[SFUguy]

as the title says.

I'm thinking of maybe settling in Alberta. Seems more laid-back then Vancouver. I checked it out in the summer and I really liked Edmonton. I would visit Vancouver every now and then. Its like What, a 10 hour drive?

What keeps you here in Vancouver? A good job? High quality standard of living? Infrastruture?

[Alatar]

Mountains + Water

I've been in Edmonton and Calgary in both summer and winter. Summers aren't bad, but winters are balls cold.

[SumAznGuy]

Try living in Edmonton in the winter. And what are you planning on doing for money?

[niu99]

multicultural, very beautiful, small, fair weather despite raining half of year

[shenmecar]

the climate is good here.

[JesseBlue]

Root for the oilers and flames... Go ahead... But anyways I've had this thought before and I still enjoy living here..I don't need a big house but something that is just right Size
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[4444]

"If you cant afford to buy a house in GVA, would you still settle here FOR GOOD?"

this has nothing to do with anything - why do you need to live in the house you own?

buying a house is a financing decision, personally i will never own in this kind of market... but guess what, i own multiple properties in other areas where the rental/ownership rentals are much better & future appreciation is attractive.

i happily rent and will live here as long as i'm here.

my moving away will be entirely lifestyle related or perhaps career advancement, but more likely the former

[JD¹³]

I'd rather be in the Southern US (Central California / Arizona), Europe, or Australia. Housing prices and cost of living are lower and the people are better.

So to answer your question, no.

[nns]

Interesting topic. I'm kind of thinking about the same thing now.

The field I'm in, I can find a job that's in demand in smaller cities like Prince George, Kamloops, Kelowna, etc. The property (as i've been told) is a lot cheaper to own than in Vancouver.

A few things that make me hesitant on the idea:
-learning the streets all over again
-knowing nobody
-possibly hotter/colder summers/winters

[gilly]

Staying because of family and friends.

[Tapioca]

The only reason to move to Alberta is to work in the energy industry where there is money to be made. If you can't deal with the lower salaries here in Vancouver, then you should think big: London, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dubai, etc.

[murd0c]

I have a number of buddies in the interior and out of anything I would want to move up their. Ya lots of snow in the winter but at least the people know how to drive and I'm honestly not a city person.

[SFUguy]

the climate is good here.

what, you mean the rain?

i didn't realize how blue the skies are until I was in Alberta. Even with clouds in the sky, the skies are really blue.

Sky in Vancouver? What the fuck is that? haha.


Calgary is an expensive ass place. Its boring as heck. But the good thing is that there aren't no kids frontin wearing gucci murses or gucci caps or whatever the fuck. i see right through their fronts like the muthafukcin matrix.

its also easier to get laid in calgary than vancouver. at least from my experience. women are mad approachable. the women have a small-town kinda feel to them. more down to earth. from what i've seen they aren't as fashionable as vancouver girls though.


bottom line: calgary has really cool peeps. but boring and expensive place.

[Meowjin]

Kid read this thread when you grow up.

[q0192837465]

I've been thinking about this lately too. If housing price keeps climbing like it did in the past 10 years, chances are that I'll never be able to afford a house even out in the suburbs, given the salary I have. But at the same time, the cleaner environment compared to Asia will probably save me from some terminal disease. It is something you won't notice right away but I'm seeing relatives in HK starting to have cancer and heart diseases due high stress and what not. I dunno, it's a tough call. On one hand, I wanna make more money, but all the money in the world can't save you if u get some terminal illness.

[jasonturbo]

I moved to N.Van from Edmonton 3 years ago, you couldn`t pay me enough money to move back.

I have considered moving to Sylvan Lake or even Calgary but until house prices come down I see no reason to leave Vancouver.

If you`ve lived here your whole life, be ready for a shock, the rest of Canada has terrible winters, Canada has a terrible climate in general.. also most of Canada is very dry, you may or may not miss the humidity here... I know that within two days of leaving the coast my skin is already starting to get dry.

I work in the energy sector in Alberta, I fly in and out to work and to be honest I hate my job, but they pay me so much money I can`t just quit and start a new career path... especially in Vancouver making 40k per year.

My plan for now is to just keep saving money, if and when I`m ready to buy a home and commit to living somewhere I will do so at that time. For now I will continue to enjoy the best climate in our country.. some of the best scenery as well.

If I can give you any advice, skip Alberta, it`s a cultural shit hole of conservative douchebags, the easy money attracts the absolute worst of the worst in Canada. Check out Montreal or Ottawa, it`s rare to find anyone that would describe their time spent their as anything less than enjoyable. There is a lot to be said for French Canadian culture, it might not seem like it... but take a trip to the US and you will understand lol.

For me, my unfortunate career choices have left me little options but to stay on the west coast or in Alberta... but I will make an attempt to spend a few years living in the Eastern portion of the country sooner or later just to see if it`s the right fit for me.

The only downfall is in the meantime.. Im paying a fuckin premium to live here.. between cost of living, HST, and ICBC.. it gets expensive here.. fast.

[optiblue]

I'll never relocate. Friends and family are all here!
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[Culture_Vulture]

what, you mean the rain?

i didn't realize how blue the skies are until I was in Alberta. Even with clouds in the sky, the skies are really blue.

Sky in Vancouver? What the fuck is that? haha.


Calgary is an expensive ass place. Its boring as heck. But the good thing is that there aren't no kids frontin wearing gucci murses or gucci caps or whatever the fuck. i see right through their fronts like the muthafukcin matrix.

its also easier to get laid in calgary than vancouver. at least from my experience. women are mad approachable. the women have a small-town kinda feel to them. more down to earth. from what i've seen they aren't as fashionable as vancouver girls though.


bottom line: calgary has really cool peeps. but boring and expensive place.
Seems like you've already made up your mind. Please leave.

[tool001]

buying a home has nothing to do with staying in a city. other factors weigh more. ie. job. family, friends, lifestyle etc.

i was reading this article in torontostar.. made somewhat sense.

Why I sold my house and rent instead
Frank Hoffmann was a finalist in the the Moneyville blogging contest.

Frank Hoffmann was a finalist in the the Moneyville blogging contest.
Supplied photo

By Frank Hoffmann | Tue Jun 28 2011

Comment (16)
Recommend (173)

I bought my first home at the age of 27, did my homework and my finances were all in order. It wasn’t until I had lived in the home for three months that I realized I despised the location, my lifestyle had done a complete 180 and worst of all I had buyer’s remorse.

It was a three-storey, three-bedroom house that fronted onto a park in the beautiful escarpment region of Milton. Coming from a bachelor apartment in Etobicoke, I immediately fell in love with the house’s open concept.

But what really made me buy it was the misconception, which had been ingrained in my mind by friends, family and the media, that home ownership is a must in life. So, $276,000 later I was where I was “supposed to be” at this point in my life.

After seven months, I put the house up for sale. Even though I had lived there less than a year, it was a seller’s market and I ended up making a couple of bucks. . . literally, a couple. I’ve been a renter ever since.

Buying a home is the biggest investment most people will make and it can be a life-altering event. It is also an emotional event and when buyers get emotionally attached to a house or condo, here’s what can happen:

• You overpay and stretch yourself beyond your means.

• You end up with an overlay of stress because you didn’t think it through.

• The location may not be what you expected.

• Your lifestyle undergoes a big change.

• You end up regretting the decision.

I needed a new place to live and stumbled upon a recently built condominium, just steps from the entertainment district in downtown Toronto, that still had units for sale and many for rent.

I found a one-bedroom unit I liked and knew the owner had paid $220,000. He wanted $950 per month but I knew he was eager to rent it, so after a little back and forth we drew up a rental agreement for $800 per month — 15 per cent less than he wanted

I figured out whether or not this unit was a good deal by using a price-to-rent ratio, a rule-of-thumb measure that is calculated by taking the value of the house or condo and dividing it by the annual rent.

If this ratio is 15 or less it makes sense to buy a property. In this case, if the condo cost $220,000, a ratio of 15 would mean the annual rent was $14,667 or $1,222 a month. Better to buy something and not pay rent.

But if the ratio is 20 or greater, it is better to rent. Using this same example, anything at $917 a month or less would be a good deal — $220,000 divided by 20 for an annual rent of $11,000, or $917 a month

After our negotiation, the $800 rent was a ratio of 23 — $220,000 divided by $9,600 ($800 x 12). This was a fabulous deal, so I took it. I had my dream condo in a perfect location at an amazing price. After six months I extended the agreement by another year.

I am happy and best of all I remain financially nimble. So, instead of putting another down payment on a house or condo I used that money, coupled with the profits from the sale of my home, to top up my RRSPs, TFSA and my emergency fund and invested the rest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through a broker.

Purchasing a home can be a wise investment and I do plan to do it one day, but for now I’m happy renting.

[6insomnia9]

what, you mean the rain?

i didn't realize how blue the skies are until I was in Alberta. Even with clouds in the sky, the skies are really blue.

Sky in Vancouver? What the fuck is that? haha.


Calgary is an expensive ass place. Its boring as heck. But the good thing is that there aren't no kids frontin wearing gucci murses or gucci caps or whatever the fuck. i see right through their fronts like the muthafukcin matrix.

its also easier to get laid in calgary than vancouver. at least from my experience. women are mad approachable. the women have a small-town kinda feel to them. more down to earth. from what i've seen they aren't as fashionable as vancouver girls though.


bottom line: calgary has really cool peeps. but boring and expensive place.

