Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Jul 25th 2012, 5:56 pm
#61
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Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
However on the other hand townhouses seem to be very popular in lower mainland BC, I do wonder how these people get stoves and fridges up and down the stairs without causing major damage to the stairwell as they usually have the kitchen on the second floor.
Jul 25th 2012, 5:57 pm
#62
slanderer of the innocent
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Location: Vancouver, BC
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Jul 25th 2012, 6:00 pm
#63
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Well yes, cow town has awful urban sprawl, worse than here....outside of the city, I can't agree that crowding is a problem at all. You'd have us believe we're are living in some sort of bombay esq land, with people desperate for space.....rubbish.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:01 pm
#64
slanderer of the innocent
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Location: Vancouver, BC
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Well I know a ton of ex-Vancouverites living here, doesn't really prove anything. They seem to move here to get bigger houses or merely to afford a house, based on the conversations I've had. I had this conversation at the drug store yesterday, the pharmacist is an ex-Vancouverite and I asked her why she moved here, Vancouver is "too crowded and too expensive".
You're right, it doesn't prove anything.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:02 pm
#65
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Well I agree on that point, some people in Calgary have ludicrously big houses, I've spoken to people to whom the concept of shelves is alien.
However on the other hand townhouses seem to be very popular in lower mainland BC, I do wonder how these people get stoves and fridges up and down the stairs without causing major damage to the stairwell as they usually have the kitchen on the second floor.
However on the other hand townhouses seem to be very popular in lower mainland BC, I do wonder how these people get stoves and fridges up and down the stairs without causing major damage to the stairwell as they usually have the kitchen on the second floor.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:04 pm
#66
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Well I know a ton of ex-Vancouverites living here, doesn't really prove anything. They seem to move here to get bigger houses or merely to afford a house, based on the conversations I've had. I had this conversation at the drug store yesterday, the pharmacist is an ex-Vancouverite and I asked her why she moved here, Vancouver is "too crowded and too expensive".
Jul 25th 2012, 6:05 pm
#67
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Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Well it counts, but not exactly a popular place to live.
Yes, lots of snow, why the prairies are a better place to live, imo.
I quite like Edmonton, it's just colder than Calgary so it makes no sense to live there if you have the choice.
I found when I first moved to Alberta it took some getting used to because of the lack of trees, but once you adjust it's not a problem, it's just a different landscape. I find being in BC now with my view blocked by trees to be more annoying.
I prefer it to Vancouver but it also has major traffic issues.
I've spent 3 weeks in an Eastern winter (Montreal, Ottawa area). Bloody awful.
Spent about 7 days total in Edmonton. Ugly, flat, depressing place.
I found when I first moved to Alberta it took some getting used to because of the lack of trees, but once you adjust it's not a problem, it's just a different landscape. I find being in BC now with my view blocked by trees to be more annoying.
I love Toronto though.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:09 pm
#68
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Putting down Calgary doesn't make Vancouver a better place to live. How is it "depressing" exactly, not half as depressing as sitting in an endless traffic jam when it's raining, imx.
On the crowding point, Calgary is 22 miles top to bottom and doesn't have a harbour in the middle of it and has a population of 1.1 million. So even purely based on the metro area Calgary is fantastically less crowded. I realize I'm stating the blindingly obvious by saying that, but the point is that Calgary doesn't have the same restrictions on growth. In Vancouver it seems to me the only way to increase space is going to be to go skyward, and Vancouver is famous for the restrictions it has on building height.
On the crowding point, Calgary is 22 miles top to bottom and doesn't have a harbour in the middle of it and has a population of 1.1 million. So even purely based on the metro area Calgary is fantastically less crowded. I realize I'm stating the blindingly obvious by saying that, but the point is that Calgary doesn't have the same restrictions on growth. In Vancouver it seems to me the only way to increase space is going to be to go skyward, and Vancouver is famous for the restrictions it has on building height.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:10 pm
#69
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Posts: 1,088
Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Well it counts, but not exactly a popular place to live.
Yes, lots of snow, why the prairies are a better place to live, imo.
I quite like Edmonton, it's just colder than Calgary so it makes no sense to live there if you have the choice.
I found when I first moved to Alberta it took some getting used to because of the lack of trees, but once you adjust it's not a problem, it's just a different landscape. I find being in BC now with my view blocked by trees to be more annoying.
I prefer it to Vancouver but it also has major traffic issues.
Yes, lots of snow, why the prairies are a better place to live, imo.
I quite like Edmonton, it's just colder than Calgary so it makes no sense to live there if you have the choice.
I found when I first moved to Alberta it took some getting used to because of the lack of trees, but once you adjust it's not a problem, it's just a different landscape. I find being in BC now with my view blocked by trees to be more annoying.
