Moving to Canada, where should I live?

[aj_rock]

The part I was referring to as unfair is the "durr hurr Hamilton smells like poo LOL it is teh sukzor!"

... Ok that's hyperbole, but I still hear it often enough to make me twitch slightly. I was just commenting on the fact that most of the city does NOT in fact 'smell like dirty bunghole'; most people formulate that opinion as soon as they drive in from Toronto on the skyway.

*sigh*. Honestly, aside from economic and large-scale environmental factors (e.g. the escarpment in the golden horseshoe vs mountains and oceans in vancouver), you can find culture and like-minded people to your interests in almost every city over a quarter mill. A lot of people tend to unfairly blame their current city of residence on their social life or lack thereof. I thought the same way when I moved BACK to the hammer for a job after living in Toronto, but given enough time, I found my place and I've been having a blast since.

So like I said: economy (can you get the job you want at the economic level you are used to/want?) and geography (preferred climate and landscape) should probably be the biggest deciding factors.

[scotticus]

I am hoping to do some media work there If I can get into that. So I am going over there both to work and have an experience I guess. No wont be driving so will be relying on public transport and walking.

So far people have told me Vancouver is more chilled out and there is lots more outdoor things to do. Toronto is a busier city but with more night life and lots to do there, but its more of an Americanised city. I am more Interested in doing outdoor things, wouldn't mind trying snowboarding or skiing in the winter.

I just keep hearing that Vancouver is really expensive though.

Vancouver is the most expensive place to live in Canada at the moment, but Toronto is not that far behind. If you're looking to do outdoorsy stuff, it's going to be pretty hard to beat the west coast. Best skiing/snowboarding imaginable, surfing, mountain biking - pretty much everything you could ask for. In fact, I should move out there.

I also really love the east coast (Halifax), but it's much smaller in terms of population so if you want that balance of big city/outdoors the west would be a better bet. Very cool, slow(er) pace of living out there.

I'm not that fond of Toronto. It's a great city in terms of night life and culture, I just find it overwhelmingly big and smoggy. Montreal, on the other hand, is pretty awesome. Not sure what it is, but that city just has an interesting vibe that I can get into.

I live in Ottawa right now. It's the nation's capital, and it's great for outdoors stuff. It's a government town, so things can be a little slow and drab sometimes, but if you're willing to look there's always something going on.

[Spongela]

Just want to say thanks for all your responses and advice it was really helpful. I will be moving to Vancouver in around 2 months, which seems quite daunting now as I will be going over on my own. So If anyone lives in Vancouver or has had experience living there, any tips on getting work and places to live, areas etc will be much appreciated. Also feel free to add me, would love to chat with people living there also.

[Morganio]

I have to recommend Calgary. Sure, it gets a bit cold in the winter but you can get to the mountains in 45 minutes. I often go mountain biking after work and will spend all weekend out hiking biking or camping. If you like outdoor sports, it is hard to beat Calgary. Rock climbing, canoeing, hiking, biking, skiing and camping are all close by. There are also a lot of jobs in Calgary and the cost of living is lower than Vancouver. Public transit is pretty good and the public bike paths are awesome. Canmore and Banff are some of the most beautiful places in the Rockies, and you can get there and back on a weeknight after work.