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As someone who moved to the Bay Area from Vancouver, it definitely was a bit of a shock. In Vancouver you're very used to seeing white people work in low incom
by Patrick_Devine 13y ago
As someone who moved to the Bay Area from Vancouver, it definitely was a bit of a shock. In Vancouver you're very used to seeing white people work in low income jobs, and that just doesn't happen a lot here.
Calling the Bay Area congested, incestuous and overpriced compared to Vancouver is a little like the pot calling the kettle black, however. Yes, transit is a million times better in Vancouver. Yes, the cycling infrastructure is at least twice as good as SF and the peninsula. But try driving to or from North Vancouver during rush hour and you will experience some world class congestion.
The recent run-up in housing prices, particularly on the west side of Vancouver, where people have speculated in the housing market has left that part of the city half vacant. It's the same thing you see in London; wealthy foreigners come in, buy a place and use it for only a few weeks/months of the year. It totally wrecks communities.
That said, yeah, I still love Vancouver, but I love working in tech. If you're a software engineer, you really ought to be living in the Bay Area. There's no other place like it.
- togasystems 13y agoI commute daily from Squamish to Vancouver. I am originally from Toronto and found commuting around that city a lot more challenging than Vancouver.
- Patrick_Devine 13y agoEither you ride the seabus, or you're figured out the secret to teleportation. I've sat in more traffic lineups* on Taylor Way than any sane person should ever have to endure. The same can be said for the Massey tunnel, the Port Mann (before it was rebuilt) or half a dozen other spots in the lower mainland.
- robbyking 13y agoIf you don't see white people working low-income jobs in SF, you need to get out and explore. Nearly everyone working retails jobs in the Castro, Noe Valley, Hayes Valley, and a half dozen other neighborhoods is white.
- Patrick_Devine 13y agoSure, but go back into the kitchen of any restaurant, or hang out and talk to the cleaning staff and I can almost guarantee you that you won't see any white people, unless you're talking to management or the chef.
- __--__ 13y agoIf you're a software engineer, you really ought to be living in the Bay Area. There's no other place like it. I agree there's no other place like it, but that's not necessarily a good thing. I've been there, done that and won't go back. Then again, I prefer blunt honesty to polite lies and I need my space. Just saying, it's not for everybody, even if you're a software engineer.