Maybe you should stop trying to get Models?
or step your game up or get game
trololoololol
:okay:

[Great68]

You couldn't pay me to live in Alberta.

I'll take the rain and above zero average winters over sunny freezing cold any day. Mind you, I was just in Red Deer for a wedding in mid june and it absolutely pissed rain the whole fucking time.

Sure cost of living might be less, but you pay for it with a lesser quality of life.

[SFUguy]

jasonturbo:

funny thing about your response. Everyone in Alberta thinks Vancouver is "the big city" but it's too expensive to live there.

I love the city layout of Edmonton from what I've seen. South to Southeast to downtown and West. North or north east looks like Calgary. wouldn't been goin there much

The people are a different story. lots of homeless tweakers on the streets in edmonton (just like vancouver). The people in edmonton and calgary are like night and day. in edmonton the homeless people feel like you owe them something. hella bad drug problem there too. you don't see nuthin of that in calgary.

to me edmonton feels more like a city than calgary but the bums in edmonton ugggh...

6insomnia9: its not just girls. people in van put up fronts and they are on some dumb-dumb shit. go look at thedirty.com and you'll get a feel of the bullshit that many youths of van are into.

[BaoTurbo]

not staying. by the ti,e i graduate, the market for cars, houses, food will be quite high to afford fully. I'm not saying i won't be able to, but things like mortgage, loans, and lease will factor in. Planning to have my career elsewhere like maybe back to Asia countries

[quasi]

I love BC a lot and given the choice I'd prefer to stay here. I've finally got a nice house in a neighborhood I love. The bad thing is I'm out of work and I've had a hard time finding another job. If I don't find something I can live with by December I'm probably going to be forced to go back to Saskatchewan since there is a job there for me.

The real decision I'll have to make is do I bring my wife and son with or do I just go temporary? Do I sell my house and buy one there or do I rent it out and rent there? That option would give me the chance to come back and still be in the market.

BC is pretty awesome compared to the rest of Western Canada, haven't lived back east so I can't compare.

[dlo]

born and raised in east van
this is my home and this is also my deathbed

[AzNightmare]

OP, sounds like you already made your decision.
You're really here just to try to convince the rest of us that
Calgary and Edmonton is a better city... :rolleyes:

[6insomnia9]

BEST PLACE TO LIVE ON EARTH , BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA.

[Mercy]

There's only a couple things that really factor in for me since I don't have a family. 1. Can I get a job and be finacially stabel because i am right now. 2. I own a condo in Richmond right now which I bought for 178k. It's only 650 square feet. I watch shows like property virgins and see these places all over the united states for 200k and their mansions that I would love to have. But do I wanna live in the US? Is the economy stable enough? Will I be safe there? I wouldn't mind moving but I guess I'm just scared.
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[too_slow]

Interesting topic. I'm kind of thinking about the same thing now.

The field I'm in, I can find a job that's in demand in smaller cities like Prince George, Kamloops, Kelowna, etc. The property (as i've been told) is a lot cheaper to own than in Vancouver.

A few things that make me hesitant on the idea:
-learning the streets all over again
-knowing nobody
-possibly hotter/colder summers/winters

In most parts of Kelowna, the pricing is closer to BBY/East Van status..

[minoru_tanaka]

OP, sounds like you already made your decision.
You're really here just to try to convince the rest of us that
Calgary and Edmonton is a better city... :rolleyes:

I think the guy is just looking for assurance man. No need to get offended that he doesn't think that Van is the greatest city on the planet

[Meowjin]

I think the guy is just looking for assurance man. No need to get offended that he doesn't think that Van is the greatest city on the planet

Ithink people are failing him for the other parts of his post.

[TRDood]

Food, weather, sports, lots to do within 6 hour drive.

I am working my ass off just to stay in Vancouver. Lived in Ontario last summer and hell no I won't go back unless I HAVE TO.
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[maxxxboost]

I went to Edmonton 4 weeks ago and all i can say is i am happy to be back in Vancouver!

While i was there, i thought about living in Edmonton but quickly brushed it off. The pros to stay in Vancouver out way the cons in my opinion. Edmonton and Calgary is a good place to get away for a week in the summer, but to live...nah.

Maybe you should go back there and stay for the winters, then make up your mind.

[SkinnyPupp]

what, you mean the rain?

i didn't realize how blue the skies are until I was in Alberta. Even with clouds in the sky, the skies are really blue.

Sky in Vancouver? What the fuck is that? haha.


Calgary is an expensive ass place. Its boring as heck. But the good thing is that there aren't no kids frontin wearing gucci murses or gucci caps or whatever the fuck. i see right through their fronts like the muthafukcin matrix.

its also easier to get laid in calgary than vancouver. at least from my experience. women are mad approachable. the women have a small-town kinda feel to them. more down to earth. from what i've seen they aren't as fashionable as vancouver girls though.


bottom line: calgary has really cool peeps. but boring and expensive place.
I don't really get why you got fail bombed for this post... I thought you made some pretty good points. The weather in Van was one of the main reasons I left 5 years ago. Sure it is AWESOME - like the best weather on the planet - for 2 months a year. But aside from another 2 months of "okay" weather, you have 8 months of shitty weather. Don't you love getting up in the morning when it's dark, then going home and it's dark already?

[lol]

^ haha i agree, i thought his post was pretty valid.

I have been to Edmonton and Calgary a few times for pleasure. I love the girls in Calgary. They are way nicer and a lot easier to approach. When you come back to Van you realize that a huge majority of the girls you find in night clubs are total snobs and think they are the absolute shit. Calgary ppl in general are down to earth and easygoing.

I love it here but it is expensive. I would consider moving to the GTA tho.

I was looking at foreclosure homes in Detroit. You can buy a 7 bedroom 4000 sqft home 5 mins from dt detroit for 199k. It's totally ridiculous.

[LiquidTurbo]

^ sure beats blistering cold winters, and 40deg + summers w/ 99% humidity, as per other parts of the world.

[minoru_tanaka]

Ithink people are failing him for the other parts of his post.

I know he didn't present it in the best way but the weather really isn't so great here. It is cloudy 10 months a year. I've only lived in Calgary and Toronto and I know it's cold as fuck but it's sunny. And people elsewhere do seem friendlier.

[falcon]

The only other areas I've considered going is Montreal in Canada or moving to Germany for a while and see how I like it. My family is originally from Germany and I wouldn't mind trying out the EU thing for a while. The culture seems fantastic, great roads, TONS of tracks, friendly people, but the living expenses are quite a bit more.

[SpuGen]

I don't really get why you got fail bombed for this post... I thought you made some pretty good points. The weather in Van was one of the main reasons I left 5 years ago. Sure it is AWESOME - like the best weather on the planet - for 2 months a year. But aside from another 2 months of "okay" weather, you have 8 months of shitty weather. Don't you love getting up in the morning when it's dark, then going home and it's dark already?

At least it's breathable in the Summer compared to Hong Kong :lol

[SkinnyPupp]

At least it's breathable in the Summer compared to Hong Kong :lol
True! It's 34 here today, and "feels like" 40. But I'll take Hong Kong's 2 months of extreme heat, 2 months of bearable heat, and 8 months of AWESOMENESS over Vancouver's weather any time :)

[Gt-R R34]

True! It's 34 here today, and "feels like" 40. But I'll take Hong Kong's 2 months of extreme heat, 2 months of bearable heat, and 8 months of AWESOMENESS over Vancouver's weather any time :)

Find me 8 months of awesomeness in HKG please...

[SkinnyPupp]

Find me 8 months of awesomeness in HKG please...
Sure.

October - hot weather ends, becomes like Vancouver summer
November - starts to get dry, cool down a bit
December - gets very cool and dry - you'll have to start wearing pants
January - more cool, dry weather
February - more cool, dry weather
March - more cool, dry weather. By this time, it hasn't rained a single time in 4 months
April - starts to warm up, but still dry. a lot like Vancouver spring but without the rain
May - warms up some more, starts shifting into hot weather. this is the most like vancouver's summer, but without the 10 degree nights.

There you go :thumbsup:

To be fair, I'll describe the remaining for months

June - gets quite hot, but not unbearable. You won't even need to use AC yet until later this month
July - This is when it gets really hot. Days like today, where it's 40 degrees "with humidity". There are a few breaks when storms come in (and thunderstorms are AWESOME)
August - same as July
September - early september is the most frustrating, because it has been 8 or 12 weeks of extremely hot weather. It is usually this time where I say I am going back to Canada for the summer "for sure" each year.

[minoru_tanaka]

what, you mean the rain?

i didn't realize how blue the skies are until I was in Alberta. Even with clouds in the sky, the skies are really blue.

Sky in Vancouver? What the fuck is that? haha.


They do call it blue sky country


Calgary is an expensive ass place. Its boring as heck. But the good thing is that there aren't no kids frontin wearing gucci murses or gucci caps or whatever the fuck. i see right through their fronts like the muthafukcin matrix.
What did you find expensive in Calgary? I remember booze was way cheaper and on every corner. There's no PST. Gas is cheaper. Housing is cheaper. I heard the only thing that is more expensive in Calgary is parking, cause everybody can afford to buy and gas up a car there.

its also easier to get laid in calgary than vancouver. at least from my experience. women are mad approachable. the women have a small-town kinda feel to them. more down to earth. from what i've seen they aren't as fashionable as vancouver girls though.

