dboy

Well said. After 16 years here, i can safely say that it feel way, way safer here then the UK. Perception is what counts. Vancouver is a great place to call home, even if she is a bit narcissistic - or is that just pride-

dbd33

"Well said"? I couldn't figure out what she was on about.

dboy

I was referring to her second paragraph. Would have thought that you would have thrown your two cents worth in by now ..

Tangram

People do get defensive don't they.

brizzle

Jesus, you rattled your cage?? Actually, I live in Vancouver, so I think my opinion is as valid as anyone's else. Nothing I've said there should get anyone's goat up. I just said that from those sources, I think that there have been more shootings in Vancouver than London.

So, wherever you lived in the UK, you had nothing pretty to look at? yes, the mountains and the sea here are lovely, but you'd rather look at bland glass buildings or poorly built 70's buildings than an amazingly grand Georgian/Tudor/Victorian etc building in the UK? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

dbd33

My two cents is that it doesn't make sense, we should not applaud incoherence:

"oh! and as a total bonus, i can do all this in the safe knowledge that i've got something pretty to look at....not graffitti everywhere, s**t on the roads, rubbish and crap everywhere.......and safe in the knowledge that the home that i left in the morning will still be there, intact, in the evening, when i return....not done over......mindless trashed for fun...."

Working backwards, I assume she means "mindlessly trashed for fun" in which case the clause is contradictory, if something is done "for fun" it's not done "mindlessly". This clause is silly anyway since the chance of going out for the day and returning to find one's house "trashed" is minimal anywhere in the world.

What the dots are intended to signify is unclear to me, is it a Vancouver, lot of dope, stream of conciousness thing?

"not done over" is presumably intended to convey something other than "mindlessly trashed", perhaps "burgled" in which case, again, it's extraordinarily improbable anywhere in the world.

"safe in the knowledge that the home that i left in the morning will still be there" Poorly capitalised hyperbole, only in Kansas is there much of a chance that one's house will be whisked away in the course of the average working day and then only if it's a trailer in Summer.

"not graffitti everywhere, s**t on the roads, rubbish and crap everywhere......." I haven't been to Vancouver in daylight but I thought it famous for the human debris littering the streets, after drugs homeless people are the feature one first thinks of when Vancouver is mentioned.

"oh! and as a total bonus, i can do all this in the safe knowledge that i've got something pretty to look at" Very nice I suppose, prettiness is undervalued, but is Vancouver actually pretty or is it just loads of apartment buildings that block the view and cause one not to be able to look up and see the clouds?

PeterF

Oh my god, just gave my notice to leave my rented property so we can move to Vancouver in July!!

Am I making a mistake??? I think..... NOT


In that piece I loved the first comment..

'I have lived in Vancouver for 40 years now and can say that this place is really an over hyped wannabe world class city with a population that is thoroughly brainwashed by a very controlled media that does the bidding of the housing industry. The city is a literal cesspool of crime, drugs, homeless people, litter, disrespect, graffiti, and most of all fear and unfriendliness.

Without a doubt this is the most insecure city I have ever been in. People are obsessed with "putting Vancouver on the map and showcasing the city to the world" and this is a daily theme put forth by the city's propaganda machine. The truth is this city doesn't deserve to be on the map for anyone besides the young folks who love the outdoors and natural beauty of the province, however the city itself offers very few things of real interest or culture compared to the major cities of the world.

Crime is TOTALLY out of control here and it is a dangerous place no matter what part of town you are in. That said it is truly a gorgeous place but unfortunately that is not what makes a city great, its people do and people here are cold and unfriendly. I have seen bumper strips that read "Welcome to Vancouver...Now Go Home!" We have a government here that absolutely does not care about anyone but the corporations that are benefiting from the 2010 Olympics. Health care is horrible here and people are dying while on wait lists for operations while the government is wasting money on huge unneeded mega projects, which includes the Olympics which only a slim majority of Vancouver City residents voted for while the rest of the province was shut out of the process and surely would have voted this down by a huge majority if they had been given the opportunity.

Warning to all who are thinking of coming here for the 2010 Olympics. Vancouver is a long way from Whistler, where the main Olympic activities are taking place, and during February it rains every single day (It did this year) and those wanting to see the beauty of the locale would be better advised to avoid this time of the year and its depressing gray skies and save your money and come here between June and October.'


I haven't read the rest yet, but that doesn't look anything like the Vancouver I have seen during my short stays recently..


Mind you I haven't spent any time in Delta/Surrey areas.

Kits is 1st choice but don't think we have a hope in hell of buying there

dboy

Gosh, sounds more like Manchester than Vancouver!

