What's Vancouver like?

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Vancouver is outstanding - when it's not raining, that is. You picked a good time to visit. There's a large Asian population, but if you really want to hang out in heavily Chinese district, go visit the city of Richmond just outside of Vancouver (it's where the airport is).
 
It's the most beautiful major city in Canada as far as I'm concerned.
Lots to do there, especially if you're into outdoor activities like hiking, rollerblading, etc. The food is great and the shopping is pretty good too.
There's a big chinatown, but you might as well just go to Richmond - which is essentially a chinese city.
 
China town is your standard China town. I don't think it's very big.

That said, people call it Hongcouver for a reason. I think the metropolitan Vancouver area (Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, etc) consists of roughly 40% Asian people. If you're concerned about being among Asians, you've picked the right place.

As for what you can do, given that it's summer, there's a whole lot to do. Especially if you love the outdoors. I'd suggest checking some Vancouver tourism sites first, so you can ask more specific questions.
 
It's just that someone just told me that 60% of the population there is asian which I thought was BS and did some research and found out that it's more like 30%.

I have a hard time hanging out with more asian guys, unless it's in an arcade.

No problem with asian women though ;)

Anyway, I usually like hanging out in Chinatown regardless of wherever I go, so I guess I will try to check out Richmond.

I'm leaving July 30th from Montreal by train and coming back august 15th.
Student exchange program, in order to 'improve' my english while some girl 'learns' french here. My english is better than my french so that's no problem. They're also paying me 1500$ while I'm working there (rip off, I know).

I'm gonna be a camp instructor, so I guess that automatically means I'll be outside 90% of the time.
 
The 'official' Chinatown is pretty nasty, but worth a visit I guess. Just make sure you steer clear of Main st. and E. Hastings. Vancouver is really a great place, but it all depends on where you are. And yes, Asians are prevalent... and it really depends where you are (more than 30% in some places).

As for the size of Chinatown, Vancouver boasts that it's the second largest outside of San Francisco I think, you'll find Chinese stores well outside of Chinatown.
 
Richmond is pretty modern, though. It's suburbia with strip malls, for the most part. Far from being something like a 'Chinatown', regardless of the population.

I would suggest sticking around downtown Vancouver, if it's near where you're staying. Chinatown is just over a short bridge called the Georgia Viaduct.
 
Date of Lies said:
It's just that someone just told me that 60% of the population there is asian which I thought was BS and did some research and found out that it's more like 30%.

I have a hard time hanging out with more asian guys, unless it's in an arcade.

No problem with asian women though ;)

Anyway, I usually like hanging out in Chinatown regardless of wherever I go, so I guess I will try to check out Richmond.
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Not sure what you meant by that, but ok.
It might be less than 50% overall, but in a lot of places, it seems like 100%.
 
Vancouver is my favourite city....used to live in Richmond for a year or so. I love it, maybe cos I am an asian. I get used to the place right from the beginning, great weather(i love the rain too), nice city, clean, GREAT food, Love the bubble tea in Richmond!!! and LOVE the girls. They are the cutest and hottest I've ever seen!!! I can stay one whole day in richmond mall and just look at the girls...:P

Not sure what you meant by that, but ok.
It might be less than 50% overall, but in a lot of places, it seems like 100%.
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Lol, that is so true.

now you make me miss Vancouver...:)
 
you should definitely head out to the UBC area and walk around, though.

it's really nice there, and the population is much more even.
 
Vancouver > Toronto, IMO, and I actually live in Toronto. Vancouver is definitely the best city in Canada, with Montreal a close second.
 
On the asian thing, it depends if you count East Indians as well. Then it's a lot larger than you think. But they mostly live in Surrey.

Vancouver itself is really nice. You should check out Stanley Park. And UBC like GG-Duo says.
 
yodathesoda said:
Vancouver is like someone kicked the top off of a Chinese anthill. Victoria is where it's at.
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Victoria is really nice and quiet, and it's small. But it's way easier to get bored.
 
Vancouver is grand. Best thing about the city is the layout. Unlike most cities, when 6:00pm rolls around the downtown doesn't turn into a ghost town. Commerical, Residential, and Entertainment are all mixed together so every street has something going on. As well, the Skytrain service is excellent to get to the major destinations.

I hope the weather gets its ass in gear though. It has been dark and cold the last month. Though when the sun does break through the clouds the temperature jumps about 15 degrees celcius!

Stay the hell away from the East Hastings part of town. That is where all the heroine and crack addicts are and the place is just a fucking nightmare. Dirty needles and fucking degenerates are everywhere. Chinatown is right on the fringe of this part of town. Sure it has a newly built heritage gate and the Chinese Gardens which are nice, but the rest of it is pretty weak. Though, the best multiplex in downtown, Tinseltown, is right beside Chinatown so if you go see a movie you can take a look.

Best thing about being in Canada though is even in the worst part of town the chances of someone pulling a gun is pretty slight.

Like others said, you want China, go to Richmond. It is like a new, clean, lowrise version of Hong Kong.

Otherwise, downtown has some ok beaches, nice swimming pools, good hotels, brilliant sea wall, fantastic parks, amazing restaurants, etc. Good sushi is everywhere and it is pretty cheap too.
 