Calgary loses Game 7 of Stanley Cup finals = Red Mile, girls flashing everywhere.
Vancouver loses Game 7 of Stanley Cup finals = riot and girls steal tuxedo pants and Gucci purses

Still born and raised though and it's hard to leave for good. What industry are you in?

[Culture_Vulture]

I don't really get why you got fail bombed for this post... I thought you made some pretty good points. The weather in Van was one of the main reasons I left 5 years ago. Sure it is AWESOME - like the best weather on the planet - for 2 months a year. But aside from another 2 months of "okay" weather, you have 8 months of shitty weather. Don't you love getting up in the morning when it's dark, then going home and it's dark already?
The climate we have in Vancouver is one of the prevailing reasons it's a great region to live in. Rain does't dictate the climatic livability in Vancouver. We're not talking about monsoons or the constant threat of devastating floods and mudslides.
Granted, I'm no climatologist, but honestly, a little rain has never killed anybody.

Most other parts of the world have climatic/natural extremes, whether you live in Northern Europe, the Caribbeans, in Asia or in Oceania. If living expenses weren't so high, I would never second thought living in anywhere but in Vancouver/Sydney.

[Alatar]

I will agree with getting to work and it's dark, and leaving work and it's dark in the winter. That does suck. But I can't think of anywhere else I can be within an hour's drive of great hiking in the summer, and snowboarding within 30 minutes in the winter. And I'm not talking about the Grouse Grind for hiking.

[Meowjin]

Once I get a career going i'm not staying in vancouver, but im not going to open a thread on revscene talking about how easy sloots are in other cities.

[minoru_tanaka]

^ haha i agree, i thought his post was pretty valid.
I was looking at foreclosure homes in Detroit. You can buy a 7 bedroom 4000 sqft home 5 mins from dt detroit for 199k. It's totally ridiculous.

Have you looked into Florida, heard the prices aren't as low but you'll be in Miami, on a beach overlooking the Caribbean.

[minoru_tanaka]

Once I get a career going i'm not staying in vancouver, but im not going to open a thread on revscene talking about how easy sloots are in other cities.

Gonna keep it to yourself eh? Selfish!

[AutozamAZ-3]

how is cost of living, and finding a job in victoria?

[1990TSI]

at least alberta teams have won the cup, and will again.

can't say that for vancouver.

[2damaxmr2]

Ouch! haha but for me it is all about Alberta because i am saving money instead of doing nothing all day.

[CanadaGoose]

lol I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland, and live in Calgary now.

To the OP, if you've never been in Alberta during the winter months....you think the winters in Vancouver can be a bitch? Well out here it's a butch ass motherf*cking dyke! Calgary actually took the spot for the coldest place on earth for a day last year lol

[b0unce. [?]]

it's hard for me to argue living anywhere else because i haven't experienced living in any other province or country before. growing up in east van, i love it. watching the city change and evolve is pretty nutty.
although the weather isnt amazing in vancouver, it's still much better imo
for us, it's moderate summers and not incredibly freezing - blizzard winters. places like alberta, saskatchewan, and manitoba all have blazing hot summers and freezing cold winters.

[MR_BIGGS]

To answer the OP's question, I would settle for good in the GVA (for me Burnaby), even if I couldn't afford to buy a house. The main reason for this would be the fact that all my friends and family live here. This is, and I see this in the future as being the most important reason I would stay or leave a place - to be close to family/friends.

With that being said, I have been living in Edmonton for about 11 months. The job market was rough in Vancouver when I graduated from post-secondary, so I decided to look in Alberta. I landed a great paying job and I love what I do.

Having lived here for about a year here are a few things I've notived:

-Edmonton experienced one of its worst winters (in terms of snow) in a couple decades
-There were stretches of 3 to 4 days where the weather was -30 with windchill.
-Walking outside for 5 mins you can grow icicles on your eyelashes
-Even though the winter was cold and snowy (October - March), most days in the winter the sky is blue and the sun is out.

Having only ever experienced Vancouver "winters" it took a bit to get use to the cold weather. Comparing it to Vancouver, I would say its a personable preference:

Do you want blue skys and sun while it being an average of -15 to -20 with snow or do you want mild temperatures where it rains and is overcast most of the time? For me, maybe it will take another winter in Edmonton to change my mind, but I liked having the sun out. The dark gloomy days in Vancouver can get at you.

Living downtown, I have found that its fairly expensive here in Edmonton for what the city looks like compared to Vancouver. While there is no PST, gas prices are lower, car insruance is cheaper, the cost of lving in some instances can be comparable to Vancouver. I think this is due to the fact that salaries are generally higher here.

A lot of the people I've met here are from various parts of Canada, from BC to Saskatchewan to Ontario. Not too much into the clubscene anymore but its a more inviting experience here (Bouncers aren't d-bags, cover is cheaper, ratio of girls to guys is always a win, girls are friendly).

The summer here so far has been awesome though. Weather wise, way better summer than in Vancouver. It doesn't get dark here until 11 - and it barely EVER rains.

I have been enjoying my time here in Edmonton because I have met interesting people and even some people from Vancouver currently living here. I enjoy my job and don't really have any complaints. I plan on living here for maybe a couple more years, but I have every intention of moving back to Vancouver. I would even move back in a couple years if it meant taking less money, to be close to my family and friends.

At the end of the day its a personal perference.

[LiquidTurbo]

Work to live, don't live to work.

Vancouver is awesome.. but it's just a matter of personal preference on whether or not you're willing to pay the price to live there...

[Tapioca]

If you want to move back east, let's consider the choices:

Toronto - The place to go if you're in finance (and what Asian kid isn't these days?.) Truly the only big city in Canada. More multicultural than Vancouver. The weather sucks, so be prepared to make some friends who have cottages in Muskoka.
Montreal - There's always something going on in Montreal. It has a joie de vivre that can't be matched. But, infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes. You must be billingual. And there's an uneasy xenophobia that lies just below the surface (I've been the victim of it myself.)
Ottawa - Safe, clean, and the economy is stable due to government. Great place to raise a family and lots of recreation available. Trouble is, you'll slowly die inside once you move there.

[Death2Theft]

Cars that dont get dirty 2 days after u wash them and roads that arn't all f'd up by snow/machinery.
as the title says.

I'm thinking of maybe settling in Alberta. Seems more laid-back then Vancouver. I checked it out in the summer and I really liked Edmonton. I would visit Vancouver every now and then. Its like What, a 10 hour drive?

What keeps you here in Vancouver? A good job? High quality standard of living? Infrastruture?

[taylor192]

If you want to move back east, let's consider the choices:

Toronto - The place to go if you're in finance. Truly the only big city in Canada. More multicultural than Vancouver. The weather sucks, so be prepared to make some friends who have cottages in Muskoka.
Montreal - There's always something going on in Montreal. It has a joie de vivre that can't be matched. But, infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes. You must be billingual. And there's an uneasy xenophobia that lies just below the surface (I've been the victim of it myself.)
Ottawa - Safe, clean, and the economy is stable due to government. Great place to raise a family and lots of recreation available. Trouble is, you'll slowly die inside once you move there.
True.

I've been constantly asked by people in Vancouver when I am going to buy a place. They mention I could move to Coq, Surrey, White Rock, ... to find a more reasonably priced house. No offense, yet if I had to move to the burbs to find a nice house, I'm moving back to Ontario.

Sure the mountains and beaches are nice here, yet what's the point if you live > 1hr away from them. You're only going to enjoy them a couple days a year, and spend most of your time in the suburbs. I could live in Mississauga and do the same by taking a few weekend trips with the money I'd save from the lower cost of living and higher salaries.

So for now I rent, and will probably always rent cause I love it here and don't want to go back to Ontario. Its too bad most people don't see renting as being "settled" instead they see it as "settling".

[jackmeister]

what, you mean the rain?

i didn't realize how blue the skies are until I was in Alberta. Even with clouds in the sky, the skies are really blue.

Sky in Vancouver? What the fuck is that? haha.


Calgary is an expensive ass place. Its boring as heck. But the good thing is that there aren't no kids frontin wearing gucci murses or gucci caps or whatever the fuck. i see right through their fronts like the muthafukcin matrix.

its also easier to get laid in calgary than vancouver. at least from my experience. women are mad approachable. the women have a small-town kinda feel to them. more down to earth. from what i've seen they aren't as fashionable as vancouver girls though.


bottom line: calgary has really cool peeps. but boring and expensive place.

jasonturbo:

funny thing about your response. Everyone in Alberta thinks Vancouver is "the big city" but it's too expensive to live there.

I love the city layout of Edmonton from what I've seen. South to Southeast to downtown and West. North or north east looks like Calgary. wouldn't been goin there much

The people are a different story. lots of homeless tweakers on the streets in edmonton (just like vancouver). The people in edmonton and calgary are like night and day. in edmonton the homeless people feel like you owe them something. hella bad drug problem there too. you don't see nuthin of that in calgary.

to me edmonton feels more like a city than calgary but the bums in edmonton ugggh...

