Vancouver expats?
Jan 13th 2003, 10:48 pm
#1
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Vancouver expats?
My wife and I are former Vancouverites currently living in London, but expecting to move back within the next few months.
Wondering if there's anyone out there who would like to get together for a pint (or six ;-) and a good whinge ;-)
Any existing expat groups out there and any decent pubs in Vancouver?
Wondering if there's anyone out there who would like to get together for a pint (or six ;-) and a good whinge ;-)
Any existing expat groups out there and any decent pubs in Vancouver?
Jan 14th 2003, 7:57 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 208
Hi,
My wife and I are just awaiting our passports back from London with the golden visas attached. We intend moving to Vancouver March/April time.
How have you found your time in the UK ? What are the main differences you've found from Vancouver ? Any tips about living in Vancouver ?
It'd be nice meeting up when we all get over there.
My wife and I are just awaiting our passports back from London with the golden visas attached. We intend moving to Vancouver March/April time.
How have you found your time in the UK ? What are the main differences you've found from Vancouver ? Any tips about living in Vancouver ?
It'd be nice meeting up when we all get over there.
Jan 14th 2003, 11:14 pm
#3
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Hi Ian,
My wife and I have lived in N. London for just over three years.
Really, really love London, though find the day-to-day overhead of the commute a real drain. The exposure to so many cultures and the ability to travel to so many places in a relatively short distance has made it all worthwhile.
Big differences? You'll probably find the quality-of-life better in Vancouver overall. However the buying power of the Canadian dollar and the cost-of-living there is quite expensive.
If you are to earn the same salary in CDN dollars as you did in British sterling, you'll probably find the same item will cost you about a 1/3 more there.
You won't find the same diversity of culture there. My wife describes it as quite "bland" in comparison to London.
You'll definitely need a car there and you'll be surprised at the number of fuel inefficient SUV's and pickup trucks. The public transport infrastructure is good where it runs, but not even near as ubiquitous as it is in London. There is no rail system to speak of, so planes and cars are your only alternative.
Compared to British drivers, Canadians are very conservative (read: sloooooooooow).
IMO, there's far too pervasive an American influence there (ie. puritanical, small-town mentality), but at least you can get your beer in pints (even IPA in Vancouver) and the people are generally very friendly (actually put me off a bit when I was there at xmas, as I wasn't used to it). You'll certainly miss the pub!
If you're into the "great outdoors" though, it's the place to be.
Tips? Be prepared for a lot more rain in winter than London, though the summers can be fantastic. Take a drive to the Okanagan vineyards (BC interior) if you like white and ice wines. The condo market is quite hot right now after the real estate market was in quite a slump for a long time, so if you want to buy, it might be the way to go.
Hope I haven't put you off too much (Not sure why the hell I'm going back now though ;-).
Cheers,
stacktrace
My wife and I have lived in N. London for just over three years.
Really, really love London, though find the day-to-day overhead of the commute a real drain. The exposure to so many cultures and the ability to travel to so many places in a relatively short distance has made it all worthwhile.
Big differences? You'll probably find the quality-of-life better in Vancouver overall. However the buying power of the Canadian dollar and the cost-of-living there is quite expensive.
If you are to earn the same salary in CDN dollars as you did in British sterling, you'll probably find the same item will cost you about a 1/3 more there.
You won't find the same diversity of culture there. My wife describes it as quite "bland" in comparison to London.
You'll definitely need a car there and you'll be surprised at the number of fuel inefficient SUV's and pickup trucks. The public transport infrastructure is good where it runs, but not even near as ubiquitous as it is in London. There is no rail system to speak of, so planes and cars are your only alternative.
Compared to British drivers, Canadians are very conservative (read: sloooooooooow).
IMO, there's far too pervasive an American influence there (ie. puritanical, small-town mentality), but at least you can get your beer in pints (even IPA in Vancouver) and the people are generally very friendly (actually put me off a bit when I was there at xmas, as I wasn't used to it). You'll certainly miss the pub!
If you're into the "great outdoors" though, it's the place to be.
Tips? Be prepared for a lot more rain in winter than London, though the summers can be fantastic. Take a drive to the Okanagan vineyards (BC interior) if you like white and ice wines. The condo market is quite hot right now after the real estate market was in quite a slump for a long time, so if you want to buy, it might be the way to go.
