Vancouver Social Scene (cliquey, condos, violent crime)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm in my early 20's and I plan on moving to the Seattle area. I have a degree in Communication and while the main reason I'm moving to Seattle is b/c of the higher pay (and free housing since I have relatives there I can stay with while going for my Masters and working to save money for when I decide where I really want to live afterwards), I also wanted to live near the city b/c I was hoping for an excellent social life and night life that I can't get in Appalachia.
While I haven't moved to Seattle yet, I did learn that basically the people in Seattle are not nearly as social as I hoped. While they will act nice, supposedly they prefer to be in their own cliques or it takes you forever to get them to hang out with you. I was wondering how the social scene was in Vancouver.
I know in Toronto I was able to go up to people and make some friends. Montreal was insanely social and people were practically your friends from the get-go (at least that's how it was with me). Northeast England was pretty friendly too, but I know there are places like NYC where the people seemed pretty rude to me. I was wondering if I could build connections and have a better chance at socializing with people in Vancouver or are they more like people in Seattle and NYC? I won't be going up there every weekend, just once in a while to hang out and/or to escape the anti-socialness of Seattle if it really is as anti-social as they warn me.
Also, do they have a good clubbing scene? Especially clubs that play rock/dance/techno music instead of just hip-hop or gothic? Is it moderately safe to walk around Vancouver (or around the same safeness as Toronto or Montreal) or is it more like some of the other U.S. cities where just being a female after midnight is a huge risk?
There is a huge indie rock scene that thrives in Vancouver, lots of clubs that play techno and what have you. There is a goth scene, but it's small. Hip hop exists as well but it's more niche. Vancouver has a huge Asian demographic which tend to frequent the hip hop clubs more than any other demographic, but compared to Seattle, Vancouver has a virtually non-existant black demographic. The whole thuggy gangsta wannabe scene is quite tiny in Vancouver compared to any American city I've visited (NYC, Boston, Seattle, LA, San Francisco, Portland, etc). And at that, it's mostly suburban kids.
For a realistic idea of the kinds of nightclubs in Vancouver, take a look at the Georgia Straight newspaper: Straight.com | Vancouver's online source for news, arts, entertainment, culture and lifestyle. If you have specific requirements, I can easily give you some recommendations, although I don't go clubbing as often as I used to. I used to be big into the indie rock/alternative/80's clubs... less so about drum & bass, hip hop, etc.
Vancouver is as safe as Montreal in terms of being a female walking around. There's a lot of homeless people and drug addicts so you get a lot of property crime, but violent crime or random attacks are very rare. As a single female who lives downtown in Vancouver, I don't ever feel afraid of being on my own at night. But again, I also am very aware of Vancouver's social problems and I know that the homeless person asking for spare change or the drug addict mumbling to himself aren't going to rob me... whereas a tourist might see the same drug addict or homeless person and fear for their safety. Perception of safety and the reality of safety are two separate things, especially in Vancouver. I find that locals don't fear, but tourists are often afraid, fearing gang-like violence or muggings.
But unlike Seattle, Vancouver's downtown (where the nightlife tends to revolve around) is heavily residential. You have tens of thousands of people living here, grocery shopping, walking their dogs, walking their kids to school, walking to/from work, going jogging, etc at all hours. Basically, there are regular people at all hours downtown. While there are certainly some areas which are quieter than others and some blocks that are seedier than others, as long as you have common sense, you're not going to find yourself in any trouble.
Whether Vancouver's social scene is similar to Seattle's is hard to say. The social circles are small and interconnected... if you're into one particular scene, you're going to meet friends and you're going to see them. If you take initiative, you'll have friends in Vancouver. If you expect Montreal's outgoing social scene however, you won't find it.
Last edited by Robynator; 06-20-2008 at 02:22 PM..
There is a huge indie rock scene that thrives in Vancouver, lots of clubs that play techno and what have you. There is a goth scene, but it's small. Hip hop exists as well but it's more niche. Vancouver has a huge Asian demographic which tend to frequent the hip hop clubs more than any other demographic, but compared to Seattle, Vancouver has a virtually non-existant black demographic. The whole thuggy gangsta wannabe scene is quite tiny in Vancouver compared to any American city I've visited (NYC, Boston, Seattle, LA, San Francisco, Portland, etc). And at that, it's mostly suburban kids.
For a realistic idea of the kinds of nightclubs in Vancouver, take a look at the Georgia Straight newspaper: Straight.com | Vancouver's online source for news, arts, entertainment, culture and lifestyle. If you have specific requirements, I can easily give you some recommendations, although I don't go clubbing as often as I used to. I used to be big into the indie rock/alternative/80's clubs... less so about drum & bass, hip hop, etc.
Vancouver is as safe as Montreal in terms of being a female walking around. There's a lot of homeless people and drug addicts so you get a lot of property crime, but violent crime or random attacks are very rare. As a single female who lives downtown in Vancouver, I don't ever feel afraid of being on my own at night. But again, I also am very aware of Vancouver's social problems and I know that the homeless person asking for spare change or the drug addict mumbling to himself aren't going to rob me... whereas a tourist might see the same drug addict or homeless person and fear for their safety. Perception of safety and the reality of safety are two separate things, especially in Vancouver. I find that locals don't fear, but tourists are often afraid, fearing gang-like violence or muggings.