6insomnia9: its not just girls. people in van put up fronts and they are on some dumb-dumb shit. go look at thedirty.com and you'll get a feel of the bullshit that many youths of van are into.

are you for real man?

you're gonna base where you settle based on the bolded reasons above? just because you can get laid easier in calgary or the city layout is in a grid you want to use those reasons to justify living in that place? i didnt know thedirty.com became the source of living recommendations..... The only two things you could consider valid are the underlined ones, which really become 2nd relative to your JOB/CAREER

my word of advice, settle in a place like las vegas or dongguan, you probably would find it easier to get laid there than calgary or edmonton.

[7seven]

I've lived in San Francisco, Thousand Oaks (just north of Malibu) and Vancouver and even though I've had clients offer me seven figure contracts to relocate back to the Los Angeles area and many friends in southern California, I've chosen to stay and settle in Vancouver for the following reasons:

1) Family, pretty much all my family and relatives live in Vancouver with a few exceptions overseas. It's nice being close to family and not having to travel to see them on holidays and birthdays.

2) I love how beautiful and clean Vancouver is, great air quality, fresh water, mountains, beach, seawall, etc.. Yes I know there are areas like the downtown east side that are a disaster, but having lived and worked in southern California, walking through the downtown eastside is like a stroll in the park compared to some of the areas and issues southern California has with Black and Mexican gangs.

3) Work. I often hear people complain it's hard to make a good living in Vancouver, but perhaps that more an indication of their chosen career. Very often it seems to be graduates with bachelor of arts degrees complaining, well that's pretty self explanatory. Given the right career path, there is actually a lot of money to be made in Vancouver. Personally I'm involved with aspects of film/tv production and finance, so Vancouver for me is great combo of both for work.

4) Transport. I know a lot of people bitch and complain about our roads, traffic and public transit, but for me personally, I haven't taken public transit since I was 15 years old, so that has no effect on my decision at all. I have no issues getting around downtown Vancouver office to home to film studios in Burnaby and North Vancouver all within 30 mins or less and I'm happy with that.

5) People are generally friendly and outgoing here, everyone is so laid back here, at least from my personal experiences. Most everyone that comes to visit Vancouver is always impressed by how friendly and relaxed people in Vancouver are and personally I find that to be the norm rather the exception. Sure you might have the occasional snobby female or douchebag but that really isn't the majority here and you'll find that in any city. For the guy that mentioned thedirty.com, the same retarded shit goes on if you look at the dirty Calgary, LA, NY, Toronto, etc.. sections


To the OP, while I can afford to to live/settle in Vancouver I chose Vancouver even though I could make more money somewhere else for the reasons above. You have to determine for yourself what factors are more important to you and if you necessarily need to be a home owner or can be ok with condo ownership or renting.

[LiquidTurbo]

^ how did you get into your industry?

[AWDTurboLuvr]

It depends on what you value in terms of living, some friends love the east coast lifestyle and the easier access to NYC and Europe, so they live in Toronto and Montreal. Some people enjoy the outdoors we have to offer here and will do whatever it takes to stay here and make a living to enjoy those activities. Others work in industries that are hotter and offer more opportunities in certain cities. None of these can be valued by other people for you...it's up to the individual to weigh those personal priorities.

For me though, the big thing is that I'm able to buy a home mortgage free in Montreal compared to here...that's quite a bit of dough that I would save and use that money to enjoy other things in life...or retire 10 years earlier. That and the video game industry seems to be still quite strong there.

[7seven]

^ how did you get into your industry?

My private security related work with film/tv industry individuals, I've had many years of various combat and tactical training, my first gig just doing corporate security for a record label and just developed many contacts throughout the years.

Finance related, did the 2 year financial program at BCIT and took the courses at CSI. Anyone could just sign up, apply themselves and do the courses with the CSI, similar to real estate licensing. Hell I have friends that on are the Investor Relations side or vending together public deals that don't even have diplomas or post secondary education that have cleared well over six figures in their first year.

[TouringTeg]

how is cost of living, and finding a job in victoria?

I have lived in Victoria basically my whole life (31 yrs). Cost of living in Victoria is almost as high as Vancouver. Gas is slightly less. Victoria is usually #2 or #3 in terms of most expensive real estate in Canada.

The job market is very competitive because it is very desirable to live here and there are less job opportunities compared to Vancouver.

I know that I will need to leave Victoria to really launch my career in my industry. I am currently considering a move to Kelowna for a position within my company. I actually just sold my personal condo today so I have flexibility to move.

Sometimes you have to go where there are positions in your industry then move back when your career has fully developed.

[bloodmack]

Man you guys comparing sports teams and whose won the cup are stupid as hell because that shouldn't determine where you live. And we all know Vancouver > Calgary and Edmonton put together right now.

What I plan on doing is buying property in Saskatchewan and renting it out. I've seen people pick up 6 acres for 90g's.

I will stay in BC, I don't care where. Alberta is a shit hole, my mom lived there for 1 year and she told me practicly everyday how shitty it was, the only reason she stayed there is because the business just started. Now she lives in Saskatchewan and loves it (apparently it has hills!).

My freind wants to move there but, he's pretty retarded in a sense that all he wants is money, big trucks and easy pussy, and from the pics I've seen they aren't anything to brag about to your buddies.

BC has so much variety compared to the rest of Canada, we even have our own fucking desert that no other province has. If money is your issue RENT, I would never buy a house If money was an issue.

[koukimonst3r]

Grew up in east van / surrey, currently work in fort mcmurray in an oil mine. I fly in and out every other week. Housing here is just as expensive as it is in Vancouver. Honestly, in my opinion, Alberta is a good place to work at but not so good to live in. I may be biased since I love Vancouver and nothing can compare to it. Maybe its because all my family & friends are there, summer and winter is a lot hotter / colder here. Almost all my co-workers are from back east (Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, & P.E.I). They work here only to make money.

Weather, lifestyle, transportation and food prices are totally different here than in BC.
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[Obsideon]

Sure.

October - hot weather ends, becomes like Vancouver summer
November - starts to get dry, cool down a bit
December - gets very cool and dry - you'll have to start wearing pants
January - more cool, dry weather
February - more cool, dry weather
March - more cool, dry weather. By this time, it hasn't rained a single time in 4 months
April - starts to warm up, but still dry. a lot like Vancouver spring but without the rain
May - warms up some more, starts shifting into hot weather. this is the most like vancouver's summer, but without the 10 degree nights.

There you go :thumbsup:

To be fair, I'll describe the remaining for months

June - gets quite hot, but not unbearable. You won't even need to use AC yet until later this month
July - This is when it gets really hot. Days like today, where it's 40 degrees "with humidity". There are a few breaks when storms come in (and thunderstorms are AWESOME)
August - same as July
September - early september is the most frustrating, because it has been 8 or 12 weeks of extremely hot weather. It is usually this time where I say I am going back to Canada for the summer "for sure" each year.

You failed to mention the AWESOMENESS of the air condition where you can't see the sky due to the excessive pollution and smog. :\
I also felt especially elated when I had to blow my nose on a napkin and the gunk was grey/black from the clean fresh air that HKG offers all year round :D

Don't get me wrong, Asia is a great place to visit and party, but to live in those mini-condo's in the hot humid weather and breath in black air. No thanks.

[melloman]

Whiel were on the topic. I'm abit un-educated on the "renting" side of things. I'm saving up to buy a condo/townhome/big apartment and living at home.

What appeals to renting people? I don't understand how paying rent can be better then paying for a mortgage. Something you rent, you don't own. However paying a mortgage means you will eventually own said property. I've always thought of renting as: your throwing away money that you will never see again. Compared to paying a mortgage where you will have a solid home to stay.

Anyone that loves renting want to give insight??

To the OP: Good luck with Edmonton/Calgary winters :troll:
Half of my gf's family lives there and can barely stand it.

[InvisibleSoul]

I was also born and raised in East Vancouver and have lived here all my life. I have a tough time imagining settling down anywhere else. I'm someone that doesn't like change, so unless there's a really convincing reason to move elsewhere, I don't think it's likely to happen.

[dasani604]

Recently I've moved to Edmonton to try the city out. All I can say is, once you've stayed here for longer than a month, you will want to go back to Vancouver ASAP.

I am enjoying my time in Edmonton but I have huge pet peeves.

1) Mosquitoes...TONS OF THEM and the city refuses to spray pesticide (Off spray doesn't work on these damn things)
2) Lack of anything eye-pleasing. Almost all the buildings are made of red-brick
3) If you like Asian food, then Edmonton is gonna disappoint you in that department
4) Although there is less tax, some things are more expensive in Edmonton.
5) COST OF LIVING is HIGHER in Edmonton. The majority of the jobs here do pay more than in Vancouver, but certain essentials cost more.
6) Winter weather sucks, bad. If you think snow is bad in Vancouver then good luck here.
7) The people here dress much differently than people from Vancouver. I have never seen so meny grown men wear Ed Hardy or something similar. My God...it's like a Canadian city filled with Jersey Shore characters.
8) Edmonton Oilers - they suck.

OP, reconsider about moving to Edmonton. You can try it out

[minoru_tanaka]

5) COST OF LIVING is HIGHER in Edmonton. The majority of the jobs here do pay more than in Vancouver, but certain essentials cost more.


