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"

(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.