Originally Posted by rivingtonpike

+1
Never been happier. Just met a neighbour the other day; they were FOREIGN!!!!!

Originally Posted by dbd33

So we went to Vancouver. A city with a fantastic setting but a built environment akin to a high rise council estate (or scheme if you're from Scotland). Transit seemed expensive and doesn't well serve great chunks of the town, food seemed expensive, housing is unarguably expensive and most of the housing on offer is flats, there are very few houses. It's not a town with much of a social scene so we're told people stay at home and watch TV, it's in Canada so the TV's not very good. It rains a lot but it doesn't snow to speak of, I suppose that counts as a benign climate, rather like New Zealand. It's not dangerous but it's not interesting either and, shit, for the price of living in Vancouver, you could live in London; the London, exciting city, near to Paris, hub for cheap airlines.

It seemed to us that one may as well be damp and bored in New Zealand and have cheap sheep. Or, if one wants ocean in Canada, move to Halifax and have bars with music (ok, lots of squidley diddley but it is music, you can dance if you want to).

G'won tell me what me missed, why would anyone live in say, Kitsilano, when for that money, they could afford to live in Camden Town? Why would anyone shell out Hampstead money to live near UBC when there's nothing at all there except other expensive houses?

Originally Posted by rivingtonpike

+1
Never been happier. Just met a neighbour the other day; they were FOREIGN!!!!!

Originally Posted by Oink

Mine's a retried sports writer who know nothing about cricket so no wonder he's retired he was obviously shit.

Originally Posted by Aberdeen_Loon

I've come to this thread a bit late, but here's my two cents worth...

I was in Vancouver on business a couple of years ago on business. I found it absolutely gorgeous. Socially, the people seemed very similar to a lot of Torontonians (polite, but perhaps a bit standoffish).

I don't agree with people who say the nightlife is crap, or that it's all just coffee houses. I found some pretty decent pubs downtown (although there is some truth to the "granola cruncher" stereotype).

The only drawbacks for me are the house prices and the lack of decent jobs. I once read that while there are many very wealthy people in Vancouver, most seemed to have earned that wealth elsewhere. There don't seem to be as many well paid head office type jobs as there are in Toronto, Calgary or even Montreal.

Originally Posted by Aberdeen_Loon

I've come to this thread a bit late, but here's my two cents worth...

I was in Vancouver on business a couple of years ago on business. I found it absolutely gorgeous. Socially, the people seemed very similar to a lot of Torontonians (polite, but perhaps a bit standoffish).

I don't agree with people who say the nightlife is crap, or that it's all just coffee houses. I found some pretty decent pubs downtown (although there is some truth to the "granola cruncher" stereotype).

The only drawbacks for me are the house prices and the lack of decent jobs. I once read that while there are many very wealthy people in Vancouver, most seemed to have earned that wealth elsewhere. There don't seem to be as many well paid head office type jobs as there are in Toronto, Calgary or even Montreal.

Originally Posted by RubyRose

Originally Posted by MarylandNed

I think gorgeous setting certainly - but I didn't see a gorgeous city. I found the city a bit dull and I definitely found coffee houses much more easily than I found decent bars. Apart from high house prices and a lack of decent jobs, I also found that the salaries on offer were quite a bit lower than elsewhere.

Originally Posted by dbd33

Maybe not Camden, http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012...le?INTCMP=SRCH but one could probably live in Harrow for Vancouver money.

Originally Posted by MarylandNed

...but I didn't see a gorgeous city.

Originally Posted by el_richo

To be fair, all NA cities look the same to me barring a tiny few. The only differentiator is the natural setting whether it be mountainous rain forrest or flat dessert/snow field.

Originally Posted by Oink

You've never been to Baltimore then. You can get five different types of hot-dogs at their baseball stadium.

Originally Posted by Oink

You've never been to Baltimore then. You can get five different types of hot-dogs at their baseball stadium.

Originally Posted by el_richo

It's pissing down with rain in Vancouver this morning. I can't see much of downtown, nevermind the mountains

The dragon boaters and kayakers look like they're enjoying themselves though

The reason i enjoy living in Vancouver (i enjoyed living in the UK equally), is that it has a nice relaxed feel to it for me. I'm also very lazy and find the laid back lifetsyle it offers me very suitable.

I'm semi retired at the moment so having much of the day off each day gives me the options to easily and freely do what i want, whether that be snowboarding in the winter, or mountain biking, walking on the beach with the dog, shopping downtown, eating fish and chips, or just snoozing on the couch in the summer.

I really don't care if the population is all white, black, orange, yellow, or hairy. Its doesn't impact my life. I don't really care if the architecture is a little boring and similar. The natural setting makes up for that. I really don't care if the bars close at midnight (i don't know, i'm usually asleep by then). Most of the things mentioned in this thread don't really impact daily life. If it does, the chances are you're a weirdo.

I live my life and can do exactly what i want and enjoy and i'm very content with it. I'd expect that wherever i chose to live, otherwise why bother? That far outweighs the need for visual differences, or things that make people feel trendy or a little bit open minded and out there that others appear to seek (although i have my doubts).

Today I'll be having another coffee, popping to the gym, have some chicken for lunch, take the dog out by the water, have a nap, maybe watch some fighting, head downtown to buy Apple TV, then enjoy the evening with my wife. I would be doing the same (or similar) thing had i stayed in London, or Yorkshire, or lived in another country that suits me.

As for arguments on here. I enjoy a bit of piss taking, banter, arguing, and out and out fibbing to wind people up. It's the internet. They're words written and read predominantly by strangers. I would guess the vast majority of people on here are very different in real life and no doubt very pleasant to be around and talk to.

You all should do as is done in the Canniversary section and give each other a hug and a pat on the bum, and be thankful you don't live in Nova Scotia. I hear it's a bit shit there