I wouldn't be too concerned about moving to Vancouver. I see housing prices more of a deterrent than the 'crime wave' at the moment (and perhaps jobs).

I believe that the vast majority of people who live here, love the city and I don't think a dozen or so comments speak for all the 2.5 million people who live here. Sure she winter rain sucks ... night life is not what you would expect for a larger city... but there are many other things to do than sit in a bar. The city has sure changed since i got here 16 years ago, some for the better, some not.

The recent shootings, which really are not the norm, have been a real eye opener, the response of police and government has been swift and no one is trying to make excuses and pretend there is no problem - quite the contrary.

I'm a Major Crime Detective and can tell you in no uncertain terms that numerous units are working round the clock and we are getting all the support and money we need. While there will always be shootings of one kind an another, the present trend will pass.

The first major victory are the recent arrests of Bacon and his associates. This will significantly impact the Red Scorpions.

The irony is only one of the shootings has been on the west side (Kits). Kits actually is probably the safest place and as such there is very little crime here (i live in kits).

Vancouver got a firm slap across the face. Perhaps it needed it. Vancouver was certainly strutting it's stuff as 'the best place on earth' pretty narcissistic.

I still love Vancouver and would rather live here than anywhere I've lived in the UK or the US (although San Diego would sure be nice). I moved here from Miami - no comparison - although don't ask me in February after a run of 20 days of rain.

Is vancouver the best place on earth? No is it one of the better places on earth? Yes. But as is always the case, perception and personal circumstances are everything.

babycart

"Perception and personal circumstances are everything"- That really sums it up for everyone who wants to move to Canada or Vancouver. If you have a great disposable income then in my experience anywhere in the world could be great. Unfortunately it is the power of money which makes lifestyle accessible in most developed cities. Yes the mountains and lakes are free but if you want to ski down one you'll need a ski lift pass.

I like living in Vancouver, but not sure if this is the place for the long term. While the going is good just enjoy the ride.

dboy

How about endless and identical 1950's housing estates and turn of the century run down terrace houses, not to mention boarded up mills and filthy canals that are manchester. I was in the town centre (Stalybridge) every store had metal grills over the windows and MANU written on every available space. No there was absolutely nothing pretty to look at locally, other than the odd church. Most Brits live in large urban areas that don't have much going for them, every house the same as the next. Sure you can drive somewhere and look at some nice buildings etc, but for most of us, its not on the cards day to day and does nothing to add to quality of life. I'll take the 'bland glass' buildings thanks, a breathtaking view of the mountains and a beach to walk the dog on and run on.

I was walking the dog around south Granville last night and was thinking how nice all the heritage character houses were, everyone different than the last (not that i'm likely to be able to buy one any time soon).

Think I'll take my chances here thanks.

dbd33

Obviously if you come from Manchester Vancouver looks wonderful, but so does Miami, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Brighton, most anywhere really. It's a case of an unfortunate start to life blighting the remainder.

dboy

Yes true all a matter of perspective. I think on the whole though, that every major urban centre in the UK are not overly appealing. I've lived in a number of places from Edinbrugh to Glasgow to Portsmouth, to Plymouth and then, San Diego to Miami and even a stint in Moscow. I've also spent extended periods of time in Philadelphia. The only other place i've spent time in Canada is Regina - Manchester might be ahead of the pack in that case. I've been backwards and forwards between Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary more times than I care to remember.

Yes you may be right, coming from a typical depressed british city may cloud one's perspective, but my feeling is that Vancouver is a very nice place compared to many, many places around the world.

Alan2005

Expats getting defensive about their adopted country - wow - I'd never have thought it.

The current gang war is a massive problem - but for sure it is being hyped by the media and the police who will be using it to get more federal funding. The gang war will then sort itself out as the new pecking order is established - at such time the police will then claim credit for sorting it out.

My problem with Vancouver isn't crime cos I'm wealthy enough to live in nice areas - it's the fact it's really boring and full of people who think they are great cos they live here. Best place on earth? Nah, not by a long way - sure the scenery is great - but Vancouver itself doesn't have any great selling points.

dboy

Not sure I agree with the police hyping it, media, well as we know, they hype everything that sells papers. Agreed that Vancouver is somewhat boring, but its a nice place to call home.

Alan2005

I just get cynical when I hear they are requesting more funding to fight the gang war when everyone knows these things are short-lived - and as you indicated earlier - this one is probably nearly over.

I'm not complaining too much as coming to the end of a good ski season, just need something to fill the time with in the summer!