Vancouver, don't get it.
May 27th 2012, 1:08 pm
#16
Seasoned Maritimer
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick CA
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
I've not been.
May 27th 2012, 1:29 pm
#17
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
As Sheldon from TBBT would say, "is that sarcasm?"
May 27th 2012, 2:43 pm
#19
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Ah, I suppose I'm comparing to Toronto, which is a much bigger city, Guelph which is smaller but a student town and Seattle, where we'd just been. I can't immediately think of any city where things close at 6.
May 27th 2012, 3:10 pm
#20
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Location: White Rock BC
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
From the moment I knew dbd33 was coming to visit Vancouver I have bee looking forward to his "unimpressed" thread.
May 27th 2012, 3:18 pm
#21
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
OP visited the 56th best city in Canada. No wonder
http://list.moneysense.ca/rankings/b...2=2&sc1=0&d1=a
http://list.moneysense.ca/rankings/b...2=2&sc1=0&d1=a
May 27th 2012, 3:33 pm
#22
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Sorry to be able to oblige. If you need gushing then Stanley Park was nice, White Rock looked attractively like Hastings (from the train, we didn't walk around), the False Creek taxi boats are cute and the DTES is like a single block of Sherbourne St. in Toronto. Sherbourne has many blocks and isn't the only rough street in the city. All in all, Vancouver seemed nice enough, safe, quiet, clean, like a big Niagara-on-the-Lake. I could see why people retire there, if it was cheap.
May 27th 2012, 3:52 pm
#23
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Honestly I think people retire in Van because at least in van their metal joints won't regularly freeze in winter.
May 27th 2012, 4:05 pm
#24
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Sorry to be able to oblige. If you need gushing then Stanley Park was nice, White Rock looked attractively like Hastings (from the train, we didn't walk around), the False Creek taxi boats are cute and the DTES is like a single block of Sherbourne St. in Toronto. Sherbourne has many blocks and isn't the only rough street in the city. All in all, Vancouver seemed nice enough, safe, quiet, clean, like a big Niagara-on-the-Lake. I could see why people retire there, if it was cheap.
As you say, it is in a stunning natural setting and access to the outdoors in all forms is at your doorstep. If that is important to you then it is a great place to live. However, if you hanker after the sophistication of Kilburn or Camden Town then you will be out of luck.
Last edited by JonboyE; May 27th 2012 at 4:15 pm.
May 27th 2012, 5:08 pm
#26
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Oh, San Salvador is another.
Last edited by Novocastrian; May 27th 2012 at 5:11 pm.
May 27th 2012, 5:11 pm
#27
talking Ter Sami
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
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.
If you arrive at YVR and pay the standard transit fare plus AddFare (TM) into town you'll likely never get over the sticker shock. For the most part, transit costs are reasonable with some unfortunate oddities, though I can't imagine why you'd be travelling between Joyce and Patterson (adjacent stops) and come across the crossing zones issue with respect to fares while on holiday here.
As for being well-served, sure , once you get out to Surrey and outlying areas the service becomes time-consuming at the very least, but it is very possible to get by in most of Greater Vancouver without a driving licence.
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.
There are plenty of social events for hiking/biking/kayaking types though.Obviously, it is not London and provides a different experience. Within an hour of downtown Vancouver (by transit) you can throw yourself into serious life-threatening situations in mountainous terrain whereas in London you can apparently immerse yourself in serious liberty-threatening situations by taking photos of police patrol cars
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?
It sounds like you missed most of the great outdoor, physical activities and nature on offer. It's not for everybody but even obese American retirees get thrilled about seeing eagles and dolphins from their cruise ships when they come to Vancouver. Your loss.
May 27th 2012, 6:14 pm
#28
Banned
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,088
Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Although, it pains me to say it, he does raise the point if Vancouver, as a high a quality of life it provides, is worth the costs anymore. I think you could say the same of London though.
Last edited by Boy d; May 27th 2012 at 6:33 pm.
May 27th 2012, 6:37 pm
#29
Best Place on Earth- LMAO
Joined: Dec 2004
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Posts: 572
Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
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?
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?
It's a toss up between Kitsalano and Camden. Kitsalano is probably a healthier place to live but Camden is definitely more vibrant.
May 27th 2012, 7:08 pm
#30
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Re: Vancouver, don't get it.
Hi
Well vancouver you either love or don't, so best advice, if you don't like don't move here, it's not to everyones taste.
Transit is cheap and an excellent service, in my opinion.
Transit does need expansion to the outer areas ,but the city mayors are either blind or cash strapped, as they do nothing.
Good luck with wherever you choose.
cheers
Jerry
Well vancouver you either love or don't, so best advice, if you don't like don't move here, it's not to everyones taste.
Transit is cheap and an excellent service, in my opinion.
Transit does need expansion to the outer areas ,but the city mayors are either blind or cash strapped, as they do nothing.
Good luck with wherever you choose.
cheers
Jerry