We just returned from a life changing experience in Vancouver, BC. A strong sense of belonging rushed in during the ferry ride from the Mainland to Vancouver Island, that would eventually get us to Victoria, a city so beautiful and welcoming that it seemed surreal.
An absurdly contextual TED Talks watched during a perfectly blissful moment while in the heart of Victoria reinforced my strong feelings for this majestic place. James Kunstler’s TED Talk about dissection of surbubia, had a profound impact that I now fully understood once I felt the heartbeat of a live city.
When we arrived in Vancouver, I first missed the energy we experienced in Victoria, but we were staying in the “suburbs” in Vancouver, as opposed to a ridiculously amazing downtown location in Victoria.
It was only after spending a few days in Vancouver, that I began to realize its extraordinary family life. Even the suburbs that we were staying in (28th St and Main St), had the pulsing life blood of an active community, with its endless walkers, joggers and cyclists. Even though the neighborhoods felt very cozy, like enclaves from the busy main streets, it seemed like you would always meet a new person, since so many people walk or bike everywhere.
Vancouver’s accessibility and family-friendliness really became apparent once we rented a pair of bicycles and visited over a dozen great parks in just a couple of days. With our bikes we could get to the beginning of the Seawall within 10 minutes, which is a very walker and biker friendly track all along the inner bay, and around the really cool Stanley Park.
Then there is always the beautiful mountains to the north that gobsmack you every time that you cross a road where they are visible.
Everyone who hasn’t been there, has the same 2 misconceptions about Vancouver, that it rains all the time and that it gets very cold in the Winter. Vancouver is basically a temperate rain forest, so it does stay overcast and drizzle at least a day, but they barely get any snow in winter and doesn’t get too hot in the summer. The plus side of the climate is how lush all the greenery is; the gardens in peoples front yards are a sight you have to see to understand.
The cost of living in Vancouver is ridiculously high, but I can see why and why so many people move there every year despite this.
