Hey there..I've used this site and always gotten great feedback, so here i am again....I'm a 23 year kid from the States finishing up college and wanting to move up to canada, particuarly British Columbia. My mom's from canadian, from winnipeg, so i got the shoe in...MY question is this...I'm thinking B.c., because i love hiking and stuff of this sort and i also enjoy the city atmosphere, so Vancouver seems like a logical fit...Im a pretty easy going guy, who is down to earth, and enjoys a friendly, relaxed atmosphere...For all the things i am and wish to do, do u think vancouver is my best bet? Are there any smaller cities in B.C. that might suit my personality better? Vancouver seems good, but im a bit weary, as to the price of living, and if its really all the down to earth, friendly city im led to believe it is....I traveled there last year, along with vancouver island, so i have somewhat of an idea of the place...If anyone has any help at all, id be grateful...Winnipeg is awesome and ive definatly thought about it as well, but i need mountains and hopefully ocean....Thanks....Greg

Don't mind my grammer..Its late here

Hi Grega2475,

My son is doing a year's internship (practical work experience) in Vancouver. When he has completed his internship, he'll still have one year of university left to do in Calgary.

He is absolutely loving Vancouver. He's a very outdoorsy person, and he loves snowboarding at Whistler. Better still, he loves it when the employees at his company occasionally club together and rent a bus to spend a weekend at Sun Peaks outside of Kamloops.

My son rents an apartment in the West End. At 550 sq. ft., it's pretty compact, but he finds it enough for his needs. He likes cycling to work (riding along English Bay / False Creek for a good chunk of the distance). On the days on which he does not cycle, he uses public transportation. He says he waits no longer than 2 minutes for a train.

On weekends he likes shopping for fresh produce at Granville Island Market.

Aside from outdoor pursuits, his other hobby is music. He says there's always more stuff going on than he can handle, and he has to make choices about which concert, party, etc., he'll attend.

Vancouver does have its dark side in the sense that there are homeless people, drug addicts, hookers, etc. However, I don't believe you're going to get away from that in a smaller city. Victoria, Kelowna, etc., also have homeless people, unfortunately.

you might want to research the okanagan area as well (vernon, penticton, etc.). no ocean but plenty of great areas to spend outdoors and lot of lakes. lower cost of living then vancouver. about a 6 hour drive from the coast.

Hi I would reccomend the Vancouver area. What kind of employment are you looking for. The area around Kitsaliano/UBC or the west end are the most popular for your age group. Depending on job aspects Whistler or Kelowna are also good choices.

Thank you so far for your responses..To add something else in the mix, which area of vancouver would you suggest to live in?

>>>>>>which area of vancouver would you suggest to live in?<<<<<<

See weasel's post. Yaletown also is an area to consider.

We watch the Canadian news on CBUT every night and they have really been emphasizing the fact that everyone is hiring. There is a huge building boom in all of BC. Vancouver is expensive, but you don't have to live in a megamillion dollar condo...there are lots of affordable neighborhoods.

Greg, there are a lot of different neighbourhoods worth living in, but to recommend one requires what you're looking for in a neighbourhood, and how much you're willing to spend.

A good overview of popular neighbourhoods can be gathered from this website: http://www.vanmag.com/city.html

A sobering experience is to look at the rental prices for these neighbourhoods on the Craigslist website: http://vancouver.craigslist.org/apa

Ithink the key here is what kind of work do you do or want to do. There are all sorts of great spots in BC but the job market varies. If you are in construction of course the Vancouver and Whistler areas are great due to the building boom for the 2010 Olympics. As ITT suggested the Okanagan valley is a great area to live in. The skiing is great - excellent hiking - the lakes are gorgeous and the cost of living so much cheaper than Vancouver/Victoria etc. The only thing is - jobs are limited and the pay not great. Think about the employment aspect before you decide.

The Okanagan is also probably better if you're planning to settle down. While beautiful, I don't know how much it would offer a 23 year old. Personally I'd recommend starting off in Vancouver and using it as a base to explore other options. Victoria is a tad cheaper than Vancouver, but much more quiet (ie: the city feels like a dead zone after 9pm). This isn't a bad thing necessarily, but if you're looking for a fun place to be for a 23 year old, you can't beat Vancouver in BC!

I couldn't recommend Victoria for a young person who wasn't attending UVic. It lacks vitality and energy, and the saying that it's for the "newly wed and nearly dead" is quite apparent when you look about you. I love visiting Victoria and Oak Bay, and so does my daughter - for a weekend.

Vancouver is everything wonderful the others have said, but there's definitely a serious problem with junkies, and property crimes.

One major consideration - what sort of job do you plan to get? That will help us direct you.

Hey everyone, thanks for the help, i really appreciate it...As of right now i am probably getting a job at an organization on the BC university campus, so im thinking that the area "kits" might be a good bet for me. I grew up in the city part of chicago, so crime, gangs, etc. arent outta the norm for me..Id like to live in a cool, young neighborhood, but not one thats too trendy and obviously expensive...Vancouver does seem like a good place to start for obvious reasons...Thanks again for all your help. - Greg

Hi Greg, If you'll be working at UBC then the kits neighborhood is great.Anywhere around W. 1st to W. 41st or around the Jericho beach or Dunbar areas are great. Because this area has alot of young adults their is plenty of varied accommodation. The transit in this area and into downtown is also the best in the city. I lived in this area for 6 years while attending UBC and I still miss it. Have fun and I hope everything works out. By the way my son goes to UVIC and he comes back to White Rock every Summer. He says Victoria is very Slow even compared to White Rock.