And you're right about one thing, the boredom factor reaches the apex when you've seen the malls and the Costco. Not even Cross Iron Mills can save it, it's like the city itself...bland, boring and just another excuse to spend money.
Cross iron mills is not even in Calgary. It's in the city of Balzac. The mall is filled with outlet stores selling clothes at the same price as regular stores. That mall is infected with the farm boys of Airdrie and the middle eastern community from the NE.
Pro Hockey Life is pretty good. It has crazy selection.
personally i would rather live in a house that i own than a one or two bedroom basement where i'm paying $1,000 a month to rent
In the NE/SE border close to forest lawn (the ghetto of Calgary) you would pay $1,100 for a 1 bedroom apartment. For a 2 bedroom townhouse around $1,400. The apartment and townhouses are around 600 - 900 ft. Square. Those ate just the prices for the ghetto of Calgary. The prices came from Boardwalk Townhouses.
Calagry that high? What were theysmoking when they made the list? Some of those cities are too freaking cold in winter for me. Perth is a nice city but boring. I lived in Singapore and thought that was great and I think Berlin should be higher. Did school in Berlin for three years and all of Germany is a great place to live and very strong economy.
I think people are seriously overestimating the cost of living in Vancouver. Home prices are absurd and likely due for a major correction, but rental prices aren't all that bad or out of line with most other major cities.
The cost is high when people here don't make enough to cover all the costs. Between rent and other bills alone, that's around an entire paycheck for the average person. It doesn't even take into account the cost of food and perhaps even the cost of owning a car. I'd like to think that owning a car shouldn't have to be a privilege here in Vancouver, but sadly that's what it seems like.
The cost is high when people here don't make enough to cover all the costs. Between rent and other bills alone, that's around an entire paycheck for the average person. It doesn't even take into account the cost of food and perhaps even the cost of owning a car. I'd like to think that owning a car shouldn't have to be a privilege here in Vancouver, but sadly that's what it seems like.
The median household income in metro Vancouver is about $70K. Assuming 30% of gross income goes towards rent that has the median household being able to afford $1750 a month. That price doesn't seem unreasonable to get a decent place. It's not going to be in a prime location, but that's just the reality of being a median income earner in a big city.
Unlike sale prices which can be influenced by a myriad of factors, rental prices are usually an accurate reflection of affordability in a city. There's a reason that Vancouver's sale prices have ballooned while rental prices have remained fairly steady and that's because rental prices are more in line with reality. If people truly weren't earning enough to afford these the cost of rent in Vancouver then the prices would drop.
That's not to say that Vancouver isn't fairly expensive, but it's really no more than a place like Toronto (which has an identical median income) and it's a downright bargain compared to some other cities around the world.
The median household income in metro Vancouver is about $70K. Assuming 30% of gross income goes towards rent that has the median household being able to afford $1750 a month. That price doesn't seem unreasonable to get a decent place. It's not going to be in a prime location, but that's just the reality of being a median income earner in a big city.
Unlike sale prices which can be influenced by a myriad of factors, rental prices are usually an accurate reflection of affordability in a city. There's a reason that Vancouver's sale prices have ballooned while rental prices have remained fairly steady and that's because rental prices are more in line with reality. If people truly weren't earning enough to afford these the cost of rent in Vancouver then the prices would drop.
That's not to say that Vancouver isn't fairly expensive, but it's really no more than a place like Toronto (which has an identical median income) and it's a downright bargain compared to some other cities around the world.
For a single girl who has a pet it's almost impossible to find something under $1,500 that isn't a crack shack or a landlord/roommate who wants pictures of you first.
For a single girl who has a pet it's almost impossible to find something under $1,500 that isn't a crack shack or a landlord/roommate who wants pictures of you first.
Maybe you're looking for too many things, but $1500 should get you a 1-bedroom condo almost anywhere you want in Vancouver.
For a single girl who has a pet it's almost impossible to find something under $1,500 that isn't a crack shack or a landlord/roommate who wants pictures of you first.
That's crazy. If your pet is an alligator, I understand, but otherwise you should be fine with $1000 to $1500 for a one bedroom.
Calgary is a great city to live and work in. Plenty of jobs, and affordable. When you need to get away, Banff is an hour away.
Is it a great city to go out of your way to visit? No. Maybe during the Stampede, but even then I think the Stampede is overrated.
Sure its sprawling and there are plenty of cookie cutter neighborhoods, but the core has some liveliness in Kensington and 17th Ave. Sure it's not like Kits and the Drive, but it still gives some colour.
I was one of the biggest Calgary pessimists before moving here, but I've been quite impressed. Once you get over the fact that it's not as charming as Vancouver, it's a great place to live.
