HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Alberta & British Columbia > Vancouver > Arts, Culture & Entertainment


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #41  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 6:26 AM
SpongeG's Avatar
SpongeG SpongeG is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Coquitlam
Posts: 39,104
yes but we are really in the sticks and off the radar
the people in this town with money can go shopping anywhere they want and they do
__________________
belowitall
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #42  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 6:32 AM
AlexYVR's Avatar
AlexYVR AlexYVR is offline
In Love With YVRthing
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Chicago:Vancouver
Posts: 441
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
yes but we are really in the sticks and off the radar
the people in this town with money can go shopping anywhere they want and they do
We have to remember that even though Vancouver is roughly the same size as Seattle, Canada is a tenth the size of the states. They'll always bring less up here and it will always cost more to sell up here for chains, which is why even though our cities are so comparable on paper, we have about half the shopping that Seattle does (for example). Economy of scale sucks when you're the boutique country.
__________________
WWJJD?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #43  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 6:59 AM
SpongeG's Avatar
SpongeG SpongeG is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Coquitlam
Posts: 39,104
yeah and vancouver really isn't much of a fashion city anyway - the city where ugss and fur lined puffy jackets get worn in july - whats the deal with that? just teh other day i see some dude wearing a puffy winter jacket with his stylish wife beater - ugh
__________________
belowitall
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #44  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 7:08 AM
vansky vansky is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 928
if you wear shit, ppl will think u r a local, and regard you higher than others, since u r then a world class citizen.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #45  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 9:28 AM
delboy delboy is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 653
Quote:
Originally Posted by big T View Post
Delboy, I wouldn't knock Mr.X's post so fast. He makes a good point that not everyone is necessarily into the outdoors all that much.
Take myself for example -- I can't ski (tried once, seven years ago -- it was not fun), I've never played team sports on a regular basis and yet I decided to move here. Why? I guess being one of the largest cities in the country I assumed it would have much to offer beyond the great outdoors it is well known for. Yes, I did my (thorough) research beforehand, but ultimately it is impossible to truly grasp the reality of a place before you've spent a fair amount of time there yourself -- in no small part because said reality is subjective, and other's experiences may not really apply.

So do I think the "urban" side of Van is lacking? yes, a little bit. The jazz fest was pretty sad, for one. The folk music festival last week sounded fun but was grossly overpriced. On a regular week end night there's only a handful of good spots I know of (to my taste, anyway). It is a bit of a sleepy town in general.
But do I regret my choice? absolutely not. I will always miss things from other places I've lived in, but on average this is a pretty kick-ass compromise. Since I'm here, I've been going on long bike rides almost every week end. I'm planning on joining a canoe club as soon as the work schedule allows. Heck, I might even give skiing a second shot. And on top of all that, when the mood strikes there still are a reasonable amount of "city" things to do (and with all these new outdoors activities, the mood doesn't stike quite as often). I believe it's about adapting to what the city (and its surroundings) has to offer. Now that I did, this is a pretty hard to beat corner of the globe -- offers a balance I'd be hard pressed to find anywhere. But ultimately, mr.X is right -- more choice is always better. As we gain more population, I believe it will happen.

(and if they could only drop the "best place on earth" obnoxiousness, it would actually BE the best place on earth...)
Yes you are right. I don,t disagree with you and many of vancouvers failings are more to do with age and a smaller population base, that being said it is good enough. Its all a matter of perspective, which you do seem to have, Mr X and the chap from Berlin not so much so. Its easy to focus on the bad and not the good.

Cities offer different things. I just find it odd when comments like take away the setting and vancouver is lacking as silly, as that's what makes vancouver what it is and sets it apart from other places. to me the walkable nature of the place, its connection with the outdoors, the sea wall, the beaches etc give more day to day pleasure than cities i;ve lived in with history, museums, and fine architecture have ever done, but that's me.

that being said there's much that can be done to improve the place but i think we are getting there albeit slowly. We really just need to loosen up.

A friend of mine from London once said " vancouver: very nice garden, very average house" but some of us like hanging out in the garden

Last edited by delboy; Jul 23, 2010 at 10:51 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #46  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 9:36 AM
delboy delboy is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 653
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr.x View Post
I've been to...

- Seattle
- Hong Kong
- Calgary
- Toronto
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
- Sydney
- Macau
- Guangzhou
- Taipei
- Minneapolis
- London


I'm not knocking what we have. I'm arguing for making it better. This city horrendously lacks variety in things to do: it simply needs more variety. And while it should most certainly market its natural beauty and recreational activities, it shouldn't be DEPENDING on just these two I things.

If we're already satisfied, we're in trouble.
yes you are right. But visiting and living are very different things - Las Vegas fun to visit for a weekend but i couldn\t live there. I was referring to where I've lived and spent extended amounts of time not where i simply visited. I have of course visited many other places. I was in the British military so moved around a
fair bit.

out of interest, what is it exactly you would like to see more of?

We have a great canvass to work with we just need to grow up. When I first came here some 20 years ago, I remember wandering around for hours trying to figure out where the night life was. I careless these days but i never did find the night life.

Last edited by delboy; Jul 23, 2010 at 10:52 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #47  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 4:12 PM
twoNeurons twoNeurons is offline
loafing in lotusland
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Lotusland
Posts: 6,020
Quote:
Originally Posted by delboy View Post
A friend of mine from London once said " vancouver: very nice garden, very average house" but some of us like hanging out in the garden
For those that don't know, in London a "garden" is what we would call a "yard" or perhaps a "deck"
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #48  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 5:41 PM
BCPhil BCPhil is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Surrey
Posts: 2,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpongeG View Post
Vancouver is "scene" driven always has been and seems it always will be - unless you know what you like you probably can't find it

I know i used to go out 5 nights a week or more back in the day and would see the same people night after bight - the venues changed but the people didn't change too much

i've met tourists who get puzzled - they say i was here last night and had the most amazing time so i came again tonight and its dead - which is common - go to the proper club and you will get that great night again you just have to know where to go what scene to follow
There are 2 types of nightlife: you either get drunk off your ass or are part of a scene.

The problem with Vancouver nightlife is that it is dominated by thug-ism. So people who go out to get drunk off their ass have to contend with the rather large number of people who can't handle getting drunk off their ass. If you are trying to go out to have a good time, you need to be careful in this city, there are a surprising number of people who seem to be continually upset, even when in bars. I can't remember the last time I went to a bar when no one was kicked out.

Heck, even at festivals: I was at Surrey's fusion fest for all of 3 minutes before I saw a fight. At least it was the only one I saw over my next 3 hours there and I had a great time, but still, that stuff should not happen at all.

You also have to contend with the macho-ism and endless number of people trying to hookup. If this is what nightlife is to you, then Vancouver is actually pretty good. There are a lot of bars, all pretty similar once you're inside, that are full of drunk people yelling over the loud music. Usually they are all so full you have to stand all night.

To escape this, Vancouver has Scenes. A particular promoter will set up/be part of a scene and will rent out a usually dead venue for 1 night a week, and they will do this 3 times a week at different places. You then go to these clubs and see the same people, but it's your scene so it's a lot more comfortable, and avoids a lot of the issues of normal Vancouver nightlife. You see the same people, get the same DJ's, listen to the music you like, and everyone is as good/bad a dancer as you. Then people start to notice, and the scene gets invaded by people looking for hookups or to get drunk off their ass. So the promoter changes venues. You have to follow closely to know where to go.

If you are in neither of those groups, and just want a hang out, drink a beer, have a meal, shoot some pool, then I agree, Vancouver is sorely lacking. There are not enough casual pubs downtown for the population. And a lot of places that are pubs by day turn into dance clubs at night.

There are a lot of amazing restaurants, so tourists and locals are not lacking in the dinning category. But if you don't want a fine dinning experience and just want a pitcher of beer and a plate of nachos, and a decent live band, there aren't that many places.

But is that because we don't try, or because when we do try, they fail? Maybe Vancouver's nightlife is exactly what it both wants and deserves.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #49  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 6:10 PM
Hourglass Hourglass is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Here and there
Posts: 754
Vancouver punches above its weight for a city its size. It's still a young city -- only incorporated 124 years ago (someone posted earlier that it's a teenager -- couldn't agree more). Cities such as Berlin, SF, New York, London, Paris Sydney and Tokyo are much larger and have been around a lot longer, which means they've also had more of a chance to develop their civic institutions.

