stuck in canada. tired of being nickled and dimed to death by every level of government as well as all the oligopolies and monopolies corporationwise that we are forced to do business with. wish i could get a green card and go south. san diego is a really nice city. beaches, weather, access to girls in mexico and a short flight to las vegas. downtown really nice as well.
Are you stuck in Vancouver or love it here?
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Just moved from SoCal - and SO glad I did, I'd never go back!
People look at me like I have 3 heads when I complained about SoCal but here are a few reasons:
- drought. I'll take 300d of rain any year to avoid $400/month water bills.
- crime. Not sure what its like in Van, but multiple killings every day. Had multiple things stolen from our yard. If it wasn't bolted or welded down, it was gone.
- traffic. Again, I'm on the island and I smile every minute I'm driving. Compare to 5 lanes bumper-to-bumper from SD to LA and beyond, its unbelievable. Lots of cities have bad traffic, but I do believe SoCal has the biggest expanse of bad traffic (rather than centered around one city, its continuous traffic over a huge region. 24/7, even when no highway is less than 3 lanes.
- Cost of living. Houses are just as expensive, or you're traveling an hour+. Similar to Van, I imagine. Good thing is groceries aren't as costly as here. Nor is beer. Electricity (and water as mentioned above) are much more.
- Schooling. Sucks (in general). I chuckled when I saw BC teachers going on strike last year - they have no idea how good they have it compare to average SoCal teachers.
- People. I found it also much harder to get to know people, develop friendships, etc. In 4 years, we were invited to someone's house for dinner maybe 3 times. First two months here, we get invited 4 times - people are just more friendly and open here. Also, there's just WAY too many people in SoCal (see traffic, crime above). Everywhere you go, you're in line, fighting for a table, fighting for space. Outings were planned around traffic, parking availability, lines - it gets old. Every corner had 4 panhandlers (some quite unstable).
Terrain - I'm just not a big desert fan, so if you want tall trees/forests, you have to go an hour away.
So overall, while I can't vouch for living in Van (the cost of housing & crowdedness ruled it out for me), the up-sides that I see far outweigh living in SoCal.
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People look at me like I have 3 heads when I complained about SoCal but here are a few reasons:
- drought. I'll take 300d of rain any year to avoid $400/month water bills.
- crime. Not sure what its like in Van, but multiple killings every day. Had multiple things stolen from our yard. If it wasn't bolted or welded down, it was gone.
- traffic. Again, I'm on the island and I smile every minute I'm driving. Compare to 5 lanes bumper-to-bumper from SD to LA and beyond, its unbelievable. Lots of cities have bad traffic, but I do believe SoCal has the biggest expanse of bad traffic (rather than centered around one city, its continuous traffic over a huge region. 24/7, even when no highway is less than 3 lanes.
- Cost of living. Houses are just as expensive, or you're traveling an hour+. Similar to Van, I imagine. Good thing is groceries aren't as costly as here. Nor is beer. Electricity (and water as mentioned above) are much more.
- Schooling. Sucks (in general). I chuckled when I saw BC teachers going on strike last year - they have no idea how good they have it compare to average SoCal teachers.
- People. I found it also much harder to get to know people, develop friendships, etc. In 4 years, we were invited to someone's house for dinner maybe 3 times. First two months here, we get invited 4 times - people are just more friendly and open here. Also, there's just WAY too many people in SoCal (see traffic, crime above). Everywhere you go, you're in line, fighting for a table, fighting for space. Outings were planned around traffic, parking availability, lines - it gets old. Every corner had 4 panhandlers (some quite unstable).
Terrain - I'm just not a big desert fan, so if you want tall trees/forests, you have to go an hour away.
So overall, while I can't vouch for living in Van (the cost of housing & crowdedness ruled it out for me), the up-sides that I see far outweigh living in SoCal.
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I do... most of the time. Though not as frequent as Hong Kong, it is still better than many other cities I've been in.
Welcome FreeG... and thank you for bringing in another perspective. It ain't all bad here, as you have just pointed out. Thank you.
I've thought about starting a campaign to clean up one of the IMO most dirty cities in America. Yep good old Seattle. Drive or Walk past Chinatown, the areas below the freeway, basically anywhere from Downtown to the area near Safeco Field, Century Link,, Dearborn street, Lower Beacon Hill, Sodo and its just so full of garbage on the ground. Albuquerque my favorite city in the world and a lot more poorer of a city than Seattle is vastly cleaner than Seattle. I have no idea why Seattle became so dirty its like its accepted.
I have no idea how to start a drive to clean the city up though, but I would spend my weekends doing so, this is getting embarrassing.
I have no idea how to start a drive to clean the city up though, but I would spend my weekends doing so, this is getting embarrassing.
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Sounds like everything depends on your priorities and interests, doesn't it.
Personally I love being stuck in Vancouver, but only because I'm in Kitsilano, and have an apartment with a view of Stanley Park and English Bay.
Love walking to Granville Island, and the whole sea wall around the city for that matter. Cycling is becoming so much easier now with all the bike lanes, and it's sometimes easier to get somewhere by bike than by car. Cars... Ok, Vancouver traffic has become miserable over the past 20 years, but since I don't need to drive often, I get to ignore that whole mess. ...Mostly.
The relatively easy access to the ocean, the mountains, and lakes makes it rather a nice place if you like sailing, paddling, scuba, skiing, and the outdoorsy lifestyle. I enjoy the fact I know more about Gore-Tex than I do about designer fashion. Been here since the 70's, and it has changed drastically. More cosmopolitan, more Asian, more money, more problems.
Vancouver Island can be nice, born and grew up there, but I found it too "small minded", and still find I get bored easily quickly. Long Beach excluded, of course...
