Living in Vancouver BC?

[SuSu]

Are there any members here living in Vancouver BC?

I'm considering relocating from Seattle to Vancouver BC (for work), and was hoping to hear some opinions on the city from locals.

More specifically, I'd like to know:
- What are some of the interesting neighborhoods for someone in their 20's?
- What's considered a decent annual salary for being able to live comfortably in the city?
- Is it feasible to live in Vancouver without a car? (I currently have a car, but would prefer to not drive)
- Are there tax deferred savings plan like the 401k? (where I would be able to keep the money when I leave canada).

 

[caff]

Can't answer the first 2, since I'm a recent grad that's returned home to Vancouver and have no choice/expertise in those matters...

I'd say 3 is pretty feasible depending on where you live - suburbs probably not so much unless you're close to a Skytrain station, but I know plenty of friends who get around exclusively via transit.

 

[phildo]

I hope you like marijuana, heroin addicts, and old hippies

 

[warmpi]

Do you already have a job set up? I'd say that Seattle and Vancouver are pretty similar cities, but that Seattle has more job opportunities.

- What are some of the interesting neighborhoods for someone in their 20's?
Downtown, Yaletown, Kits, West 4th.
- What's considered a decent annual salary for being able to live comfortably in the city?
I'd say minimum $40,000. But even that is pushing it. Rent is expensive in Vancouver, and especially so in the above areas.
- Is it feasible to live in Vancouver without a car? (I currently have a car, but would prefer to not drive)
Depends where your work is. For the most part you should be okay. Biking to work is the in thing these days.
- Are there tax deferred savings plan like the 401k? (where I would be able to keep the money when I leave canada)
Yes, there's the Registered Retirement Savings Plan and the Tax Free Savings Account.

There are a quite a few Vancouverites on the forum. I'm sure they'll chime in at some point.

 

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by warmpi

Do you already have a job set up? I'd say that Seattle and Vancouver are pretty similar cities, but that Seattle has more job opportunities. - What are some of the interesting neighborhoods for someone in their 20's? - What's considered a decent annual salary for being able to live comfortably in the city? - Is it feasible to live in Vancouver without a car? (I currently have a car, but would prefer to not drive) - Are there tax deferred savings plan like the 401k? (where I would be able to keep the money when I leave canada)
1. Neighbourhoods - Mt. Pleasant/South Main (kind of Van's version of Williamsburg), Kits (if you like the beach), West 4th. Commercial Dr. if you're working in the 'burbs and want to lessen the commute. Personally I would avoid living downtown. It's expensive, not a ton of amenities for younger people unless you like the big club/bar scene on Granville St. 2. Salary - to live downtown you're looking at 40k+ (and that would be with a roommate). To live in Mt. Pleasant/East Van/Kits you could live alone quite comfortably for that amount. 3. Having a Car - as said before, totally depends on your work location and lifestyle. I used to work downtown and commuted from Mt. Pleasant in 20-25 min via bus. If you're working outside of downtown and your office is near a Skytrain station you'll be fine. If not, you're in for some long bus rides/waits. I would recommend having a car if you like to mountain bike, hike or ski because you'll have a hard time accessing trails and mountains through public transit. 4. Savings Plans - are you an American citizen? If you're thinking of working in Canada, in a professional capacity (not seasonal work), you'll need to have a company sponsor you. How they'll pay you will effect how you can save. If they're paying you in US funds (unlikely) you'll be able to have something like a Roth IRA. If you're being payed in Canadian you'll have the Canadian version called a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). I don't know about the tax implications about your savings back into the US but any good Canadian financial advisor should be able to tell ya. Let me know if you need any rec's on bars, restaurants, etc. to check out. A

 

[Smartalox]

Aim higher, salary wise. Fifty-five k minimum (Cdn), if you want to live here and have any kind of future (i.e.: own vs. rent). Rents are expensive, food is expensive, entertainment is really expensive.

A car is not a necessity in the city of Vancouver proper (there are lots of car co-op options). If you are not living and working in Vancouver, then a car is probably a good idea. I have an older car, but really only use it on the weekends to go skiing, etc. You can get a break on your auto insurance if you restrict your driving to work to less than 6 days a week. Secure parking is highly advised, because the junkies and the buggy boys will break a $300 car window for a $0.05 cent deposit on the empty pop bottle on the floor of the back seat.

Public transit is terrible. I'd prefer to park my car and ride 10 miles to work and back than take the bus. Even in the rain. On the upside, most office buildings have secure bike parking and changing/shower facilities.

As for neighbourhoods, south Main / mount pleasant is where I live, but the place is suffering from hipster overload. Really. Like I long to see a bike that is not a fixie, and street signs that have not been edited with ironic grafitti. Cambie Street and the area near the Vancouver General Hospital have a lot of reasonably priced apartments, and is a $15 cab ride to downtown. Kits beach is nice, but gridlocked with suburbanites and Harley boys in the summer. Same with the West End. Yaletown is choc a bloc with 500sf condos that are rented out. With luck you'll move into a tower where there's only a few people turning tricks in order to pay their rent.