Can you elaborate on this? What essentials are more expensive? I'm not doubting you but this thread is the first time that I've heard of stuff being more expensive than Vancouver( Fort Mac not included).

[MoBettah]

Work to live, don't live to work.

Wether this is right or not, this is the type of mentality that will price out "locals" who won't be able to compete financially with the net inflow wealthy immigrants from not only overseas but the rest of the country.

[drunkrussian]

i am very open to moving...vancouver is a great city but its residents seem to think its infitely better than most cities when in fact thats not true at all. i would move to toronto or possibly calgary but not edmonton.
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[SFUguy]

Recently I've moved to Edmonton to try the city out. All I can say is, once you've stayed here for longer than a month, you will want to go back to Vancouver ASAP.

I am enjoying my time in Edmonton but I have huge pet peeves.

1) Mosquitoes...TONS OF THEM and the city refuses to spray pesticide (Off spray doesn't work on these damn things)

Which area did you stay at? I stayed in downtown in June and I didn't notice much unless you were by the river valley.

2) Lack of anything eye-pleasing. Almost all the buildings are made of red-brick

Edmonton's really green! lots of trees and everything, especially downtown and around whyte ave. and the type of trees they have make it really beautiful in the summer. didn't see much red-brick buildings. i thought the layout of the city and the buildings were nice! nice buildings. nice hotels! again, where were you staying?

3) If you like Asian food, then Edmonton is gonna disappoint you in that department

Actually the Pho in calgary beats vancouver and calgary HANDS DOWN. Fresh muthafuckin Alberta beef, bitch. The Chinese food is okay. a not so good as vancouver but not that far off either. they have supermarkets with everything that you want though, like lucky 97 and T&T and other local asian supermarkets.

the only thing about food that's a bit dissapointing is more expensive and less fresh seafood (obviously, look where alberta is at). ie. it was like what. $6 for a california roll? LMAO.

4) Although there is less tax, some things are more expensive in Edmonton.

Like what? things that are imported from Asia? produce is cheaper than calgary for sure. didn't see any of those farmer markets like in crystal mall where you can buy vegetables and fruits at below cost.

5) COST OF LIVING is HIGHER in Edmonton. The majority of the jobs here do pay more than in Vancouver, but certain essentials cost more.

be more specific. what? calgary is way more expensive than vancouver even without the HST. edmonton is more cheaper, especially without HST.

I saw in the classifieds in tim hortons they were paying $10.76 per hour. Timmy ho's paying that much? ha ha! even if you work a mcjob in edmonton, they pay you way more.


6) Winter weather sucks, bad. If you think snow is bad in Vancouver then good luck here.

that's what everyone says. i have to see if i can stand the winters. only seen the summer in edmonton and i love it! but the weather "sucks" in vancouver too. except that it's not as cold by a large margin.


7) The people here dress much differently than people from Vancouver. I have never seen so meny grown men wear Ed Hardy or something similar. My God...it's like a Canadian city filled with Jersey Shore characters.

I didn't see anyone wearing Ed Hardy or whatever. I did see wiggers and natives wearing hip hop gear putting up fronts and shiet.. everyone seems to hate native people in edmonton more than van. there are more of them in edmonton. the everyday-edmonton young adults often have piercings and tattoos and shit. kinda look like people that walk up and down granville.

[twitchyzero]

You failed to mention the AWESOMENESS of the air condition where you can't see the sky due to the excessive pollution and smog. :\



haha my thoughts exactly. Density in urban centers in Asia, the food, the culture is all good and dandy, but I prefer fresh BC air as well. Only downside to fresh clean air is the much higher chance of allergies/hay fever.

[slammer111]

2 (5) words: allyoucaneat sushi. :D

As dumb as it sounds, that is 1 of the main reasons why I am trying hard not to leave Vancouver.

[dasani604]

Which area did you stay at? I stayed in downtown in June and I didn't notice much unless you were by the river valley.



Edmonton's really green! lots of trees and everything, especially downtown and around whyte ave. and the type of trees they have make it really beautiful in the summer. didn't see much red-brick buildings. i thought the layout of the city and the buildings were nice! nice buildings. nice hotels! again, where were you staying?



Actually the Pho in calgary beats vancouver and calgary HANDS DOWN. Fresh muthafuckin Alberta beef, bitch. The Chinese food is okay. a not so good as vancouver but not that far off either. they have supermarkets with everything that you want though, like lucky 97 and T&T and other local asian supermarkets.

the only thing about food that's a bit dissapointing is more expensive and less fresh seafood (obviously, look where alberta is at). ie. it was like what. $6 for a california roll? LMAO.



Like what? things that are imported from Asia? produce is cheaper than calgary for sure. didn't see any of those farmer markets like in crystal mall where you can buy vegetables and fruits at below cost.



be more specific. what? calgary is way more expensive than vancouver even without the HST. edmonton is more cheaper, especially without HST.

I saw in the classifieds in tim hortons they were paying $10.76 per hour. Timmy ho's paying that much? ha ha! even if you work a mcjob in edmonton, they pay you way more.



that's what everyone says. i have to see if i can stand the winters. only seen the summer in edmonton and i love it! but the weather "sucks" in vancouver too. except that it's not as cold by a large margin.



I didn't see anyone wearing Ed Hardy or whatever. I did see wiggers and natives wearing hip hop gear putting up fronts and shiet.. everyone seems to hate native people in edmonton more than van. there are more of them in edmonton. the everyday-edmonton young adults often have piercings and tattoos and shit. kinda look like people that walk up and down granville.

I'm living in South Edmonton near Ellerslie and 111st (I'm pretty touristy still so forgive my lack of specific area). I've only been to places in the South area (such as South Commons), WEM, Southgate, U of A, and downtown twice (once for Canada Day). From the friends that I have here, they don't prefer the East/West/North areas of Edmonton claiming that they're sketchy. So with my limited area, the best views I get are nice houses that remind me of the layout of Richmond, lots of red brick buildings along the LRT route to U of A (coming from Century Park that is), and fields of green.

At the moment, there are swarms of mosquitoes in the area that I'm staying at and it's extremely bothersome. Some poor girl had so many red spots on her legs, it's ridiculous.

There is no car for me down here and I find transit much more expensive than in Vancouver ($84 for a monthly bus pass). Transit is also not as efficient here with average 30 minute intervals between buses. I agree, produce is cheaper but with my average comparison between my spendings in Edmonton vs Vancouver, I'm finding that I'm spending more here on the essentials (which include transit but I suppose that could be the big defining factor).

The only Pho I've tried was from T&T at WEM, it was alright but more expensive than the prices in Vancouver. But yea Japanese food is massively expensive here, and it's not great either

[Vansterdam]

YouTube - ‪Rolling In EastVan - Money Hungry‬‏

[SFUguy]

I'm living in South Edmonton near Ellerslie and 111st (I'm pretty touristy still so forgive my lack of specific area). I've only been to places in the South area (such as South Commons), WEM, Southgate, U of A, and downtown twice (once for Canada Day). From the friends that I have here, they don't prefer the East/West/North areas of Edmonton claiming that they're sketchy. So with my limited area, the best views I get are nice houses that remind me of the layout of Richmond, lots of red brick buildings along the LRT route to U of A (coming from Century Park that is), and fields of green.

At the moment, there are swarms of mosquitoes in the area that I'm staying at and it's extremely bothersome. Some poor girl had so many red spots on her legs, it's ridiculous.

There is no car for me down here and I find transit much more expensive than in Vancouver ($84 for a monthly bus pass). Transit is also not as efficient here with average 30 minute intervals between buses. I agree, produce is cheaper but with my average comparison between my spendings in Edmonton vs Vancouver, I'm finding that I'm spending more here on the essentials (which include transit but I suppose that could be the big defining factor).

The only Pho I've tried was from T&T at WEM, it was alright but more expensive than the prices in Vancouver. But yea Japanese food is massively expensive here, and it's not great either

The pho by T&T is a PHO HOA. Don't expect much from a pho hoa! You want good pho, go to Chinatown!

I still don't know what you mean by essentials. Toilet paper? Clothing?

In edmonton the transit system is kinda lacking. You need car in edmonton. EVEN MORE SO in Calgary since everything is highways and all. Edmonton transit system LRT is not as complete as calgary's or vancouver's for that matter. yeah bussing would suck. and lrt is not as complete as vancouver's skytrain system.

Yeah but there's one station in downtown where they have fancy chandeliers and everything.. when i saw that i was like wow!! LOL

[SFUguy]

2 (5) words: allyoucaneat sushi. :D

As dumb as it sounds, that is 1 of the main reasons why I am trying hard not to leave Vancouver.

offtopic: but where's a good place for AYCE sushi? I thought the quality of ACYE sushi is getting worse and worse

[Death2Theft]

After you tell them your from the big city of vancouver right?
Once I get a career going i'm not staying in vancouver, but im not going to open a thread on revscene talking about how easy sloots are in other cities.

[UFO]

Whiel were on the topic. I'm abit un-educated on the "renting" side of things. I'm saving up to buy a condo/townhome/big apartment and living at home.

What appeals to renting people? I don't understand how paying rent can be better then paying for a mortgage. Something you rent, you don't own. However paying a mortgage means you will eventually own said property. I've always thought of renting as: your throwing away money that you will never see again. Compared to paying a mortgage where you will have a solid home to stay.

Anyone that loves renting want to give insight??


