The city is beautiful from certain viewpoints. But certainly not from Downtown East Hastings. Nicest people I have met here are from other parts of Canada. Pay rates here are a joke, I mean $8 an hour minimum wage. Im from Australia and have been here for 2 months. The bars are so boring, very anti - social. Hardly any places to head out for a drink. Food is really pretty second rate, at least compared to what Im used to back home. Coffee is deplorable here too. Perhaps its only because it's different to what I am used to, therefore people from other parts of the world may enjoy it more than other Aussies. But to be honest if you are from Australia I would suggest only staying for a couple of days unless you want to be bored s*** less.

A big wet canadian city with the pacific ocean on one side and snowy peaks on the other...Lots of canadian geese and junkies can't find any better place to settle for. I couldn't miss chinatown and lot of self-proclaimed rednecks! Still worth checkin' it out just for the best sushi nord of de border.

Vancouver is at first glance a beautiful city. It is surrounded by sweeping vistas and a dramatic skyline. The climate is moderate. Spend some time here and scratch the surface and it becomes far less attractive. It is a city that is divided politically, it is parochial, narrow minded and shallow. The people are characterless, flakey and disingenuous. Vancouver is the scam capital of N. America, a skill set for which the local population is particularly adept.

The are times when I am certain that Vancouver is something straight out of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is a cold place. People in the same business do not interact of share information they do not network or help each other. There is an almost a Darwinian or Hobbesian social culture. Vancouver is a empty void.

The criminal element is growing. The black economy is larger than most people realize. It is the only city in N America where you will find someone begging on just about every street corner in the downtown core. The cities east end has rates of HIV infection that rival that of Africa. The political environment is polarized and doctrinaire. The left adheres to ideas that are at least a generation out of date. Vancouverites think that Naomi Klein is an intellectual when in reality she is a very silly charlatan. To Vancouverites The Secret is a serious work of self help. The right is equally foolish in the banality of their free market ideology.

You don't meet people of substance here. You meet flakes. The press is dominated by yellow journalism. Rarely if ever have I read a real piece of investigative journalism. You do not meet people who form their opinions based upon facts. When you encounter Vancouverites and engage them in the discussion of social issues the argument usually become circular and they end of talking only about themselves. There is a kind of deep insecurity that comes from profound feeling of self loathing that is hard wired into the political culture here. Narcissism is the dominate religion and real estate speculation the holy grail.

It is without doubt one of the most dreary and boring places I have ever had the misfortune to call home.

I'm taking my first trip to Vancouver this November.  From everything I've read, it's a 4.  I'm really looking forward to it.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Hongcouver. Some of the best meals of my life....

A city that is desperate to prove how cosmopolitan and international it is and usually comes up short, although not by a huge amount.

Its "Hollywood North" status, and a solid regional economy, have brought a lot of wealth to the city, and while that is sometimes displayed in garish and tasteless ways, it does add a glamour to certain areas.

Vancouver still has something of a small-town chip on its shoulder, and coupled with an occasional foray into a wild frontier mentality makes it a little peculiar.

A port city with all the usual dangers that brings, prominent among which are the city police who all too often behave like cowpokes on payday.

Having said all that, it is a beautiful place, in one of the most spectacular urban settings in the world, with gorgeous women.

nice skyline, but not much to do...a little overrated. Definitely not as good as San Fran.

I have never been to such a crime ridden city before.I stayed at a hostel on main street.Pot smokers drug addicts everywhere.But no one is high. No other city I have been to is so full of coldness, snobbery,suspicion, paranoia, ect.I have been to NYC, Los angeles,ect.It was a shock. I can not see how the USA could ever become like this.In three days I saw things I havent seen in a lifetime in the US.Gays and lesbians displaying their sexual vulgarity in parks and public areas as if loving to be watched. It was very sick.A surreal feeling of human degeneracy I had never seen before..
I was falsely accused of stealing a hat, and instead of the clerk asking to lookin my bag, he grabbed it and tore it open. I called out for the police and he ran. So Strange.The manager told me he would take care of it.But he did nothing as far as I could see.
All in three days.Watch out for con artists also.They work the tourists.Don't go. If you do, have fun! But don't say I didn't warn you.

I lived here for a year and loved every second of it. A city with stunning water views plus a backdrop of gorgeous snow-topped mountains. A vibrant restaurant culture with a wonderful Asian influence, exciting shopping streets, great parks, friendly and interesting people with open minds to the rest of the world. Panoramic viewpoints and winter ski-parks only 20 min from downtown. The only negative is the high proportion of rainy and overcast days ... compared with my home town of Sydney Australia, anyway.