My biggest concern about Vancouver and British Columbia (and maybe it's my perception) is the civic smugness that mean new and different ideas from other cities and countries get ignored. Anyone remember the BC Tourism Slogan "British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth"? That just sets my teeth on edge, because candidly there are other cities such as Geneva, Zurich and Vienna that also rank consistently high on quality of life surveys and outstrip Vancouver in environmental awareness, civic and cultural programs. The City of Vienna has at its City Hall an amazing array of world class programs year round ranging from outdoor film and jazz festivals, performances, ice skating in winter, Christmas and Easter markets with lots of food and drink booths -- even a circus. The Donauinselfest is Europe's biggest outdoor music festival. I don't consistently see that sort of thing in Vancouver except in the summer with the various festivals -- and even then the City grumbles about the cleanup associated with, for example,the Celebration of Light. And don't get me started on the civic New Year celebrations (or historical general lack thereof).

The Olympics showed a side of Vancouver that needs to come out more and could be a sign of what the city could be. The danger I fear is for Vancouver to 'rest on its laurels.' Some symptoms are evident in the uniformity of the downtown skyline dominated by James Cheng-designed condos (Olympic village, Shangri-la and Woodwards being notable exceptions). An interesting test will be what the Vancouver is like 10 or 15 years from now.

Last edited by Hourglass; Jul 23, 2010 at 6:26 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #50  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 10:24 PM
duener duener is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: YVR>LHR>YUL
Posts: 182
Quote:
Originally Posted by delboy View Post

A friend of mine from London once said " vancouver: very nice garden, very average house" but some of us like hanging out in the garden
Ha ha spot on! That just about sums it up...

What some of you in Van may not realise also, is that Canada is refreshingly middle class... at least from my point of view and I suspect others. Here in the UK there are some right upper class pricks playing polo and sauntering about. And on the other side of the tracks, 12 year old kids are chain smoking and drinking cheap cider. But whenever I'm back in Van, every thing seems so nice and middle class: everyone has an average house, average crappy car, etc. etc.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #51  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2010, 11:55 PM
ue ue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,480
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yume-sama View Post
Well, I truly believe you have to live Downtown to appreciate all that is Vancouver. I suppose if you lived in the suburbs and were rather unattached and didn't get to do the things everyday that people who live Downtown can do... you may not think Vancouver is any different or better than any other city. But really, the majority of you are plain miserable lol - no wonder BC Bud sales are through the roof.
Yeah but most are priced out of Downtown Vancouver. At least the prices in Edmonton, or Calgary, or Winnipeg for a condo or apartment are reasonable for the location and amount of space. Sure, you're paying more for less space than the suburbs still, but at least it's still affordable for a middle class person to afford a new condo in Downtown Edmonton (if they're willing to sacrifice 2500 sf for 800).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #52  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 12:22 AM
trofirhen trofirhen is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,829
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hourglass View Post
Vancouver punches above its weight for a city its size. It's still a young city -- only incorporated 124 years ago (someone posted earlier that it's a teenager -- couldn't agree more). Cities such as Berlin, SF, New York, London, Paris Sydney and Tokyo are much larger and have been around a lot longer, which means they've also had more of a chance to develop their civic institutions.

My biggest concern about Vancouver and British Columbia (and maybe it's my perception) is the civic smugness that mean new and different ideas from other cities and countries get ignored. Anyone remember the BC Tourism Slogan "British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth"? That just sets my teeth on edge, because candidly there are other cities such as Geneva, Zurich and Vienna that also rank consistently high on quality of life surveys and outstrip Vancouver in environmental awareness, civic and cultural programs. The City of Vienna has at its City Hall an amazing array of world class programs year round ranging from outdoor film and jazz festivals, performances, ice skating in winter, Christmas and Easter markets with lots of food and drink booths -- even a circus. The Donauinselfest is Europe's biggest outdoor music festival. I don't consistently see that sort of thing in Vancouver except in the summer with the various festivals -- and even then the City grumbles about the cleanup associated with, for example,the Celebration of Light. And don't get me started on the civic New Year celebrations (or historical general lack thereof).

