Don't Move To Vancouver

Sweet list! And you didn't even feel obligated to take potshots at hippy types.

Some of them could be filed under "Sluggery".

How about someone writes something about how great this city is? Over the past six months, I fell in love with Vancouver all over again, and I've been discovering the little things about this town that make it my home. As much as I love BR, the writers here make me doubt my love for my hometown.

Yup, good list for sure. Nice on the scenario b on the real estate. not sure about the cops thing though. maybe its because you're a skater, never had trouble with them my whole life living here. skaters normally deserved to get smacked down by the cops anyhow, dont they? ;p

RE: the small city = less to do thing. the outdoor thing is well known and documented but ive always heard so and so city is so much better but usu. that is in comparing vancouver to a larger city and it usu refers to the night life but night life is normally proportional to the size of the city. toronto is bigger than vancouver, toronto has more night things to do and see. there is no need to compare van to nyc. montreal though, i think the city size or population might be quite comparable now but the arts scene is def more known, established, etc in montreal, right? but we always got stuff they or other cities dont have too.....i think its normally a grass is greener type thing though.

Hey Adam, take a closer look.

On BOON's police subject... I've surprisingly had no problems while skating, but I've seen some sketchy law enforcement behaviour on the street. Like watching a guy with a cane get pepper-sprayed by cops until his head was orange because he was trying to pull off the guy who was attacking his girlfriend. No questions asked, the cops just ran in spraying. And how about that clip on national news a few years ago of the guy getting his teeth caved in with a blindside baton crosscheck to the face... or Jeff Berg getting pistol-whipped to death in an alley...

I'm not saying I don't see these things. I absolutely see them every day. There are a lot of things wrong with this city, but there's a lot of things wrong with London, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Haven, Vienna, Phnom Penh, Tokyo, Nairobi, and any other important city on the planet. There's also a lot of great things about each one, too. The news and the blogs are usually so negative; I wish we'd all take a little bit more pride and a sense of appreciation in where we live.

Okay, I'm done sounding like a kindergarten teacher. Promise.

No no, I mean take a closer look at the post. There's a whole list of things that are great about Vancouver. It's just in disguise.

I like Vancouver but I take it for what it really is, just a small, northwest town.

When I hear someone describe it as 'cosmopolitian', I just laugh.

Don't expect much from this town, don't get much.

There's alot of talk and no action.

I think the whole bigger city = bigger nightlife thing is a load of hooey.
Victoria is a teeny town, and the nightlife almost disturbingly wild. I've never gotten into so much trouble in Vancouver (or New York, or London, or Montreal, or LA...) as I did in Vic, and the lounges, clubs and restaurants are fantastic and hard to top. Could also be because you meet so many folks and you get that small-town cohesiveness, and I haven't had that feeling here in Van.

haha - the real estate bit is hilarious!

vancouver's nice. i too grew up here but certainly feel no excessive loyalty. depending on who you are and how much money you have, vancouver's very nice. but i agree with all of your points jeff. all is so not well in la la land. sure, lots of cities have similar problems but they don't try so hard to pretend they don't exist. vancouver does, dtes, highest HIV infection rate, poorest postal code in canada and all. "not for long!" says vancouver, "we're cleaning it up!" for who? the people who can afford "gastown" condos and tickets to the olympics.

maybe i'm just bored and it's time to move again.

"haha - the real estate bit is hilarious!"

It's so true too. Nine times out of ten if it's not, "you paid how much?! For this?! Do you realize what you could have bought in Chilliwack/Surrey/New West/Winnipeg?!", then it's, "you paid how much?! Too bad you didn't buy when I did... blah blah blah..."

You say the olympics "is basically guaranteed to lose money." Who says everything we do has to make money. If you through a party do you expect to make money on it? I personally plan to valunteer at it and attend events. You could to. The worst thing about vancouver was not on your list... the whiney complainers.

sorry about my spelling

Another thing I didn't add to the list was the people who take obvious jokes seriously.

And no, I've definitely never experienced a net financial gain from throwing a party. But I've also never sent my crippled roomie out of town for the event or tried to convince any housemates that throwing the party would result in anything more than a fun evening followed by an afternoon spent cleaning up a horrendous mess.