World Class city!!! I absolutely love Vancouver BC. Its like being in Europe without leaving the continent. Liberal, progressive, freindly, and clean. Again I'm a pacific Northwest guy so I have to give it up for Vancouver. Vancouver=Seattle=Portland

Vancouver is a lovely looking city, however it's quite small and if your not into nightlife much or outdoor recreational type activities, then it can end up feeling a bit cold and empty. It's not the easiest place to make friends, as is with most sprawled out cities, but the majority of people are very friendly although I wish the two prominent cultures, Asian and Caucasion would mix a little more. The only real drawback to Vancouver if you decide to come and live here, is that it can be quite a challenge finding even the most mundane jobs as there is a large number of unemployed skilled people and not enough jobs. Story of the west coast I guess so be prepared to have a thick skin if you don't land a job straight away.

Other highlights are the food and weather. Yes I said weather, despite what you hear about the constant rain, it's actually no worse than England's and at least it isn't glooomy here when it does rain. It's milder aswell in winter.

Somewhat overrated, how people find this city better than Toronto is beyond me. It's not world-class, but it's on the verge. Great scenery, but there's something missing...the nightlife can be dull at times.

I love this place. Don’t visit here until after the Olympics though. The traffic problems someone mentioned are only worse now because of the construction. Our city really needed this as a kick to improve our infrastructure. I’ve noticed over the past few years some great concerts come through here. Great night life though it ends early. All in all a clean place to live but we definitely need to get rid of the bums.

Vancouver. I've lived here for three years. The city has a lot going for it. Mild climate, beautiful location, being a city in Canada means it is quite liberal. However civic politics are laughable to the extreme, and are a real detriment to the city. There is little if any desire on the part of city council to be in the least bit business friendly. The transportation system is nearly non-existent. We have one light rail line (with a disused spur line) and no decent roads to speak of. Vancouver is a very small city, however it has massive urban sprawl, with little more character than the blight of suburbia that plagues the rest of North America. Vancouver has very little soul, and any cultural events that do take place often fail, or are poorly attended.
The downtown core is quite impressive. It is almost entirely condominiums (no business remember). This gives it a feel rarely found in North America, some real street life. However the homelessness in this city is appaulling. Rarely in the western world do you see so many people begging and selling drugs openly. It is a very interesting dichotomy, expensive real estate, side by side with heroine junkies.The result is things like this quote from The Vancouver Board of Trade: Greater Vancouver faces a higher property crime rate than any city in North America except Greater Miami
It is hard to know how the real estate boom will last here, as it is almost entirely artificial. Retirees from the rest of Canada, and people from Asia hoping to get a toehold here buy all the property. The economy is almost entirely driven by construction, logging, and the harbour. And of course the 6 to 12 billion a year underground economy of grow operations (marijuana growing).
Vancouver could have a lot going for it if the people here were friendlier, and lightened up on the fairly extreme left wing politics. Until then it will probably remain a sleepy second-rate city. Make a mega-city. Get rid of the small minded, petty attitude that is so prevelant in the lower mainland. So much buearocracy and minor inconsecuencial government in the lower mainland is the biggest problem here.All the potential is there, wise up Vancouver.

2005: The Vancouver Board of trade has a new report out. Vancouver has the highest property crime rates in Canada. Vancouver also has the dubious distinction of having the second highest number of criminal code convictions per capita in Canada. Way to go Vancouver. There are so many freindlier, better cities in Canada to go to. Vancouver: A setting not a city.

I think that for it's relative age and size, Vancouver is a great city that has lots going for it. It's truly a unique city for North America. It still has various issues it needs to deal with though such as becoming a cheaper city to live in, cleaning up the east side, improving transportation, building up its cultural amenities, and providing more available activities to both tourists and locals during the rainy seasons. However the positives still greatly outweigh the negatives and most of Vancouver's worst problems are slowly but surely being dealt with. The current cost of living is mostly high due to a temporary trend which will settle down not too long after the 2010 olympics. Two new rapid transit lines will be complete before 2010, bringing the total to 4 lines with the greatest length of any rapid rail system in Canada (even greater than Montreal's or Toronto's - excluding streetcars) and so should greatly help transportation in the region. Vancouver has a great mix of cultures and potential to be a unique cultural centre. Though the cultural scene has been steadily improving, much more effort is still needed. Vancouver just needs things like art gallerys and museums worthy of such a city. The current Vancouver Art Gallery is too small/unimpressive and often doesn't attract the exhibits a city like Vancouver could handle. Luckily there have been discussions to either expand or create a new art gallery downtown. With improved museums/art galleries etc there would also be more to see and do during the rainy weather. The downtown east side, probably Vancouver's most significant problem, is also being dealt with. Within the last few years the first supervised injection site in North America was setup there as part of the cities "Four Pillars Drug Strategy" and new developments/renovations are starting to be carried out in the area for the first time in decades. Overall there is still much to be done with Vancouver but for it's very young age the city has accomplished more than most cities its size and it's only just getting started.

