richardm123

So after 3 years of living in Vancouver we are going to move to Toronto in September. I have had a love/hate relationship with Vancouver since moving here in 2007.

I have a great job that I love, live in Point Grey, minutes walk from the beach but something is missing from Vancouver. Once you get past the very lovely outdoors, Vancouver has very little to offer by the way of culture or arts and as I live for this stuff it is time to move on. Just not for me.

Looking forward to Toronto!!!!.

Cheers,
R

Auld Yin

While Toronto may have more it certainly is not awash in culture or arts.

dboy

While i guess it comes down to one's definition of culture and the arts, I don't get it. Now, I'm not all all that cultured, been to the art gallery once and a few plays, the museum is on the to do list. Opera... no thanks. Symphony, ... not yet.

Unless one is from London, New York or Paris, I don't see it being much different on the arts front than other similar sized cities, from my limited exposure to such things. true culture for me is how people interact with the city - patios reeming with life, active night life etc, which the place is lacking in, but otherwise, I don't get it. Please enlighten.

JonboyE

I think you are right - it all comes down to one's definition - or perception.

In terms of the traditional European fine arts Vancouver can seem like a provincial city. Decent repertory with minor league stars. It can still be satisfying unless you are blinded by star power. Seeing Madame Butterfly sung by a a pretty, petite, Asian woman is a different theatrical experience than a buxom Brunhilda with dodgy eye makeup. But it's not the ROH or ENO.

That said, Vancouver does have something to offer. The clash of all the cultures here: WASP, First Nation and all the various immigrant communities does create something vibrant and different. Time will tell if it is lasting or worthwhile - but it is there.

richardm123

I agree completely that is is ones perception of culture & arts. For me, very little new or interesting music or arts comes to Vancouver. It lacks a vibrancy that many other cities have. Vancouver is great if you are into outdoor recreation but I live for music, arts and culture and for me Vancouver can offer me very little so I am moving on.

I just find the place very, very conservative in most tastes.

dboy

TO has more music venues, I'll give it that. TO does feel like a much bigger city, certainly more vibrant. I was there for work back and forth quite a bit for a while and have to say I liked it for some reason and under different circumstances might be tempted to give it a go. The night life was more accessible, it did n't matter i was not from them it was easy to find. Vancouver you really have to know where to go to access live music etc

What I hated though was the summer weather - i lived in Miami for three years and found the humidty worse in toronto. I also found Vancouver to be a more pretty place with better access to not only the outdoors, but the waterfront.

J0n35y

I guess Im showing the depths of my culture when my first thought was "Malcolm Mclaren is touring?! Hope he plays Double Dutch"

ExKiwilass

THis.

Maybe you'd be happier in Europe.

ExKiwilass

Um, no offence, but you're living in POint Grey. Don't think that might have something to do with it?

richardm123

Yes, to a degree you are right. Point Grey is the land of the NIMBY's and pretty dull but I work downtown so do get out and about a lot.

Martin99

Good luck with the move. Hope Toronto offers what you want.

Cheers

Martin

Alan2005

Without wanting to get into the arts thing again (it's pointless and always gets side tracked into opera and art galleries as if that's the only thing Vancouver is missing) he has a point.

Vancouver is conservative, just not in the political sense. People here all dress the same; act the same and seem to think the same to the point where I wonder if I live in some west-coast faux liberal invasion of the body snatchers theme park. Not that I think there is anything wrong with this as people can think and do what they like as long as it doesn't affect me.

This conversation I heard in a restaurant last week sums up the Vancouver mindset for me.

Waitress: are you ready to order?
Woman: not yet, we are waiting for her husband and my gay friend. [her emphasis]

ExKiwilass

what a twat (her, not you)

Yeah, I don't agree. I think Van is tribal. Where you are (DT) and himself in Point Grey is much more mainstream than other parts of the city.

Alan2005

One cradle guy I know that lives on the north shore thinks that DT is full of smug fake people. So there maybe something in that as I only really know DT and kits well.

ExKiwilass

I kinda agree. It's def. much, much more mainstream than the East Side as a rule. It's interesting because some cradles I know (rich westsiders) still look down on the east side as working class/immigrant, a holdover from 20 years ago. However, now, the East Side is also much more interesting with a lot of different subcultures jostled in together.