OTHER CITIES: 
Meetups in Vancouver: Yes, No, Maybe So?
Vancouver looks great on paper. It will always be at the top of "most livable city" lists courtesy of magazines like the Economist and consulting companies like Mercer. But.... the city doesn't have those intangible qualities that make it an exciting and stimulating place to be. Not for me, anyways. But, say my friends, you're just not looking hard enough. So after I came back from China, I began searching. And although I still haven't found that je ne sais quoi, Meetups have definitely made me a little less bitter and a little more hopeful.
Meetups are organized in cities all over the world by people who share the same interests. They range from the banal to the random, and they cater to both broad and niche groups. Can't find what you want? Start your own. The concept of a website that brings together locals with common interests is simple and effective, and has arguably helped bring a little closeness to societies increasingly steeped in individualism.
My own experience with meetups after the jump...
I've always joked that I spoke more French in Beijing than I ever have in Vancouver. The Francophone community here is dispersed, and even despite the presence of Alliance Française, le Centre culturel francophone, and Maillardville's Festival du Bois, it's pretty hard to keep up French as a second language. For the past few months, I've attended the French language meetup, and have noticed a real improvement in my speaking and fluency. I've also benefited from the Mandarin Chinese meetup, and I'm pretty proud to say that my Zhongwen is still intact. A few weeks ago, I saw Darren Barefoot speak at the Third Tuesday meetup, which was a real treat for those interested in social media.
To make this post even cheesier, I will say that besides all this good stuff, what makes meetups worth going to are the people. There are some really intelligent and fun types who attend, and seeing them regularly has eliminated some of the perceived awkwardness associated with "meeting people from the Internet." This has made me realize that Vancouverites are not all that different from one another, even if it seems like randomly smiling at someone on the Skytrain is enough to grant you stalker status. So, while I'm still not sold on Vancouver, I sure am giving it my best shot.
What do you think? Would you give meetups a try? If not, why?
Image courtesy of JakeInVan in the BR Flickr Pool.
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I might give meetups a try. I'm going to be moving to Vancouver in August and will know a grand total of two people in the city, so meetups seem like a good way to get to know more people and get to know the city. The yoga in public parks meetup group looks particularly awesome.