But unlike Seattle, Vancouver's downtown (where the nightlife tends to revolve around) is heavily residential. You have tens of thousands of people living here, grocery shopping, walking their dogs, walking their kids to school, walking to/from work, going jogging, etc at all hours. Basically, there are regular people at all hours downtown. While there are certainly some areas which are quieter than others and some blocks that are seedier than others, as long as you have common sense, you're not going to find yourself in any trouble.
Whether Vancouver's social scene is similar to Seattle's is hard to say. The social circles are small and interconnected... if you're into one particular scene, you're going to meet friends and you're going to see them. If you take initiative, you'll have friends in Vancouver. If you expect Montreal's outgoing social scene however, you won't find it.
Thank you for the heads up . I'm glad to hear that it's at least as safe as Montreal even though it may not be as outgoing social wise. If you have any recommendations for rock/techno/dance/hispanic clubs I would really appreciate it.
Vancouver has a very tiny hispanic community, but it a huge ESL student population of Brazilians and Mexicans (and lesser so Colombians, Venezuelans, Peruvians) that come here for a few months to learn English. So you have some nightlife events that cater to them... but there are no actual hispanic clubs.
Most clubs in Vancouver don't have a set musical theme. Some do, but the majority of them rotate their music depending on the day of the week. One night might be 80's music, the next night might be salsa, the following might be top 40, etc.
Thank you for the heads up . I'm glad to hear that it's at least as safe as Montreal even though it may not be as outgoing social wise. If you have any recommendations for rock/techno/dance/hispanic clubs I would really appreciate it.
vancouver is in no way safe. almost every week at night there are shootings and stabbings all along granville
if anyone tells you its safe, they dont follow the paper ,the news or know whats going on.
vancouver has zero nightlife, a handfull of dive bars at best .the indie scene is just cliquey to the core. my friends are in that scnene whenever I am out with the I get snubbed by the indie kids
vancouver is in no way safe. almost every week at night there are shootings and stabbings all along granville
if anyone tells you its safe, they dont follow the paper ,the news or know whats going on.
vancouver has zero nightlife, a handfull of dive bars at best .the indie scene is just cliquey to the core. my friends are in that scnene whenever I am out with the I get snubbed by the indie kids
vancouver is a retirement town
Hmmm...Thanks for the warning about granville. I have a couple of friends that live in Vancouver and I think for the first time I go up there I might stick with them until I get the feel for the area. Are there any Universities around the area? I don't know how it works there, but in Northeastern part of England there are usually clubs built around the colleges and was wondering if maybe they have places like that.
Hmmm...Thanks for the warning about granville. I have a couple of friends that live in Vancouver and I think for the first time I go up there I might stick with them until I get the feel for the area. Are there any Universities around the area? I don't know how it works there, but in Northeastern part of England there are usually clubs built around the colleges and was wondering if maybe they have places like that.
UBC and SFU are the big ones, the rest are colleges. granville was safe once at one point, but that is no longer
granville is chalked full of people form the suburbs with pent up anger and cant handle their booze. its dead most of the year but when summer comes eveyone comes out of hibernation. if you go down enough eventuallyyou'll see fights ,cops swarming, maybe a weapon. the streets have porn shops, pawn shops and a homless person on ever corner harassing the public ... what a city
and that is the " entertainment" district.. is used to be cool, but now is getting worse and worse
vancouver is in no way safe. almost every week at night there are shootings and stabbings all along granville
if anyone tells you its safe, they dont follow the paper ,the news or know whats going on.
Whoa, somebody sounds a little bitter! Retirement town? Shootings every week? It sounds like you're the one who's got your head in the newspapers, or at least a chip on your shoulder!
I live 2 blocks down from the Granville Street clubs and have been living in this particular location for the past 4 years. Not following the paper? Not following the news? Dude, I live here! I experience it!
Needless to say, I walk up Granville Street every day on my way to work, and on my way back home. And this doesn't even include the times when I'm running my errands, visiting friends, or whatnot. When I say Vancouver's safe, I mean it from the perspective of a single female in her 20's who's just your typical pedestrian walking down the streets. From that perspective, Vancouver's as safe as it gets. Sure, those few blocks of Granville between Drake and Smithe are a meat market for college kids. The nearest university is actually a good 30 minute bus ride across town on the western peninsula known as Point Grey... so these downtown clubs are actually a destination. Like Swan Dive said, a lot of suburban kids come downtown to party there. The nightclubs were never originally focused on those few blocks of Granville before... it's that over the past 5-8 years that this has happened. It's because a lot of downtown Vancouver was rezoned. Old nightclubs that were located in old warehouses were rezoned for high density residential. They were demolished and big fancy condos were built in its place. Former parts of downtown that were pretty scuzzy and void of people are now trendy residential areas for yuppies... and all the nightclubs that previously existed in those areas reopened on Granville Street under new names.