I used to think the same thing about leasing a car...its stupid because at the end of the lease term your payments have amounted to nothing and you have nothing to show for it. But difference with a car is that it is constantly depreciating. So when you buy a new car off the lot, and it depreciates the 25-30% within the first 2 years, you are technically paying for its depreciation.

With the housing market, there are a good number of people who feel the current market in Vancouver is artificially inflated, and the bubble is on the verge of popping. $750k for an older house in East Van? $1.5M for a POS house in the Westside?? There are those who can afford to put a downpayment on a place and mortgage it out but choose not to because there's the possibility if the housing prices drop 20-30%, THAT becomes the time to buy. If you stretch yourself too thin, take out a big mortgage and then your property value suddenly drops perhaps to the point where what you owe is more than what the property is worth, and you are unable to make your payments, that's where foreclosure becomes an issue.

If you have the money, and believe strongly enough in the market taking a big dip, it makes sense to rent in the short term while you wait out the high market and you can always invest the downpayment money into something to generate income in the mean time. If the market doesn't dip, then you may see the money you've put into rent as 'wasted'. Like anything related to investment, there is a risk. The housing market here sucked donkey balls in the late 90's and early 2000's, and in hindsight that was the best time to scoop up property. But back in that day, it was so bad that people did not foresee it shooting up the way it has and as such many did not choose to invest in the housing market. Those that did, cashed in big due to their good luck or calculated decisions, whatever you want to call it. During the stock crash of 2008, stocks dropped 40-50%, and most have more or less recovered now. But it was so bad that people thought it would get even worse, couldn't or would take a long time to recover, otherwise, everybody would have bought low and sold high. So there is always an element of risk.

There are also people who own property which they choose not to live in, and the rental income generated from that property goes to paying their own rent to live in a more desireable home/area.

[Hehe]

I think house ownership is overrated.

It's all the propaganda about "American Dream" that made you think that, owning a house, have kids+dogs, and eating bonbons is the way to live.

Just stay wherever you feel most comfortable. And for those who says this is the best place on Earth... shut down your computer, book some flights and get somewhere for the love of god.

Vancouver is one of the better places I know, but hardly on top of the list. We have very long winters (and no, just because you think 5 degree celcius is a nice winter, it doesn't mean it is.) and very short summers. The idea of a very good weather is to have very distinctive 4 seasons. Here in Van, any time after Sept. is consider "cold" by most comfort standards. I love Vancouver and have decided with my wife this is the place to settle given the limited options. But if we were given the options of choosing wherever, there are many other better places that we would like to stay.

[MR_BIGGS]

I'm living in South Edmonton near Ellerslie and 111st (I'm pretty touristy still so forgive my lack of specific area). I've only been to places in the South area (such as South Commons), WEM, Southgate, U of A, and downtown twice (once for Canada Day).

Have you been to Whyte Ave on a Friday or Saturday? Its busier than downtown. I live downtown, but Whyte is way more happening - you should check it out.

The Rvierbend area has nice looking houses. My friend lives on the same block as George Laraqcue lol.

[Tapioca]

I think something everyone should keep in mind is how you'll be treated if you're a minority in a different city or country. Canada is relatively good (except perhaps Montreal) and you'll probably have no issues in the United States. But, things might not be so rosy outside of North America.

[nns]

What's it like in Montreal?

[taylor192]

2 (5) words: allyoucaneat sushi. :D

As dumb as it sounds, that is 1 of the main reasons why I am trying hard not to leave Vancouver.
LOL There's days I would move back to Ontario just for the food!

I just visited Quebec/Ontario and made a list of foods I had to eat during my trip, and specifically told my family/friends we cannot have sushi cause its too good here!

Smoked meat, poutine, shawarma, fattoush salad, crepes @ Coras (although there is one in Coq now), St Hubert, beaver tail, funnel cake, pizza and gravy (so good, you have to try!), ...

[taylor192]

What's it like in Montreal?

Montreal, well Quebec in general, can be very racist. For such an open minded society with a lot of ethnic diversity it is very surprising.

[dasani604]

The pho by T&T is a PHO HOA. Don't expect much from a pho hoa! You want good pho, go to Chinatown!

I still don't know what you mean by essentials. Toilet paper? Clothing?

In edmonton the transit system is kinda lacking. You need car in edmonton. EVEN MORE SO in Calgary since everything is highways and all. Edmonton transit system LRT is not as complete as calgary's or vancouver's for that matter. yeah bussing would suck. and lrt is not as complete as vancouver's skytrain system.

Yeah but there's one station in downtown where they have fancy chandeliers and everything.. when i saw that i was like wow!! LOL

I think the station that you're thinking of is Central, but I was pretty wowed by it too lol.

Since there's so many Edmontonians in here, could you guys recommend me a good restaurant to go to for an anniversary? (that is preferably easy to transit to or in public areas such as Southgate/WEM/South Common - yes I know i'm limiting my options but if I'm to do a surprise, I gotta know where I'm going lol). Besides Tony Roma's (god damn those ribs are good), I've been to Red Piano and the restaurant looks sweet and the food is good, but I would like to try a different restaurant that isn't so painful on the wallet.

[taylor192]

Whiel were on the topic. I'm abit un-educated on the "renting" side of things. I'm saving up to buy a condo/townhome/big apartment and living at home.

What appeals to renting people? I don't understand how paying rent can be better then paying for a mortgage. Something you rent, you don't own. However paying a mortgage means you will eventually own said property. I've always thought of renting as: your throwing away money that you will never see again. Compared to paying a mortgage where you will have a solid home to stay.

Anyone that loves renting want to give insight??
I used to own a house, now I rent. Thus I can appreciate why people want to own a house, I enjoyed it while I did.

I bought a house cause "it was the thing to do" and affordable at the time (2003). I wouldn't buy today cause it is not affordable, and I've learned more about the pitfalls of home ownership.

For instance, I rent a 2bdrm condo in Kits for $1800/mn. The same condo sells for $500K, and with 10% down on 30yr mortgage the payment would still be $2150 + $300 condo fee + $200 property tax. That's $850 more to own than to rent, at the lowest rates and longest amortization. Meanwhile you're only paying down the principal $650/mn.

Thus without house appreciation, you're negative $200/mn owning vs renting. So who's throwing away money now?

Then consider that house values don't always appreciate. We are nearing the end of a long run of appreciation, and history tells us that is usually followed by a claw back or a long flat period. For every year house values don't appreciate, you lose with respect to inflation.

Then consider the costs of maintenance. Houses don't last forever, certainly not the ones they build today. I put about $5K into my house in the 5 years I owned it in basic maintenance and upkeep. I put $0 into my rental, and don't do any of the work myself.

On that note - having a 20x20' patch of backyard is overrated. Its not big enough to do anything useful, and you have to mow it once a week. I prefer the beach, the city takes care of it, I just walk 4 blocks and enjoy it.

I reno'd my home, adding tile, built in units, deck, fence, landscaping, ... it was not cheap yet it was fun. Obviously I cannot do the same while renting - yet if I get tired of where I'm renting, I just find a nicer place and move. No hassles of renos, no expense of renos. Especially with condos, since even if you own there's a limited amount you can reno (there's only so much space!) so its often easier to move than reno a condo.

Renting is more stable than owning. Why? If you lose your job, you still have that high mortgage payment to make and you're stuck in that area looking for a job. If I lose my job I can give my landlord a month's notice, move somewhere cheaper, or move somewhere there is a job.

So the question is: why do you foolishly think renting is throwing money away? Did you just buy into the hype without actually thinking for yourself? No worries, I did too when I bought, I'm just glad I've had the chance to reflect on it without being caught in a wealth trap.

[Gumby]

I bought a 1200 sq ft. duplex in the Marpole area in 2004 for $375k. I think the assessed value is now $600k+. Too bad I can't afford anything bigger!

[Teh Doucher]

ive thought about moving as well, but everyone and everything i know is here. main reason for me staying here though is the fact that i dont have to worry about buying a house. im my parents only son, they've told me several times now that this house is going to be my inheritance.

[nns]

Montreal, well Quebec in general, can be very racist. For such an open minded society with a lot of ethnic diversity it is very surprising.

Is it outright racism, or passive? Do they give looks? Sorry to ask, I've never been.
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[Mr.C]

I have settled in Vancouver. Surrey to be specific. I'm originally from Rio de Janeiro, but I have lived in Cleveland too. Surrey is way nicer than Cleveland (at least it's not Detroit!), but not as nice as Rio, of course. There's no violence here whatsoever (at least by my standards), people are nice, easy-ish access to transportation, and while I overpaid for my condo, I didn't buy it with purely investment in mind, especially the way shit is going.

I would not move to Toronto, unless we were talking low six figures. Even then, I can get that in Vancouver. I went to Toronto in the summer, and it was just like Rio, except without the good food, beaches and beautiful women. Hot and muggy. Yuck.

Montreal is like Cleveland. Bad winters. Pass.

My brother's girlfriend is from Edmonton. Fucking tundra in the winter. Pass.

GVRD is nice. Not thinking of leaving.

Edit: Oh, yeah, I wouldn't buy a house in Vancouver. If I had a million to drop on a house, I'd buy something in Abbotsford, on top of a hill, overlooking all those beautiful mountains. And then drive to Whistler if I wanted to snowboard. It's not as if Vancouver has beaches anyway.