The Olympics showed a side of Vancouver that needs to come out more and could be a sign of what the city could be. The danger I fear is for Vancouver to 'rest on its laurels.' Some symptoms are evident in the uniformity of the downtown skyline dominated by James Cheng-designed condos (Olympic village, Shangri-la and Woodwards being notable exceptions). An interesting test will be what the Vancouver is like 10 or 15 years from now.
Excellent post. Couldn't agree more.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #53  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 12:59 AM
vansky vansky is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 928
Quote:
Originally Posted by duener View Post
Ha ha spot on! That just about sums it up...

What some of you in Van may not realise also, is that Canada is refreshingly middle class... at least from my point of view and I suspect others. Here in the UK there are some right upper class pricks playing polo and sauntering about. And on the other side of the tracks, 12 year old kids are chain smoking and drinking cheap cider. But whenever I'm back in Van, every thing seems so nice and middle class: everyone has an average house, average crappy car, etc. etc.
i think eurpoeans tend to look down on others in terms of culture, same thing with china. which tend to look down on everyone in terms of food

i got a chi chef who once said he was only playing around with french cuisine...just pour the stuff on the plate~~hahaha
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #54  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 1:22 AM
Whalleyboy's Avatar
Whalleyboy Whalleyboy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Surrey
Posts: 2,014
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hourglass View Post
Vancouver punches above its weight for a city its size. It's still a young city -- only incorporated 124 years ago (someone posted earlier that it's a teenager -- couldn't agree more). Cities such as Berlin, SF, New York, London, Paris Sydney and Tokyo are much larger and have been around a lot longer, which means they've also had more of a chance to develop their civic institutions.

My biggest concern about Vancouver and British Columbia (and maybe it's my perception) is the civic smugness that mean new and different ideas from other cities and countries get ignored. Anyone remember the BC Tourism Slogan "British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth"? That just sets my teeth on edge, because candidly there are other cities such as Geneva, Zurich and Vienna that also rank consistently high on quality of life surveys and outstrip Vancouver in environmental awareness, civic and cultural programs. The City of Vienna has at its City Hall an amazing array of world class programs year round ranging from outdoor film and jazz festivals, performances, ice skating in winter, Christmas and Easter markets with lots of food and drink booths -- even a circus. The Donauinselfest is Europe's biggest outdoor music festival. I don't consistently see that sort of thing in Vancouver except in the summer with the various festivals -- and even then the City grumbles about the cleanup associated with, for example,the Celebration of Light. And don't get me started on the civic New Year celebrations (or historical general lack thereof).

The Olympics showed a side of Vancouver that needs to come out more and could be a sign of what the city could be. The danger I fear is for Vancouver to 'rest on its laurels.' Some symptoms are evident in the uniformity of the downtown skyline dominated by James Cheng-designed condos (Olympic village, Shangri-la and Woodwards being notable exceptions). An interesting test will be what the Vancouver is like 10 or 15 years from now.
I couldnt agree with you more on the smugness of BC and Vancouver. It can be seen right in are own province. I talk to people from the Island all the time they say Vancouver is an amazing place but people are smug there. It really lowers us. I find its easier to talk to people from Victoria then it is to talk to some one in Vancouver. Not that i am trying to pick on Vancouver with this its just something i've come to notices. the further you get from Vancouver the friendlier and less smug people tend to be.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #55  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 1:34 AM
trofirhen trofirhen is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,829


Yes, true enough. But, as a youger, more travelled generation (and strangely I include myself here) we can change that as the old mentality phases out, and the newer, more cosmopolitan one takes its place.

For anyone who HAS travelled to other great cities; speak out, stir up some scheiss, and get your point across. There ARE people who will listen.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #56  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 1:44 AM
jlousa's Avatar
jlousa jlousa is offline
Ferris Wheel Hater
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 8,371
My passport has collected it's share of stamps over the years, to be honest there isn't much I'd import to Vancouver from elsewhere. There are little things here and there but for the most part I love that every city is very different, they've all grown the way they have for reasons and one only really learns those reasons by living in those places. Importing things will not have the same effect as developing things, sure we can look across the globe for inspirations, but true character is homegrown.
By the way I have skied/golfed/sailed all in the same day.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #57  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 2:17 AM
SpongeG's Avatar
SpongeG SpongeG is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Coquitlam
Posts: 39,104
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whalleyboy View Post
I couldnt agree with you more on the smugness of BC and Vancouver. It can be seen right in are own province. I talk to people from the Island all the time they say Vancouver is an amazing place but people are smug there. It really lowers us. I find its easier to talk to people from Victoria then it is to talk to some one in Vancouver. Not that i am trying to pick on Vancouver with this its just something i've come to notices. the further you get from Vancouver the friendlier and less smug people tend to be.
better to be smug than stared at