Warm Machine said:
Best thing about being in Canada though is even in the worst part of town the chances of someone pulling a gun is pretty slight.
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But getting your car broken into is 3 times as high... I do love BC! Used to drive there to feel rich for the weekend!!!
 
That's just because of Surrey. North American car-theft capital of the world. Stay out of Surrey and you stay out of trouble, for the most part.
 
Even outside of Surrey, car theft and breakins are pretty high. I live and work downtown and therefor don't need a car. :)

If I did have a car I'd rather in be broken into than be shot in the face :)
 
Victoria is the Satanism capital of Canada! Stay far, far away!

Away I say!

edit: Oh let me tell you some stories about living in Surrey. When I was working at EA, my best friend and his girlfriend lived in the apartment next door in this piece of shit building. It was a crap shoot as to whether or not his POS 1985 truck would be in the parking lot each morning - the same kids kept stealing it and the cops kept finding it parked all over the Lower Mainland after they'd finished burning around. My apartment got broken into, lost a 3000 dollar PC, 27 inch television set and VCR (thank God they didn't touch my PlayStation or games), and I came home one day to see the couple directly above my place having noisy doggie-style sex...on the balcony, in the middle of the afternoon. I just stood there in the street in disbelief as they went at it.

Fucking Surrey. Truly the creme de la creme of shitholes.
 
Victoria is great. I lived there for a year and a half and I'd heard the Satanism rumors yet have had no 1st person encounters with anyone involved. I bet it is an urban legend. Besides, how much Satanism can happen to you when you are hangin out around downtown in the day and the clubs at night? How much Satanism do you ever encounter in your life aside from pretender rock bands?
 
Warm Machine said:
Sure it has a newly built heritage gate and the Chinese Gardens which are nice, but the rest of it is pretty weak. Though, the best multiplex in downtown, Tinseltown, is right beside Chinatown so if you go see a movie you can take a look.
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My father was part of the administration for the Sun Yat Sen gardens, so you know it's quality. Those gardens and some of the stores are the only reason you'd go to Chinatown.

Surrey IS a craphole. I remember delivering flyers when I was younger to the urban areas, and I was scared as hell. This one house had this girl standing outside in front of a can crying, and this guy in the van was yelling. I had no common sense back then, so I went up to the girl and gave her the flyer. But then the guy got out of the car and started running after me. Basically it's a gang terrace over there and you do not want any part of it. I live in the Coquitlam area, and it's a really nice suburban city. My backyard is literally wilderness; I love it.
 
"Hey, that girl's over there is crying. I know, I'll hand her a flyer detailing the great savings she can find at Home Depot this week! That'll cheer her up!"

:lol
 
Vancouver is one of the best city in Canada and it is better than Toronto IMO.

If you want to see chinese stuff, go to Richmond. It is basically where the aisan culture thing is at. Many many cute chinese gals there. Richmond has chinese from HK, Taiwan and China. Majority are from HK and Taiwan and ppl form these groups do hang out with each others and they will understand mandarian and cantonese.

There are also a lot of outdoor things to do in town and summer in Van is absouletely gorgeous. We will also have the annual internatiol film and jazz festival real soon.

Have fun
 
Don't forget Bard on the Beach! Nothing like having Shakespeare performed by outstanding actors while sitting on the beach, soaking up the rays and enjoying a beautiful Vancouver evening...

Unless it's raining. :)
 
btw, I've now been in Toronto for a month ... and I prefer Vancouver over this.

Sure, everything is much bigger and fast-moving and metropolitan, but the people are not as cheery and the summer weather has been really really really really unpredictable.

Vancouver summers are absolutely gorgeous, and the winters are sorta rainy (which is preferable for a lot of people). And since it's not all spread out, they seem to be more "organized".
Case in point: there are many HK-style karaoke "box" places in Vancouver, because the Chinese tend to stay in Richmond, but in Toronto, karaoke places are usually for drinking or some sort of lounge affair.
 
bishoptl said:
"Hey, that girl's over there is crying. I know, I'll hand her a flyer detailing the great savings she can find at Home Depot this week! That'll cheer her up!"

:lol
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She liked it!
 
Vancouver trounces all over Toronto.
There's something about the Pacific Ocean air, Mountains, and raw wildlife that makes Vancouver incredibly special.
Both Toronto and Vancouver have pretty nice downtowns, great food, plenty of shopping, etc. - but in Toronto, I'm always asking myself "why the hell did they put this big city in the middle of these polluted, smoggy, middle-of-nowhere lakes?"
I know Vancouver's pretty polluted too, but I get the feeling that nature and the city coexist really nicely. In Toronto, it's like the city's killing nature.

There's other reasons I like Vancouver more than TO, but that's probably the main one.
 
Date of Lies said:
7%?

It's 15% tax sale in Quebec.

Consider yourself lucky.
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Quebec and Ontario are ridiculous.

Yeah, 7.5% provincial +7% federal = 14.5% on most things. My parents used to drive to Alberta when gas was cheap to buy christmas presents because the tax is so low out there. That's a hell of a long drive.

Oh yeah, I've been seeing lower gas prices around recently.. I saw 87 cents at a couple places as lowest. That's the lowest it's been in weeks.. maybe months. It hasn't dipped 90 in so long.
 
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