Frommers: Vancouver is an over-rated city
Juraj sent in this link to a suprisingly negative travel review of Vancouver by a Frommers travel guide writer. I’m just going to quote the whole paragraph so that no one can accuse me of taking parts out of context and making it appear worse than it is:
Vancouver. “Blandcouver” looks great on TV, where it often masquerades as other, more interesting cities. This Canadian metropolis is indeed like many other places, just duller. I actually heard a Vancouverite call their city “diverse” and “cosmopolitan” when what they mean is “we have some Chinese people as well as the Anglo-Canadians.” Anyone who thinks Vancouver is cosmopolitan has never been south or east of Portland. Most of Vancouver’s other attributes, meanwhile, are seen in better form in either Portland, Seattle, or San Francisco. Spend your time in Victoria instead, or Whistler, or, heck, Nanaimo. If you insist upon going, try our much more enthusiastic destination guide.
July 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
For those that want to get ahead, to strive to be better at their job, to make it on an international level… want recognition…
Move somewhere else.
Vancouver is filled with people who play hard.. and enjoy life… no doubt about that… but work hard? Not really. If you have family and want a less stressful life and you can afford it.. Vancouver is fantastic!
But yes.. you need to afford it. A house in a good neighbourhood in Toronto or Montreal will cost you $500,000.. the same thing here.. it’s at least $1,000,000….
For the twenty-thirty year old with no mom and dad to foot the bill… it’s a HORRIFYING prospect to try to get ahead.. even when you make a solid income.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Neil, put down your crack pipe and stop flogging the “best place on earth BS”. go out and see the rest of the world before you spout that crap.
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Vancouver is surely the best place on earth to live ! Mountains, the ocean, beaches, parks, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, climbing, walking, fishing, restaurants – food, night life, the fireworks, jazz fest, shopping…… i could go on and on forever. This City is definitely a marvelous place to live and visit. Real Estate is quite expensive but that’s true for most places now, you will find that in most Cities. The rain season does put a bit of a downer on things but hey is that not the same in other Cities too?
The people that live in Vancouver and complain about how it isn’t a great place to be should really come back down to earth and realize that there aren’t many other places on earth that offer such high standards of living whilst providing/offering a wide variety of recreational niceties.
You guys dont know how good you have it here, don’t take it for granted.
Vancouver rocks and it doesn’t cost anything to go out in or around the City and have a great time with friends and family !
This is the best place on earth!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:06 am
I live out in the valley, travled about during the 90’s and have watched your DT Vancouver turn into a hell hole over the past 15 years. Try a city like Aukland NZ, it was nice years ago. I DON’T travel into DT unless I have to for these following reasons.
Maybe 1 concert a year (if there is someone in town worth spending money on)
3 months ago I had to get a test done in St.Pauls. Parked a few blocks from the hospital, walking the short distance to the appointment I was accosted no less then 6 times for money, smokes, or just targeted. The last guy was extremely PUSHY as to why I wasn’t giving him 2bucks after I told him to F-off.
To those who want to live and defend your mighty city, have at it. I refuse to go there till our screwed systems start to clean itself up. Read this Mr. Robertson and Cambell. You are going to be a laughing stock in 2010 if you don’t look hard at cleaning up that cess pool called crack-couver.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:04 am
other ted:
Well said Ted, that was essentially what i was trying to say. ‘NICE PLACE’ but falls short of being world class. Guess it depends where you are comparing to also – compared to the average British city – Vancouver rocks!
June 28th, 2009 at 6:01 am
#101 as for this – “There is nothing of world-class cultures distinction in this city, nothing.”
Actually, the location is world class for a city this size as anyone who has travelled will acknowledge. There are very, very few cities with the kind of location – not just the ocean and mountains, but the islands in the Georgia Straight. Sydney would be the closest and it simply doesn’t compare for climate and easy access to amazing, and diverse, outdoors activities year round (in my opinion as someone who has lived there).
June 28th, 2009 at 5:58 am
#101 “But no more than your typical North American city. ”
But why compare cities? What’s the point? You live where you live. If you have the freedom to choose where you live then you choose somewhere that offers what you want. Ditto when you go on vacation you choose somewhere that offers things that you like doing. So to move to Vancouver, or even just visit, and then complain there aren’t as many museums as Toronto or not as good pubs as Portland or not as nice a bridge as San Fran is completely pointless.