The Olympics are a sporting event designed to bring the world's best athletes together to compete. Nothing more, notjing less. To repeat: it's a sporting clear and simple. No one in the organizing committee is trying to make anyone money - they are trying to put on a couple of months of sporting events. Anyone who says they are a means toward profit are lying to you. I don't recall VANOC using the word profit. They say "legacy" so they are not misunderstood. Unfortunately in Vancouver misunderstanding will be the Vancouver Olympic legacy.

I have to repeat: Do you get me? From day one this has been about putting on a large scale sporting event involving the world's best athletes. That's what was decided. Every single arguement for or against I have seen inevitably involves the questions: "are we gonna lose or gain money on this" or "why can't I have the money instead for my cause?" These are issues rhat have been dreamed up after the fact.

sorry for the typos, i wish BR would allow me to edit my posts.

I've only been here for 2 plus years but I do like it. There are certainly a lot worse places to live compared to here.

And every so often you get some incredible million dollar views...

I guess we need to figure out how to capitalize on the negs and turn them into money makers instead..

I think your article is hilarious! TRULY hilarious - these exagerated tones - ha ha
By Jove I think you've got it!

Lived in Vancouver my whole life. Great city, beautiful city but don't come here to make money or meet ambitious people. Its really just ambitious milioinares who need to spend/invest that have all the money. This is a vacation city with a reasonable economy not Toronto. The outrageous/oversale of our city is stereotypical of modern times and media hype.
"Use this, eat this and your life will change.. makes me sick, makes me want to puke, makes me want to reach out and ...wait a minute, I'm gonna miss the sunset, the last hour of light to get outside and enjoy .
Lets face it this is a beautiful, artsy, somewhat sleepy city that used to be affordable and now its overmarketed, overpriced and becoming somewhat unbarable if it continues this way. I hope it doesn't! I wish investers would go maybe we shoud be mean, show our fangs and scare them?
No no we must watch Cambell have his tea party and clap, clap, clap!

BC Neocon says the Olympics are about sports, nothing more and nothing less? Can we say "delusional"?

Uh, just to back that up, is it a coincidence that Project Civil City is to be implemented 2010? Vancouver cops go for gold!

Ah, I don't know why I bother - every disaffected youth in the land now equates the Olympics with 'the epitome of every thing that is evil, foisted upon us by old white guys in suits'.

Say statusq where did you stash the flag?

Google Republic +VANOC +Olympic +protest -- The Republic of East Vancouver has the only honest article about the protest 2 weeks ago.

What totally embarrassed me were the security guards who just stood there with their mouths open as three protestors leaped on the stage, and did their comedy routine before being haul to jail.

A fellow with a mask basically screamed "Fuck your Olympics!"

VPD totally failed.

They also precipitated a mini riot by tering down a banner the protestors hoisted.

The news media basically took their news from the police. There was no unbiased news coveraged at all.

This is just like the news release embargo of Betty Krawcyk.

Did you know the BC government not only killed Eagleridge Bluff but also Hannah Nahanee?? Yep, Olympics 2010 is murdering the environment and protestors.

Vancouver is still better then Calgary.

The unfriendly people are the worst, but since no one here is from here I can't blame that on Vancouver.

I'm in agreement with the one who laughs when this place is called "cosmopolitan." This city is a wannabe that has lost all realistic expectations of itself. That was a funny and well-written article.

no city with liquor laws like vancouver's will ever be able to hold it's own on the world stage.

I HATE VANCOUVER.

Nothing to do. No culture. No one cares about anything. No passion. Everything is fifth rate pretending it is first rate.
People are users, materialistic or lazy. No art of conversation in Vancouver. They only talk about drugs, money, food, square feet and the gym.
Unhappy, dull people. Humourless. Rain rain rain rain rain rain rain rain rain

Nice! An authentic rant from someone in the throes of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I was waiting for that. This is what Vancouver winters are all about. Thanks Caroline. Sounds like you've only been to Yaletown though.

I'm with Caroline - I hate Vancouver and can't wait to escape its monotonous mind-numbing weather, boring people, and highly overpriced everything! Although this is probably the best city to live in within Canada, that is saying absolutely nothing! I had more social activity, made more money, and had more fun adventures in 3 years of living in Southern California than 2 decades of rotting away in Vancouver. (yes I would go back if I could arrange it!) The only people who think Vancouver is great have to be people who have not travelled outside of Canada and are plainly ignorant of how we're all paying through the nose for the privilege of living in a depressing, life energy-sucking, culturally empty little town. How's that for a rant!: 0

This is definatley not the best city to live in Canada, I was born here and can't wait to escape. How dare people support those lame license plates "best place on earth" what is that! embarrassing, Vancouver is a city with no soul, no class and nothing to do unless you hike or ride a bike. People here don't support the arts, they support huge SUV's and bad fashion. i feel sorry for the people that think that this is the best there is, man they need to hop on a plane and go to Europe or South America, not LAs Vegas or Hawaii like most lame Amercian loving people here.

