Hi all,

I've heard it's stunning, the people are friendly and there's a rather good ski / mountain biking resort up the road. Oh and I get paid in GBP£ where-ever I live in the world :E

So is it the nirvanna I've been searching for?

I'd particularly like to hear from anyone that's lived there for some time because I've got my eye on it as an emigration destination.

Cheers, :ok:

MrS

So is it the nirvana I've been searching for?Close. Assuming one has a decent income, it is one of the most liveable cities going (according to repetitive "surveys").

Not wishing to be a Jonah, but there are a few minor drawbacks:
Rain - yes it's true it rains a lot in the winter (Nov-Mar), usually a steady rain not showery. Can be depressing.

Traffic - awful during rush hours and incredibly bad drivers. If you can live downtown though the public transport is good.

Crime - some areas are definitely dodgy after dark, but probably no worse than similar-sized UK cities. Big addict/homeless problem although mostly contained to a small area (East Side).

(Definitely avoid the BC version of "Surrey" :uhoh: )

:ok: On the whole, go for it !

Thanks, very useful.

Rain - yes it's true it rains a lot in the winter (Nov-Mar), usually a steady rain not showery. Can be depressing.

Yeah a friend mentioned that - though I didn't take much notice because I thought he was just being German;) As long as it's quite heavy I find it quite energising, nothing like a morning jog in the rain, especially along the Pacific coast :)

Traffic - awful during rush hours and incredibly bad drivers. If you can live downtown though the public transport is good.

Yeah I noticed all those highway bridges going into downtown on google map - crazy! I'm looking at West Side (or did I mean West End) towards the western end of the downtown island - near Stanley Park. Seeing as it's west of the last Highway bridge from the south I figure that traffic will be light, so i'll just cycle down the residential streets (or bus/tram it when raining;) )

Crime - some areas are definitely dodgy after dark, but probably no worse than similar-sized UK cities. Big addict/homeless problem although mostly contained to a small area (East Side).

It's OK I went to university in Nottingham:ooh:. Students are issued with targets on arrival and spend the next three years running away from locals, embarassingly the most intimidating ones are about 13! :} Heard about the East Side, but if I were to try to walk home alone from downtown (granville street rings a bell?) towards Stanley park late at night is that sensible? I heard the crime caused by the East Side is mostly petty? - is there much tension between them and the ?prosperous? west end residents? Don't mind theft it's the physical stuff I don't like - not the face, not the face!:}

(Definitely avoid the BC version of "Surrey")
Bet it's more fun than the UK version though. Unless you like golf, supermarkets and commuting ;)

On the whole, go for it !
Thank you, I think I just might!

Ah I can see it now... knocking off work mid-day on fridays and catching the train to Whistler for the weekends. :} :D :ok:

Cheers!

MrS

Some of the imponderables that may elude would-be immigrants, is what level of disposable income is a) necessary and b) typical once local taxes have been paid.
I fell foul of the latter when I moved to Denmark. I was told what the cost of living was for the various items such as housing, and I was offered (and accepted) a substantial salary (a significant increase on my UK salary). What wasn't fully explained to me was the high overall level of taxation which applied unless you 'worked the system' (which the natives and the long-term ex-pats had managed almost without realising what they were doing). For a start, the national tax-rate was exponential, and then there was 'local' income tax (the equivalent to the UK rating system or Council tax). Total taxation was the sum of the two, less allowances. These allowances were the equivalent of the (now defunct) UK mortgage relief, but applied to all loan interest payments (whatever the purpose of the loan, beit for clothing, motor-car or yacht - as well as loans for housing, itself typically made-up from loans for land purchase, and various stages of building development).
I could go on and enter into greater detail, but suffice to say that my top rate of tax was 95% (my overall tax was about 67%), all cars were subject to a purchase tax of 180% (there is no automobile industry in Denmark and there are regulations prohibiting the use of imported cars unless the 180% tax is paid), medical prescription charges can be quite high (it depends on the 'need' for the prescribed item - the greater the need the less the charge . . . ) although low-cost private-health schemes were available to cover dental charges and prescriptions.
The net result was that the very-attractive salary didn't really translate into the same as it would have done in the UK.
Oh! and nobody explained that unless you subscribed to a trade union, you didn't qualify for any unemployment benefit. The 'dole' is purely a union insurance scheme, so unless you are a member . . .
Overall we had a pleasant and enjoyable time, but we didn't return to the UK richer than when we had left. Fortunately we had kept our UK house, otherwise we would have been well and truly screwed, as Denmark was experiencing negative housing equity whilst the UK was still undergoing house-price inflation.
These are some of the things that you might want to consider before committing yourself to even a short-term period of emigration.