Expect Yaletown to be locked down for the month of February next year, becaue it's right next to the Olympic venues.

Further afield, North Vancouver is quite nice, and with reasonable apartments and proximity to the mountains and downtown. It's across the bay from the downtown core, and there is a little commuter ferry that shuttles back and forth. Be aware though that nobody that you might pick up in a pub downtown will want to go home with you if you live on the North Shore.

You sure that you still want to move here?

 

[wagthesam]

BC bud is epic. This place will spoil you if you are into that sort of thing.

 

[ratboycom]

Originally Posted by phildo

I hope you like marijuana, heroin addicts, and old hippies

How is that different than Seattle? I actually felt like Vancouver was a more clean version of Seattle.

 

[warmpi]

Originally Posted by Smartalox

Yaletown is choc a bloc with 500sf condos that are rented out. With luck you'll move into a tower where there's only a few people turning tricks in order to pay their rent.

I've heard this before. Don't really understand it...

 

[svelten]

I'll chime in to defend the city that I've lived the better part of my life in. A couple of weeks late, but oh well.

1. Kitsilano is pricey but has great access to beaches, plenty of shopping and restaurant options, and proximity to the well heeled meaning clean neighborhoods and lack of typical suburban trash. There are probably some secondary suites floating around that offer a decent rate.

Second choice for me would be between King Edward and Broadway on Main street which houses some great clothing shops ie Joanathan + Olivia, Eugene Choo, Front, etc., a great pub scene, close proximity to the skytrain so you can get to work easily. Indie overload here shouldn't be any worse than it is in Seattle.

Third choice would be the North Shore and West Van, which are amongst the nicest parts of the lower mainland, features gorgeous views of the mountains and is of close proximity to hiking and skiing activities, but both are difficult for commuting to work from. Bridges are often gridlocked; the Seabus is a possible option if you work near a Skytrain station.

Downtown isn't great here in Van. Low class trashy nightclubs, Cordova Street and the decadent Granville strip is a microcosm of society's problems. The waterfront views are nice if you can afford them and shops range from gastown boutiques like Roden Gray to, well, Hermes & Tiffany. Burnaby's only worth living in if you're close to a Skytrain station. Richmond's only worth living in if you're Asian (which I am, and I still don't go there often). I wouldn't bother with any other municipality given all the options.


2. Need minimum 50k to rent on your own here, honestly. If you want to become a future homeowner you'll probably want to look at a combined household income of at least 100k.. without kids. Vancouver has some of the most overpriced real-estate in North America. It's a bit less if you choose to live in Burnaby/Richmond, and even less if you live in seedier parts of New West, Surrey or Coquitlam.


3. If your work is within walking distance to a Skytrain or Canada Line, you shouldn't have to drive to work. Downtown is also perfectly fine by public transit. Any destination that you have to take a connecting bus to should be driven.


4. Not sure what you're asking about wrt leaving Canada. There are tax-free RRSP investments which you can take out for home buying purposes or for future education. There's also the tax free savings accounts or the life insurance tax shelters.

 

[unjung]

Wait until the Olympics are over. Vancouver's recession will really hit then and things should get cheap.

 

[warmpi]

I'd disagree. Vancouver parallels San Francisco. Cost of living (by which I really mean cost of real estate) was high before the announcement of the olympics.. and it'll remain high after the olympics.

 

[SuSu]

Thanks to everyone for your useful info and advice!

Update: I finally got my work permit approved and am now in the apartment hunting phase. I've explored the city a bit (most of downtown) and have figured out that I can get to work easily via the sky train + 1 transfer. Thus, I'm planning to go car-less and live close to a sky train stop. I've pretty much narrowed it down to either: commercial drive (reminds me of capital hill), yaletown, or west end. I really like downtown Vancouver as it feels much more urban than downtown Seattle.

Question: What are some good online resources to find apartments and/or random roommates besides craigslist?

 

[intent]

I'm not so sure that living near a Skytrain station is a good idea. Some sketchy stuff going on nearby sometimes, plus the noise gets annoying. Maybe it's better to live by a bus stop on a major line instead?

 

[bawlin]

Originally Posted by unjung

Wait until the Olympics are over. Vancouver's recession will really hit then and things should get cheap.

Idiot.

There was a worldwide financial meltdown, and Vancouver BARELY felt it. What makes you think the Olympics are going to cause this city to burn?

As for places to live, if you're not going to have a car, try living near the Canada Line (train). I live in Fairview, a couple of blocks from the Olympic Village station and it's amazing. I own a car but I haven't event driven it in over 2 months. My commute to work (Yaletown) is literally 15 minutes (from the time I lock my front door to the time I step into my office).

I personally could never live anywhere BUT downtown (though I want to), mainly because all my friends are downtown and the Main Street/Commercial Drive scene isn't for me.