What exactly is wrong with Vancouver's transit? Not talking about suburban whining, but VANCOUVER.
These livability surveys do not rate livability for working people on average incomes. They typically rate livability for corporate executives or highly skilled and educated expatriates on assignment. The Economist Survey is an example of this. I know some people in Vancouver, including media outlets, are either ignorant of this, or choose to overlook it, but it's critical because it tells you that trying to hawk these surveys as indicative of the city's overall livability is at best missing the mark, and at worst is completely moronic. For working people, Vancouver is utterly unlivable; certainly, for most such people, a comparable or better quality of life would be available for a substantially lower cost in almost every other metropolitan area in the country.
Also, I did not say transit, I said transportation infrastructure. This includes roads and freeways (or in Vancouver's case, the lack thereof). Public transit is also woefully inadequate, though; compared to Seoul, NYC, or London, the Skytrain is a joke.
Transit is good if you live in Vancouver proper. But if you do, you likely can't afford to live there, or make enough that you don't take transit often.
For a single girl who has a pet it's almost impossible to find something under $1,500 that isn't a crack shack or a landlord/roommate who wants pictures of you first.
Your issue is probably the pet. I used to rent a 700 sq ft place on Robson and Burrard for $1,050 a month. For $1,500 a month you could probably get a one bedroom on Marinaside and live in the same building as a few Canucks...just got to prompton.com and see what they have on offer.
So me and my girlfriend are contemplating moving out to Vancouver in the next couple years once school is done for her... We have some friends out there right now and they have some good contacts out there... mainly Tommy Europe (who used to play for the BC Lions who now owns his own gym and TV show) and there are quite a few pro sports and junior teams in the area.... So this might be a good move for me career wise.
How is Vancouver third in most livable city when the youth is fleeing at an alarming rate. The fastest rate in history. None of us can afford homes here.
So me and my girlfriend are contemplating moving out to Vancouver in the next couple years once school is done for her... We have some friends out there right now and they have some good contacts out there... mainly Tommy Europe (who used to play for the BC Lions who now owns his own gym and TV show) and there are quite a few pro sports and junior teams in the area.... So this might be a good move for me career wise.
What kind of rent would I be looking at for a 1 bedroom? I currently pay a shade over 1200$ here in Ottawa for a mediocre 2 bedroom... By the time if we move out my gf will be a registered nurse and I can work just about anywhere so our income will be better then it is now
What kind of rent would I be looking at for a 1 bedroom? I currently pay a shade over 1200$ here in Ottawa for a mediocre 2 bedroom... By the time if we move out my gf will be a registered nurse and I can work just about anywhere so our income will be better then it is now
You'll be fine at a one bedroom around the same price. It really depends on the location. More in some areas and less in others. I was living in a two bedroom for $1700
You'll be fine at a one bedroom around the same price. It really depends on the location. More in some areas and less in others. I was living in a two bedroom for $1700
We were thinking in the fairview/kitsilano area where our friends live
i love vancouver. but as others have said, these rankings seem to be more "most livable cities if you're an executive at a taiwanese company." cost of real estate, the ceiling for what you could realistically make in vancouver, traffic, and lack of decent public transportation are definite drawbacks. but those things probably don't matter to you if you a high paying job outside of vancouver's economic ceiling, you don't pay income tax in canada, and you have a penthouse in yaletown.
for young people, i don't see why you wouldn't rather live in portland if you could work in the states (ridiculously cheap rent, excellent neighbourhoods, very little congestion for a city, but jobs and below average public transportation are drawbacks). if weather isn't a deal breaker, minneapolis is like portland with jobs but worse traffic. both are among the most bike-friendly cities on this continent-- better than vancouver, which is also very good on that count. that's just counting north american cities.
also, i found toronto more livable on a day to day level due solely to much better mass transit. weather sucked and the city is ugly though.
I did a trip around Canada. From BC to PEI. Other than Manitoba, Alberta was the 2nd worse province. Maybe I was extreme with using dump, but like the other poster said I find it hilarious to see it in the top 5.
Have you seen the Whiteshell area of Manitoba? It's a helluva lot nicer then the ****hole that Calgary is.
Me and my cousin are renting a basement suite for 1100.
You can't afford in the city? Rent one in the burbs.
'Lower-mainland' and Vancouver should have more overlap than they do. Of course living in the core is expensive. That's why I live rather comfortably in Burnaby.
Also, I did not say transit, I said transportation infrastructure. This includes roads and freeways (or in Vancouver's case, the lack thereof). Public transit is also woefully inadequate, though; compared to Seoul, NYC, or London, the Skytrain is a joke.
You're comparing Vancouver to cities with 5-10 times the population. Of course its public transportation is going to be crap in comparison.
