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It's nice hear, but it has its drawbacks. Victoria is as intellectually dead as you can possibly get. Plus it has aging, moneyed entitled boomers. A lethal mix.

It's nice hear, but it has its drawbacks. Victoria is as intellectually dead as you can possibly get. Plus it has aging, moneyed entitled boomers. A lethal mix. As they say, Victoria for the newly wed and nearly dead! Upisland has loggers, retirees and drunks (duncan). Just saying, if you come here know what you're getting into. Comox valley is nice, and is starting to attract smart young families. One of the best developers I've ever met moved his family there to get away from the cost of Victoria. Just try affording housing! Plus we have students squeezing you on the low end.

pasbesoin 15y ago
Ah, well. It made for some pretty pictures, and a friend introduced me to the best cafes. But your description is more in line with his -- it's been a few years, and if anything, it sounds like those conditions have gotten worse. I didn't know much about upisland, except some comments that parts of Nanaimo could get a bit rough. I'm not much in need of a social scene, these days, but your description sounds a bit past what I'd be looking for. I did have a half-joking offer of a job on Gabriola, managing a small tech installation. It would have been a big step down in pay and responsibilities, but the food and scenery would have been great. I guess I never got that out of my head. Thanks, again, for the description. I'll probably never make it up there, workwise, but a bit of information can't help but better inform my daydreams.
- spitfire 15y ago
  "rough" by victorian standards. Which is a city where you can walk down the roughest streets in the roughest neighbourhoods in a short miniskirt without a worry in the world. Coming from any american city you'd feel quite safe in Naniamo. The situation with the retirees/money has gotten acutely worse in recent years. They've absolutely bid up real estate recently. I won't shed a tear when their retirement accounts blow up. Rent is about %50 higher in SF, but everything else is much more expensive here. Factor in the 30% "island tax" into all prices - groceries, computer parts, bikes, etc. Then factor that tech salaries are depressed here (You won't find anyone who'll pay $100K, let alone understand why they should). http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&country2=United+States&city1=Victoria&city2=San+Francisco%2C+CA http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?coun...

pasbesoin 15y ago

Ah, well. It made for some pretty pictures, and a friend introduced me to the best cafes. But your description is more in line with his -- it's been a few years, and if anything, it sounds like those conditions have gotten worse. I didn't know much about upisland, except some comments that parts of Nanaimo could get a bit rough. I'm not much in need of a social scene, these days, but your description sounds a bit past what I'd be looking for. I did have a half-joking offer of a job on Gabriola, managing a small tech installation. It would have been a big step down in pay and responsibilities, but the food and scenery would have been great. I guess I never got that out of my head. Thanks, again, for the description. I'll probably never make it up there, workwise, but a bit of information can't help but better inform my daydreams.

spitfire 15y ago
"rough" by victorian standards. Which is a city where you can walk down the roughest streets in the roughest neighbourhoods in a short miniskirt without a worry in the world. Coming from any american city you'd feel quite safe in Naniamo. The situation with the retirees/money has gotten acutely worse in recent years. They've absolutely bid up real estate recently. I won't shed a tear when their retirement accounts blow up. Rent is about %50 higher in SF, but everything else is much more expensive here. Factor in the 30% "island tax" into all prices - groceries, computer parts, bikes, etc. Then factor that tech salaries are depressed here (You won't find anyone who'll pay $100K, let alone understand why they should). http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&country2=United+States&city1=Victoria&city2=San+Francisco%2C+CA http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?coun...