I am grateful that I had the opportunity to live there for 10 years( '91 - '01). Indeed, it is a very special place. Not sure if it was sustainable for me. Real-estate was insane, but I missed the boat on that. Should have suffered and got in the game in early 90's. The other weird thing I found was no rec-propoerty like we have in Ontario - you know semi wildernss areas that you can drive to a few hours and have a cabin and feel like you are getting away from it all. Gulf Islands are out - over the top $$$$ and transportation hassles with the ferries. I don't consider Whistler - getting away from it - it's busier than Vancouver. Where else - the Cariboo or the Okanagon both 6 hours plus drive.
I did not mind the rain, but people do need to know that it can rain almost every day from early November through until March!! It is kinda neat to know that in January there is this tiny little patch of all of Canada in the Lower Mainland that is not under 2 feet of snow and suffering through -20C weather!
Traffic - all big cities in North America have terrible traffic, but Vancouver - that's just ridiculous. It's a good thing that I walked, biked or bused around when I was there. Driving a car would have sent me around the bend.
Government - Unfortunately during my time there the province was being run by the biggest bunch of buffoons that I have ever seen. Things are a bit better now that I am told, but it does say something when a city like Vancouver, as cool as it is and as great a place as it is, has so few corporate offices.
I travelled quite a bit for work when I lived there and I to also enjoyed "coming home" to Vancouver when I had been away. Indeed, those North Shore Mountains looked pretty nice . . if you can see them through the clouds and the fog!
Fleck
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog