What is Vancouver, BC, Canada like?

Question

I live in Fort Worth, Texas and I love it here. But find the mountains, the ocean, and the conifers in the North West to be quite alluring. Homes there seem high (from looking them up), and I hear of Chinese gangs and an unsafe downtown? It looks good in photographs and I've been to Victoria, BC, Sidney, BC, Seattle, Washington, and Tacoma, Washington, so I assume Vancouver has a similar landscape.I'd love to hear what are the pros and cons of this city.

Answer 1

Lifetime resident of Vancouver and areas here...

As long as you're not involved in the criminal elements, then for the most part, they leave you alone. I think it's true but overhyped that we are the gang capital of Canada...

Every big city unfortunately comes with big city problems. Even Victoria, long the "Crown Jewel" of BC has a growing skid row...

As long as you stick to the regular areas of town and a bit of the suburbs, you'll be fine.

So that means: Downtown, West End, Main Street, Kits, Commercial Drive, Punjabi Market, Lynn Canyon, Fraser Street, UBC, SFU, Burnaby Mountain, Richmond, Fort Langley, White Rock, Mount Seymour, Stanley Park, Vancouver Museum/Planetarium....etc...

Try to avoid or limit your visits to: Chinatown, Gastown, Granville Island, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Robson St, Yaletown, and South Granville... Rundown, Overhyped and overpriced. Total tourist traps.

And in the case of Chinatown and Gastown, a bit sketchy as they share a mutual border with one of the biggest slums in North America, the infamous Downtown Eastside.

It has the highest rate of HIV in the developed world and an open air drug market. Ironically, the main Vancouver police station is right in the thick of it.

Chinatown is east of this, but sort of blends into it.

So if you want to avoid getting shell shocked, I would avoid this area. But on the other hand, if you want to watch a real live documentary, it's here.

Pros:

Awesome scenery.

Great choices in ethnic food, mostly Asian, but you can find food from all over the world.

Cheaper to eat at mom and pop places in the burbs rather than Vancouver proper.

If you don't have a car, fairly easy to get around on bus.

Always something different to do everyday.

Lots of shopping choices for all ages.

If you're into golf there's a few public and a couple of private courses.

Lots of nature related things to do.

Cons:

Bad reputation for crime. Don't be scared off.

Some s****. service at some uppity stores, restaurants.

Go to stores on the quieter side of town. Might give you

bitchy service, but at least it's sincere, in most cases.

Answer 2

Everything seems to have covered what you were looking for in an answer, so I'm not going to repeat what's been said ten times over already. However, I would like to say that people are making the east side sound a lot worse than it really is. It's not a war zone. I live in Dunbar, which is a considerably pricey neighborhood on the west side, but it has the highest car theft rate in all of Vancouver. And murders aren't restricted to the east side, the west side has its share too - not that the murder rate is high in the first place. Chinese gangs? Even if they shot a hundred rounds at you, you could walk away untouched due to their horrible aim. But in all seriousness, most murders are gang related, or fights outside of clubs. Downtown is beautiful, but the downtown east side is where the east side gets its bad reputation. You will probably never hear anything positive about Hastings Street, but East Hastings is the dangerous part. Most parts of West Hastings is quite nice.

Answer 3

I spent three months in Vancouver and I really loved it...The most beautiful city ever and I travel a lot...People are very tolerant because of diversity of people...Public transportation is great you can get wherever you want.There are so many places to visit, go on trips, ferries to islands, Whistler, Squamish for skiing and snowboarding, whale watching.

I loved cycling on sea wall close to Stanley park...you always feel like in forest, it is lovely city great night life, perfect shopping, I did not live in downtown but in close town and I commuted everyday to downtown, it was OK, rent reasonable...only disadvantage..some junkies in east side, but you do not meet them if you don't go there..city is so clean, many happenings all year long,many international bakeries, restaurant...and awesome beaches.....so close to you...If I were you I would definitely come to visit and then decide..at least you will have great vacation

Answer 4

Cons: real estate is very expensive. The downtown east side, is very dangerous. But thats mainly the only area that is unsafe. And I have never encountered any problems with any gangs although i am aware of their exsistence. And there are alot of immigrants (im not being racist, i'll let you decide if its a bad thing; personally i dont care)

Pros: It is really pretty here. And usually safe. Its not too big, just over 2 million people, so things dont get too crazy. The scenery is very much like Victoria, but the city itself is quite different.

I would suggest to come and visit and see for yourself.

Answer 5

It's one of the most beautiful cities on the left coast.

Very VERY green, verdant, mountainous, rainy but not overly.. some snow but not a whole lot.. whale watching, buchart gardens, vancouver island (largest island on this coast), expensive (sadly), awesome outdoorsy quality of life

Portland oregon is equally nice, though it lacks the same ocean view... but it has a great outdoors life too.  I would move to Portland first because it's American.

Answer 6

It's a beautiful city, there's lots to do... pretty good transit system I guess. Nice people...

BUT downtown east side is not a good place.

Lot's of junkies and homeless people.

It's pretty expensive to buy a house here too. You'd probably have better luck in a smaller town just outside Vancouver.

Answer 7

Pros- most beautiful city ever, great scenery..very green.

Can see moutains when you look out your window. Nice people. Beaches are nice. Lots of stuff to do

Cons- EastVan

Answer 8

Vancouver is a beautiful city and a great place to visit.  There is a very seamy side, but stay over in the West End or out toward the university and you'll be fine.  It's gorgeous the way it's laid in along the rivers and with the background of the mountains right behind the city in North Vancouver.  Go to Granville Island right on the river in the middle of the city.  Lots of good B&Bs, too.  A very, very large Asian community, so lots of great restaurants, including some fantastic French and Greek ones.  If you liked Seattle, you'll LOVE Vancouver.

Answer 9

Vancouver is a place with mountains, buildings, lakes, rivers, and sort of dirty in the city.