"Richmond-bubble" phenomenon...

[unidentified]

Before starting post secondary, I rarely ever left Richmond. The furthest I would normally go is downtown to go shopping. And the few trips I made out to Metrotown - I always thought it was sooo far. Then I started school at the BCIT campus in Burnaby and made friends with people from all across the Lower Mainland. That's when I actually saw places like Coquitlam and Maple Ridge for the first time in my life. Now I drive out of Richmond pretty frequently to see my friends.

[twitchyzero]

when im selling stuff to richmond'ers on RS they always dont wanna come to Vancouver to pick up the stuff...and I'm willing to meet pretty close to Knight St Bridge too lol...

[goo3]

Originally Posted by drunkrussian

One thing that DOESN'T surprise me in this thread is the perception taht richmond is hongerville. Yes richmond has far more hongers than everywhere else and you can't deny that it's fulla asians. However, number 5 and cambie, down to bridgeport where i live is browntown (and lately a lotta black immigrants too) and number 6 road and up is white farmerville. Beyond that is the ghetto new west border and down in Steveston, you can find the japanese population and the old jews and retirees. Scattered throughout you've also got filipino ppl. So does richmond have a lotta chinese ppl and hongers? Yes. As much as people tend to think? I'd argue no.

To be honest, i get more of a culture shock when i drive up into east van, where the poor immigrant asian population is massive. My east van friends show me their highschool pix and i see a single white guy and two random brown guys who seem to be lost. One of my asian east van friends went so far as to tell me that they've never even met a brown person before lol. My highschool on the other hand, I'd guess, had about 30% brown ppl, 5% white ppl, 20% other and 45% chinese ppl. I'd go on to argue that that's actually a typical representation of the city as a whole and not just my highschool.

I think that just like how people associate wally's ghettoness with all of surrey, people seem to associate richmond's honger population who they see on 3 road (some of which are from outside of richmond visiting might i add) with the entire city and i just don't think it's accurate.

Richmond ends @ around Westminster Hwy as far as I'm concerned, lol.

Here's something you might find interesting:

Statcan Stats.
2006 Visible Minority population of Vancouver vs. Richmond.

http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...nority&Custom=

Sorry, can't cut and paste. The table gets messed up.

[q0192837465]

^wow, that's A LOT of chinese. There are more girls than guys too. I like that.

[shenmecar]

Originally Posted by goo3

Richmond ends @ around Westminster Hwy as far as I'm concerned, lol.

Here's something you might find interesting:

Statcan Stats.
2006 Visible Minority population of Vancouver vs. Richmond.

http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...nority&Custom=

Sorry, can't cut and paste. The table gets messed up.

43.3% of Richmond is chinese, compared to 29.4% of Vancouver being chinese. Shocking? No.

[dachinesedude]

Originally Posted by q0192837465

^wow, that's A LOT of chinese. There are more girls than guys too. I like that.

More girls, more c-lai's

[Sodium]

You know what's the other reason people living in Richmond tend to stay in Richmond?

Everything is cheaper. People used to go to China Town to get Chinese groceries....now they come to Richmond because it is at least 25% cheaper. And I'm not talking T&T coz that is probably one of the most overpriced supermarket.....

Food is cheaper. I can go to a nicely decorated Tawainese Restaurtant here for food better and cheaper than most of the same type of restaurants in Vancouver...
Just take E-canteen for example....no I'm not a big fan at all but where else can you find a restaurant that's open after 10pm...and have decent meals for $10 and under 30min?

Everything is close together.....I just park my car somewhere near #3 road and I can pretty much run all my errands without moving my car....(Free Parking too)

I do like driving though.....and it does suck because when you think about it....it's a long stretch for me to go out of Richmond for a specific restaurant that I know has good food....but I'll end up spending double on gas/parking/food and time just for that one night....mind you I do go out and try different restaurants all over lower mainland....but it's just not worth it to do it on most weekdays....

So if I were to go out of my way....it's mostly because of friends or if I know I am going to spend my whole day running around anyway....

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Roach

I'm just pointing out your lack of credibility on the subject.

Kev

I'm pointing out your lack of education on this subject.
You could prove me wrong and give me some ideas of what to do, or I'll take your silence as proof I'm correct, there's fuck all to do in Surrey.

Chris

[unit]

any non chinese people in this thread think Richmond the Mecca of the GVRD?
just curious.

[1990TSI]

So My opinion is scewed here for a few reasons.
1. Live in Squamish
2. White

now I'll agree that richmond has a bubble, but it keeps more people out than in.

