G586

I also thought it would be ideal and organised a recce there. Takes an age to get there and whilst it is pretty with lots of nice architecture and the lake, it wasn't for us, preferred lots of other places instead.

nat 1

Well the people who have replied have been a great help and i have to admit the majority of people have said basically NOT to live there. I think we'll have to look into another place but will definately have to do a reccie first. A lot of the posts on here are so intresting and can give you some sort of idea on places for families. I mean whats good enough for one isn't good for the other person so it would have to be our decision. thanks again for replying you guys, back to the drawing board i guess. nat.

G586

It's really nice but it really is miles to the nearest place and I think that does make a difference.

Aviator

If your husband is a brickie then Nelson or anywhere in the Kootenays would be an unlikely choice. Bricks are widely used here, other than for facing or in some commercial buildings. Cultured stone is widely used to dressing buildings, and may be an avenue to look at.

Rich_007

Sure but if it was exactly what you're looking for, you'd be in paradise. Serious.

Nelson = think Totnes/Glastonbury.

R.

nooka

We came through Nelson on the way through to Kamloops, and I was very under impressed. It was grey and rainy though. The Kootenays are beautiful, but I thought the town was a bit grim. A bit like North London, the centre was full of coffee shops and boutiques and the outskirts were really quite rough. The English lady who ran our B&B confirmed this for me, being nice but a bit too "yummy mummy" for my taste. But each to their own, and she seemed happy there.

Rich_007

HTF could Nelson be like London ?

Actually, better for the coffee shops and boutiques and quaintness than the bland plastic North America-ness that is most drive-by BC Interior towns/cities.

R.

nooka

I thought the atmosphere was comparable to a few North London "village" centres, including the rough edges. I agree it isn't like a lot of other BC towns, it just wasn't as nice/interesting as we had expected I guess (given that we drove out of our way to stay the night there). I am quite willing to say we didn't give it much time (we didn't) and it was grey and drizzly which didn't help. Also the B&B had a really dreary view of a very industrial looking building in front of it, rather than the pretty lake view we had expected. But then it was our 19th night on the road, maybe we had just got a bit blase/fed up with B&Bs.

kb33

Well it reminded me of the Lake District

Biiiiink

I have no idea about the London comparison but I wasn't impressed with Nelson either. It was single digits in June when we went, and didn't stop raining. Those steep streets were like fast-moving rivers. I'd been hearing for years how pretty and how boho it was, didn't agree with either particularly and couldn't wait to move on!

Rich_007

The stoners didn't see any of that, they saw fairies and twinkly lights and UFO's.

R.

dbd33

Anyone been to Nelson and to Ouray or Telluride?

dboy

I was there on business back in October. What a strange place. I could n't decide if i liked it or not. Everyone had a certain look to them - kind of like rastas but white. The type of person who is trying to make a statement by dressing different - the irony was that i think i was different in that i was the only person wearing a business suit.

There is a movie from the 80's called Roxanne starring Steve Martin which was filmed there.

Neat older buildings from the turn of the century with lots of character.

I think i 'll stick to Vancouver thanks

dboy

Very true - not a tim hortons or mcdonalds in sight

ScottDrummer

yeah I didnt like nelson much i visited lasted winter for someones wedding on whitewater, took a daft amount of time to get there from whistler, which didnt help. It was a nice place, can imaging it being nice in the summer, however there was just nothing for me to latch onto there, the people were a bit unfamiliar, and in general the place just didnt seem to want to move on. Good for a visit but could no way live there. I have some UK friends that have lived there for over a year and love it.
Maybe try vancouver island?