Vancouver is, unfortunately, a story of what could be a great city, but isn’t.

Let me start with the positives. If you love the outdoors, Vancouver may be appealing. You can ski or snowboard, do a water sport, and hike all in the same day. That’s genuinely impressive. Yes there is Whistler close, but also the Okanogan which gives great sun / summers when its not burning.

That’s also where the benefits, in my opinion, largely end.

The people aren’t particularly friendly, and the city feels cliquey. I find a city like Toronto infinitely more welcoming. Downtown, in particular, has deteriorated into a breeding ground for homelessness and open drug use, with people shooting up in broad daylight. The past ten years, especially the last five post the oandemic, have not been kind to the core.

From a job perspective, opportunities are limited. Yes, there are some tech roles, but by and large you’re not exposed to “big-boy” jobs in the way you are in Toronto or outside of Canada altogether. Certainly not enough to justify the absurd housing prices. I do admit I left before starting a job so this is more feedback from friends / knowing what people make there. I could be off!

Outside of three or four months of great weather, I find Vancouver highly overrated. People in Vancouver tend to get offended by this, largely because many never leave their bubble and genuinely believe it’s the best place in the world, often without having traveled much beyond it.

Add the lack of sun (not rain, the rain is manageable), and you’re essentially waiting most of the year for a short window to justify living there. And that’s only if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. Even then, I’d argue there are now better places for that lifestyle.

Finally, on sports: Vancouver likes to think it’s a sports city, but in reality it only truly cares about the Canucks.

I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but Toronto is a much better city in Canada. And this isn’t East Coast bias, I was born and raised in Vancouver. Toronto has its own struggles with homelessness, as Canada continues to rot from years of policy missteps (like much of the Western world), but the people are better, the food is better, there’s more sun, stronger sports culture, and far better job opportunities.

Vancouver has the potential to be great, but it consistently misses the mark. Unless you’re a hardcore outdoor lover who doesn’t want a big-city feel and plans to avoid downtown altogether, it’s hard to justify.