when i go to the island people just stare and stare its quite weird

and i grew up in the sticks
__________________
belowitall
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #58  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 2:46 AM
giallo's Avatar
giallo giallo is offline
be nice to the crackheads
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 11,458
I'm five days away from coming back to Vancouver for a month, and I'm thrilled. Living away from Vancouver has given me a new perspective on the city. The food, the nature, the fresh air, the peninsula...all good. So good. Of course I've got friends and family all over which is the icing on the cake, but really, Vancouver is a fresh mid-sized city, and one I plan on returning to in the near future.
For what it's worth, I never notice the smugness (a bit provincial maybe) in Vancouver when I return as I myself probably come off as smug. I don't mean to, but living abroad for almost eight years has totally changed me, and because of this, I find it hard to talk about my experiences with other Vancouverites. I think when I talk about my life as a photographer in Shanghai, I come off as a bit arrogant, like I'm trying to one-up everyone else. I'm not, of course, as my life here is no different than the 1000s of other artists, designers and entrepreneurs that have flocked to the city from all corners of the world. We always talk about our latest shows, works or deals, and it's normally met with a lot of encouragement. In Vancouver, it's met with a bit more indifference or distain.

Has anyone else had a similar experience as mine?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #59  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 3:15 AM
delboy delboy is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 653
I don't agree that we are smug in fact I think there are many here that are pushing change. Dave Duprey behind the plank and the Rickshaw for instance, the No Fun City film by locals in the music scene to create awareness of the limited and over regulated music scene. Heather Deal is working with Duprey to relax bylaws and eliminate red tape to make it easier to open spaces with art shows, live music performances etc:

http://www.westender.com/articles/entry/arts-venues/

the city recently extended restaurant hours, admitting that the laws were outdated. Street food is being pushed and is as much about culture and vibrancy than just grub.

there is an awareness that we lack cultural institutions and there is a push to create a cultural district with a new art gallery etc. there is also the 10 year cultural review which has hired cultural ambassadors modeled after cities like San Fran, very much aware of the fact that we need to place emphasis on culture and the arts: http://vancouver.ca/creativecity/

Public art (biennial) has quietly exploded and is pretty good.

then there is gentrification, admitting that we have a major homeless problem, gas town has improved in leaps and bounds, Chinatown is slowley beginning to turn....hardly smug

then there is transit and the push for the tram system .....

I think we are very aware of our short comings and frankly many, many things have changed and matured over the past two decades. There is much to be done but smug...... nah
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #60  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2010, 3:49 AM
vanman2010 vanman2010 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 16
I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but a number of years ago when Vancouver was mentioned in US news items it was no longer referred to as 'Vancouver Canada' but just plain 'Vancouver'. To me that says something and combined with the fact that we consistently turn up on the top 5 of so many lists I would have to say that we are world class. Is there a definitive list of what is considered world class? I don't think so.

Yes we do rely on our natural environment but Vancouver is incorporated perfectly in to that environment and a day cavorting in nature is followed up by a stay in a great city. We may not have the greatest night life, but anyone who has kids won't really care that much. Nightlife is for people under 35. Probably the biggest reason our nightlife is much quieter is that the main entertainment districts are surrounded by tens of thousands of people living within blocks of it. They don't want to hear a bunch of ecstasy-riddled morons screaming their heads off at 4 in the morning. Who cares about the nightlife.

Having distinct areas of high density is also very desirable IMO because it's perferable to live in a house with a yard, on a nice tree-lined street in unique neighbourhoods, that are just a short drive from the dense cores.

The one thing that we do need though is a more extensive subway and light rail system. It will come in time but we are still very young. Vancouver is a young city with a rapidly changing cultural makeup. It's an experiment of sorts as East and West meet and mix. The future looks pretty rosy for Vancouver.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Alberta & British Columbia > Vancouver > Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:28 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.