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Anyone from Vancouver area?

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  • #1

    Anyone from Vancouver area?

    I'm beginning to consider moving to Canada. I probably won't, but given that we're talking about buying a house anyway and the US is kind of not great, if somehow Trump wins I'm strongly considering leaving.

    Looking on Zillow, there are a bunch of massive beautiful homes in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, but it appears to be somewhat crime-ridden. I didn't know any of Canada was. But looking deeper, it seems like it's crime-ridden by Canada standards, and I can't tell what I should actually think of it - is it like East Palo Alto, which is a fairly poor place that is rapidly gentrifying due to demand from the rest of Silicon Valley, or are these nice homes just the beginning of trying to do that? Is racism a thing there? I've heard about problems with indigenous people being abused, but would it be a problem to have a Black wife there?
    In the best of times, our days are numbered, anyway. And it would be a crime against Nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly that it put off enjoying those things for which we were presumably designed in the first place, and which the gravest statesmen and the hoarsest politicians hope to make available to all men in the end: I mean the opportunity to do good work, to fall in love, to enjoy friends, to sit under trees, to read, to hit a ball and bounce the baby.
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  • #2
    after looking more, people seem to be talking about how bad it is there, and they had 19 homicides last year in a city of 500k. SF had 41 in a city of 850k and it was the lowest in 56 years. Obv I'd want to look at other crimes too, but this seems like a data point that Canada is just different enough that I shouldn't take the city's reputation all that seriously.
    In the best of times, our days are numbered, anyway. And it would be a crime against Nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly that it put off enjoying those things for which we were presumably designed in the first place, and which the gravest statesmen and the hoarsest politicians hope to make available to all men in the end: I mean the opportunity to do good work, to fall in love, to enjoy friends, to sit under trees, to read, to hit a ball and bounce the baby.

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    • #3
      I lived in Vancouver for 12 years. I moved away 5 years ago, but I move back to Vancouver in 2 weeks. The primary motivator is escaping the racism in my small town, as my wife is also Black. She's found a wealth of cultural and attitudinal diversity in Vancouver that she's sorely missed.

      As for where to live, I'll give my opinions. Surrey has always had a bad reputation, but started to get cleaned up in the last decade or so as the big city pricing pushed wealthier people into further away suburbs (sounds like your description of Palo Alto). Its a bit further away than I'd like, and commuting on freeways is not my ideal life. For that reason, I prefer other suburbs. New Westminister is a really nice city with a ton of affordable condo options, lots of up and coming commerce, much closer to Vancouver. When they rebuilt the skytrain station in New West to include banks, a Safeway, a movie theater, etc, that really beautified the city and increased convenience. They also did a ton of work on the waterfront quay, and its quite beautiful. They also have a seemingly higher concentration of Black people, which puts my wife at ease. Never far from a Black hair salon. Condos start around $300-$350K here. This will be the best comparable to Surrey for price in the lower mainland.

      Another area that I'm considering is Hastings Sunrise. I lived there for a few years, and its a bit more expensive than New West. They've edged down to the $400-$450K range as the entry point recently, as the housing markets split, with detached houses soaring and condos slightly falling. Anyway, great neighborhood for shopping options, parks, trails, and they even have a park with a small beach that's often much quieter than the beaches in the city (New Brighton). Trans Canada trail is also awesome, and very quiet in this area.

      3rd option is buying a condo in the west end, downtown Vancouver. You can find these in the lower price range. Too crowded and busy for me, but the best shopping, the sea wall path right beside the ocean a few minutes away. Depends how you feel about crowding. Typically more young international professionals live in this area. Very queer friendly district, if you value that sort of representation.

      Many are considering further suburbs with the coming expansion of skytrain lines out into previously unreached burbs. Maple Ridge is popular these days, but way too far for me. Skytrain would make it less daunting, but I want to be close to friends and family.

      Any more specific questions you have, I'm happy to share my thoughts. I'm limited to searching under $400K, but if your budget is higher, you'll have good options in all of the neighborhoods I listed.
      Larry David was once being heckled, long before any success. Heckler says "I'm taking my dog over to fuck your mother, weekly." Larry responds "I hate to tell you this, but your dog isn't liking it."

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      • #4
        Teenwolf has much more recent experience than I do, but about 10 years ago I had a chance to take an extended assignment in Vancouver, and would have chosen New Westminster for sure.

        If you're seriously considering a move, make sure you understand the employment regulations. A good friend of mine moved into the Ottawa/Gatineau area in 2016 and came really close to getting snagged on a couple of technicalities and sent home.
        I'm just here for the baseball.

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        • #5
          fwiw I was visiting family on Vancouver Island last week & went through Vancouver. Very strange these days being in a major international airport in the middle of a Saturday afternoon & being able to look up & down the huge corridors & not seeing a soul.