Phew that felt good!

Vancouver is a fine place for most of china to blend right in and feel at home.
Remember little BC carbon tax paying . globe saving , UBC art degree carrying socialista...you are IT.

Sure there are about 6 white people actually born in Vancouver living in Vancouver somewhere on Kits..everyone else commutes in from HOPE and works for Asians when they finally arrive .

The good news?

The place is supposed to slip into the ocean along with San Fran , Seattle and LA.

One last thing about Vancouver which holds true for Montreal as well ...

What do you call a large group of armed, socialist , multicultural, bilingual, bisexual men with guns ...

Killing Unarmed , Caucasian , heterosexual , mono-lingual conservatives at CYVR Arrivals ?

Situation NORMAL ..welcome to lotus land.

(psssst...post a news article of the RCMP ever killing a third world gang member with a gun ) snicker snicker ...

The Svend Robbinson cookie cutter shape ...is what the RCMP use to hire "members" with ...LOL

GO pay your global warming tax and leave me alone ...thanks .

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL ....gawd I hope those 2010 games crash and burn baby ...if there is any justice in the world whistler will burn to the ground ...

Correction to last post...sorry. Line 3 should read ...

".......Killing unarmed , SOBER , Caucasian , Heterosexual , mono lingual , POVERTY STRICKEN POLISH SLUM DWELLING , CONSERVATIVES at CYVR Arrivals?"

Thanks very much ..I for one will never pay taxes of any type E V E R in the Land of the weird , British Columbia ..

What do you call a:
"Multicultural, bilingual, white male with an English Degree from UBC"
<<<That's CBC's description of any number of Vancouver men arrested for raping kids in Thailand.

(unlike the dead guy at CYVR who was described by RCMP and CBC as a :
"poverty stricken polish slum dweller" )

What do you call a white male From Vancouver "Teaching English" in Thailand to little boys?

Jail Bait :)

I hate this city. Im moving once I find somewhere I actually want to live.

I hate that the houses here, they are built with cheap shit materials. There owned by more then likely illegal immigrants. My house is actually owned by people how live in Hong Kong. It disgusts me. Its moulding and run down and who every the hired to "renovate" the house didnt know what the hell they were doing. Every house here gets built and chopped up into 5 different apartments. And dont say "if you dont like your house then move out" because you cant find a decent home here with out it ripping you a new ass hole.
I dont give a shit about the Olympics. Its a waste on my money, and Im pissed I have to pay for it.
This city has a different disgusting smell on every other block.

Vancouver is at first glance a beautiful city. It is surrounded by sweeping vistas and a dramatic skyline. The climate is moderate. Spend some time here and scratch the surface and it becomes far less attractive. It is a city that is divided politically, it is parochial, narrow minded and shallow. The people are characterless, flakey and disingenuous. Vancouver is the scam capital of N. America, a skill set for which the local population is particularly adept.
The are times when I am certain that Vancouver is something straight out of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is a cold place. People in the same business do not interact of share information they do not network or help each other. There is an almost a Darwinian or Hobbesian social culture. Vancouver is a empty void.
The criminal element is growing. The black economy is larger than most people realize. It is the only city in N America where you will find someone begging on just about every street corner in the downtown core. The cities east end has rates of HIV infection that rival that of Africa. The political environment is polarized and doctrinaire. The left adheres to ideas that are at least a generation out of date. Vancouverites think that Naomi Klein is an intellectual when in reality she is a very silly charlatan. To Vancouverites The Secret is a serious work of self help. The right is equally foolish in the banality of their free market ideology. You don't meet people of substance here. You meet flakes. The press is dominated by yellow journalism. Rarely if ever have I read a real piece of investigative journalism. You do not meet people who form their opinions based upon facts. When you encounter Vancouverites and engage them in the discussion of social issues the argument usually become circular and they end of talking only about themselves. There is a kind of deep insecurity that comes from profound feeling of self loathing that is hard wired into the political culture here. Narcissism is the dominate religion and real estate speculation the holy grail. It is without doubt one of the most dreary and boring places I have ever had the misfortune to call home.

