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I live in NYC, and have for half a decade now. I'm Canadian as well. New York isn't all that it's perceived to be.
Sparing you a long story, I'll tell you this. I remember going to a Tigerdirect store in Canada and the salesman, a young guy around my age, asking me where I lived. I said "New York" and he said, in a very honest non-condescending tone, "Isn't it kind of ghetto?", and I hesitated for a second, and then said "Yes, it is kinda."
When you look at the quality of the streets, commute, quality of life etc he made a very valid point.
I live in NYC, and have for half a decade now. I'm Canadian as well. New York isn't all that it's perceived to be.
Sparing you a long story, I'll tell you this. I remember going to a Tigerdirect store in Canada and the salesman, a young guy around my age, asking me where I lived. I said "New York" and he said, in a very honest non-condescending tone, "Isn't it kind of ghetto?", and I hesitated for a second, and then said "Yes, it is kinda."
When you look at the quality of the streets, commute, quality of life etc he made a very valid point.
And, I disagree.
Of course, it absolutely depends on where/how you live.
Every time I drive over the bridge into Vancouver, I'm amazed at how gray it is. I don't know why it gets me every time like it does, but it is remarkable to me how utterly *bland* the city is. Now, if you want clean streets and a city whose quietness can be deafening...by all means go to Vancouver.
If you want a city that has incomparable character, in terms of architecture, people, culture...then New York wins hands down.
Vancouver is a very beautiful place, a very agreeable and, as I perceived it, quite safe city in a setting that's hard if not impossible to beat (I think only Norway or Iceland would be up there regarding natural beauty -and Iceland has a bonus for its uniqueness-). I even like the weather: overcast and somewhat cold works great for me. Direct sunlight bores me after a while and I don't care for long summers.
I don't know about "best city in the world" because there's not that much of the world that I've seen, but Vancouver is certainly one of the most desirable places to live I can think of.
Vancouver is a very beautiful place, a very agreeable and, as I perceived it, quite safe city in a setting that's hard if not impossible to beat (I think only Norway or Iceland would be up there regarding natural beauty -and Iceland has a bonus for its uniqueness-). I even like the weather: overcast and somewhat cold works great for me. Direct sunlight bores me after a while and I don't care for long summers.
I don't know about "best city in the world" because there's not that much of the world that I've seen, but Vancouver is certainly one of the most desirable places to live I can think of.
I think all the most livable hype is based on the false assumption that the person who is making a choice between all these cities just inherited 10 million dollars from his/her grandma and doesn't have to worry about finding a well paid job, buying a decent house, paid the bills and everything. All s/he has to consider is natural beauty, sports, nightlife, ethnic restaurants, and probably if it is too cold in winter.
Sadly, 99% people are not like that. If vancouver is that livable, why would tens of thousands of new immigrants be stupid enough to choose cities like Toronto and Calgary to settle down as their home?
And if I do have the 10 million dollars, there are still tons of options out there, Maybe South France? or Orange County? I know in any case, I wouldn't choose Vancouver. There are hundreds of cities with easy access to moutains and ocreans in this world and Vancouver is just one of them. And many of them may not have 4 months of gloomy winter and the downtown east side.
Well, the Mediterranean has lovely towns and California is beautiful but, as I said, it's just not my sort of climate (I'm in the minority no doubt, understandably! )
I agree with you on everything else though. I can't comment on the city's offerings to someone who's not wealthy because I was only there as a visitor, but to me how livable a place is for everyone is important because sharing quality of life with as many individuals as possible adds to my enjoyment of the place. Barcelona, e.g. is a wonderful, beautiful, classy city full of culture but the working class areas and public transportation leave a lot to be desired in my opinion, although crime is not that much of a problem. If that's the case with Vancouver then no, probably not the best in the world. Still, the scenery is breathtaking and that's important to me too, maybe not so much for other people that (for other reasons) might prefer Toronto, Calgary or a warmer, sunnier, equally beautiful setting down south
I see that some folks disagee that Vancouver is the best major city to live in...I respect those openions...after all I did ask for them, BUT... I see that most have failed to say what their choice for the best city would be, to give us all a fair chance to reflect on their answer.
You can't pick a best city without being biased. It's as simple as that.
Vancouver has beautiful surroundings, however the weather is depressing.
San Francisco has a great atmosphere, but is crowded with homeless people.
You'd have to narrow it down to...What is the best city for nightlife? What is the best city for beaches? What is the best city for mountains? What is the best city for young professionals? What is the best city for weather? Etc...
Then why is Vancouver always in the top 5 city in the world in witch to live in world surveys?
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