To anyone who lives or has lived in Vancouver?

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wreck_beach

The closer you can afford to live to downtown, the happier you'll be. Definitely avoid the suburbs up the Fraser River if you can (especially on the south side). Although Langley is very picturesque and a nice place for a family, you'll be forever hemmed in by plugged freeways and (soon to be) toll bridges. Its best to be on the same side of any water body as downtown. My advice would be to try and see about a house in the north end of Burnaby. Keep in mind the median house price in Vancouver is hovering around $600,000 at the moment and even a million doesn't buy you anything spectacular but the lifestyle is what keeps people there.

Its the only place in Canada where it doesn't really drop below freezing in the winter. Snow is rare to say the least yet there are 3 ski hills within half an hour of downtown (2 of which are accessible by public transit) and all offer night skiing and summer wilderness hiking with incredible views overlooking the city and the ocean. The scenery is unbelievable to everyone who visits and the city can't seem to build fast enough to keep up with growth. It is also going to be home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games--jointly between Vancouver and Whistler (just a 1.5 hour drive north of the city).

Canada's Ipsos-Reid did a poll across the country and found that 1 out of every 10.2 Canadians who didn't live in Vancouver said they would move to Vancouver in a heartbeat if only they could afford it. Its the most expensive city in the country but even if it is a stretch, I wouldn't let that scare you away. I stretched myself 10 years ago to buy a condo and it has more than doubled in value since.

cheesytoast

My sister has 5 kids, 4 - 11 years old. She moved her family to White Rock from Italy last year.... and has never been happier! (White Rock is on the ocean, and about 40 min. drive to the centre of Van.)
I lived in Vancouver for years. AMAZING place to lay your head, I am sure you will absolutely love it for all the reasons everyone has said, plus more.
Let us know if you make the plunge!

Barbados Chick

I love it!!! Everyone else said it all for me - who can't wait to move back to the lower mainland, specifically - Langley!!!! We still have a home there.
With the new bridge coming and widening of the Port Mann..... I would still suggest exploring the opportunities in the burbs. Lots of people do. Small town feeling and safety. Easier for the kids to fit in too.
BC will welcome you all.

Vancouver is great, but with 5 kids i guess you are better of if you go to a city close to Vancouver ( downtown) like Richmond, Port Moody or...
I think you will like it here, people are nice , weather is great, and there are so many out door activity for family and kids.
good luck

http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/

old lady

Vancouver is a pretty cosmopolitan city. You would likely enjoy it very much. It's a very active community, rated one of the fittest in Canada, and people play tennis, golf, jog, run, bike, swim, sail, paddle, row, etc.etc.etc. all year round. There is a pretty good arts and culture scene, with several live theatres, as well as galleries and museums. Vancouver/Whistler is the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, so there will be a great deal of hoopdedoo over that. There are good schools for the kids, either in the public school system or in the private school sector.

westcoastpup

Vancouver is a great place for kids! Lots of activities and beautiful parks etc. Yes, I would say that this is a great town for families.

superrrmodel

I was born in Vancouver and still live here. It would be very difficult to write down everything here that I can tell you about Vancouver. Vancouver is a city with a great deal to offer for those who like the outdoors. The winters are quite mild but wet. We have mountains and the ocean so there are any amount of activities to enjoy.

We also have Ballet BC, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and a number of festivals throughout the year which you can find out about on.

www.vancouverplus.ca

You may also want to check out the forum and find out specifics on.

www.discovervancouver.com

Good luck.

d-arch4ever

Vancouver is a great city to live in! It's been rated the BEST city to live in during 2006 and the climate is just wonderful! The people are very friendly (the city's gay friendly too), but you hardly see them on the streets! (except in downtown area). For your kids, the best schools are probably in the west side of vancouver (unless you're considering private). But be prepared because the housing prices in Vancouver west is EXPENSIVE! It has grown a lot in the past few years and usually, only rich people buy houses there and non-rich people rent houses there but some still have a difficult time paying rent. There's actually been break-ins there lately because people know that's where rich people live. It's cheaper on the east side and the suburbs but I don't recommend you go living in Surrey right now because there's been a lot of crime happening there lately. Otherwise, Vancouver is a really safe city.

reene2g

i dont live there, but have visisted a few times also from GA.
it's clean, very very scenic, North vancouver is considered "nice" in terms of neighbourhood. But the rest of the city looked just as beautiful. People were friendly and laid back. Population is very diverse, younger generation though.. Seatle is only an hour away (in case you miss the US), lots of mountains, hills and parks. the winters is the only problem, its cold cold cold. Dont know much about schools, but college's are plenty and well accreditaed.

minijumbofly

Vancouver is voted the most livable city in the world many times if that gives you any idea.

The weather is mild yet provides distinct changes of seasons. It's clean and multi-cultured. It has a wild range of geographic varieties for all sorts of activites.

The only thing bad there is the cost of living which is towards the high end and poor wages and salaries.

tyrone b

I've been living here for 12 years and love it here. Weather's nice. This is one of the few places where you can golf in the morning and ski in the afternoon!

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