I like Vancouver alot, but then I only go up there (from Seattle) about once every two years. All the negative things I see written here are probably true unfortunately. The shopping is good. The dining is OK to good (more expensive than Seattle, but quality the same or maybe slightly lower). So . . . why even bother. It is a pretty city and it does have that Euro feel that Seattle just doesn't have! Shopping is fun but expensive. We take the train up and party (lightly) all the way.

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Vancouver! What a beautiful city! Upon arrival from the USA I saw a huge differences between US cities and Canadian cities. Vancouver is a beautiful and clean city where people are bustling and running, giving it a true cosmopolitan feel. Diversity here is great, lots of asians, muslims, irish,etc. all living together and adding life to this city. The art scene here is thriving and self-publishing is bountiful here. The location is great! Beautiful parks, mountains, and waterfront location reminds me of San Francisco, but more lively. Like all cities there are social problems here, but the positive overweighs the bad. There is so much recreation here for kayaking and boating it is a water lovers dream. New condos are being built left and right to make way for a quick fad in real estate prices before the Olympics. There are also many independent businesses here which make it feel uniquely Vancouver, appears to be a great place to live if you have the money!

Fabulous scnery but very boring!

I have been living there for 3 years (after having moved there from Germany). It is a city with 2 extreme faces. It can be gorgeous when the sun shines (due to its scenery and outdoor possibilities) and incredibly depressing in the rain. To me, one of the most overrated cities in the world. When it rains (which can last for up to 3 months non-stop!!!) it becomes obvious that this is a pure fair-weather city. When it rains there is simply not much to do compared to the many interesting cities in Europe or the U.S.. And as the rain is prevalent for most of the year, well, Vancouver is really just OK. Many many bums, and above all, aggressive bums, who don't just sit there but really molest passers-by or guests dining on a restaurant patio. And if you don't give, they often get aggressive. This is a huge problem all over the city. Huge drug problem, especially downtown eastside, but not only there. You basically smell stuff and see screwed up people all over the place. As someone already mentioned above, it is narrow and squeezed into a tiny area, no idea why, since Canada has so much space. very hard to meet people, harder than anywhere in Europe for sure. i have discovered a strange narrowmindedness among the people, maybe because it is kinda narrow. No comparison to Americans, who I, by the way, find a lot more open and friendlier contrary to what one often reads. Extremely noisy. Dumpster diuvers in the middle of the night waking you up rattling down the residential streets with their bottle-filled shopping carts (even in very good areas), car alarms everywhere and all the time, noisy old busses, etc. This is the noisiest city I have ever been to. When the sun shines and you can go to the beaches, it is easier to forget all these negative sides for a moment, but in the rain season, just get out of there. The big difference to U.S. cities: In U.S. cities the downsides tend to be concentrated in certain city parts, in Vancouver the misery is spread all over the place. Not my kinda thing. I have seen it and will be somewhere else very soon.

Vancouver has a great location. Situated on a bay surrounded by very green, high mountains, this city is very scenic. Very diverse as well; apparently it is one of the most fastest growing cities in North America. Last time I was there about 4 months ago, there were tons of new condo projects going up, many financed by money coming in from Asia. The climate is mild, but a bit too rainy, thus making the atmosphere there somewhat drab.

Love this city! Lots of things to do even when it does rain. And just like Hollywood always seeing stars all over the place. No wonder they call it Hollywood north. Great dining aswell. Reminds me alot of San Francisco. Two thumbs up.