          Having said that, that area truly is gorgeous. Tw, which area are you moving to? I also have family in Burnaby, pretty generic part of the city (tho I haven't been there in quite a while).

          chance's point about work regs is a good one, lots of people assume that they're relatively trivial but they're not.
          It certainly feels that way. But I'm distrustful of that feeling and am curious about evidence.

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          • #6
            Another technicality to consider is the 20% foreign investors fee on property purchased within Vancouver. Unfortunately, Hastings Sunrise is just within the boundary. They did this to thwart the influence of Chinese property barrons that had artificially inflated the market, but they made the rule inclusive of all foreign investment.

            Here's what Google had to say: "Here's an overview for buying a home in Vancouver for non-resident buyers and investors: There are no restrictions for a non-resident to purchase real estate in Canada, but there is a 20% foreign buyer tax payable at the time of purchase for any homes purchased in the Metro Vancouver area."
            Larry David was once being heckled, long before any success. Heckler says "I'm taking my dog over to fuck your mother, weekly." Larry responds "I hate to tell you this, but your dog isn't liking it."

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            • #7
              Originally posted by TranaGreg View Post
              fwiw I was visiting family on Vancouver Island last week & went through Vancouver. Very strange these days being in a major international airport in the middle of a Saturday afternoon & being able to look up & down the huge corridors & not seeing a soul.

              Having said that, that area truly is gorgeous. Tw, which area are you moving to? I also have family in Burnaby, pretty generic part of the city (tho I haven't been there in quite a while).

              chance's point about work regs is a good one, lots of people assume that they're relatively trivial but they're not.
              I'm moving to the heart of the city while renting, Main/Broadway area. It will be close to friends while we surveil the market. My wife wants to buy within a year or so, and she's looking to buy in Vancouver if we can afford it. We love Hastings Sunrise, and that's the last place in Vancouver we can afford the entry point, unless the market dips. New West and Burnaby are good backups. We lived in North Burnaby for a few years, and liked it, but the shopping and restaurants lag behind New West. Gentrification was slower to hit North Burnaby.

              My first arrival to BC was living in New West in my early 20's. It seemed far away from the concerts and stuff I sought out. But now being almost 40, and seeing the city transform so beautifully, it holds more appeal. Also, my mom and step-dad live in New West, so combined with price, its the most likely eventual landing spot.
              Larry David was once being heckled, long before any success. Heckler says "I'm taking my dog over to fuck your mother, weekly." Larry responds "I hate to tell you this, but your dog isn't liking it."

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              • #8
                fun scuba diving on Vancouver Island. Clear water, nice shipwrecks. Wicked cold.
                I'm not expecting to grow flowers in the desert...

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                • #9
                  Although I'm sure there would be some work-related issues, my plan would be to keep my current job, and my company already has offices in Canada - not specifically in the Vancouver area but we're allowed to go full-time remote, so maybe it'd be okay.

                  That tax is unfortunate though. Hm.
                  In the best of times, our days are numbered, anyway. And it would be a crime against Nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly that it put off enjoying those things for which we were presumably designed in the first place, and which the gravest statesmen and the hoarsest politicians hope to make available to all men in the end: I mean the opportunity to do good work, to fall in love, to enjoy friends, to sit under trees, to read, to hit a ball and bounce the baby.

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                  • #10
                    I used to visit Vancouver a couple of days a year, and did a full-week vacation once.

                    it struck me as very similar to the greater NYC region, in terms of there being so many areas outside of just Manhattan (when that was still the cool borough).

                    Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Long Island, Westchester or Rockland County, Bergen or Hudson or Essex counties in New Jersey, Fairfield County in Connecticut....

                    you could get as urban or suburban as you wanted, with such a wide range of prices and dwelling types
                    finished 10th in this 37th yr in 11-team-only NL 5x5
                    own picks 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 in April 2022 1st-rd farmhand draft
                    won in 2017 15 07 05 04 02 93 90 84

                    SP SGray 16, TWalker 10, AWood 10, Price 3, KH Kim 2, Corbin 10
                    RP Bednar 10, Bender 10, Graterol 2
                    C Stallings 2, Casali 1
                    1B Votto 10, 3B ERios 2, 1B Zimmerman 2, 2S Chisholm 5, 2B Hoerner 5, 2B Solano 2, 2B LGarcia 10, SS Gregorius 17
                    OF Cain 14, Bader 1, Daza 1

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                    • #11
                      Or you can choose "Ah-TAH-Wa" as mindless dope Tucker Carlson calls it.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by revo View Post
                        Or you can choose "Ah-TAH-Wa" as mindless dope Tucker Carlson calls it.
                        that had to be intentional, right? Presidents have made trips up here, there have been many news items from here, heck the G7 mtgs were held just outside of Ottawa ...
                        so what's the idea, tweak the left, firm up the base?
                        It certainly feels that way. But I'm distrustful of that feeling and am curious about evidence.

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