Why Vancouver sucks!
Posted by: Frédéric Van Caenegem in Housing, Issues & politics, VancouverThis is my reply to a post I found here (http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2007/10/why_vancouver_sucks.html). While the title is shocking, the post is about high housing in Vancouver and not about the Canucks! It’s from someone in San Francisco saying that Vancouver is no model for his own city.
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I live in Vancouver and absolutely love the city. It’s nice, the weather is wonderful (by Canadian standards), and the people friendly. That being said, it’s no paradise.
I’m a renter and prices are absolutely soaring in this city. Right now I live in a decent apartment a bit far from downtown, but look to move closer. Although, rent is extremely low ($725), this is exceptional for here! There is virtually nothing decent under $1000/month (Check Craigslist to see for yourself: http://vancouver.craigslist.org/apa/).
While, as I mentioned, my unit is OK, smells and noises from my neighbours keep encroaching my apartment and the building is extremely badly managed. One example, one tenant sells drugs (marijuana, crack, probably crystal meth, etc.) on the first floor and the owner/manager doesn’t do anything about that. Another reason I want to move out is that I don’t think the building would survive a strong earthquake (like SF, “The big one” might strike anytime here too)
This bad management partly explains the “low rent” but the main reason there is bad management is that the owner has no interest in taking care of the building because I’m pretty sure he wants to sell the land to, you guess, one of those developers who want to build condos. The land is worth much more then structures here, probably about 4 times the value in Vancouver.
I’m not sure where “new urbanism” fits in here, but nice walkable neighborhoods, bike paths and getting the cars out of city centres doesn’t have to mean building pricey condos that will be bought by people not living there themselves. The main reason, I feel, Vancouver housing situation is in such deplorable situation is lack of political leadership.
Our mayor, Sam Sullivan, and Premier of BC, Gordon Campbell, are only interested in money and not people. While, obviously, economic factors must be looked at, the fact is that provincial, municipal and even federal governments are doing absolutely everything in their powers to satisfy the needs of developers and established land-owning corporations. Social and affordable housing projects are completely set aside to make place for market-priced condos.
I am no expert, but I don’t think “new urbanism” has to be automatically associated to pricey condos. If it includes norms that impose under-market value units, then the benefits of “new urbanism” could be share by everyone, not just people who can afford the nice condos.
A good neighbourhood should have diversity of people and not specialize to a certain socio-economic group. It should be a balance of rich, poor, old, young, big families, no children families. North America has too much of those neighbourhoods that have only one-type residents. Pluralism is not just ethnic diversity but also socio-economic diversity.
Frédéric Van Caenegem
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Lived in vancouver for one month in late 2009 and hated it. No personality, dull, unfriendly people, no sense of humour, self-satisfied, crap. Vancouver is a disgusting place and I consider myself lucky every day not to be living in it.
I’ve been to every major city in Canada and Vancouver is by far the worst. Cities such as Ottawa and Edmonton have more culture and flair than Beigist Vancouver. Where do I begin? Overpriced rent. The 2010 Olympics. Downtown Vancouver is the worst downtown in Canada ( coffee shops, 711′s, condos) and lack of public spaces and parks.
Yea coming from NYC this city is piss poor. People are not very friendly, engaging, or somewhat interesting. Driving here is a complete nightmare, I have never seen a city so poorly designed in my life. There is 1 highway and it doesnt even connect with downtown. Living here is expensive, the nightlife is embarrassing, taxes on anything and everything. I have never seen a city allow bums to take over 4 square blocks (hundreds of them!) and shoot heroin in plain sight with cops standing around watching. Unbelievable!! For years have been debating what to do with the East Hastings scene…..Ill give you the answer…..arrest all of them!!!! Damn bleeding hearts here thing they need more love so maybe we should just hug it out lol! If you allow that behavior then people will continue to do it.
It is beautiful scenery which is amazing. Thats it
I’ve lived in this city for years. It is all true. Vancouver is incredibly expensive. Careers are dying. Hard to find good long term employment. Our government only cares about money and the rich. People are somewhat cold and uncaring. This whole province has gone so far down hill in the last ten years. Rent is astronomical. And again premier Cambell will close a hospital to save half a million, then go and spend 482 million on a new roof for B.C. place, W.T.F! The liberals don’t give a damn about the working people or the disadvantaged in this province. More tax’s introduced every year.
But to be fair there are some nice people in Vancouver and the scenery is beautiful.
Im trying to leave Vancouver, the people suck, boring nightlife, stuck up people, full of immigrants, lousy weather (except summer), no work opportunity, people are greedy and boring. There is nothing great about here… maby for retired old people.