More negatives than positives in this city. I have been all around the world many times over and can definitely say that Vancouver needs some major upgrades to be considered Best city in the World by Conde Nast. Best? C'mon now. Why does the Canadian Government just basically let the East Side of Downtown Vancouver resemble all the filth of the World so many times over. Must be the French influence in Canada. Sure the Park is pretty nice and big, but did you ever notice the unreal traffic going over the poorly constructed traffic pattern through the Lions gate Bridge? Totally unreal again. Again, probably the French influence: THE DISGUSTINGLY AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS. Why are all the drivers such assholes here? Must be because they are Unhappy living in Vancouver.Go to Hawaii and witness the nicest drivers around. Yes, they may drive a little too slow there, but hey, at least they are nice and generally safe drivers. The streets in Vancouver are so small (narrow lanes) compared to normal American roads. The city seems sucked in a small area, with tiny narrow roads, aggressive drivers, more crack addicts than you can see in a lifetime...all in one location. Most of the building look so old and very UnModern. Even the new onces coming up by the harbor look old. AT least in Victoria, the building are Old but beautiful. AGain these old building are unfortunately very close together. I mean Canada has sooo much space, why did they have congest downtown to such a 3rd world degree. Even in the better parts of downtown, one will smell urine every where, trash flying everywere, beggars yelling in tourists year. Just unpleasant. If one were to to compare Vancouver with Seattle, there is just no comparison. The only good things I can see about Vancouver is Whistler, and well Whistler. BC ferries? Are their ferries being tugged by little seahorses? Because Damn, their so slow! The waters are so calm, can't they have boats with more horsepower in them. I mean seriously, those boats are too damn slow.

Vancouver rocks! My favorite thing about it is Stanley Park which is in my opinion the best city park in the world. This park easily could have been prime real estate but instead hundreds of acres of thick forest with big beautiful trees right on the edge of downtown was set aside surrounded by a magnificent harbor, beaches (you can actually swim here), views of impressive mountains that are very close by, and a shimmering postmodern skyline. I would reccommend either getting a bike or strapping on a pair of rollerblades and skate around the perimeter of the park along the seawall, one of my fondest memories I must say. The shopping here is decent and the people are fun loving, a lot of transients relocated from other parts of Canada among lots of people from Hong Kong who moved in with their British passports, therefore it offers quite a bit of diversity. Dining here is OK (I would say food is better in Montreal) for such a young city though this place is really taking off and seems to have a promising future. Downfalls, this is the only large city I've been to that doesn't have a highway/freeway to bring you into town, leaving you to navigate city streets - Good Luck! You can clearly see the division between wealth and poverty in this city and although most of the Vancouver is prosperous and clean stay away from East side of downtown, it's a miserable dirty place, which is why you see contradicting remarks below - what a clean city - what a dirty place, well actually it's both, just know where your going. Overall this is undoubtedly one of the worlds most beautiful cities and it keeps getting better for the most part.

I live on Vancouver Island and have visited Vancouver many times. What is great about Vancouver is that it has very mild weather compared to other Canadian cities. It is not too warm and not too cold. Although the constant rain can be a bit depressing.

It a really beautiful place to visit but living here is really expensive and it feels cut off from the rest of the country. The drivers are very aggresive so if you like to ride your bike or walk to get places please be careful because many drivers here don't have much respect for pedestrians. The constant rain is quite depressing after a while.

great place to ski.

I thought this was the best city in Canada...bright lights, a buzz, beautiful views and great scenery. Felt more interesting than Toronto.

What an awesome city! Screw Toronto, Vancouver is the world within a city!

One of the most beautiful and exciting cities on the planet

Vancouver is Awesome!

One of my favorite cities. Live in Seattle but drive to Vancouver often. By far the most cosmopolitan city in the pacific northwest and the most beautiful. Vibrant, clean, pedestrian friendly downtown with some of finest collection of stores in North America. Excellent restaurants, world renowed Vancouver International Jazz Festival is a must, absolute breathtaking natural beauty, great parks. By far my favorite city in the pacific northwest and one of my all time favorite.

Vancouver, along with Seattle, is one of my 2 favorite cities. It's never too warm or too cold. There are plenty of skyscrapers and buildings for you city goers, but theres also lots of parks for the nature lovers. You're right on the water, which is always good. Also, you are in the mountains at the same time. You can swim and hike in the same day! Or ski. Whistler mountain, the best ski resort in north america, is in Vancouver. There is also a great marina and a horbor perfect for sailing. And, to top it off, Vancouver has the widest selection of food and cuisine anywhere. So, no matter what you are into, i guarentee you will be into Vancouver!