Probably too entrenched to ever leave now, and earlier plans to retire to a quiet (cheaper!) town are probably being given up in favour of staying near the young relatives, and the growing network of friends.
So. probably here to stay.
Personally I love being stuck in Vancouver, but only because I'm in Kitsilano, and have an apartment with a view of Stanley Park and English Bay.
Love walking to Granville Island, and the whole sea wall around the city for that matter. Cycling is becoming so much easier now with all the bike lanes, and it's sometimes easier to get somewhere by bike than by car. Cars... Ok, Vancouver traffic has become miserable over the past 20 years, but since I don't need to drive often, I get to ignore that whole mess. ...Mostly.
The relatively easy access to the ocean, the mountains, and lakes makes it rather a nice place if you like sailing, paddling, scuba, skiing, and the outdoorsy lifestyle. I enjoy the fact I know more about Gore-Tex than I do about designer fashion. Been here since the 70's, and it has changed drastically. More cosmopolitan, more Asian, more money, more problems.
Vancouver Island can be nice, born and grew up there, but I found it too "small minded", and still find I get bored easily quickly. Long Beach excluded, of course...
Probably too entrenched to ever leave now, and earlier plans to retire to a quiet (cheaper!) town are probably being given up in favour of staying near the young relatives, and the growing network of friends.
So. probably here to stay.
What you are seeing are mostly from people who have moved here from other countries spending their expendable money in these places.
Stuck here.
Vancouver can only be enjoyed by the wealthy, and this is clearly evident when you see the make-up of the population of the region. You will find that most people come from somewhere else, and if that isn't a sure sign of foreigners moving in and displacing locals because of economic forces I don't know what is. For those of you saying that this is a negative position you've just got your head buried in the sand - or you make more money than most.
I'm tired of the constant struggle to have conversations (particularly in commerce) with people who don't speak english fluently, the pricing of our resources like real estate soaring out of control, our tax burden increasing because the influx of people puts strains on government services, and struggling to find a job because of the extra competition. This place really sucks if you're not wealthy...or else a person is far too easily pleased (and certainly isn't thinking about how they are going to be able to afford to retire in the future)
Vancouver can only be enjoyed by the wealthy, and this is clearly evident when you see the make-up of the population of the region. You will find that most people come from somewhere else, and if that isn't a sure sign of foreigners moving in and displacing locals because of economic forces I don't know what is. For those of you saying that this is a negative position you've just got your head buried in the sand - or you make more money than most.
I'm tired of the constant struggle to have conversations (particularly in commerce) with people who don't speak english fluently, the pricing of our resources like real estate soaring out of control, our tax burden increasing because the influx of people puts strains on government services, and struggling to find a job because of the extra competition. This place really sucks if you're not wealthy...or else a person is far too easily pleased (and certainly isn't thinking about how they are going to be able to afford to retire in the future)
I suddenly feel good that paying $170 a month on 3-zone Translink card is considered "almost free".
http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/Monthly-Pass.aspx
For me I don't know if I'm stuck here, but I have a lot of family and friends here and it is hard to leave due to this.
Besides, where else am I going to move, Alberta or Ontario? So cold there. Or somewhere in the U.S.? Not sure I'd want to be an American citizen. I think some people always think the grass is greener on the other side.
The lower mainland is expensive but it's beautiful in my opinion. I live east of the port man, it is expensive but still cheaper than living towards Vancouver so I don't mind.
Besides, where else am I going to move, Alberta or Ontario? So cold there. Or somewhere in the U.S.? Not sure I'd want to be an American citizen. I think some people always think the grass is greener on the other side.
The lower mainland is expensive but it's beautiful in my opinion. I live east of the port man, it is expensive but still cheaper than living towards Vancouver so I don't mind.
Actually I am talking about young local people filling up the eateries and drinking establishments along the Drive and Main Street, and in Rail and Gastown. The hard done by hipster crowd seems to be able to afford to go out.
The times have changed. Just google 'world's best or most livable cities' and Vancouver ranks in the top five . Your so called world class cities don't rank. And Vancouver's residential downtown is actually considered a desirable attribute and other cities are trying to replicate our model.
If people don't like it here, then just leave. Stop complaining. Go already.
I can understand if someone is some sort of rural redneck they might not like it here and feel they have to be here to earn money, but if you come from a city and have traveled a bit, you are going to struggle to find anywhere better, if you look at the city as a whole and not just the particular bits you do and don't like.
Most places in the world are a pile of dog-shit compared to Vancouver, so please, feel free to go there if that's what you like, just stop complaining about being here.
I can understand if someone is some sort of rural redneck they might not like it here and feel they have to be here to earn money, but if you come from a city and have traveled a bit, you are going to struggle to find anywhere better, if you look at the city as a whole and not just the particular bits you do and don't like.
Most places in the world are a pile of dog-shit compared to Vancouver, so please, feel free to go there if that's what you like, just stop complaining about being here.
By many of the responses on this thread, there is proof of the intellectual deficit in Vancouver. Most aren't capable of following the topic of this thread.
I am happy to see so many more responses that you love it here! When I posted, the thread didn't have many happy to be a Vancouverite tones.
i'm not sure whether the post ^ ^ is tongue-in-cheek or not, but a bit of arithmetic seems to be in order
$170/22 work days per month = $7.73 per work day, which includes return travel as well, so one way = $3.86 per trip
considering $3.86 could get you from tswassen to lions bay, or from langley to downtown, you can see why some people might consider it 'free'
the true cost to society is probably a lot more like $12 to $15 per trip so that represents quite a subsidy
try computing the amortized cost of automobile, insurance, wear and tear, parking and gasoline for the same trip
just sayin'...