I love the people that slag Vancouver for various reasons like anyoneHome. I have lived in 3 countries in my life the USA, Australia and Canada and have good and bad things to say about them all. But to call Vancouver a village and call the immigrants that come to this city” Eastern/Euro foreign immigrants who had trouble getting legal entry into the States” is just BS. But I could see how some self centered ignorant American would have trouble understanding that maybe people dont want to go the US is hard to swallow, get over yourself. People choose to be here cause they love it.
The weather sucks 11 to 12 months a year and it rains to much? Its rained 5 days in the last 3 months, and anyone that has ACTUALLY lived in Vancouver knows that 90% of the rain falls in the winter, there was a 7 week stretch where it did not rain once. Thats typical summer here. But keep telling the world that, as soon as people find out what its really like they dont want to leave. You say you lived in NYC? Its rains more there and they get less 50 less sunny days on average than Vancouver.
You complain about the heathcare up here? Oh Geez, I dont even have to touch how awful it is in the states, thank god I dont have to deal with the poor medical system down there anymore. How can a country that is that wealthy not be able to give every one of its citizens medical care? America should be ashamed
I love how compact the city is, you dont need a car,there is tonnes and tonnes to do here. If you’re bored , get some friends. What did you do with your time here, sit and watch TV???
It’s too far away from the beautiful nature spots in B.C.???? Thats just about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Have you actually really been here before????
So wherever the crap-hole you came from and are back at, Awesome. We dont want ya back ever. This is an amazing city to be part of and yes it is expensive and yes it has an issue with bums and rich vs poor, but thats what happens when you live in one of most livable places in the world, not everyone can hack it.
My spouse & I have lived in Vancouver for about 5 yrs now. We come from the states. The scenery is fantastic and we are fortunate enough to have a fantastic view. Of course this costs us 850k for 1050 sq ft of soul less, bad architecture. See what you younger folks have to aspire to? Living downtown is very convenient & its nice to walk to most things we need. The parks & beaches are nice. The people are okay, but I just tend to think folks are folks. The rain is daunting in the winter but the Canadian alternative is freeze your ass off so I will take it.
Prices are outrageous. Even with after you factor currency differences most things in the U.S. are 20% cheaper or more. If its not made in North America a duty is levied at 25%. When you consider that few items are made in North America you see the problem. A pair of Levi’s at Urban Outfitters in the states run about $49.00 bucks, here in Van about $72.00. Just an example of a typical item a typical person might purchase. Wages are ridiculously low & theirs not a lot of industry. Mostly a service based economy. I feel for the poor souls who wait tables & make coffee who try to make ends meet.
Why do we live here then? We are lucky in that we have a high income but we could live much better elsewhere and even make more money. So again why? For us I think its this. We are a gay married couple, we have rights here, we are equal here, back in the states we are 2nd class citizens. Our rights are inconsistent at best. We also find Canadians in general to be saner, more intelligent and more polite. People here are reasonable. Those who are at the extremes are more tolerable than most Americans in the middle. Its way more peaceful here. America is loud, crass and annoying. Yes there are more choices there as far as living styles. More climate ranges, more job opportunities, better pay, physical beauty, there is plenty. Money goes further. But its an insane place compared to here.
I JUST RODE THE CANADA LINE!!! I live in Kitsilano, work in Richmond…not worth it for me to use it. It’s WAY OUT. Kinda like their weird idea on the line to not use EXIT signs and now have OUT and WAY OUT. To a tourist who can’t speak the language…they’ll have a problem with their English language book trying to figure out what WAY OUT means.
I just rode a train from Munich 3 months ago and also Orly Sud (France) airport train. Amazing that they have baggage racks on them so you can put your bags on them while going to/from the airport. For some reason, the 2 billion dollar Canada Line which goes to YVR doesn’t have one shelf or rack or stowage for bags!
Vancouver most livable city…
Housing is unaffordable among other things
Traffic is REALLY BAD
ICBC
Try and find parking
Biggest GAP between rich and poor
Highest municipal DEBT in canada
Stupid TAXES on almost everything
Crime and Police corruption
Yuppie superficial douche bags
But other than that, the scenery is beautiful.
Yeah, I just got back from Vancouver, the place is a complete dump. It’s the 3rd major city I’ve lived in, and the first time I lived outside of the US.
Easy reasons to hate Vancouver.
#1. The actual downtown city itself is tiny. You can walk it horizontally in about 35 minutes and vertically in about 15 from it’s longest end to end. This in and of itself isn’t so bad but it’s easy to become bored quickly in a depressed little village like this.
#2. It rains, way too much. This can easily effect your psyche and day to day mood. It just sports horrible weather about 11 out of 12 months every single year, it’s awful.