I lived in Vancouver for years, well West Van actually, and now I live in 'that' ski resort just a little North.
What the f*ck is holding you back?
The Rain? Yeah well. We first visited in Aug '88. 15 days of pure sun. Came back in Feb 89 for a week. 7 days of pure sun. Got here and it does really rain! On the other hand when it is sunny it is glorious. The actual figures are about the same as in London unless you live in Deep Cove. We have micro climates here. Choose your neighbourhood, choose your weather.
The Traffic. Oh Pulease, give me a break! I lived in London for twenty five years. These people out here don't know what traffic is. Downtown stall for ten minutes and it is all over the radio "Gridlock, Gridlock!" Traffic is not really bad, probably about the same as an average provincial town in UK, it is just the locals complaining because they don't really know any better (or worse!)
If you like a kind of urban/rural yeovil, then by all means live in Surrey. Otherwise there are lots of great places to live. (Personally I am a North Shore person. If you have a bit of moolah get a house with a view in W. Van.) If you like apartmemnt living, then get a place in Yaletown or downtown. If you like close in Urban green get a place in Kerrisdale or Kits, Preferably with a view of the bay. Vancouver is essentially a small town, if you want to bike to work, getting there across Burrard bridge will be a ten minute ride.
Be prepared for a surprising and significant culture change. Not bad, just different.
What are you going to be doing? Why might you come?
There is only, to my mind, one significant drawback. If you live here you will never want to live anywhere else.

Forgot to mention:

Activities up the ying yang. Sailing, big and small. Climbing, mountian biking, skiing, of course, right on the doorstep as well as in our village. Easy access to pretty well anything else you like.

And the food? Local people call Whistler the most expesive town in Canada to eat. Costs us about $100Cdn (say 45 GBP) for family of five at good family restaurant or about $150Cdn (say 65GBP) for two at best in town. Reckon same for family but about 1/3 cheaper for better restaurants in Vancouver.

And you can buy a big arse US mobile without guilt. Get yourself a big V8 and live the dream

Oh yes, flying. 1/2 the price or less and no landing fees.

When do you get here?

Thanks guys, so they're quite a few of you!

What are you going to be doing? Why might you come?

Just looking for an english speaking city with a great quality of life. Job-wise I'm an engineer so it's quite easy to find work.

Van seems to be a great city and something about Canadians appeals ... ahh you guys :O

Cheers,

MrS

The Traffic. Oh Pulease, give me a break! I lived in London for twenty five years. These people out here don't know what traffic is. Downtown stall for ten minutes and it is all over the radio "Gridlock, Gridlock!" Traffic is not really bad, probably about the same as an average provincial town in UK, it is just the locals complaining because they don't really know any better (or worse!)Oh yes we do := Compared to other Canadian cities, Vancouver is bad. So there.

If you're used to driving in and out of Central London, then I can see how it's "not really bad" here; but who does that anymore ?

How do you make a Venetian blind ? Stick .......... eyes.
How do you make a Chinese blind ? Stick ........ wheel.

Heard about the East Side, but if I were to try to walk home alone from downtown (granville street rings a bell?) towards Stanley park late at night is that sensible?Probably, depending on how young/fit/butch you are/look.I heard the crime caused by the East Side is mostly petty? - is there much tension between them and the ?prosperous? west end residents?The two rarely meet, except occasional yuppies who get lost after the Chinatown night market. It's easy to avoid that entire area. Gangstas outside the nightclubs is a different thing :eek: Still only one or two a year :oh:

I guess it's been about 35 years here now. Generally a great city in a beautiful location. Many, many good restaurants and you don't neccesarily have to pay an arm and a leg. Tons of parks and outdoor activities.Drive a few miles and you're in mountains or almost wilderness.

House prices pretty much through the roof but if you get in you're likely to increase your equity substantially year on year. You see, there's only so much flat land.

Traffic - not too bad. Cambie street is a mess at the moment because they're buiding the Canada line (automated light rail) from downtown to Richmond and the airport. Since they finally decided to extend the line south, it might ease up traffic congestion for awhile. Public transit is excellent in the city, less so in the further suburbs.

Airport is world-class.

US border is about 40 miles away, if you're into that kind of thing.

Stanley Park (the Jewel) is to start the recovery program after a series of fierce windstorms a few months ago that decimated a few thousand trees.

2010 Winter Olympics coming. Good thing or bad thing according to who you talk to. They are building a gondola line from the peak of Whistler to the peak of Blackcomb mountains. Should be interesting and a long way down.

Vancouver is still not too big and retains it's laid-back west coast image. Shops range from Gucci and Tiffanys to the corner bookstore where staff wear sandals.

