nightlife in this city(calgary).

I think Vancouver is a great city to live, but it really doesnt have the big city feel to it like a Toronto, hence I didnt stay there for as long as planned. Although there is none of that feeling here either.

[Vulcan]

One thing I found when registering a car in BC is that they want a history of your insurance, as they count your years of driving experience while insured. I found my insurance on my truck and motorbike was about double at first but now has dropped to more reasonable prices.

I don't go to Vancouver often but the drivers seem about the same as when I left in the 70s. Maybe they aren't great but I don't understand drivers coming from a city that has to put up traffic lights on cloverleafs, because they can't figure them out, criticizing other city's drivers. Yeah, Vancouver drivers don't waive when you let them merge. It's because they think it's just common courtesy that everyone should do automatically.

Anyways I very much like both Calgary and Vancouver and if you are willing to adapt, you should have a good experience moving to either city.