I Just moved here from Calgary and after 8 months, I am so depressed here, the city is cold and there is absolutely no multiculturalism (unless you call the sole Asian population multiculural).

There are rarely no ther people from other countries here! I came here for school at UBC and I HATE HATE HATE going to UBC (University of a Billion Chinese)! I am used to seeing and interracting with people from the Middle East, Africa, Brazil, El Salvador, Somalia, Ethiopia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Lebanon e.t.c, I miss having and knowing people from all cultures and backgrounds, I wish I had listened to people tell me not to move to HongCouver! I wish I had a time machine and I could go back and just go to school at U of C or U of A! Now it's too late, I don't want to go back with my head down in shame, I should have listened, Vancouver is a deceptive city, Beautiful at times yes, but within it, the people here are soooooooooo cold, materialistic and miserable, there's no joy here, I am depressed and riding out 1.5 more year of school before I leave this Yuppie, lonely lonely cold and miserably depressing place! My next destination, either Alberta or Chicago, only time will tell. DEFINITELY NOT STAYING OR APPLYING TO JOBS IN HONGCOUVER AFTER I GRADUATE!

I was curious about BC and Vancouver and discovered these posts. I wanted to visit because I heard it is especially artsy. Now how come nobody describes that? Oh and my husband is Canadian and can make me a Canadian citizen, which sounds nice because of the reliability of Canadian banking system. So that leads me to wonder which area of Canada is the most ideal?

Darcy not all Asians are from the same country... Heck, I work in a place where I talk to people from the Caribbean, Isreal, England, Vietnam, Crete and of course China.

I'm surprised you made it to University with those type of analytical skills.

I've talk to people from all over the world in this city and by far Vancouver is much more multicultural than most cities out there.

Now, Vancouver in my mind is defined as a outdoor city, if you don't enjoy that then it's probably not the right city for you. That competes with the nightlife which for a city of this size is OK at best.

All in all Vancouver is a bit over-hyped, but as for "living standards" as in not "fun standards" which everyone is basing this on. It's a pretty good city. Houses are too expensive, but rents aren't bad if you live outside of Vancouver central. Outskirts and Eastside are normal.

I always ask someone who lived else where "why they like Vancouver, it's nothing special". They just say it's a comfortable place to live.

For the record New York rains more, but we have generally have more cloudy days.

I doubt anyone would read this as most posts just seem like random venting.

Its almost over. I moved here about 4 years ago for a job from the US - first time in Canada. After a few months I met a few friends that I became very close with, they have all now returned to the provinces from which they came. They, like I, wanted to see what it was like to live here, and were drawn by stigma of the city. I met a girl and was with her for 2 years; I became a part of her family. It didn't work out. I met another girl recently but I don't know if it will last. My remaining close friend has given up and will likely move back from where he came. This place has not been all bad to me. If I don't remain this it will always have a haunting grip on my soul. At times it has been cold. The people that reside here live in walls they chose to create. They are afraid to let go. There is a lack of friendship here. I meet people and see it in their eyes. I admit it, if I leave it will be mostly because I am lonely, I am not afraid to admit that. To the person walking down the street or sitting next to me on the phone discussing how packed your social schedule is: please try and squeeze in a few minutes this Saturday of meaningful relationships.

Hey Tyler,

that is a sad story, but that's how this city is. People here don't care about anything but themselves. They don't even care about their surroundings, unless it is their 2 million dollar home. I unfortunately have lived here my whole life, and I have no real close friends. I don't feel like I belong and I'm glad, the people in this city are just not worldly and the sad thing is that they think they are. Me and my partner have the wheels in motion to finally escape this prison I hope you get to too....soon!

http://www.topix.com/forum/ca/vancouver-bc/TOD1PJ6BKH1G4GPQ4

Hello everyone! I am so happy that I am not alone in feeling this way...I made the unfortunate mistake of moving back here 2 years ago and can't wait to leave again. This time I know I will never ever come back. The people are unbelievably ignorant, unfriendly, narcissistic, and just generally not very interesting! Culture?? Hah! it makes me sad that the people here just don't know any better and refuse to even attempt to see things differently..it is so true that I used to be called an "LA cunt" by my "good friends" here for 10 years until one of them actually went to La and said how fun and cool it was! Wow...They diss everything and anyone that isn't in their little clique and don't ever even try and see what's on the other side..they just breed misery and contempt and won't be happy until you are as miserable and defeated as they really feel deep inside.