There’s a thing called the internet that lets you research exactly what vancouver is like before you move here or come on holiday here. Complaining about the place and comparing it to other cities is completely and utterly pointless. The people I love most are the ones who complain about the rain. I love rain which is just as well as it rains a lot in Vancouver, but it’s not exactly a secret that it rains here so quite why people complain so much about it when they visit is beyond me. If you want guaranteed sun, visit LA. Vancouver has a lot going for it depending on what type of place you like to live in. And as for affordability, it really depends on what kind of lifestyle you choose to live and whether owning a home is the be all and end all of your life.
June 27th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Some people hate the city on here but I think that is a misrepresentation of the debate. There are people fanatically in love with it and people who are annoyed with this obsesion with itself. I grew up in vancouver and both sides on here make valid points. I think culturally the city lacks unless you compare it to calgary or some other cultural backwater. In that case vancouver rocks. Then again Calgary has a museum. Vancouve doesn’t.
Here are my observations. As a kid late 70’s to early 90’s I saw things get worse. The 90’s was the era when most festivals were cancelled. The city became expensive and more uptight. The media would come up with “vancouver no fun city” and they were right. I would say after this last boom there have been big improvements in downtown city life and cafe culture. And I do notice that they are getting some of the old festivals back.
So does this make us world class no. Better than a lot of other cities in Canada but not world class.
Lets move on. So what other reasons do people come for tourism. The other is activities. As for activities the city has hikes, water so you can do activities like sea kayak or windsurf. In the winter ski. I think in terms of summer activities the city is positive in terms of lifestyle for city residents but I would never fly here from another country for any of those activities. In terms of a winter destination I can see whistler being world class.
In therms of food I think the city has good value. Compared to other cities in western canada its phenomenal. And I think it holds its own compared to the west coast. Is it food unique to the area. No. Again wouldn’t fly here for that.
As for night life the city is happening. Problem with the night life is its the people that go out. Its a very cliquy city. And every city has a similar nightlife in Canada. Again nothing special.
So all you pumpers you make a point as to why vancouver is liveable but none as to why its a world class destination.
I believe Vancouver is very liveable for those who can afford it. But that is the catch not many can.
June 27th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
For those on here who think Vancouver is a third world city passing itself off as something else, why are you going on and on about vancouver real estate?
I intend on staying here and hope prices will fall so I can buy something decent. But if i hated the place I certainly wouldn’t be buying here, I would be planning my exit strategy. Seems odd to me.
June 27th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
rebootme:
Yep sydney nice place – just as well because you’re in the middle of nowhere – as is the case with oz in general.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
it because they are all out on their boats.
annoying kayakers, seals, eagles and whales with their retarded music.
someone pass me a torpedo, or at least an amusingly-uncharted rock.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Just wondering, do grocery stores in any other city require $0.25 or $1 deposit to release the chain. Only two gang related shootings in last 24 hours. What’s going on gangsters, pretty quiet. Are you in Eurpoe for your summer vacation?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
“As for culture, there is plenty in Vancouver.”
But no more than your typical North American city. Arts festivals, sports teams and farmers markets are everywhere, even in small cities, and everyone thinks they’re special because of it.
“They are four completely different cities.”
Not as different as they used to be. North American corporate culture has made us all the same in so many ways.
There is nothing of world-class cultures distinction in this city, nothing. We suffer badly from ugly buildings everywhere, have a small arts scene thanks to high costs for space, and people here develop their bodies not their minds.
One notable thing we used to have was a fiery political scene. I barely even noticed the last election. In some ways I miss the wild personalities and animated debates of the past. Politically, we make PEI look exciting now.
We do have a wide variety of affordable food, but lets not go wild over this. Much of Central Canada can compete.
“I cohabit and we live comfortably on a joint income of around $75,000 a year.”
Yeah, but you’d live a lot better in most other North American cities. Most people don’t have a huge complaint about rents. I think we had perhaps had a 10% temporary bump up due to demand from people here for the construction boom. Now things look better with the oversupply of housing.
This is an OK place to live. I was born and raised here (fourth generation) but moved away for several years. I’m back for family reasons, and wouldn’t be here otherwise. I don’t hate this place. I guess you could say I barely like it on a good day (like today).