If I need something I'll leave squam for it no problem, driving over an hour isn't a huge deal, but dealing with places like burnaby or north van, or even langley, surrey and the tri-cities shit makes some sort of sense. Streets are labelled and as long as you have a general idea of where you're going, you'll find it, and safely.

then we have richmond. fuck. I can get to the airport no problem, there's enough signs even the americans can figure it out if they need to get back from whistler. anything else. fuck it. I don't know how anyone can drive in richmond and not get lost every 4kms. Nothing makes sense down there! throw in a bridge and it gets even worse. You also have to worry about the c-lais, which is never a nice feeling.

I mapquested the RS meet and still got lost. I got to the bridge without incident, but then got slighly confused and drove under the speed limit to my destination after 4 wrong turns. I've been there 3 times before and still managed to get lost.


I think the main point people are missing here, is that once richmond people leave richmond, they have a 4% chance of finding home again, so they don't risk it.

[skyxx]

I find surrey confusing...lol

[sonick]

Originally Posted by skyxx

I find surrey confusing...lol

+1. Every block looks the same as the block before it, and the block after it.

[skyxx]

I remember driving in surrey. I would enter a block and would try to find my way out but it's a dead end. :/

[Roach]

Originally Posted by taylor192

I'm pointing out your lack of education on this subject.
You could prove me wrong and give me some ideas of what to do, or I'll take your silence as proof I'm correct, there's fuck all to do in Surrey.

Chris

My lack of education? I've lived in BC all my life. Burnaby, Surrey, White Rock.

You just moved here from Ontario?

What does Surrey have? Fraser Downs, Softball City, Serpentine Fen, Crescent Beach, Softball City, Cloverdale Rodeo, Rainforest Reptile Refuge, Northview Golf and Country Club (a PGA tour stop by the way), Blackie Spit, Newton Wave Pool, Little India (which trumps Main St. any day).

You're fighting an uphill battle on a subject you know nothing about.

Kev

[Roach]

Originally Posted by skyxx

I find surrey confusing...lol

My buddies say that too when they come out. I dunno, everything here is numbered so I'm not sure how it's so difficult.

Richmond I find more confusing because who knows whether Francis intersects with Williams or whether Blundell is before Railway.

Kev

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by unit

any non chinese people in this thread think Richmond the Mecca of the GVRD?
just curious.

*raises hand*

I can't really imagine living anywhere else. But when I come back I probably won't be able to afford it

[Roach]

^ I thought you are Chinese? Weird

Kev

[unit]

Originally Posted by Roach

My buddies say that too when they come out. I dunno, everything here is numbered so I'm not sure how it's so difficult.

Richmond I find more confusing because who knows whether Francis intersects with Williams or whether Blundell is before Railway.

Kev

i dont see how people think surrey is confusing. how much more straightforward can you get, its a grid with numbers... hardly any street names except the hwys (fraser hwy, king george hwy). if you tell someone you live on 92nd and 160th, you dont even need to pull out a map even if its your first time in surrey to find it.

[optiblue]

this richmond bubble is very common!! I have friends who refuse to leave their doomed to sink land!

[twitchyzero]

there's only 30% Chinese in Vancouver?

wow then I'm assuming 80% of them live in East-Van

[Sweet2L]

I love Richmond. Actually it depends on where you live... I lived in this ghetto ass apartment near the coop complexes behind McDonalds on 3 road and it was sketch as shit. But now I live off Garden City and it's pretty nice. Everything you need really is here, but I'll leave to hang out with friends in Burnaby. I hate driving downtown though, shitty commute and no parking. Basically I'll go anywhere without crossing the bridge into town... Surrey has a few nice places to visit, I really like City Central mall.

[unit]

^are you serious about central city mall?
i havent been in at least 3 years but i cant imagine its changed much.
any good stores? this mall used to be a shithole

[CorneringArtist]

^ It's got a Futureshop, Best Buy, Winners, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and a T&T, all opened within 3 years. It looks better since the tower opened, but otherwise the shops are average, and the food court kinda sucks. But if you want stores that aren't at Guildford, it's usually a good alterative, and Zellers is still a shithole store ever since I moved closer to it in 1999.

[goo3]

Originally Posted by shenmecar

43.3% of Richmond is chinese, compared to 29.4% of Vancouver being chinese. Shocking? No.

Depends on how you look at it, too.

There's pretty much as many Chinese in Vancouver as there are ppl in Richmond. That might surprise some. And then consider that Vancouver has the two sides - east and west, which are pretty different.

Anyway, I think that site's pretty cool. It has real numbers to look at instead of having ppl make wild guesses. You can look up other cities in the country too.

[IMASA]

I can say I'm a victim. I live in Richmond and work in Downtown Vancouver. I rarely head back to Vancouver unless I'm working. Funny, when I live in East Van, I'd come to Richmond maybe 3-4 times a week.