I have successfully deleted everyone I have ever known here and not only will I never talk to them again I hope to forget that they even existed.

I feel sorry for the few good people here that are stuck and can't leave but I will always have an extra bed ready in Amsterdam for the people who need to get away and experience a different place and culture and actually meet nice and friendly people who are not out to screw them over or sponge off them till they are a dried and whithered shell of a human.

Shame on you Vancouver! You have fallen...and you will never even see it as you exemplify what Carl Jung calls "projecting the shadow".....you have no faults its just everyone else...

Good Riddance you pathetic excuse for a city!

YES! I am not alone!
I'll add my two cents...
I moved here to go to school (one more month left!). I've never lived anywhere other than the Midwest and wanted to get out and have some experiences. Let me tell you, there isn't a single day that has gone by where I haven't wanted to go home. Back home people talk to each other on the street, you can make a friend in line at the grocery store, people help each other out and care for each other for the simple fact that it's the right thing to do.
Here every one is so incredibly cold and their eyes look dead. Anytime I say something friendly to a stranger they look at me like I am a piece of shit that should've never been born. I haven't met a single one of my neighbors and I'm an outgoing friendly person.
I have met a few really nice people and I am very thankful for them, but they have been very hard to find. I've had to wade through masses of jerks just to find ONE person who will give me the time of day.

And as far as those "million dollar views" go, I offer you a quote from The Little Prince,

"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."

This city and most of the people have no heart, only useless distractions.
I'd rather sit in a field of cow shit with a few genuine people than see one more sunset over the ocean in this pathetic excuse for a community.

don't forget the anti-business culture as well.

I have never ever felt so empty in my life living in this city. It eats your soul and makes you move like you died long time ago. I personally think it prepares you for the grave. You see all the people pretending to enjoy life but I just know they are lonely, pathetic people, who conceal their isolation. 6 months was all it took to know I had made a mistake. I miss the feeling of community. Of genuine friends and family. I met a lot of superficial people here and only one person (who was also not from here) who really became a friend. This is a COLD place. And if you are looking for someone to build a relationship here, you can forget it. That remains a fantasy. Have you looked at all the dating services offered in the city? In the paper? An indication of people finding it hard to meet their mates. Enter the life of spinsterhood and lonely bachelors.

Get out and enjoy life before you live a life of regrets. Vancouver will be your regret trust me. I wish all the lonely people great things. You are not alone. You are not the problem. This place is the curse and you MUST get out.

Hear you, Jocelyn, I'm astonished by your post actually. You've made a quite dare post about your thoughts about this city preparing for a grave and making feel like a dead here.

There are others who feel the same way and I even was thinking myself on several occasions that I had probably died somehow without noticing it, like that guy in the 6th sense and had got to my limbo or hell which is this city.

Also, I've noticed at some point I started thinking that this place is somehow "occult", like there's some bad energy here, like on an indian burial ground or smth.

I don't understand how some people can function here and seem to be happy, I think they lack certain perception. Probably, people who notice that this place is creepy are like those certain sensitive animals in the herd that should warn the rest of approaching or hidden danger. Others may be unaware, but many already look like monsters here.

You are right, it looks like either I'm dead or they're dead, some look like ghosts out of the mist of people died in 1930's or 1950's. Largely reminds me of movies the shining, the others or the 6th sense. These people here give me creeps. This place also reminds me of the place they stuck in the langoliers movie - space/time hole where everything begins to rot and fade away.

Get out from here for God's sake, this goes to nowhere, this city will eat your soul! There's something very dark here..

It's hard to have a decent social life here because of the snobbish and arrogant nature of so many people. They can't even see past their ivory towers of illusion. Once upon a time, Vancouver and the rest of the lower mainland had beautiful forests and farmland. Then all of a sudden, along came these "yuppies" with their ugly condos that are the spitting image of shoeboxes or file cabinets. Just what this city needs. Highrise erections on every corner shooting up orgasmic smug. No wonder so many people are moving to the Island. At least in Port Alberni, you can sit back relax in a hammick underneath the sun in the forest without a care in the world.

Jocelyn,

Thanks for that. I did get out and have been enjoying my life every day since I left. It just saddens me that I left a bunch of people like myself and you behind to get their life sucked out by the vampires that rule Vancouver.

I was born and raised in Vancouver and sometimes my feelings, about this city, are very similar to the ones posted above. On the surface, people seem very one dimensional, clueless, and vapid. And while a lot of people are like that, there are a lot of cool amazing people (and places). You just need to seek them out!