Weather is that associated with a temperate rain forest. Quite a bit of rain sometimes but somw absolutely great weather as well. Vancouver itself averages 2 or 3 days of snow a year but if you like snow you're only minutes from a mountain.

Perhaps the best thing is that it's a long way from Toronto.

I spend about 10 months here a year and 2 months in England - I find it's a nice balance.

BTW downtown is not an island although it does have quite a few bridges.
There is also Granville Island which is also not an island but has one of the finest public markets in the world.

Thanks guys :ok:

House prices pretty much through the roof but if you get in you're likely to increase your equity substantially year on year. You see, there's only so much flat land.

I was looking at some population graphs and the number of residents seems to be increasing pretty quickly. Is there any sign of this being controlled in the future? Extrapolating the graph was a bit worrying as it's hard to tell what one's signing up to?

US border is about 40 miles away, if you're into that kind of thing.

Can't have it all;) Though travelling friends keep telling me that Americans are nice, so it's just the ones that travel then... (keep getting american investment bankers sitting next to me in surrey pubs, probably fewer in Van!)

They are building a gondola line from the peak of Whistler to the peak of Blackcomb mountains

As in directly accross? :eek:

Perhaps the best thing is that it's a long way from Toronto.

Oh yeah? Prey tell :E Need to get my local prejudices prepared:)

I spend about 10 months here a year and 2 months in England - I find it's a nice balance.

Sounds good, is that to keep in touch with friends/family? I'm thinking of coming back to the UK every 4 months for a week or two - do you think that sounds about right?

Thanks for your help,

MrS

"Is there any sign of this being controlled in the future?"

No no control except for accomodation prices and job prospects. Economy is booming at the moment.

"They are building a gondola line from the peak of Whistler to the peak of Blackcomb mountains"

"Yes, direct.

Perhaps the best thing is that it's a long way from Toronto"
We just don't think much of the city.

"Sounds good, is that to keep in touch with friends/family? I'm thinking of coming back to the UK every 4 months for a week or two - do you think that sounds about right?"

Family. What ever length of visit suits you.

Born and bred! Although we have lived away for the past few years, we always go home in the summer! That time of the year is unreal! You also want to look a bit farther afield...try looking up the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons Landing and others, quite a few ferry commuters and easily done. Life pace up there is much slower than the city and is coastal/rural at it's best. Summers get busy on the BC Ferry system, but with a reservation it can be simple. We are from up there and love it! (Miss it too!)

try looking up the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons Landing and others, quite a few ferry commuters and easily done. Life pace up there is much slower than the city and is coastal/rural at it's best

It's got it all really hasn't it?

House prices pretty much through the roof but if you get in you're likely to increase your equity substantially year on year. You see, there's only so much flat land.

OK that scared me a little, so I checked some property websites -
http://mlsr.realtylink.org/mlsr_get/res_sale_result.cfm?region=1&area=9999&subarea=9999&pt=1&mnprc=200000&mxprc=5000000&mnbd=0&mxbd=9&mnbt=0&mxbt=9&mnage=0&mxage=99&ltsz=0&sqft=sizeAll&mxrw=5&PTAR=Vancouver%20West&CID=1121394&SCTP=MAP&AIDL=42&BCD=GV&ERTA=False&TMPL=1
that link shows a 1 bed aparment downtown in which I guess is pretty much a prime location and it's Can$209,500, which i make to be about £93,000???:confused: :confused: :confused: and that's after/during a housing boom? The interest on that mortgage is only about double what I was paying for a mouldy room in student digs.:eek: Have I missed something? I think an equivalent flat in London would be £500k, so about Can$1.125 million? My legs are feeling weak:\

Yup, that's about right although you can pay more dependant on location and height and views.

Suggest you come over and check things out to see if it suits you.

$400 a square foot is considered spendy anywhere in N.Am. for the quality of place you're seeing. Plus the $350 monthly maintenance and another $40 to park your heap. Then again, you might be used to smaller digs than we are and could swing it.

That must be a sweet engineering job!

Agree with previous post -- zip over and take a look before you leap in.

Has anyone lived in Vancouver?

Looking at the population stats, I'd say quite a few have actually:E

J:ok:

Lived there for a bit back in the late nineties and emigrating with a more permanent view this summer. Beautiful place, if you have some money behind you.

Which I would have, had I bought somewhere over there back in the late nineties. Judging by mls.ca I suspect the property market in Vancouver has easily outstripped most of the UK over the past decade.

:sad:

Oh, and lots of floatplane flying. Now that's worth moving for :}

Perhaps the best thing is that it's a long way from Toronto.
Oh yeah? Prey tell Need to get my local prejudices prepared
I spent over 30 years in Toronto, mainly at CYYZ and visited many Canadian cities. Vancouver is, by far, the prettiest and the seaplane trip to Victoria is sensationaI.
It's a pity, though, that so many Vancouverites have an enormous chip on their shoulders regarding that part of Canada that exists to the east of Rockies, and Toronto in particular.
Canada is a wonderful country with many beautiful towns and cities and this inter-city slagging does no credit to its inhabitants!!:(

One remarkable thing about YVR (& ANC a wee bit North) is the seaplane base right on the international airport. Beavers on floats on parallel final with 747's. :D

http://wikimapia.org/#y=49177460&x=-123169034&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=1

Just been watching a show called DaVinci's Inquest (http://imdb.com/title/tt0156442/)that was filmed around Vancouver. Not that that's any use to you, but it's the best I can do by way of a contribution. It might (assuming it's ALL shot in Vancouver) give you SOME idea of what the place looks like. And if nothing else, you can ogle Suleka Mathew (http://imdb.com/name/nm0558598/) :ok:

G-CPTN, you appear to have zoomed in on the Flying Beaver.

One of the nicer places to enjoy a pint!

:)

That must be a sweet engineering job!

Just got a little 'thing' on the side which has me limping through life in the UK but seems to go an incredibly long way anywhere else in the world, even anywhere else in Europe - it's the UK house prices more than anything and the exchange rate is very helpful. I'm in my mid twenties so would quite like to enjoy the next 10-20 years of my life, i.e. not pumping my life's earnings into a mortgage :}

Just done the imigration test and may have to get a year's engineering work experience in the UK then hop on over (I don't think self employed work counts for much but will look into it).

Agree with previous post -- zip over and take a look before you leap in

Yep definately, will try it in winter to see if I can stomach the rain, good excuse for some skiing as well:} And will try it in summer, good excuse for some mountain biking:} Hehe I think it's going to be a big culture shock.

MrS

Been living within a couple hundred yards of Stanley Park entrance since December.
Just the best city ever.
http://homepage.mac.com/benlovering/.cv/benlovering/Sites/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2007-04-20%2010.29.31%20-0700/Image-7DB4FC7BEF6411DB.jpg-thumb_273_205.jpg

Nice view - shame someone built a couple of blocks of flats in the way. Is that where the council tenants live?

Hehe that's the badger :ok:

Am I right in thinking that probably no-one will ever be allowed to build flats in the park? - I'm thinking of being within a block or two of the boundary. Gotta be well placed for those 6am jogs through the park :}

You guessed it - the cheapest apartment in that block will be about $700,000.

You guessed it - the cheapest apartment in that block will be about $700,000.

Ah I'll be a bit further back than you then :}

There are prohibitions against building in the park or too close to the park.

"So is it the nirvanna I've been searching for?"

Maybe.

Given your notion of starting a hedge fund as a part time career, you might be interested to learn that while Canadian financial markets regulations have been tightened considerably since '01, they are still less stringently overseen than those of the UK or US.

But watch your fanny, as there are some sharks still prowling the waters in the Vancouver "junior market."

:p

Best Chinese food I've ever eaten in my life was served in "Hongcouver."

Luverly locale, too.

Given your notion of starting a hedge fund as a part time career, you might be interested to learn that while Canadian financial markets regulations have been tightened considerably since '01, they are still less stringently overseen than those of the UK or US.

Hehe i think that's going to be more of an expensive hobby than a part time career if it were to get off the ground! If it were to ever happen I would probably stick with a London back office - 'best the devil you know' n all.:)

MrS

Just done the imigration test and may have to get a year's engineering work experience in the UK then hop on over (I don't think self employed work counts for much but will look into it).

If you're aiming to "hop on over", I presume you're planning to go in with work sponsorship or with a provincial nomination. Be aware for the plain skilled worker application the wait is anything up to three or four years at present - it's a long old queue through London.

What kind of engineer are you.

You should have no trouble at all getting sponsorship if you are anything to do with construction. People here are geeting almost desperate.

work sponsorship

Yep that's the plan - there aren't many of my specific type of engineer in the world. :ok: Not that I'm any good at my job, just rare :E

What kind of engineer are you.

Oh all right, here goes my anonymity - it's better than construction - Acoustical Engineering! Yep no-ones ever heard of us, not even engineering graduates so we're bl**dy hard to get hold of :}

hehehe

MrS

Acoustical Engineering! no-ones ever heard of us,
Perhaps you should make more noise, or do you always work in an anechoic environment?

Another movie - filmed in part in Vancouver - is Harry In Your Pocket (1973). James Coburn, Walter Pidgeon, and a lucious Trish Van Devere. A strange tale about honor among thieves.