JonboyE

My God, this has to be the dumbest thread I have read on here for years. (And it is a pretty low bar.)

Firstly, the Economist piece does not say Vancouver is boring, it says it is safe - which the author finds boring.

Secondly, even ignoring the great outdoors (though why you would want to escapes me) there is a frugging ton of stuff to do here. At a local level there are more sports, arts and creative stuff going on than you could wish to shake a blunt stick at. The only problem is that the days aren't long enough to do everything.

dbd33

I would have thought the major problem to be that, by the time you've paid the mortgage, there's no money left to do whatever it is there is do.

scrubbedexpat091

Just depends on what you like, if you don't like sport, arts, and outdoors those are of no use.

Vancouver is really lacking in museums which is my issue along with a good zoo and aquarium the main things I enjoy, probably explains why I can never find much to do...Vancouver Aquarium is really small and disappointing and the zoo out in the valley is pathetic.

I struggle to find anything of interest, I know some can but we all like different things.

scrubbedexpat091

lol... Even with renting lack of money is an issue, after you pay rent and all that nothing left to actually go and do anything....

dishwashing

It's lucky we have choices then

Shard

I don't think you can say Vancouver Acquarium is small. Perhaps smaller than SD (dunno haven't been) but it's hardly small. As for museums, may be you're pinning too much on that. Museums can get repetitive after a while. And to some extent they are less necessary than they were since the internet.

Steve_

But I wouldn't even say it's particularly safe. I wouldn't say it's particularly dangerous either but there's plenty of crime going on in Vancouver.

I get his point about Geneva and maybe Vienna but it doesn't apply to Vancouver.

scrubbedexpat091

The one's in San Diego generally have rotating exhibits to keep things fresh.

I just find Vancouver aquarium overpriced for what they offer, basically charging the same price as one of the largest aquariums in the world (Georgia Aquarium) one is offering value for the price and one is not... in my view.

I like museums and went often in San Diego as there were a good selection of them, and they were affordable, got me out of the house and doing something. I also had an annual pass to the SD Zoo and would usually go once a week, good value, still is but at that time it was 50 dollars a year, now its 90 ish so still a really good value for what you get.

Most of the museums in San Diego have 1 day a month free for residents, so it was easy to do things on the cheap/free.

I really struggle in BC to find something similar and end up sitting at home on-line which brings down my overall mental well being.

Shard

Could you not get involved with some kind if charity? You're obviously social, as displayed by your participation in BE. Perhaps if you found a good voluntary organisation to volunteer at you would find some new interests or activities. Most voluntary organisations are keen to welcome new people and hang on to them. The trick is to find one that you genuinely enjoy contributing to and get along with the other people involved. That might mean trying some different charities out, before you find the right mix/circumstances, but it would be beneficial in the long run. Perhaps there is a local found bank or meal-on-wheels you could get involved with? Maybe a charity that seeks to protect endangered marine life or marine habitats? Something like that.

BristolUK

Volunteering seems to play a major part in life here.

Some of it doesn't seem right. We had a major world athletics event here a few years ago and now we're hosting a few games from the women's football world cup in Canada.

When you hear about these things happening it's usually supposed to be a boost for the economy and obviously it is in terms of visitors to the area, but usually you hear about a jobs boost too. And maybe a few people are getting a few more hours in at the fast food places and other restaurants.

But what about all the people needed at the venues - security, stewards, garbage pick up...

All volunteers. For the athletics and the football I've not seen one news report or advert related to jobs while volunteers were sought for all the stuff needed around the venue.

If I lived alone being a volunteer at the hospital might appeal. Not a volunteer visitor, someone who does other stuff that maybe can't really be done by proper staff. Sometimes.

Sometimes I wonder if people are just being taken advantage of and something's being done 'on the cheap' rather than employing someone properly.

Shard

Generally agree. I am all for people being paid, especially youth.

However, I was suggesting volunteering at an ongoing charity of interest rather than an event.

Eddmac

I have got to agree with JonboyE - our biggest problem since moving here, is finding enough time to do everything. There are continual events going on everywhere. Most weekends we have a selection of things that we want to do and have to pick which ones we will visit. If the one picked isn't of interest, it's usually only a few minutes to the next one. Regularly we just decide to "Chill" at the lake and there's an event going on there too. A couple of weekends ago, we were able to get our coffee, wander down to the dock and watch the canoeing competition on the lake in our "jammies". Not highly active on our part, but definitely food for the soul!

scrubbedexpat091

Maybe a decade in the lower mainland region has just bored me...lol...

If I were on the island, I could find lots to do, but I've only been over there 2 times and only once for recreation, the other times were medical appointments.

I have a wandering soul, I need to constantly be on the move, when I could fly for free, I was always on the move, never stayed a weekend at home, that is when I was happiest.

I never grew roots, I want to go where the wind takes me, or an airplane....

Steve_

I've got to say I've never found San Diego that fascinating. Balboa Park is really good but you can only go so many times (although you apparently went weekly). La Jolla just keeps getting more and more crowded and the only other thing I liked to do was sit on the beach at Del Mar.

The main reason it wins over Vancouver imo is the weather. Are you sure it's not just the rain that's making you feel low?

scrubbedexpat091

It could be the rain, although we haven't had much this year, so far this spring you could say has been very San Diego like...lol

San Diego isn't super exciting either, just more affordable activities I suppose you could say, and most of the museums rotate exhibits so they do have new things to see and do, the zoo not as much, but it was just a good cheap recreational activity if you get a monthly pass.

I think the congestion and density of Vancouver isn't my thing exactly, San Diego isn't as dense so congestion tends to not be as bad as Vancouver region which seems to always be congested during the day.

I do much prefer Vancouver Island, and we are looking to eventually moving over to the Island at some point.

If we could afford to live and work in Downtown Vancouver and could walk or take a short transit ride everywhere, I'd not mind it so much, but not willing to live in Burnaby and Coquitlam and deal with the congested commute, transit is just as bad as driving these days, the buses and trains are just too packed for me.