I moved to Vancouver from a small town in central Alberta just over two years ago and, while most of the time I love it here, there are some drawbacks. Some things about Vancouver are better than anywhere I’ve ever been to and some things… well it could use some work. Here are a few things I love and hate about this city.
Love: The Transit System
Most people love to hate on TransLink but it’s actually one of the better transit systems in North America. When people say “ugh TransLink is the worst” all I can say is “have you been to Calgary where the train doesn’t go to any of the surrounding cities? Or maybe Edmonton where they have one train line that runs through downtown? Or how about Regina where there’s no train at all?” Yes, TransLink isn’t perfect but it’s certainly better than some places.
With temperatures dipping to around 0°C, we'll be deploying our trolley wire de-icing truck overnight. pic.twitter.com/Ax8tQk0FyP
— News from TransLink (@TransLinkNews) October 23, 2020
Twitter/TransLinkNews
Hate: Driving
I don’t know how this city pulls it off but we have the worst drivers in North America (all the more reason I like transit). I work for a rental car company and the amount of absolutely dumb things I see on a daily basis while driving around is astounding. And on top of the terrible drivers, the roads and infrastructure are absolute garbage. We have the worst infrastructure of any major city I’ve ever been to.
Love: The Culture
This goes a few different ways. One is the creative culture. What I mean by that is things like the film industry and the music scene. It’s a widely accepted career path and people don’t look at you like a crazy person when you say you’re taking broadcasting in university. The other is the diversity. I’ve met/worked/become friends with people from all over the world here. I almost exclusively interact with people who aren’t from Canada on a regular basis. This has been great for me to expand my view of the world. There are also bomb restaurants everywhere! More than just burger and fries places.
Hate: The Price
Everything is soooo expensive here. Gas, car insurance, rent, groceries, the list goes on and on. And it gets more expensive every day especially if you want to live somewhere remotely convenient. I read once that Vancouver has the worst wage to cost of living ratio in the world. I don’t know how true that is but I believe it.
Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vancouver_Skyline_and_Mountains.jpg0
Do you love or hate Vancouver? Let us know what you think!