Hope I haven't put you off too much (Not sure why the hell I'm going back now though ;-).
Cheers,
stacktrace
Last edited by stacktrace; Jan 14th 2003 at 11:23 pm.
Jan 15th 2003, 6:16 pm
#4
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Realised I was rather negative in my previous post, so I reckon I owe you at least two good points:
As curry is to London, sushi is to Vancouver. Sushi is extremely inexpensive there, with all-you-can-eat lunches @ ~$10 and dinners @ ~$20 per person.
Smoking is basically outlawed, so you can go to a bar and not stink the next morning, have your contact-lenses stick to your eyelids, or leave with a raucous headache. (Of course, if you do smoke...erm...)
As curry is to London, sushi is to Vancouver. Sushi is extremely inexpensive there, with all-you-can-eat lunches @ ~$10 and dinners @ ~$20 per person.
Smoking is basically outlawed, so you can go to a bar and not stink the next morning, have your contact-lenses stick to your eyelids, or leave with a raucous headache. (Of course, if you do smoke...erm...)
Jan 17th 2003, 2:42 am
#5
Cynically amused.
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: BC
Posts: 3,648
Ooh a good whinge..bliss...but don't go down to Boringsville much now - live up in the Fraser Valley - better pubs and cheaper houses with a kick arse view up here!
Jan 17th 2003, 12:03 pm
#6
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 208
What's the job situation like outside of Vancouver itself ?
Jan 17th 2003, 3:30 pm
#7
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Originally posted by dingbat
Ooh a good whinge..bliss...but don't go down to Boringsville much now - live up in the Fraser Valley - better pubs and cheaper houses with a kick arse view up here!
Ooh a good whinge..bliss...but don't go down to Boringsville much now - live up in the Fraser Valley - better pubs and cheaper houses with a kick arse view up here!
Jan 18th 2003, 5:46 am
#8
Cynically amused.
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: BC
Posts: 3,648
Ian - the job situation outside of Vancouver depends on wehat you do. Abbotsford and Surrey are getting to be larger towns (sorry guys - they are *not* cities yet :-)) and there is work in IT, community development, (town planning too) as well as retail and services. Accountancy, teaching (if you re-qualify) and nursing (again if you re-qualify). Social work is booming as the problems associated with city style life are growing.
www.city.abbotsford.bc.ca
www.city.surrey.bc.ca
www.chilliwack.com
www.mapleridge.org
Stacktrace I am up the East end of the Fraser Valley near a very popular lake resort (forgive the vagueness but there are some nutters out there!) My line of work is a mixture - teaching and social work, but I am just finishing at school and will likely jump one way or the other over the summer.
www.city.abbotsford.bc.ca
www.city.surrey.bc.ca
www.chilliwack.com
www.mapleridge.org
Stacktrace I am up the East end of the Fraser Valley near a very popular lake resort (forgive the vagueness but there are some nutters out there!) My line of work is a mixture - teaching and social work, but I am just finishing at school and will likely jump one way or the other over the summer.
Jan 20th 2003, 7:58 am
#9
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 208
I'm an IT Project Manager and the impression seems to be that Vancouver itself is pretty dead. I'd rather not live in the city anyway so was wondering what alternatives there are. I don't fancy the snow much so don't want to be to far from the temperate climate.
Jan 21st 2003, 6:00 am
#10
Cynically amused.
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: BC
Posts: 3,648
I like where I am now. I understand that Surrey has IT opportunities in the City (like the town council) and some development companies out in Cloverdale are hiring. IT is not my field at all so I could be talking out of my rear end, please check it out for yourself! Frankly, unless you are loaded and can afford to live in West Van (British Properties area) Point Grey, West side (UBC) and the better bits of North Van, you will not be impressed with Vancouver if you had a halfway decent house and life in the UK. I really do prefer living out in the Fraser Valley - but I miss London and the culture, the people, the accessibility of everything. I try and give myself a kick in the mornings when I open the curtains to the snow-capped mountains and watch the eagles soaring overhead. I *know* it's better out here...but boy is it hard to adjust to the slow way of life and the monumental ignorance of the general population to the outside world.
