Mr. Self Destruct

I'm moving to Vancouver, BC in April 2006

I need to get any additional information that I can...what do I need to know, etc?

I've lived in the Philadelphia/surrounding area for a good 15 years of my 23 years of my life, so it's a completely new world to me.

I'm most like to the West End area...and I don't know anyone there.

If anyone has information about best ways to find an apartment (with a roommate); ways to "meet" new people (online) before I head over there...anything

Thanks in advance!

Darknite39

Learn to replace all "ou"s with "oo"s, as in "aboot," and you'll be fine.

I'm sorry--I am of no help to you, but I do hope your move goes well!

heimerSWT

The only major city in Canada I've been to, and it is one of the most beautiful and clean cities I have ever seen. If I had to leave the States for any reason, Vancouver would be my first choice for relocation.

Hope this helps.

nomaan

It rains. A lot.
X-files was shot over there.
Hockey is big over there.
I heard its a VERY BEAUTIFUL city/province.

The Infidel

It is beautiful up there. Not that this one pic is representative of the total beauty of the surroundings, but I took this in Stanley Park when I was up there.



Another factoid: About half the population of Vancouver is Asian. I kid you not. You can't swing a dead cat up there without hitting an Asian person, and there's at least two or three Oriental restaurants on every street, which means you probably wouldn't find a dead cat to swing around anyway.

BTW...my girlfriend lives in Vancouver (hence my trip up there), and I've been wanting to move up there too. Need a roomie?

Shazam

Where did you find a dead cat? They're always being taken by the Chinese restaurants there.

Rockmjd23

Watch out for the bird flu.

The Infidel

Is there an echo in here?

funkyryno

If you need to score weed avoid the junkies on the East Side. Go visit the hippies in Stanley Park.

Mr. Self Destruct

Well, so far nothing bad...that's a beautiful picture, by the way. I think it'll be a nice change from Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a dirty city, extremely loud, and very dangerous at parts---I'm tired of it and ready for something completely different. Plus, i hear the girls are less uptight!

Aldarion

The scenery around here is pretty amazing, and it's a very good place if you're into outdoor activities. I don't think there's any part of Vancouver itself that I'd consider particularly dangerous, although there is a petty crime problem in some areas.

Craigslist is a good resource for looking for shared accomodation.

http://vancouver.craigslist.org/roo/

Coral

I was there for a week and it's a great city.

It's gorgeous and very clean. If you're into outdoor activities, Vancouver is definitely the place to be (any time of year).
The atmosphere really lends itself to a healthier lifestyle. I didn't see many fast food chains there, and I only came across one obese person.

The only downside is that things are a tad expensive there, more expensive than Toronto it seems.

I think you'll love Vancouer.

Congradulations!

RayChuang

I have family relatives that live in Vancouver, BC.

If you're into Chinese food, that city has a lot of excellent restaurants, mostly because there are a lot of Hong Kong expatriates living there. The only other city in Canada with as many excellent Chinese restaurants is Toronto, ON, which also has a huge number of Hong Kong expatriates (include other family relatives of mine).

Mr. Self Destruct

Wonderful! I like Chinese and Thai food, but I guess I'll miss some of my fast food that I've grown accustomed too, even though I know it's horrible for me. I also hear it's a good walking city, you never need a car, taxi, or anything..for the most part. True?

MR ROBOTO 9000

Unless you "swing" a certain way, you might want to screen potential roommates when locating to the west end. Make sure the apartment is at least 2 bedrooms.Big gay population. (Not that theres anything wrong...)

RoQuEr

Night Skiing with a panoramic view of the city. Learn to Love it

Pressplay

My aunt lives there, in the Grandville Island area, and it's awesome! Appartement prices are a bit steep but the quality of life is amazing, with the nature, access to the path leading to Stanley Park, the farmer's market and such. If I moved there, that's where I would try to rent a place.

Oh, and don't miss the Irish Heather pub in Gastown, good food, good people, good times!

The Infidel

Why would you miss your fast food? They have all the same restaurants up there that we do down here, though maybe not quite as abundant.

Mr. Self Destruct

Hey, I saw your message above. Are you seriously looking to move to Vancouver in April-ish? Let me know!

Yeah, they're really abundant right now here where I live, which is probably the only reason I go to them. If there was something healthier nearby, I'd probably go there.

This will be a really exciting experience, I can't wait. I've never lived so far from my friends/immediate family, hopefully, I can meet new people easily.

solipsta

If you live in the city and work in the city, you don't need a car. Walking is pretty easy depending on where you're going, but there's also a halfway decent bus system, too. If you need a car once in a while, there's a few companies that run car sharing programs.

What fast food restaurants do you think you'll miss? Are there some that are unique to the east? I wouldn't worry about food. There's a lot of good eats in town. It's not just all chinese food. We have a lot of japanese food, too. Seriously, there's a lot of great ethnic food, but there's a ton of great "American" food, too. Lots of great burger places (White Spot, FatBurger), casual dining (Earls, Milestones) and others...