[spoon.ek9]

i was born and raised in alberta and i can't imagine going back there to live. sure, some things are cheaper and the people in general are nicer and more polite but the winter weather is harsh and the summers are fairly brutal too. it's basically snow from october until about february, short spring that's still cold, and then dog days of summer where everything dies and turns yellow.

imagine yourself, or your children walking to school in -27C plus windchill. i did that until the age of 12. wet hair freezes, eye lashes freeze, your nose burns from the cold, and semi-melted snow turns to ice overnight (i could walk on top of the frozen snow w/o breaking it).

affording a home here is tough but do-able; especially if you combine your income with your SO to purchase a property. for single people, you'll probably have to settle for an old apartment until you have enough put into your mortgage to have a downpayment for a townhouse/home. i believe the ideal downpayment has dropped from 25% to 20% recently. so for a $200,000 apartment (they still exist if you look for them), that's only a $40,000 deposit.

[SFUguy]

Have you been to Whyte Ave on a Friday or Saturday? Its busier than downtown. I live downtown, but Whyte is way more happening - you should check it out.

The Rvierbend area has nice looking houses. My friend lives on the same block as George Laraqcue lol.

Whyte ave is almost exactly like Vancouver's commercial drive. They are both full of weird shit.

[AWDTurboLuvr]

Is it outright racism, or passive? Do they give looks? Sorry to ask, I've never been.
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Quebec City (outside the tourist areas) are noticeably not very nice to minorities, especially if you do not speak French-Canadian. However, using rudimentary French-Canadian, you will be in fine in Montreal. As long as you try to speak the language, they will be okay with you...especially amongst the younger generation there.

[will068]

I have settled in Vancouver. Surrey to be specific. I'm originally from Rio de Janeiro, but I have lived in Cleveland too. Surrey is way nicer than Cleveland (at least it's not Detroit!), but not as nice as Rio, of course. There's no violence here whatsoever (at least by my standards), people are nice, easy-ish access to transportation, and while I overpaid for my condo, I didn't buy it with purely investment in mind, especially the way shit is going.

I would not move to Toronto, unless we were talking low six figures. Even then, I can get that in Vancouver. I went to Toronto in the summer, and it was just like Rio, except without the good food, beaches and beautiful women. Hot and muggy. Yuck.

Montreal is like Cleveland. Bad winters. Pass.

My brother's girlfriend is from Edmonton. Fucking tundra in the winter. Pass.

GVRD is nice. Not thinking of leaving.

Edit: Oh, yeah, I wouldn't buy a house in Vancouver. If I had a million to drop on a house, I'd buy something in Abbotsford, on top of a hill, overlooking all those beautiful mountains. And then drive to Whistler if I wanted to snowboard. It's not as if Vancouver has beaches anyway.

Here comes the wave of Brazilian $$$$ coming to Vancouver that we've been warned about. LOL Jokes. Welcome to Van. I'm just waiting for the Brazilian women of Portuguese/Japanese backgrounds to come by as well. :fullofwin:

[1exotic]

Whyte ave is almost exactly like Vancouver's commercial drive. They are both full of weird shit.

then move and get out of Vancouver


cya.

[Tapioca]

Is it outright racism, or passive? Do they give looks? Sorry to ask, I've never been.
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After an evening with my boys at Club Wanda, we were approached by a group of meatheads who told us to go back to "where we came from." It didn't occur to them that we spoke with perfect Anglo-Canadian accents.

When I was last in that city, I met up with an old friend (an attractive Chinese woman) who is fluently bilingual (she did study in Paris for a while). When I asked her about her experiences living in Montreal, she noted that many Montrealers are pretty narrow-minded and xenophobic. I guess the whole preservation of Quebecois culture thing has had some unfortunate side-effects.

[SkinnyPupp]

I used to own a house, now I rent. Thus I can appreciate why people want to own a house, I enjoyed it while I did.

I bought a house cause "it was the thing to do" and affordable at the time (2003). I wouldn't buy today cause it is not affordable, and I've learned more about the pitfalls of home ownership.

For instance, I rent a 2bdrm condo in Kits for $1800/mn. The same condo sells for $500K, and with 10% down on 30yr mortgage the payment would still be $2150 + $300 condo fee + $200 property tax. That's $850 more to own than to rent, at the lowest rates and longest amortization. Meanwhile you're only paying down the principal $650/mn.

Thus without house appreciation, you're negative $200/mn owning vs renting. So who's throwing away money now?

Then consider that house values don't always appreciate. We are nearing the end of a long run of appreciation, and history tells us that is usually followed by a claw back or a long flat period. For every year house values don't appreciate, you lose with respect to inflation.

Then consider the costs of maintenance. Houses don't last forever, certainly not the ones they build today. I put about $5K into my house in the 5 years I owned it in basic maintenance and upkeep. I put $0 into my rental, and don't do any of the work myself.

On that note - having a 20x20' patch of backyard is overrated. Its not big enough to do anything useful, and you have to mow it once a week. I prefer the beach, the city takes care of it, I just walk 4 blocks and enjoy it.

I reno'd my home, adding tile, built in units, deck, fence, landscaping, ... it was not cheap yet it was fun. Obviously I cannot do the same while renting - yet if I get tired of where I'm renting, I just find a nicer place and move. No hassles of renos, no expense of renos. Especially with condos, since even if you own there's a limited amount you can reno (there's only so much space!) so its often easier to move than reno a condo.

Renting is more stable than owning. Why? If you lose your job, you still have that high mortgage payment to make and you're stuck in that area looking for a job. If I lose my job I can give my landlord a month's notice, move somewhere cheaper, or move somewhere there is a job.

So the question is: why do you foolishly think renting is throwing money away? Did you just buy into the hype without actually thinking for yourself? No worries, I did too when I bought, I'm just glad I've had the chance to reflect on it without being caught in a wealth trap.
Occasionally, I want to award someone with an EPIC POST icon or something. This is one of those times. Fantastic post!

[Death2Theft]

So from this post I gather that toronton has no good food and women
Montreal/Alberta has good food and women just bad winters
You like to drive 8 hours to and from abby to snowboard.
How can vancouver not have beaches we are surrounded by water and a shipping port.
I have settled in Vancouver. Surrey to be specific. I'm originally from Rio de Janeiro, but I have lived in Cleveland too. Surrey is way nicer than Cleveland (at least it's not Detroit!), but not as nice as Rio, of course. There's no violence here whatsoever (at least by my standards), people are nice, easy-ish access to transportation, and while I overpaid for my condo, I didn't buy it with purely investment in mind, especially the way shit is going.

I would not move to Toronto, unless we were talking low six figures. Even then, I can get that in Vancouver. I went to Toronto in the summer, and it was just like Rio, except without the good food, beaches and beautiful women. Hot and muggy. Yuck.

Montreal is like Cleveland. Bad winters. Pass.

My brother's girlfriend is from Edmonton. Fucking tundra in the winter. Pass.

GVRD is nice. Not thinking of leaving.

Edit: Oh, yeah, I wouldn't buy a house in Vancouver. If I had a million to drop on a house, I'd buy something in Abbotsford, on top of a hill, overlooking all those beautiful mountains. And then drive to Whistler if I wanted to snowboard. It's not as if Vancouver has beaches anyway.

[wouwou]

Nice topic! I have been wondering the same thing and debating between Van and Toronto.

I have been working in China for the past year, and by next year I should have made enough to 1, outright buys a townhouse/condo under 350K in Toronto, 2, put down a pretty decent down payment for a single family house in Richmond hill/ Mississauga area in Ont; 3, put down a decent down payment for a relatively smaller townhouse in GVRD.

I LOVE Vancouver for its weather (I actually like the rain and the people are amazing), but the housing price is outright ridiculous and highly overvalued IMO, and Toronto on the other hand is a lot more affordable. Career-wise Van has struck me as a more relaxed place, and career jobs are very hard to come-by while Toronto has more openings (and more competition, I know).

If I am single, I will probably live like Taylor192 and live comfortably with a rental property/investment income and renting a place for my own, but I married with a 2 yr old, and I can not take more nagging from my wife about buying a place anymore lol.

[drunkrussian]

^lol @ the nagging part.

Honestly, though it sounds like vancouver is a better match for you (ie weather), i bet if you move, in 5 years max you'll be so used to it and won't regret it.

With that said, you should just decide if you're more career-minded or more about enjoying your life. If you really enjoy vancouver more, and it's just a bit less affordable for you, who cares? What are you gonna do with your bigger house in...missasauga? I'd rather have a smaller house in vancouver in that case. On the other hand, if you really think you can make more there and enjoy your life because of that, move there instead lol. It's not like you're deciding between vancouver and nigeria here lol...both will be more than fine

[no_clue]

Unfortunately I think that if you want a greater chance of "making it rich", you have
to leave Vancouver and head east or leave the country or own a successful business. More opportunities plus taxes are lower if you leave Canada for a decent salary. However, I noticed that most of the rich in Vancouver are business owners, as they can deduct their expenses to lower their income tax. Imagine earning an $250 000 salary, only for the government to tax nearly half of it.

[Senna4ever]

I'm a third generation Vancouverite (my grandfather moved to Vancouver in 1918 to escape the draft in Japan)...I can't imagine living anywhere else.