One of the most beautiful settings out of any city I've visited (granted I haven't been outside the continent) Stanley Park adjacent to the city is awesome...like Central Park on a bay with hills. The city center is vibrant and safe, and was filled with people at night. A true urban neighborhood. As for the nightlife, the bars were packed but there were lines EVERYWHERE. BC has a weird crowd control ordinance- it appeared that some people just wait in lines all night. Shopping isn't exactly world-class and the urban areas are actually a bit dirtier than I was expecting from a Canadian city (Portland is cleaner) but people are fun and friendly and very approachable. Would love to visit there again.

its so funny reading these comments. there all so different. some people say that its clean some say its dirty. some say the people are nice some nay. i think that shows how diverse this city is. i live here and i know this is the best city in the world. yes it is really dirty and there is alot of crime and your car will probably get stolen if you come here. so dont come here this city has enough people already. just kidding you can come here but your car will still probably get stolen. but you can choose from more pho restaurants than if you were in vietnam, and the girls are hotter than in your home town. and yup we are smug, but we cant help it , you would be smug to if you lived here. there are beutiful beaches caressing a huge bay linned with twinkiling lights of the city and mountainside houses. in the summer you can swim in the ocean and rivers. it never rains, and you can eat on the patios of some of the best restaurants in the world. in the winter it rains, but not as much as people think im not sure where that stigma came from but its not true. regardless you dont have to shovel rain! theres the worlds best skiing and boarding in your backyard, and in the spring you can go to the beach and skiing in the same day.(no bull shit cause ive done it. skimboarding in the morning snowboarding at night).

A delightful city in a location of singular beauty, with also probably the finest climate in Canada. Green year-round; parks everywhere; sublime wilderness areas within a short drive. There are some seedy areas, but what city has none? Last time I was in Vancouver I hated to leave.

Vancouver my hometown. Voted best city in the world twice.. a great city with unique flavour... and great beauty.. this city is the Beauty of Canada... Nestled by the Pacific Ocean and beautiful Mountains. Vancouver has been given a great repuation as one of the best in cities in the world. Largest shipping port on the Westcoast, of North America. A hustling business and a growing city at an alarming rate. Vancouver's population tops at 2 Million people. Expensive because of its beauty and nature and well worth the price. I love my city. see Vancouver at the 2010 Winter World Olympics and the World Junior Hockey Championship. Westsiiiiiiide!

What on earth are people whining about? Vancouver's women alone warrant a three-star rating. . .

Even though Vancouver is not as vibrant as Toronto, it is still a wonderful overall city. The fantastic and stunning beauty of Vancouver will make you forget about all the small annoyances the city has to offer. The people are downright polite and actually have pride in where they live and there is nothing wrong with that at all. If I lived in Canada, this would be my 2nd choice city to live in....

lived and visited - I love this city!

Gets a three out of five from me. The scenery is incredible, but Vancouver has one of the highest crime rates in the country, it's the most expensive city in the country, and the people are really annoyingly smug about everything from their city to their rampant veganism to their lax marijuana laws. Give it up, Vancouver, most people just aren't in love with your city the way you all are. There is a lot of poverty and drug addiction and filth in large sections of the city. It's like Rio in that way, except the people in Rio are much nicer.

Vancouver sucks. It rains all the time. There is nothing to do. The people are boring.

vancouver is a great tourist city as long as you stay for only a few days . ok the scenery is nice but It really sucks to live here though the people are polite ( very brithish like) but not very freindly. most are into solo activites outdoors it is extremely difficult to connect with others. city council controls everything and resttics the city from holding festivals, street parties. most main streets i town are dead after 6pm. extremely boring and ideal place for the newly wed or nearly dead. if you're looking for a city with energy like montreal , london, paris rome, new york , boston ... forget about it. I'm outta this prison

I lived in Vancouver for a while and found the people friendly and outgoing. The natural beauty of Vancouver is breathtaking, but I thought "Canada Place" was almost a carbon copy of the Sydney Opera House. Unfortunately, it rains in Vancouver for about 9 months of the year and the sky is often a dull grey with a steady drizzle (which seems to go on for months!) and you often can't see the beautiful mountains. Plan your holiday around the weather! If you get great weather during your holiday, you will experience all the beauty this city has to offer.

vancouver is the greatest city in the world. you can do anything that you want here. toronto licks nuts, and don't even get me started on windsor. too far west? good, i would want you to make the effort to venture out to my city and ugly it up.

The most overrated city in NA. One of the ugliest cities I've ever laid eyes on. The architecture is hideous at best. If you dont believe me check out my photos. http://www.pbase.com/dolf/vancouver It is in a beautiful setting despite the crappy buildings.

Vancouver sucks, its too far west, and away from everything.

It is a strikingly beautiful setting for a city. Probably the most beautiful in North America. Try taking a trip up into the mountians to see some true natural beauty. I really enjoyed my stay there, not to mention that the food was excellent.

Van City is the bomb!

I love Vancouver. I fell in love with it the first time I visited. It one of the most beautiful big cities in North America in my opinion. It's very clean and has such a progressive spirit to it.

Beautiful city! lots of outdoor activicties and attractions. Luv Gastown!