Granville Street is a long street (15km) spanning from the airport, through various residential neighbourhoods, then crossing a bridge and ending up in downtown. Only the few blocks of Granville between Drake and Smithe are gritty. It has cracked sidewalks with gum caked on them and fast food trash, cheap greasy pizza shops, the occasional porn shop, the occasion pawn shop... but you also have coffee shop chains, little restaurants, some trendy lounges, popular 2 Best Western hotels, a Ramada, a Howard Johnston, some backpacker hostels, and as you head further north, the Vogue Theatre, the Orpheum Theatre (the symphony plays there), dance/yoga studios, movie theatres, lots of little alternative boutiques... then John Fluevog, Adidas, Puma, American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, etc. And then as you head further north, it turns into business towers, shopping malls, HBC, H&M, and then the financial district. That's Granville. Those few blocks of nightclubs between Drake and Smithe are not the cleanest few blocks of downtown, but I wouldn't fear them.
With Granville's nightclubs, you have your testosterone cheeseballs looking to brawl or hoot and holler in the streets when all the clubs close at 2am... but stabbings? Shootings? These are random, extreme incidents that make the newspapers because they're so unusual. Believe me, they're far from being weekly or monthly phenomenons. It doesn't make me fear Granville Street or make me avoid Granville Street. Granville Street's dead in the morning, and only springs to life by the evening. It's actually one of the least attractive parts of downtown. The only reason I avoid it is because the sidewalks turn into lineups for the nightclubs. But drunken yahoos are hardly exclusive to Vancouver!
As well, over the past few months, on weekends the cops actually shut down Granville Street to traffic, allowing pedestrians to walk down the center of the street, avoiding the sidewalk congestion of clubgoers. Granville's less tense these days than how it was previously.
Another topic entirely is random gang violence, especially gang members assassinating other gang members in public. This is a phenomenon that Greater Vancouver's been experiencing more recently this year (as in, this was practically unhead of before)... but Granville Street is far from being some sort of hotspot for gang activity. These shootings are actually happening in places that people unquestionably consider safe, like Quattro - an upscale Italian restaurants in the "safe" uber-chic/trendy beachside community of Kitsilano... or shootings in the multi-million dollar sprawling mansion-on-the-cliffs of West Vancouver. Or in some non-descript middle class residential community in Richmond. But this doesn't make people fear these neighbourhoods or consider them unsafe. The same logic, Granville is no less safe than Kitsilano these days!
Vancouver a retirement community? (Isn't that Victoria?) Sure Vancouver's nightlife may not be its greatest virtue... but it's far from being or feeling like a retirement town. Demographically speaking, Vancouver's population is younger than most cities. A lot of visitors even make note of how young everyone is. But come to Vancouver expecting vibrant nightlife and you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Vancouver is not about its nightlife so much as it is about its proximity to outdoor activities. Spending the day on the beach... spending the day out hiking, or boating, or just chilling out with your friends at some park, going out and having a backyard BBQ or a house party where your friends bands play in some random location in East Van. It's not about nightclubs and dancing.
Last edited by Robynator; 06-30-2008 at 02:23 AM..
I should also mention, for comparison sake, that Toronto has more random gang-related violence happening in public, moreso than Vancouver. If you still felt safe in Toronto, you're no doubt going to feel safe in Vancouver.
I should also mention, for comparison sake, that Toronto has more random gang-related violence happening in public, moreso than Vancouver. If you still felt safe in Toronto, you're no doubt going to feel safe in Vancouver.
I live in vancouver and have been so for 9 years, I have top floor condo with a view of granaville. Granville isnt a nice place. and yes its a retirment town. by some miracle if you actually get the oppurtunity to travel. you'd see how obvious that really is. I mean seriously, its like 4 victorias jammed together. Vancouver is as dead as it gets.
Im not really bitter ,I just see vancouver as it really is without allot of personal bias being not origially from there. I dont see the need to stand up for city thats obviously on the decline.
we have had 92 murders this year for a metro population of 650k thats awful, and embarssing
the violence isnt random they are planned hits. but fights are common
please tell me ....what street is more active at night than granville? seymour? robson? its dead, Vancouver has been dubbed no fun for a reason. no more indy car races, no more symphony of fire, and with its self-proclaimed "world class" status no NYE celebration either
in 2004 we had machete violence on granville. the cops patrol the place because of the BS
personally with all the junkies crackheads and bums on granville its hardly safe for families.
a few weeks ago in June ,highschool kids slashed each other throats in english bay, typically a family area.... how nice
for a tiny dinky town like vancouver ,it has way too many problems that the locals with rose-colored glasses refuse to admit
what Im telling you is fact its not up for debate
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. I'm glad to hear that it's at least as safe as Montreal even though it may not be as outgoing social wise. If you have any recommendations for rock/techno/dance/hispanic clubs I would really appreciate it.