[LiquidTurbo]

Don't think like that, there's lots of good places out there to live. I know a lot of people that have never moved anywhere else or even traveled outside the city. Hell they've never even been to Abbotsford. But they blindly proclaim it's the best place on earth.. which is kind of a narrow kind of thinking.

[Senna4ever]

I'm sure there are other great places to live, but not for me. Maybe it's narrow, but I like it here just fine - I have no desire to live anywhere else. I've lived in Japan (Hiroshima & Tokyo) for a bit and hated it.

[Mr.C]

So from this post I gather that toronton has no good food and women
Montreal/Alberta has good food and women just bad winters
You like to drive 8 hours to and from abby to snowboard.
How can vancouver not have beaches we are surrounded by water and a shipping port.

Compared to Rio, fuck no. Compared to Vancouver, it's the same.

Not sure about the food in those places. Montreal should be decent because of all the French influence. Terrible winters, though. No idea on women, although I hear they are hot.

8 hours? You nuts? more like 3 each way, but who cares? At last I'm not paying through the nose for some shit "high end" apartment in Yaletown, that oh by the way more often than not has laminate floors and some sort of fake granite-looking countertop.

And that thing with thick dark grey sand near the water isn't *really* a beach.

This is not a beach:

http://images.travelpod.com/users/gonetravellin/1.1253220041.english-bay-beach-vancouver.jpg

This, however, is something I would consider a beach:

http://www.filmapia.com/sites/default/files/filmapia/pub/place/travel-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Copacabana-Soldon-photo.jpg

If Vancouver was so full of beaches, people wouldn't be going to Mexico for their beaches.

[SFUguy]

cross border shopping in either calgary or edmonton is a long ass drive......

but the thing is they will refund you tax....... tee hee hee

[RFlush]

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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[taylor192]

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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That's not sad, and its not just Vancouverites, its human nature. Most of the world will settle within a few kms of where they grew up. Its where their family and friends are, and these support systems are often a good reason to stay.

[Jermyzy]

Quebec City (outside the tourist areas) are noticeably not very nice to minorities, especially if you do not speak French-Canadian. However, using rudimentary French-Canadian, you will be in fine in Montreal. As long as you try to speak the language, they will be okay with you...especially amongst the younger generation there.

I found this to be the case when I went to Montreal a couple of years ago. Started with a couple basic french phrases before excusing myself to using English. Had no problems with service whatsoever.

[wouwou]

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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easy access to friends and family aside, Vancouver has one of the most comfortable lifestyle that I've seem as long as you have a steady income.

Weather is nice (imo anyways), a great variety of cuisine choices, people are friendly, streets are safe (yes it is, even after you factor in C-lai driving) etc.

Overall it's a great place to raise a kid

[EndLeSS8]

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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IMO this is the truest post in the entire thread.

[RFlush]

Wouwou, you are correct, Vancouver is a great place to raise a kid depending on what you want. For you, you are at that stage where you need to consider this for family planning and from what I gather, you have been working in China and can understand different culturues and cities and see what suites your needs.

My post was more directed to those who are in their early stages of life (majority of RS) who have the mentality to stay here only because that is all they know. They are afraid to take risks and leave their sheltered lives just because they lived here for the first quater of their life. Vancouver is no doubt a beautiful city, but people need to go out to compare first, not just make irrational judgements. But like I said, typical Vancouver mentality; feel entitled to things and never live outside their buble.
easy access to friends and family aside, Vancouver has one of the most comfortable lifestyle that I've seem as long as you have a steady income.

Weather is nice (imo anyways), a great variety of cuisine choices, people are friendly, streets are safe (yes it is, even after you factor in C-lai driving) etc.

Overall it's a great place to raise a kid
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[twitchyzero]

I guess if you do a lot of outdoor activities, then yes Vancouver is great for that. But for those that are saying there's lots to do within few hours of driving...I disagree...it always seem to be either the island, bellingham/seattle, or whistler. If you live in the states, roadtrip possibilities are so much better (thanks to their vast network of freeways).

The only other place I would considering living for more than a year within this country other than Vancouver would probably be Montreal. For a smaller city feel I would definately wanna try out the places in maritime like charlottetown

[SkinnyPupp]

I spent a week in New Brunswick before. The people seem nice, but man if you think Vancouver or Edmonton or Calgary are boring....

[Tapioca]

There's opportunities to make money in Vancouver if you're willing to be shady about it. I don't mean the obvious ways like dealing drugs or other illegal goods. For example, a lot of mining companies make their home in Vancouver. I used to work for a major bank and I used to process wire transfers for these companies. Lots of money moving around based on false premises.

Sometimes I do lament what Vancouver has become... I grew up in the 80s so I remember when Vancouver was a great place to raise children for families on modest incomes. Then Expo 86 happened and Vander Zalm sold False Creek for a penny to Concord Pacific and the rest is history. Condo disease and real estate speculation, offshore money, immigration (from overseas and within Canada) and this myth that we're world-class.

The city has changed, but I'm not sure if it's for the better. Still, I wouldn't live anywhere else in Canada though unless they paid me double.

[wouwou]

Wouwou, you are correct, Vancouver is a great place to raise a kid depending on what you want. For you, you are at that stage where you need to consider this for family planning and from what I gather, you have been working in China and can understand different culturues and cities and see what suites your needs.

My post was more directed to those who are in their early stages of life (majority of RS) who have the mentality to stay here only because that is all they know. They are afraid to take risks and leave their sheltered lives just because they lived here for the first quater of their life. Vancouver is no doubt a beautiful city, but people need to go out to compare first, not just make irrational judgements. But like I said, typical Vancouver mentality; feel entitled to things and never live outside their buble.

Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)My apology for my "half" post, I was on a conference call when I saw your post replied without much thought.

You are right, if you are single, young, Vancouver is PROBABLY not the place for you to spend your 20s-30s. The world is full of wonders and people should really get out more to experience everything.

I have been to Europe, South East Asia, and recently been working in HK and China. I can say that for a single man who is willing to work, Vancouver is pretty lacking in terms of opportunities and the return is similarly bad.

For someone in their 20s that's MURDER, since this is the age where you are able to take risks and can afford to lose it all.

Not taking risks when you are young pretty much = driving a Taurus in your 30s one day and realize you fucked up your life for good. 4 years ago I was able to play options and margin (on a fucked up level) which yielded a sizable profit. There is no way I can do that because I have a lot more responsibilities as a husband and a father to take that risk.

So in short, if you are young and single, GTFO and live a little, since your family and friends are already in Vancouver, the worst you can get is to get back to where you are.

[wouwou]

Sometimes I do lament what Vancouver has become... I grew up in the 80s so I remember when Vancouver was a great place to raise children for families on modest incomes. Then Expo 86 happened and Vander Zalm sold False Creek for a penny to Concord Pacific and the rest is history. Condo disease and real estate speculation, offshore money, immigration (from overseas and within Canada) and this myth that we're world-class.

On the immigration topic, personally I consider it a positive factor for me because there's a lot more dumber people (C-lais), a lot more customers (again, C-lais), and a lot more high-quality cheap labor (what, you have a PHD from India? You qualify as my admin assistant for 30k a year, congratz!)

Sure they drive up the real estate prices and I hate them for that, but without the proper knowledge to utilize the money they bring in, they are just a really good potential market segment, nothing more.

:fullofwin:

[SFUguy]

Okay slightly off-topic but still applicable:

Would you raise your kids up in Vancouver?

Looking at the kids now, it seems to get worse and worse. They don't seem to have any direction in life except trying to be hardcore. All they know is Gucci murses, crooks & castles, nammer squats, and hoodrat bitches with right-angled eyebrows? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE KIDS IN VANCOUVER NOWADAYS?!!!!!!!


Man... I grew up in the Vancouver East side and I picked up so much negative influence as a youth it was scary! I'm still trying to weed out some of the bullshit out of my system as I type this right now.

[goo3]

^ Stop being a pussy.

http://www.brynisaac.co.uk/photo/vancouver/east_van_2.jpg

[JV6]

Been around the world and landed on almost every continent, amazing experience I will never forget! Vancouver will always be home, born here and will die here.

[spoon.ek9]

Okay slightly off-topic but still applicable:

Would you raise your kids up in Vancouver?

Looking at the kids now, it seems to get worse and worse. They don't seem to have any direction in life except trying to be hardcore. All they know is Gucci murses, crooks & castles, nammer squats, and hoodrat bitches with right-angled eyebrows? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE KIDS IN VANCOUVER NOWADAYS?!!!!!!!


Man... I grew up in the Vancouver East side and I picked up so much negative influence as a youth it was scary! I'm still trying to weed out some of the bullshit out of my system as I type this right now.

kids are a product of the parenting they receive. there are still plenty of people who teach their kids properly and spend enough time with them to prepare them for these challenges. has it become worse in recent years? i'd say yes, but a large part of it comes from parents who are either too busy to spend the needed time parenting or parents who are too lazy and stupid to actually raise the children they should have never had.

the parents that are too busy are either too concerned with becoming rich or simply have to over work themselves to keep the family afloat.

[hotjoint]

Been around the world and landed on almost every continent, amazing experience I will never forget! Vancouver will always be home, born here and will die here.

same

[tonyvu]

Can't really imagine living anywhere else

Vancouver will always be home