I lived in Vancouver for my whole life and I had to get out. I'm sooooo happy! I love Toronto. It's the best choice I ever made. I feel like I'm living for the first time. That place is such a dream killer. Beautiful? YES! That's it. If you are ready to retire, move to Vancouver. It's a slow death over there.

Vancouver is a lovely city. On the surface. I've lived here for four years and many of the friends I have made have left and gone or are leaving with me... Life is more than snowboarding and walking along the seawall. With high rental, exorbitant real estate costs and weakening art community.. I've decided to leave.

In a way the city kicked me out and I'm better for it.

Vancouver? NO!:

I lived in Vancouver for my whole life and I had to get out. I'm sooooo happy! I love Toronto. It's the best choice I ever made. I feel like I'm living for the first time. That place is such a dream killer. Beautiful? YES! That's it. If you are ready to retire, move to Vancouver. It's a slow death over there.

.... I have to Agree with you 100% .... Vancouver is not a good place! ... Toronto ROCKKSS!! .. No city can be compared to Toronto!! ... Its amazing because the nightlife is awseme .. with beautiful multiculturalism! ... its a great experience because you have friends from all over the world!! .. i dont know what people like abt Vancouver .. because to me it just seems like theres nothing in it! But i love Toronto!

GO TORONTO!

As an outsider, stumbling over such a consensus of dispair about living in Vancouver has me stunned.

I was born in Vancouver, grew up in Melbourne, and currently I only live to plot my escape from Sydney. To quote Australian band 'The Whitlams' on Sydney:

"It dawns on him - the horror -
We got the Olympic Games
You gotta love this city for its body and not its brain..."

Sound familiar?
Alas, I don't even love this city for its body. It's hard to smell the flowers when you're crammed with angry commuters on stinking hot public transport for 3.5h a day just to get to work, live in the developed nation with the most expensive groceries, have a corrupt state gov't (what would you call it when the gov't lays turf across the Harbour Bridge for a privileged morning picnic while our hospitals are in crisis?), and the list goes on.

Anyway, our planned escape was to move to Vancouver for a year or two. With fond but limited memories I always thought I would come back to Vancouver and feel at home.

I'm grateful for the comments here. I totally empathise with people desperate to leave a place they find depressing. I hope to visit Vancouver soon to see for myself. I won't hang my hopes on it anymore, but I still have hope ;)

I have been back to visit Vancouver a couple times since I moved away (to visit an old friend) and I'm so glad I don't live there anymore. People are sooooo shallow it's sick! The same people were still doing their rounds on Robson showing off their cars, boobs, or whatever... It's still a pretty city, good weather but, what does it matter if the people suck? If you don't grow up there or are not swimming in cash, it will be very hard to meet people. Vancouverites are very, very fake and fickle.

I work in a downtown vancouver 5th upper floor building & we put up our business board ad in the window because our customers have difficulty find our address.The janitors everytime tells us to take it down.He has lots of time on his hand.It's not like someone looks up at our ad except the janitor and decides to come to our office to buy something.Seesh!
Vancouver is so anti-businees and puritanical in nature.
A lot of small business have told us the same thing:
Vancouver is anti-small business.
I can see why vancouver is no fun city.

No thanks:

I have been back to visit Vancouver a couple times since I moved away (to visit an old friend) and I'm so glad I don't live there anymore. People are sooooo shallow it's sick! The same people were still doing their rounds on Robson showing off their cars, boobs, or whatever... It's still a pretty city, good weather but, what does it matter if the people suck? If you don't grow up there or are not swimming in cash, it will be very hard to meet people. Vancouverites are very, very fake and fickle.

Totally agree. I live here and I can't stand the vast majority of the people. I don't like their attitudes either. For exactly the same reasons that you do. I've never seen people whom you can't even smile at without getting a hostile glare back. Very materialistic. Very cold. Very unfriendly. Very immature and unsophisticated, IMHO. Very shallow and provincial. People just wanna take from you and don't wanna give anything back. So much theft in this city. Sleaze and dishonesty. Maybe it has something to do with all that rain. The other day I just smiled at someone's dog, proceeded to pet it, and I got this really angry retort not to touch their dog. But the dog didn't seem to mind. Just the fvking owner. So dogs are preferable company to keep in this city than people. That's probably why there are so pet owners around town. Or another time was in line at a supermarket, a lady was buying an interesting brand frozen pizza which I'd never seen before, and so I asked her if tasted good and worth buying, and all I get is a snarky sneer from the B*tch as if I was trying to come on to her and pick her up. Another thing, there's so many b*tches around here compared with other cities I've been to.