I prefer it to Vancouver but it also has major traffic issues.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:14 pm
#70
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
All you have to do really is drive across the border to draw the comparison. There's basically piss all between Blaine and Bellingham, there's no area in lower mainland BC as undeveloped as that, or even close to it.
People wouldn't be building condos a few metres from powerlines: www.morgancrossing.ca
I will agree once you're out as far as Abbottsford and Chilliwack it is less crowded, but what is the scope for future development?
Here is yet another example of the overcrowding: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4428994/
As mall builders hunt desperately for space in the land-squeezed Lower Mainland, they’re alighting on controversial spots out of the reach of municipal planning.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:16 pm
#71
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Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
Isolated, boring, ugly, homogenous, brown, dirty snow, .....I found it like hanging out in coquitlam here....van city is more interesting and vibrant and offers a lot more and better access to the outdoors....yes traffic is bad, it rains, but I will take it ove a cheaper house in Calgary....
Jul 25th 2012, 6:18 pm
#72
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Jul 25th 2012, 6:29 pm
#73
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
People are desperate for space, if you weren't then websites like www.crackshackormansion.com wouldn't exist. There is "no outside of the city" really as far as I can see, you're up the Fraser Valley where you can't build substantially because of the mountains.
All you have to do really is drive across the border to draw the comparison. There's basically piss all between Blaine and Bellingham, there's no area in lower mainland BC as undeveloped as that, or even close to it.
People wouldn't be building condos a few metres from powerlines: www.morgancrossing.ca
I will agree once you're out as far as Abbottsford and Chilliwack it is less crowded, but what is the scope for future development?
Here is yet another example of the overcrowding: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4428994/
All you have to do really is drive across the border to draw the comparison. There's basically piss all between Blaine and Bellingham, there's no area in lower mainland BC as undeveloped as that, or even close to it.
People wouldn't be building condos a few metres from powerlines: www.morgancrossing.ca
I will agree once you're out as far as Abbottsford and Chilliwack it is less crowded, but what is the scope for future development?
Here is yet another example of the overcrowding: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4428994/
I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at here...
A lot of what you put down to 'overcrowding' isn't - it's due to the ALR (agricultural land reserve). You claim you drove out to Surrey once - you may have noticed all the farmland on the way, depending on which route you took. So in fact within a short distance of the city there is open land. In other words, you're talking BS, mate.
There isn't room for a lot of sprawling single family home car oriented 'burbs, but I'd argue that's a good thing. For a start, they take up all that land - which is counterproductive. For some reason BEs are obsessed with large amounts of land - maybe it's because of deprivation in the UK, I don't know - but for locals it's clearly not such an issue. As I said before, if you want that and you don't have pots of cash Vancouver isn't for you. But there are many other things about this city that make up for it (imo).
Last edited by ExKiwilass; Jul 25th 2012 at 6:47 pm.
Jul 25th 2012, 6:35 pm
#74
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
http://www.seeklogo.com/images/B/BC_...eklogo.com.gif
Methinks Vancouver needs taking down a peg or two though, I hear way too much guff about how wonderful it is.
Methinks Vancouver needs taking down a peg or two though, I hear way too much guff about how wonderful it is.
Jul 25th 2012, 11:12 pm
#75
Banned
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,088
Re: Vancouver's fall from grace in city livability race
People are desperate for space, if you weren't then websites like www.crackshackormansion.com wouldn't exist. There is "no outside of the city" really as far as I can see, you're up the Fraser Valley where you can't build substantially because of the mountains.
All you have to do really is drive across the border to draw the comparison. There's basically piss all between Blaine and Bellingham, there's no area in lower mainland BC as undeveloped as that, or even close to it.
People wouldn't be building condos a few metres from powerlines: www.morgancrossing.ca
I will agree once you're out as far as Abbottsford and Chilliwack it is less crowded, but what is the scope for future development?
Here is yet another example of the overcrowding: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4428994/
All you have to do really is drive across the border to draw the comparison. There's basically piss all between Blaine and Bellingham, there's no area in lower mainland BC as undeveloped as that, or even close to it.
People wouldn't be building condos a few metres from powerlines: www.morgancrossing.ca
I will agree once you're out as far as Abbottsford and Chilliwack it is less crowded, but what is the scope for future development?
Here is yet another example of the overcrowding: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4428994/
Morgan crossing is a very nice upscale development and not some squeezed in landfill as u make it sound. The area was likely picked as it is central, close to the 99 and not in the ALR.
As for density, greater Vancouver is almost twice the size of London, with a fraction of the population....not sure why you are labouring such a point. Not overcrowded....20 years from now, probably.