People are often exploring other parts of their country, and sometimes the world, where they feel they could benefit from taking up residence. One of the cities commonly up for consideration is Vancouver. Located in the British Columbia Province of Canada, Vancouver is known as one of the best cities in the world to live. It has been rated as such by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Though it is on the pricier side, you tend to get what you pay for.
There are multiple benefits to living in Vancouver, so let’s take a couple of minutes to explore a few of them:
1. Climate
Keeping in mind the latitude at which it’s located, Vancouver has no business having a climate as docile as it does. While there is no avoiding the frigid cold that grips the great majority of Canada at one point or another, typical winter temperatures range from 38 to 45 degrees F (3 – 6 degrees C), which is almost shockingly mild. Summer temperatures are not as oppressive in heat as in some more southern Canadian cities, but they stay in the ideal range of about 64 to 70 degrees F (18 to 21 C).
Part of the ideal location is thanks to the Rocky Mountains that keep out a significant snow amount. On average, Vancouver gets about 1 cm of snow per year, unheard of in basically every other Canadian region.
2.Stunning Nature
Anywhere you look in Vancouver, you are going to see the Rocky Mountains. One the Western coast, Vancouver is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. The city has breathtaking natural views in basically every direction. Even long term Vancouver citizens often catch themselves admiring the daily natural views.
3.Skiing
Even though there is hardly any snow in the city, the Rocky mountains provide plenty of it. That makes that area an excellent destination for skiing enthusiasts. Cypress Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Grouse Mountain attract both city residents and tourists to their many ski and snowboarding slopes. The courses are often open from early morning until 10 pm, allowing for a full day of skiing fun.
For more ski slopes and cross country trails, there are the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, both internationally renowned for their skiing resorts. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of skiing in the Vancouver area.
4.Great City Setup
When it comes to the layout of the city, the designers of Vancouver got things right! The city distributes many green spaces nicely among the high rise and low rise buildings. Vancouver even attracts students to study “Vancouverism,” the subject of an ideal division of space, focusing on achieving density while preserving the beautiful natural views. What this means is that one never gets overwhelmed by walking through the NYC style of “stone jungle,” and will always find ample greenery for relief from seeing just buildings.
5. Sky Train
Vancouver played it very wisely with its public transportation as well. Not only did they avoid making transit lines heavy at the midpoint, choosing to place beginning and end stations in populated areas to achieve maximum transit efficiency, they also placed their public transport above the city, instead of submerging it underneath. This allows travelers to take in the beauty of the gorgeous Canadian city instead of missing it all.
The cost of travel on this SkyTrain is low, and maps are provided to acquaint yourself with the railway. This also gives you an ideal layout of the city, with stops strategically placed to allow for better access to almost any destination.
The SkyTrain track was built originally for the Expo 86, but since then, the initial track has been joined by two others, totaling 50km of rail, covering a healthy portion of the city.
6. Education
Vancouver is known for having one of the best educational systems in Canada. Education is the designated responsibility for British Columbia on a provincial level. While there are different schooling options, the province structures the best plan to help students thrive and succeed.
Public schools have differing concentrations. Some focus on technology, some on art, and so on. Most public schools are free for residents and those living in Vancouver on a visa. Private schools are relatively rare in Vancouver and are usually tailored to ex-pat communities. Those who have come to the city from other parts of the world or other parts of Canada (Quebec, for example), may opt to send their kids to schools a little more closely tailored to their backgrounds. However, the private schooling system can be exuberantly expensive, and many things should be considered before sending a child to one.
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