I'm glad I never bought real estate here, and I hope to leave this city within the next five years and go somewhere else for good.

I don't like it here because I've yet to meet any nice honest decent people in this city. All hookers, drug addicts, lying sleazeballs. Yah, do yourself a favor and don't move here.

Wow, I definitely did not expect the venom to still be flying almost three years after I wrote this post.

I still dig it here... eight years and counting.

Jeff, do you still believe it's Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Check this out: http://www.topix.com/forum/ca/vancouver-bc/TOD1PJ6BKH1G4GPQ4/

It's sort of funny how every near-vancouver-sucks discussion around whatever article or post sinks into explicit vancouver sucks rant. It happens every time.

http://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-hate-downtown-rant.html

Vancouver is a very negative place. Very negative place in the 1st place, objectively, not those who post that. Someone can live or sit somewhere like New York, Barcelona, LA, London etc. and say "oh yeah, this city sucks", but at the same time understand that basically it's not negative, it's all quite reasonable, but no, Vancouver is not like these cities.

James:

Vancouver is at first glance a beautiful city. It is surrounded by sweeping vistas and a dramatic skyline. The climate is moderate. Spend some time here and scratch the surface and it becomes far less attractive. It is a city that is divided politically, it is parochial, narrow minded and shallow. The people are characterless, flakey and disingenuous. Vancouver is the scam capital of N. America, a skill set for which the local population is particularly adept.
The are times when I am certain that Vancouver is something straight out of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is a cold place. People in the same business do not interact of share information they do not network or help each other. There is an almost a Darwinian or Hobbesian social culture. Vancouver is a empty void.
The criminal element is growing. The black economy is larger than most people realize. It is the only city in N America where you will find someone begging on just about every street corner in the downtown core. The cities east end has rates of HIV infection that rival that of Africa. The political environment is polarized and doctrinaire. The left adheres to ideas that are at least a generation out of date. Vancouverites think that Naomi Klein is an intellectual when in reality she is a very silly charlatan. To Vancouverites The Secret is a serious work of self help. The right is equally foolish in the banality of their free market ideology. You don't meet people of substance here. You meet flakes. The press is dominated by yellow journalism. Rarely if ever have I read a real piece of investigative journalism. You do not meet people who form their opinions based upon facts. When you encounter Vancouverites and engage them in the discussion of social issues the argument usually become circular and they end of talking only about themselves. There is a kind of deep insecurity that comes from profound feeling of self loathing that is hard wired into the political culture here. Narcissism is the dominate religion and real estate speculation the holy grail. It is without doubt one of the most dreary and boring places I have ever had the misfortune to call home.

James:

Vancouver is at first glance a beautiful city. It is surrounded by sweeping vistas and a dramatic skyline. The climate is moderate. Spend some time here and scratch the surface and it becomes far less attractive. It is a city that is divided politically, it is parochial, narrow minded and shallow. The people are characterless, flakey and disingenuous. Vancouver is the scam capital of N. America, a skill set for which the local population is particularly adept.
The are times when I am certain that Vancouver is something straight out of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is a cold place. People in the same business do not interact of share information they do not network or help each other. There is an almost a Darwinian or Hobbesian social culture. Vancouver is a empty void.
The criminal element is growing. The black economy is larger than most people realize. It is the only city in N America where you will find someone begging on just about every street corner in the downtown core. The cities east end has rates of HIV infection that rival that of Africa. The political environment is polarized and doctrinaire. The left adheres to ideas that are at least a generation out of date. Vancouverites think that Naomi Klein is an intellectual when in reality she is a very silly charlatan. To Vancouverites The Secret is a serious work of self help. The right is equally foolish in the banality of their free market ideology. You don't meet people of substance here. You meet flakes. The press is dominated by yellow journalism. Rarely if ever have I read a real piece of investigative journalism. You do not meet people who form their opinions based upon facts. When you encounter Vancouverites and engage them in the discussion of social issues the argument usually become circular and they end of talking only about themselves. There is a kind of deep insecurity that comes from profound feeling of self loathing that is hard wired into the political culture here. Narcissism is the dominate religion and real estate speculation the holy grail. It is without doubt one of the most dreary and boring places I have ever had the misfortune to call home.

