Moving to Vancouver
In anticipation of the possible worst-case scenario following this November's elections, and also just looking for a bit of a fresh start, my (Canadian) husband and I have begun to seriously contemplate moving to the Vancouver area. We have been before and could really see ourselves living there. We understand it is expensive, on par with the Bay Area, but feel like we would get so much more for our tax dollars there. I'm hoping that anyone who has lived there for any appreciable amount of time can provide their thoughts. What are the best neighborhoods for families? We would probably both work remotely, so proximity to downtown is likely not a huge factor. Is the weather completely depressing? How easy is it to make friends? We have lots of family and friends here in the Bay and don't know anyone there, so we would be starting from scratch. Also, we would be enrolling our son in kindergarten in a couple of years - where are the best schools? Thanks in advance for your insight!
Parent Replies
I lived there for almost 2 years (before kids) so can't really comment on family-friendly neighbourhoods but I got the heck out of there so soon because the dreary weather was just unbearable. If it wasn't raining, drizzling or some variation of wet, it was gloomy overcast skies and summers were mild (compared to what I prefer and I'm used to living in Toronto and NYC).
Also many people living in Vancouver grew up there so they all know each other and I found it hard to break into these circles. If you poke around Google and forums, you will actually find articles written about clichey people. The small handful of friends I made were transplants like myself.
On the plus side it's a beautiful city and the real estate market is softening there. After your USD conversion (and if you continue to make USD while living there) you will get more bang for your buck!