I have a friend who left San Diego in a hurry and moved to Canada in 1970 and didn't go back until the 80's to get his dishonorable discharge and his pardon (you had to go back to the base you left from). He was so scared it was all a trick and they were going to put him in Leavenworth that he took his wife and kids with him so he'd at least be able to kiss them goodbye. There's Marineland and there's Marineland. He came back and said he couldn't believe it, "Even the Sergeants were nice!" He was one of the lucky ones as pardons for USMC deserters didn't come as easily as for draft evaders. He made a good Canadian and we could use more like him.
To thine own self be true.

Different strokes for different folks.

I personally don't find it mind numbingly boring. Plenty to do, and it is a beautiful city. The pub/bar scene is a bit weak. But if you explore, you can find some good pubs/nightlife. Just not that obvious when you first arrive.

I don't get this "beautiful city" thing at all. The setting would be nice if the city wasn't there but the city itself is just concrete towers; I understand that it's new and architecture isn't a Canadian thing but it's not a more beautiful city than, say, Reading or Basingstoke.

I'd say the view from the city is pretty, but not the city itself.

I think if you polled unbiased third party people whether they'd rather visit Vancouver or Basingstoke, well.....

The point of Vancouver isn't to immerse yourself in its infrastructure, it's about having that infrastructure within close proximity to wilderness - mountains, oceans, fjords, islands, rivers, lakes, rainforest, beaches. You have conveniences of a big city if you want to shop, eat at good restaurants, see theatre, a movie, an art exhibit, a concert, etc. but you can easily vacate the city for the wilderness in 30 minutes or less. Very few cities offer the diversity of wilderness that Vancouver has, and that wilderness is very much a part of the reason why people move to Vancouver. It's the natural environment that has created Vancouver's lifestyle. People don't move to this city to limit themselves to the urban environment, or they're missing the point and are likely miserable. To enjoy Vancouver, you must have an appreciation for nature and a desire to immerse yourself in that environment, a desire to spend your evenings on the beach, your weekends hiking and kayaking and sailing and skiing. Amusement park style entertainment attractions or large museums are not Vancouver's forte. Vancouver is a terrible place to be entertained, but it's a spectacular place to explore and connect with nature.

I'm talking in the summertime when the sun is shining with the stunning scenery (the sea, mountains etc). The buildings themselves are nothing special, but the scenery more than makes up for it.

And when people talk about Vancouver being a beautiful city, I doubt they are talking about the architecture and buildings!

A terrible place to be entertained hey. I disagree with this. But when you're from a village of 50 people, living in a place of more than 2.5m people (greater Vancouver), is pretty damn interesting. And yeah I lived in cities in England, and Europe, and none compared to the variation and entertainment value that Vancouver offers. Only London is the obvious exception when I think of English cities. Edinburgh is very nice as well.

...and, as someone else observed, the money necessary.

Personally I'd appreciate the place for just not having the snow we get over here.

True. And if you don't have the money, it costs very little to sit on the beach or go for walks in the forest. I don't ski, I don't kayak, but I frequently walk along the seawall, spend the day at the beach, or head into the mountains where it's free to enjoy. It costs money to buy a house here and to afford the luxury lifestyle of boats and skis, certainly, but if you're renting or you downscale from sprawling home to modest condo, day to day living costs aren't any more than anywhere else. Heating costs are minimal and there's no need for air conditioning. Locally grown food is affordable when you shop at smaller family-owned supermarkets. Real estate is truly what makes it unaffordable compared to other places in the country. But you have to want the lifestyle to make it worth it.

How much is a modest condo or modest rent in Van?

In the West End (residential district close to Downtown, Stanley Park and beaches) one bedroom apartments start around $1,150 to $1,200. These are usually older buildings so probably not have a pool or gym. It is perfectly possible to live car-free here.

There are similar starting prices in other parts of Vancouver and it can be cheaper if you brave the suburbs. That said, you can pay a lot more if you want.

Hi
Maybe all the negative waves will help reduce the number of people who keep moving here,
it's getting a bit busy now.
i have only been here about 8 yrs but i can see the changes.
jerry

Pretty much sums up working in Canada.

Someone is lining their pockets just not the 99%.

When I first visited Vancouver in 2003 they had a Hooters. It was my first taste of North American culinary and it has stayed with me to this day.

Not anymore I'm afraid. Actually I'm not afraid of Hooters. There was great one near the Blockbuster when I lived in Knoxville TN, a million and a half years ago. They had 3 mile island and 911 level of hot wings. The beer was rubbish but it came in large pitchers and did the job to wash down the spicy wings. I remember it being a very fun place.