James, & the rest that are of similar opinion, I agree 100 percent. You are bang on.
I too hate this shit place that I've had the misfortune of calling home for the past ten years. I too will move, prob back to Ontario, in the very near future. Quality people are so hard to meet out here, the only decent people I've met have all been transplants like myself & they all have moved back from where they came. Hopefully, I'm next.

to Jeff:

Jeff, do you still believe it's Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Nope. I attribute it all to the Fundamental Theorem of Vancouver: "Those who hate it, hate it a lot". SAD is just one of many aggravating factors.

I hate this dump with a passion because:

(1) people are a pretentious and insincere lot, and

(2) their justice system is an injustice to all but the rich and the famous.

(3) the

Vancouver is nice via ocean, mountains. But for example mid January 2010 and 10 degrees. Which is swearter weather.. not so much snow weather. We are spending whooooo knows how much to bring the hay BY helicoptor up to cypress to BUILD the snow up. Like wtf. I have lived here and there and I did like Vancouver. Until we became pretencious and fake. VANCOUVER sucks! I am a vancouverite and I don't have a job. When there is freaking Austrailians working for the olympics in Whister. YAY way to represent! Fake Fake Fake!

I just came accross this blog typing "how to meet people in Vancouver"
I have to say that I agree with all the comments i read above! At a point I was wondering if there was something wrong with me?! but no, this city really sucks!! I am sociable, i have been living abroad for the past 3 years, so I am used to meeting new people. Here, you just can't. Yes Vancouverites are very polite, but they are not open-minded, they are not laid back. Above all, they are mean.
And this is true that it is a dark city. Whenever i take the bus, I can feel this loneliness in so many people, like "I need some friends, I need a life"!
I will try again to find some good things for the last months i have to spend here, but I think I will be glad to leave, and hang out again with some grumpy but authentic people.

Vancouver sucks. Vancouverites are mean, boring, and miserable. And if you are not the same way they will hate you for it. Even physically this city isn't that great unless you like dreary and grey. And like someone already said before, I think there is something evil about this city, like a dark energy or something. From the dt to the suburbs, this city is just awful, if you want to be happy have fun and learn about this world, then move out of this city!
I also just want to say that it creeped me out when that Jeff guy tried to silence the posters complaints about this city by accusing her of having seasonal affective disorder, thank god dozens of more people posted basically the same complaints after her...nice try though Jeff.

I am a Californian who has lived in Sacramento, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego and other various cities throughout the state as well as Germany and Las Vegas. I moved from Anaheim to Calgary to be with my then partner and now wife (we are lesbians) 2 yrs ago and hated it with a passion of a thousand suns just after a about 2 weeks. I was homesick beyond belief like never before in my life and it didn't go away until the day we packed up our truck and I drove the 12 hrs straight here to the Vancouver Region 3 weeks ago so my wife could start her job working for VANOC.

My ideal place to live is the Bay Area somewhere close to San Francisco. My wife and I WOULD live there if gay marriage was Federal US law and the US economy wasn't in such a horrible state BUT if you are from the West Coast and miss it, there is probably no better place to live in Canada then Vancouver.

The rents are high just like home where you can't even rent a closet for less then 1k a month, and the views are spectacular. Theres good people, bad people, smart people, dumb people, interesting people, boring people and everything in between just like home. Theres even real freeways with carpools lanes just like home. Theres mountains and ocean and beaches just like home. Theres stunning skylines and 24 HR everything just like home.

Theres pros and cons but from what I'm seeing, the pros def outweigh the cons in living here and the little annoying troubles like searching for decent and reasonably priced apts are worth it to me when I can leave my window open at night and fall asleep to the sound of the rain or have such a beautiful drive over bridges to work everyday (your worst traffic is a lovely picnic compared to traffic in large California cities) and breathe the clean crisp air and go to the ocean whenever I want and not have to drive through ice and snow for months on end. Theres many things to do and see if you bother to look and there is no reason to be bored or in despair unless your a drug addict begging for change on E. Hastings and if thats the case you would be just as miserable no matter what city you happened to be in.

I dunno, maybe I find it so livable because I'm an introvert and don't need to rely so heavily on other people to feel good about my world. Even if I was an extrovert to the extreme, I find it impossible to believe that there are NO honest, intelligent and good natured people in the entire city and surrounding region because its simply not true. After all, I live here now. : D