Vancouver, BC vs San Antonio, TX (economy, safe, airport, beach)
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In a viable city, transit is used by a wide range of people including families.
No, it is the view of a Seattle suburban resident who was priced out of the city and commuted downtown by bus for years.
Right now there is a huge resistance by former downtown workers to return to the office.
As someone who experienced the joys of Metro Transit for years I fully understand why.
And Seattle has one of the best bus systems in the US.
It still will not serve the needs of a family with a couple of kids to ferry to school, activities, 10 or 12 bags of groceries weekly and both parents working (a necessity in high priced progressive cities).
That's what is already happening, NYC and SF are losing population while Texas cities grow. They are not moving there for the superior BBQ and Lone Star beer.
You’re so uninformed that it’s embarrassing. Texas has 18.3% uninsured and that’s not counting the illegals. Metro San Antonio has an astounding 15.4% poverty rate so the uninsured rate is even higher there. Affluent people in Houston have access to world class healthcare. The average person in San Antonio? Not so much.
You’re clueless about Vancouver public transportation. For example, 75% of UBC students live off campus. Public transit outnumbers single occupancy vehicles by 3:1. There are 70,000 students and 15,000 employees. Downtown Vancouver is similar mix. An attorney friend of mine commutes over the Lion’s Gate bridge every day. He takes the bus because it’s twice as fast as driving. His wife is a judge. She takes the bus to the courthouse for the same reason. Vancouver has bus lanes. Car commute is a disaster.
Funny, I don't feel embarrassed. I'll bet your wealthy Vancouver friends each have their own car and have the luxury of driving when it is convenient for them.
I have been to Vancouver many times and used the public transit there. It is a good system but does not change the fact that the progressive city model ensures that the working class for the most part are relegated to the the outskirts of the metro region and often have to endure grueling commutes with one or more transfers. 3 to 4 hour door to door round trips are not uncommon.
I had not heard about the unfortunate San Antonians unable to access healthcare.
Maybe they could try these places:
No, it is the view of a Seattle suburban resident who was priced out of the city and commuted downtown by bus for years.
Right now there is a huge resistance by former downtown workers to return to the office.
As someone who experienced the joys of Metro Transit for years I fully understand why.
And Seattle has one of the best bus systems in the US.
It still will not serve the needs of a family with a couple of kids to ferry to school, activities, 10 or 12 bags of groceries weekly and both parents working (a necessity in high priced progressive cities).
Yet many people do it. The kids might not be on a lot of non-school teams and they probably need to live within walking distance of a store, but they do it. That's how my family worked growing up.
No, it is the view of a Seattle suburban resident who was priced out of the city and commuted downtown by bus for years.
Right now there is a huge resistance by former downtown workers to return to the office.
As someone who experienced the joys of Metro Transit for years I fully understand why.
And Seattle has one of the best bus systems in the US.
It still will not serve the needs of a family with a couple of kids to ferry to school, activities, 10 or 12 bags of groceries weekly and both parents working (a necessity in high priced progressive cities).
This isn't about Seattle though. It's about Vancouver.
Transit can't serve everyone for every need. I'm a transit user, but I also have a car. Many transit users who don't have a car will use one of the pay as you go car services that are around town, when they need it.
As for families, yes in the burbs cars help with grocery shopping etc.
I live downtown, and have a grocery store across the street. I can also walk to about 12 grocery stores in the downtown core, plus many smaller food shops. I can walk to my dentist, doctor, 2 stadiums, several cinemas and theatres, pubs, bar, nightclubs, restaurants, parks and beaches.
Young families love living downtown. There are kids everywhere. They walk to school, and can do pretty much anything without having to have a car.
One reason transit use is high, is because it is fast. Buses are frequent, and Skytrain runs about every 2 minutes during the day, and I think 6 in the evening.
Another thing that is different is that Translink, the transit authority covers the whole Metro area. Meaning it's seamless across the area. Planning transit is easier when you only have one authority for the whole area.
Vancouver has Granville Island, Stanley Park (top 3 urban park in North America) with too many things to list, world class aquarium and science center, much better museums, a large, super-walkable downtown, Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour, Seaplane rides, Capilano Suspension Bridge, the Aquabus, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Sunset Dinner Cruises, much more interesting urban neighborhoods, etc. etc.
I don't see how you can say SA has more entertainment. It's not even close. Vancouver wins in a landslide.
As for nightlife, agreed that neither are great given what you would expect. Being Canada's largest Western city and having an urban, cosmopolitan vibe you would expect more from Vancouver's nightlife. It reminds me of Boston in that regard.
Overall, though, apples to apples, I still think it's better than SA. Granville has a bunch of clubs, Gastown and Yaletown have a ton of bars and restaurants, and the much more urban, walkable nature of Vancouver means the neighborhood bars are more accessible. Much of SA's nightlife is concentrated near the Riverwalk and it's very touristy. Outside of that central area, it just feels sparse. Again, neither is great, but Vancouver still takes it.
I meant that by car in that proximally there is more around SA where you can get to Houston, Dallas, Austin the Alamo and Padre Island all within a few hours' drive which are depending on personal tastes comparable or better than Seattle, Portland, Victoria, Tofino and Whistler. And even within the city they've got a Sea World and a Six Flags while Vancouver has the Aquarium and the PNE, which is basically like Major League Baseball vs. Class A Minor League. And personally I'm a bigger fan of the NBA than the NHL, though the extra MLS team Vancouver has balances out the pro sports scene a little.
The touristy kitschy nature of nightlife appeals to me which is why I really like places like the Riverwalk or Gaslamp Quarter and the hotter weather makes going out and bouncing between establishments much easier than all the layers you need to put on and take off. Vancouver just has a lot of money and international (Asian) flair going for it in that category... if you have tons of cash you can blow it more emphatically surrounded by luxury cars and handbags than in San Antonio.
All that said, there are fairer comparisons to other Texan cities than San Antonio and this is a weight class mismatch.
I meant that by car in that proximally there is more around SA where you can get to Houston, Dallas, Austin the Alamo and Padre Island all within a few hours' drive which are depending on personal tastes comparable or better than Seattle, Portland, Victoria, Tofino and Whistler.
A major city being a few hours drive from other major cities isn't a positive attribute. You're basically saying you need to gtfo of SA for leisure.
A major city being a few hours drive from other major cities isn't a positive attribute. You're basically saying you need to gtfo of SA for leisure.
Or maybe people just like to visit other places and not just live/play in one city?
Last edited by Joakim3; 04-11-2022 at 09:00 PM..
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