I know this is a very general question...

Contemplating a possible job there. I know NOTHING about the place, other than what I've seen on various web sites. I'd just like to hear from someone who lives there. How would empty-nesters do there? Is there a good real estate web site with current listings?

Thanks!

It's a beautiful but expensive place to live.

Nature is at your doorstep and if you're at all interested in hiking/cycling/boarding/skiing/sailing this is a wonderland of opportunity.

The only exceptional part of '<i>city life</i>' as most urbanites know it is dining-Vancouver has some outstanding dining opportunities-although few top end places.

Museums/the symphony/theatre/opera are all decidedly second rate.

Weather is a trial-it's cold/dark and rainy for 6 months of the year-again if the outdoors appeal that'll help you to deal with the <i>blahs</i>.

People are generally friendly and helpful to newcomers but not really outgoing-many newly arrived people complain that it's hard to meet people here.

Beneath our warm exteriors a large well of reserve lurks.

You can get real estate listings at the Multiple Listing Services website:

http://www.mls.ca/

Here is a website called Relocation 2 BC. It is run by a husband and wife team who are British Expats living in Vancouver. I've never met them in real life, but have had some e-mail correspondence with them. Anyway, whether or not you ever contact them, I think you'll find their website useful.

http://www.relocation2bc.com/

The Escape Artist website has some informative articles written by Thelma O'Connor, an American expatriate living in Canada:

http://www.escapeartist.com/canada/canada.htm

I've never lived in Vancouver, and have been there only as a tourist. From what I've seen of it, admittedly as a tourist, I'd give my eye teeth to live there.

My son lived there from September 2005 to August 2006 while he did an internship (practical work experience during his university degree). He absolutely loved it. He lived in an apartment in the West End, a mixed density neighbourhood that is located between downtown and Stanley Park. He did his grocery shopping in Granville Island Market. He rode his bike to work.

During the winter he went skiing (in Whistler, at Sun Peaks near Kamloops, and at Big White near Kelowna). The latter 2 ski resorts were a bit further afield, and could not be done as day trips. They had to be weekend trips. He and his colleagues clubbed together to rent a bus, and they got special group deals on accommodation.

Year-round he ran and rode his bike in Stanley Park. He went kayaking. On some weekends he caught the ferry to Vancouver Island or to the Sunshine Coast, where he did more kayaking, etc.

He loved it.

The one thing that he said did get to him sometimes was the fact that the sky was grey for a good chunk of the winter (although the compensation for that was that the temperature was much milder than it is here in Calgary).

But whether or not you would find Vancouver's winter temperature mile depends on where you live now. It might be warmer than where you are, but it also might be colder than where you are.

Several members of the British Expats forum live in Vancouver. Although the majority of the forum's members are British Expats, not all of them are. They are a good source of information.

But sometimes one has to put their opinions into perspective. For example, when European expats grow unhappy with the United States, Canada or Australia, it often is because they find those countries culturally bland and lacking in history. The age of Europe is something that they don't realize they will miss. They find out only after they've emigrated. That does not happen to all of them, by any means. But it does happen to some of them. I'm just explaining that so that if you yourself are from a &quot;new&quot; country, such as the USA, you can put those kinds of remarks into context.

Conversely, Britons are used to rainy winters, so Vancouver's climate -- which takes some newcomers by surprise -- does not phase Britons.

So, with that, here is the URL for the Canadian sub-forum of the British Expats forum:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=56

I've heard from some American expats living in Canada that they find Canadians cold. I don't think Canadians intend to be cold. If countries could be said to have personalities, I think it's fair to say that Canada has a more &quot;introverted&quot; personality than the United States has. The extroversion that many Americans display can be interpreted as a positive or negative characteristic, depending on the point of view of the person making the observation. Some people find that extroversion to be &quot;warm&quot; and &quot;friendly.&quot; Other people find it &quot;loud&quot; and &quot;brash.&quot;

It is important to consult a cross-border tax expert before you make the move.

Hope that helps.

Wow. Thanks Sam and Judy. Great descriptions! I looked up the weather and the temperature appears to be warmer than where I live now (Rochester NY) and, well, I can't imagine a place with more cloudy days than what we have here!!!

We did a cost of living calculator and here is what I found (using Buffalo NY, the closest I could get) using hypothetical salary figures:

Salary in Buffalo NY: $100,000
Comparable salary in Vancouver BC: $116,432.12

If you move from Buffalo NY to Vancouver BC...

Groceries will cost: 16.205% more
Housing will cost: 39.918% more
Utilities will cost: 26.622% less
Transportation will cost: 11.263% more
Healthcare will cost: 5.352% less

Anyway, I thought that was interesting.

I'll check out all the links.

Climate-wise, if you know anything about Seattle's, then Vancouver's climate is almost identical.

I'd completely second Sam's post.

I moved here nearly 9 years ago from a big city in the U.S. mid-Atlantic.

It's definitely expensive -- especially real estate. Ridiculous, I think. Unless you're among the uber-wealthy, the spaces (square footage-wise) are generally smaller here than you might expect in the Eastern US (unless of course you've lived in NYC!).

It's also beautiful and outdoorsy, as Sam said. It's still, nine years on, a complete luxury to me to be able to walk my dog downtown at midnight and feel relatively safe. There are so many other things that I love about being here -- I love that I walk everywhere. I love that I can take the Aquabus from my doorstep to Granville Island. I love the restaurants.

And wliwl, it might be hard to believe but yes there might be more cloudy/rainy days here. The last two winters, in particular, have been trying.

However, it's all relative. Most folks here still sit outside on restaurant patios in the rain (there are awnings and patio heaters everywhere), and it's part of everyday life, which somehow makes it all more bearable.

And when you do get a beautiful, sun-filled day here -- it will be the most beautiful day you've ever seen. The rain makes the grass green, the air (relatively) clean, etc. You just have to be willing to slog through the &quot;bad stuff&quot; and remind yourself that those amazing days will come...

Oh, and politically/socially, Vancouver is quite liberal.

I sometimes find myself on the receiving end of American-bashing, particularly in these times.

I'm not trying to make any judgments or start anything here, by the way -- just stating my experience.

xando:
What neighborhood would you suggest that would be sort of an urban, walking, &quot;happening&quot; type area? We would want to be able to walk to those sidewalk cafes - and yes, walk our dogs at night!

I think it is going to be hard for this company to come up with a salary high enough to make this move worth it for us though, especially if real estate is as high as everyone says. We'll see.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;I think it is going to be hard for this company to come up with a salary high enough to make this move worth it for us though, especially if real estate is as high as everyone says.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Another thing to consider is whether or not both of you would be allowed to work in Canada.

If one of you comes to Canada on a NAFTA working visa, the other one can enter Canada on a temporary residence visa that does not permit you to work for money. If the other partner wants to get a paid job in Canada, he/she would have to apply for a NAFTA working visa in his/her own right.

That too may make a difference to the financial equation.