#3. Bums. Middle class dropouts with mental illness and addiction problems litter the streets of even the cleanest section of the city. Now every city I’ve ever lived in, NYC and LA included have issues with bums, but Vancouver bums tend to be the most NON-physically-handicapped I’ve ever come across and they just lounge around not doing anything begging students and immigrants for their money and cigarettes, it’s quite disgusting and very easy to tire of if your a permanent resident in the city.
#4. It really ISN’T one of the top cities in the world to live in. It’s quite simply, one of the most immigrant friendly cities that you can still find today. So if your from India, China or Europe, then yeah, I can see what there is to like about this little dump, but honestly if I were Canadian or US born and bread I’d stay away from this place.
#5. It’s not really a city. It’s just a big town, that’s layed out in a grid modeled after NY and has mostly crappy overpriced housing as if it were a real city. So it has the dressings of a city, but honestly, my home town suburb in the US is much much bigger, has more stores, jobs, residents and nightlife yet that’s not considered a city either. Now outside of Downtown, the greater Vancouver area, well that really is just a big lame suburb and it’s something you’ll distinctly want to avoid if your looking to Vancouver for city living. Also, the Hastings area of Downtown Vancouver is still populated by drug addicts and violence making the tiny city even smaller as you’ll want to avoid this area indefinitely.
#6. Healthcare in Vancouver is atrocious. I don’t know about the rest of Canada, and I am hoping for Universal healthcare now that I’m back home in the states, but my various experiences with the medical system in Canada were quite atrocious. They don’t even weigh you, check your temperature, your heart or your blood pressure in the GP clinics when you go in with a health related issue. Whenever possible they like to skip all tests and send you away with positive thinking. It’s quite frankly a joke, it may be dirt cheap, but it’s still a joke none the less. Hands down, if your used to having a family doctor in the States (people even have their own dedicated GP’s in major cities in the US) then your going to hate the clinic system of Vancouver with a passion and there is no alternative. You can’t even pay out of pocket to see a specialist without a prescription from a GP which you must go to a clinic to see. If your strapped for time, this is a MAJOR inconvenience.
#7. It’s too far away from the beautiful nature spots in B.C. to even count them as a benefit. The beach and a couple of forest trails are all your going to find in Vancouver itself and you can find that crap in almost any city, it’s nothing special. The beautiful skiing and snowboarding of the greater B.C. area is going to cost money and time to get to, and again, this is something that once taking into consideration isn’t right accross the street or free, is something you could accomplish almost anywhere else in the world just as conveniently as taking a trip to Colorado or Vermont or Oregon, etc..
I could go on and on. But honestly Vancouver sucks, plain and simple. It’s an over-rated, dirty dumping ground that is the landing point for Eastern/Euro foreign immigrants into Canada who had trouble getting legal entry into the States. I don’t appreciate this little sewer of a city and unless your desperate you won’t either. Good Riddance Vancouver, I won’t be back.
I like many came to Vancouver with high hopes; it was the best city in the world. Of the five cities I’ve lived in, this one is by far the suckiest, for all the reasons listed by others. How can the ‘most liveable’ city be the least affordable for the majority of people?
yeah thats about right. I pay a thousand a month for a hole in the wall. My gf can’t help pay rent yet because shes stuck paying off her gigantic student loan (thanks premier gordon you *** douche)
Otherwise the city is great but maybe im just desensitized to all the crack zombies *** bothering me when I go downtown. Come to think of it maybe thats why 28 days later wasn’t scary to me, it’s because I *** live in it everyday.
The nightlife is ok…I guess..Even though now I get hassled at clubs if I’m wearing a certain brand of clothing which is retarded. (great sleuthing rcmp ***) Now I get to wear an inside out shirt to the club while the nammer guy with tattoos that look like satan drew on him waltzes right in and shoots a guy in the face.
Know what maybe this city does suck.
This city is run by evil yuppies.
Worst nightlife in Canada.
Worst housing affordibility in Canada.
Worst poverty.
Worst drug problem.
Most obstinate and stubborn inability to address it’s own problems.
Yes, I agree. I was living for several years in an E. end apt. that at first was very nice. Then new owners took over and systematically the place went downhill – roaches, mice , no heat, no cleaning of public areas, etc etc. The landlords didn’t speak English, only their kids so we were always having to deal with this as well. And on top of it, they began evicting people on the pretext the mother wanted to live in the suites. I was finally one of the evictees. Dishonest people, who tried to partition suites and charge as much for half a 1 bedroom as a whole one was, til they got caught, Lots of other problems. I was fortutate to get offered an excellent place in a condo building for only an hundred dollars more that is fully equipped, clean and safe, (a strata bldg).How do these people get to be allowed licenses to run businesses, I’d like to know. And it seems to be lately you hear more and more of the same kind of nonsense, meanwhile rents keep going up so no wonder thre are so many people living on the streets.