felixtrebor

Hey all,

I posted on here quite a while ago about potentially moving to Vancouver Canada on an intercompany transfer. That's all gone ahead and approved with work permits etc so I'm due to arrive at the start of August.

I'm going to be working on the UBC campus so I'm starting to look at suitable areas to live. I have a rental budget of around $2500 p/m to get a furnished place and, looking on craiglists, there's seems to be a decent selection of places within my budget.

So what I'm wondering is: where are the best areas to stay? From my research the obvious places seem to be West Point grey and Kitsilano for both location and the fact they are desirables areas but are there any other potential places (hidden gems) close by?

I also see accommodation on the UBC campus itself but is it feasible to live on site? It looks to be huge and I'm sure there's plenty going on but are there enough services, shops etc - I assume it to be very expensive? It looks a little 'cut off' from the rest of the city.

I'm looking for somewhere that's:
Quiet
Safe
Close to shops for day to day stuff (no car to begin with)
Max 30 minute commute to UBC (ideally walking or are there cycle routes (not road)?).

I've already got 30 days temp accommodation sorted so I have plenty of time to find somewhere and I will be liaising with a relocation company to help ferry me to places and sort out viewings, moving in etc. but any hints and tips before I get out there would be great!

Thanks,

Felix Trebor

catpea33

West Point Grey is quite expensive. It's a great neighbourhood though so if you can find something in your budget then it's a good option. I loved Kitsilano just because it was closer to the shops, good beaches and close enough to even walk into downtown. When I was out there, there was also a lovely area in downtown near Jervis/Burnaby streets that looked more like a suburb; it was really quiet, tree-lined streets, etc. I'm not sure if it's still like that because I left UBC in 2006 and haven't been back to Vancouver since then. I'm also not sure of prices there.

JonboyE

You will struggle to find a "bad" area within 30 minutes commute of UBC. The university is at the end of Vancouver westside which is the posh part of the city. Some of it is uber posh and I would not choose to live in these bits simply because a) I can't afford to and b) I would not have much in common with my neighbors. I would choose Kits for the first year. It's a bit cheaper, livelier as there tends to be more younger people, a decent selection of stores and restaurants, and you are close to the beaches. There are plenty of quiet streets away from the main arterial roads.

There are plenty of buses from Kits to UBC though it is a huge campus so you may still have a decent walk from the bus loop to where you will be working. Cycling is certainly feasible. There is a bit of uphill from the beach to the campus.

There are some stores in UBC but more of a convenience than comprehensive. That said, West 4th or West Broadway are major shopping streets and they are a short bus ride away.

You don't say what kind of accommodation you are looking for. Furnished tends to be expensive and whilst $2,500 pcm is probably adequate for an apartment you will have a very limited selection. I think you should also look at unfurnished places. Most rentals are unfurnished. Rent a truck and head off to Ikea. There is a fairly active market in second hand furniture and you can pick up some bargains there. It is also fairly easy to sell stuff if/when you leave.

Jack_Judge

Hi,
I landed in Vancouver 18 months ago and just spent a year working at UBC.

Do not live on campus. It's big, you're right, but the shops / entertainment facilities are limited in terms of range, the food and drink is of variable quality and it's hideously overpriced even by Vancouvers extortionate standards.
It's very isolated from the rest of the city and it's deadly quiet outside of the peak times in the academic year.

Your best bet is Kitsilano, as far east as you can get. That puts you close to UBC and Downtown, a 20 min bus ride in either direction. Keep as far north as you can, the lower number avenues are better. There's express bus routes to UBC on 4th Avenue and Broadway (9th).

As far as Vancouver goes then Kits ain't too bad. It has a higher proportion of self entitled ass-wipes than the rest of the city, and that's saying something, but if you can put up with the local tosspots who've refined passive-aggressive into an art form then Kits ain't a bad location.

JJ

felixtrebor

Thanks for both of your responses. I really appreciate them and they confirm what I was kind of thinking.

I didn't think the type of accommodation would be too important at this stage to say on here. I'll be after somewhere modern that includes all utility bills and I don't want to have to bother with the hassle of buying loads of furniture and stuff. I just want to get in and be off and running as soon as possible. The company I work for are looking after me well so I don't have to compromise much.

TheAwesomeMatt

The % of tosspots in Kits would probably bother a bit too much, if you were looking for an area that has easy access to UBC but also to other areas, I'd be looking at either around the Oakridge-41st (41 bus takes you to UBC I believe) or around the Broadway-City Hall station (99 b line bus to UBC).

Both those buses head over to the Expo/millennium line in the opposite direction, if you ever needed to head east.

Jack_Judge

Actually, having worked at UBC and seen its reputation compared to how it actually functions, I'm wondering why anyone would want to "study" there.

UBC has the nickname of University of a Billion Chinese. If that's your ethnicity then you'll have an advantage, if it's not then...good luck.

British Columbia has a data protection policy that is frankly draconian, no personal data can be stored/processed outside BC. UBC fllagrantly defies this law and stores all its online help requests in a server in San Deigo. These help requests contain very personal info, Social Insurance Numbers, addresses, student IDs, password in plain text etc.

If you're okay with the yanks having unfettered access to your complete life as a student, then come on down!

scrubbedexpat091

I don't know if they are still around but google Level Furnished living, they offer modern condos in Yaletown downtown which isn't too far from UBC, fully furnished, cable, hydro etc included, swimming pool etc.

Not sure of the prices nowadays, but last year you could potentially get a place there for 2,500 a month if your were staying longer term.

They do mostly long term corporate stays, its not a hotel. The units are very modern and nice.

felixtrebor

What a coincidence. That's where my temp accommodation is for the first month . The rate now is $150 a night so a little over budget. Also it's downtown and I would rather live out of the centre if possible.

Also, just to clarify for some commenters: I not studying at or working for UBC. My place of work is located there

JonboyE

Jack_Judge. Three posts. One arsehole.

Jack_Judge

You working for Tribal by any chance ?

dbd33

I went to UBC for a day, to my daughter's graduation thingy. She wasn't Chinese, her close friends weren't Chinese, the faculty weren't Chinese. In fact, I'd say that was as cradly a gathering as I have ever attended, lots of young white students from affluent backgrounds. The crowd would not have looked out of place at a yacht club in the Hamptons.

What advantage would the students have gained by being Chinese?

scrubbedexpat091

Yes the nightly rate can be high, the longer the stay, the more willing they can be to reduce it to a reasonable monthly rate, but so many variables in what the charge is, its not set.

felixtrebor

Again, thanks for all your responses. Some useful stuff and I will consider it all but I think it need to get there and actually see the place before I nail down where I might want to stay.

Cheers.

Oink

If you can do an unfurnished place your choice will be far wider and far better.