Victoria or Vancouver?

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I would go with Victoria.
~ Better Climate
~ Soooooooo many beaches!
~ Great schools
~ Beautiful parks
~ Not just upper class
~ Very Eco conscious
~ Exceptional Music/Art Scene

I like it better because its smaller, there are so many outdoorsy things to do, and any way you drive, you always end up at the ocean =]

old lady

Victoria doesn't consist solely of an upper class - it's a pretty mixed bag. Yes, it is smaller than Vancouver but it has a whole strata of social classes. However, given the parameters you have listed, Vancouver might be a better choice because it is far more cosmopolitan. And there is almost no difference in weather between the two cities so Victoria doesn't really have a milder climate. If anything, it's more exposed so there is more wind in Victorira than Vancouver. And the Legislative Assembly is there, which means there is a LOT of wind in Victoria =)

Karen L

You've been misled by the classic picture of Victoria, as a place of little old ladies having high tea. It's got two universities so has a pretty fair sprinkling of younger people, academics, counter-culture types. It's still a small city but a nice one. Excellent parks. The climate is similar to Vancouver's, the temperature differences being minimal, though it is drier and a bit windier in Victoria.

Vancouver being so much bigger, it naturally has more choice in just about everything as well as a more diverse population.

Melkiha

"if it consists solely of an upper class stuffy environment"
My! Where did you get this info?

Personally, I prefer Victoria.
But Vancouver has also been great.
I've lived in both cities and I like Victoria better.
(Though there's a lot going on for Vancouver)

James

If you are looking for more diversity and an eco conscious area, Vancouver is the better of the two. The climate is really not that different, just a little more rain in vancouver. Vancouver also hosts a variety of art and music festivals annually, such as the Folk Fest and Bard on the beach.
If you like the city scene, and night life, vancouver is much better.
Costs of living in Vancouver are much higher, and the city is more condensed.

From the sound of what you want, I would say Vancouver is a better choice for you.

cheers

Amandi

I went to Victoria over the summer and it's wonderful. It's very clean and calm. I would chose Victoria

John W

Having resided in both cities I hope I can shed a little light on your question. Victoria is fashioned somewhat on a British theme such as tea time at 3:00, British double decker tour buses etc. It is an old city (James Bay) with much history. Victoria tends to be conservative and at times aloof. However, the population base is quite diverse from homeless people living on the streets to millionaires in their mansions. They have a orchestra, art gallery and a great Provincial Museum as well as many clubs for the night crowd.
Vancouver is very culturally diverse with many different cultures living in their own little communities through the city. It is a wealthy city but too has it's problems with homeless people and a major drug problem on the lower east end of the city. There is much development in progress in Vancouver as well as Victoria and the art community is very active in both cities.
As for climate, they both have wonderful climates but be prepared for plenty of rain in the winter months and if they do receive snow, it can get nasty, especially in Vancouver as many residents of the city have never seen or driven in snow so it can get interesting.
I wish you and your family good luck in your quest for a new city to call home and no whichever city you chose, you will be happy there.

Kennie065

Both places are great. Vancouver is certainly larger. I am also an English and Spanish speaker and I have run into many others here. Home prices are comparable in both cities and the climate is the same. Forget the "stuffy upper class" that is not what Victoria is like at all. My only complaint after 12 years here is that sometimes it is annoying that you need to take a ferry to drive off the island. Access to the mainland highway is probably the only thing I miss having.

tinkerpanda

Victoria is only slightly milder than Vancouver.

Frankly, for greater diversity and a better art scene I'd personally chose Vancouver. I don't find Victoria to be all that diverse. It's very polarized. You have the young people - who are mostly in the university area. And then you have the old people. In terms of Music I'd also say that Vancouver has a bigger variety. I find Vancouver to just have a lot more choice. I think the spanish-speaking populations would be larger there too. If Victoria has a scene it's invisible as far as I'm concerned. I've been near Victoria for 12 years and have yet to hear it spoken there. I find Vancouver to be more relaxed than Victoria - and a little more exciting. I just found that after a year Victoria sort of melds together. It's boring - it doesn't seem to change a whole lot. Once you see it, you've seen it at all.

I found the most agitating thing about Victoria is the fact that it's on an island. I know. It sounds a little petty. But getting off the Island is a pain. If you want to go to Vancouver or Seattle or anywhere else you either have to fly, which is expensive. Or you can get ripped off by the wankers at BC Ferries (I hate BC Ferries more than smell of cow manure. I think it's probably run by Satan). It's a really big hassle when you want to leave.

In terms of costs, they can both be costly, but Vancouver is definately worse. Schooling wise - I don't know. I wasn't in the public system - frankly the local schools were crap. From what I've heard there are some decent schools closer to Victoria and theres a lot of options in Vancouver. There are public arts schools which are more focused on drama and sculpting and painting and dance and things. There are schools were you have to audition and are very strict academically. And there are some pretty abismal schools too.

I'm really glad I'm no longer living in Vic. The only thing I miss is the weather.

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