Moving to the country..
Like any decent size city, Vancouver has it’s share of problems. Drug addiction, crime and homelessness to name a few. Have any of you ever contemplated giving up the city and moving away to a smaller town? And if you’ve actually gone ahead and done it, what has your experience been?
A lot of people on this site complain about Vancouver and it’s myriad of problems, so the obvious question is what keeps you here? What are the things you can only find here?
And if you’ve moved away and are reading this blog from another city, town or country, what do you miss (and not miss) about Vancouver?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
petrovsky: An interesting story. I think pockets of Vancouver are as friendly as anywhere on the planet, other areas are a bit insular. Having come from Toronto, I found Vancouver to be more cliquish but nothing like you describe.
Your is case in point why it's best to rent in an area before you buy, unless you don't mind the costs of buying and selling quickly if the neighbourhood is a dud. These days, with property prices so volatile, that's quite a gamble.
May 13th, 2009 at 8:12 am
#51 – Anon:
Funny – Low wages, lots of crime and no healthcare… Sounds like USA! That is where I went first, but was then transferred to Indonesia.
The end destination, in my case, isn't really relevant – The point is that I left because I could. I manage major capital expenditure projects (new power plants, new oil fields, new marine terminals – that kind of thing).
When costs outstrip wages (even in the 'best' place in the world), the people that have options sometimes decide to leave.
May 13th, 2009 at 5:52 am
I sold my condo in Surrey about 3 years ago, after prices started to go crazy, and after realizing nature of the RE bubble by reading sites like this one.
Then I did a really dumb thing… I bought a house (sight unseen) in a small town in Kempt, Nova Scotia for a laughable sum of 25k… about the price of a new car. I figured, well, people are the same everywhere… and NS folks are reputed to be friendly. Also, I had lived in a small Van Island town (Sooke, about 40 minutes from Victoria) and enjoyed it… so I said to myself, how can my experience be any different?
Wrongo. I tell ya… I was LONELY. People are definitely NOT the same everywhere. I found the people to be cold, cliquish and clannish, and I didn't speak to anyone for weeks on end. The cashier at the grocery store doesn't count.
The only people I actually did strike a relationship with were ex BC'ers who bought because prices were cheap. But they, after trying to integrate unsuccessfully with the locals for many years, are trying to sell and move back to Vancouver.
After a year, I hopped back on the plane and is now renting a room in Surrey. I tell ya… I've never been happier. My el cheapo house in NS sits empty… and unsold.
Last week I've related my story to stranger in a pub, and to my surprise, he had a similar tale to tell, only he had bought a house (real fixer upper) for one thousand bucks in Saskatchewan. We learned to appreciate what Vancouver has to offer the hard way.
My only advice to anyone who wants to live in the boonies is: Rent for a year or so.
Small communities are different: Sooke is a growing community with different people moving in, and I've made many of my friends there.
On the other hand a small town like Kempt in Nova Scotia is pretty well a dying town, with people leaving. And you will always be treated like a stranger, no matter how long you stay. Do not be tempted by cheap house prices.
Stick to BC. I love Comox in Van Island, except job opportunities aren't that great.
May 12th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
realpaul, I doubt it's intentional. I posted a simple comment on the election topic and apparently it's been in moderation for 4 days. No other posts have been made. I'd guess it's a bug in the software or some kind of oversight, because what's the point of a blog like this without comments?
May 12th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Has this site gone over to the darkside? Over the past few days I have noticed that 99% of all comments are being censored and removed permanently from view?
it looks like 'negative and/or opposing views' aren't welcome to somebodies sensitive POV.
May 12th, 2009 at 9:58 am
#30 Marendra:
Where ion SE Asia did you go? Most countries there have low wages , no healthcare and a lot of crime. Except maybe Singapore, but not sure if I wanted to live on an island that small.
Unless you work for a western company chances are slim that you'll have a better life over there than anywhere in the western world. Just wondering, are you doing the real thing living there or are you just on a temp assignment in SE Asia from you western employer with western salary? If it is the latter then you can't compare. It'd be the same as a German coming here working for a German company in Vancouver on German wages, which are way higher then you average Canadian wage. This German would find it rreally cheap to live here in the best place in the universe.