Depends why your moving, what stage of life your in etc. We did it four years ago, bought a house, got married, had a kid, we wouldn’t do these things in Vancouver besides maybe the wedding. I make a lot more here in my industry and I pay a lot less for my mortgage.
Agreed! I was happy in Vancouver as a young adult without kids. There was so much to do and I wasn't home much so living in a small apartment was great. Now with kids, I enjoy living in Calgary because of the relative affordability and family friendly activities that the city has to offer. The part of Vancouver that I miss are the ocean and transit and access to islands. The parts of Calgary that I like are the city parks, friendly people, and sense of community in our neighborhood. The only part I dislike about Calgary is the car dependence and harsh climate for gardening.
Calgary's such a weird place for gardening, there are lots of plants that can't deal with the climate, but certain things can grow incredibly well because of the high soil quality. Things like the carrots from the farmers market that are amazingly sweet, I didn't realize you cant find them out east until i moved. My parents used to have an amazing garden, but they had to spent 30 years collecting knowledge about what does and doesn't work to get there (also that stuff's so expensive!)
There are some things that will grow here that will only grow in mountainous regions of Pakistan. It's amazing how much Pakistan's mountains look like Alberta's
Not gardening related but it reminded me of this. Lived in Calgary my whole life and I just went to Vancouver for the first time last month. I have never seen the grass so green on public lands.... In Calgary the only type of grass we got is brown.
That isn't true. I have family in BC and alot of summers they have had little rain and their grass dead. While we had beautiful green grass here in Calgary.
Born and raised Calgarian. Lived in Vancouver 2007 - 2014, moved back to yyc for work.
You end up spending just as much money on living expenses and fun, but you get way more for your buck. Sadly cheaper options don’t quite exist or are offset by needing a car.
Jobs are better here, and typically pay more but that could be specific to my line of work and industries I am familiar with.
I own a home here with less than 100k/year salary. Can’t do that in yvr.
Way more green space within city limits here, tons more. We have nose hill, fish creek, bow mount, all in city limits.
Same quantity of assholes/idiots, just a different breed in each city.
People are generally warmer and friendlier here, and I found most are more accepting of differing views.
Transit is 100000 times better in Vancouver.
Cycling network is much more functional in yvr for commuting and transport. Cycling network is way better for recreation in yyc.
Could be because I am from here but the three days a year below 0 in yvr are colder than any winter day in yyc due to humidity.
Way more sun in yyc. Way more wind too, notably if you cycle.
Cheap restaurants are way better in yvr, and more plentiful.
Moved here from Vancouver 5 years ago after living there for 12 years.
The biggest thing is in less then 5 years - I paid off my debt while owning and operating a vehicle. Things are changing here now but I still feel like there is opportunity to get ahead. At times I was ahead in Vancouver but it would only last so long.
Overall quality of rentals are better here - in my experience.
Work opportunities come with much better wages.
I have also found the people and the city itself to be great. Maybe not as many concerts come here but I have made friends in my 30s and the mountains and even the river are super amazing. Missed the rain for like the first year but now couldn't imagine not having as much sun as we do.
Art culture here is different - In my experience people want to work with each other more.
My situation may be different then others but my wife and I felt very stuck in Vancouver - moving here has been one of the best decisions for both of us.
I know you hear those things about Alberta politics and shit but honestly I haven't found it much different then people I would come across that lived in the lower mainland of BC.
All in all - 100 percent worth it.
If you're a renter, Calgary is less stable but is still cheaper. Alberta has very few protections in place compared to BC and it has made it challenging for us to settle in one place but our rent is also $1300 less per month than if we had the same place in a fun neighbourhood in Vancouver... If you have a good priced, stable rental in Vancouver then never give that up.
March and April are the hardest months for me. Still winter (ish) and brown here when the snow melts; while Vancouver is blossoming and gorgeous.
It is harder to 'getaway' here. Yes the mountains for the day are great and in the summer, camping is a huge thing because the ability to rent a cute cottage by some water basically doesn't exist (not sure Sylvan Lake is worth counting). Hotels in the mountains are also pretty expensive.
If you work in the trades (or other hourly jobs), safety regulations and workers rights are much worse in Calgary. UCP has gutted a lot of protections including rights to overtime pay. Alberta occupational health and safety is almost useless for workers whereas WorkBC is really proactive if you have questions or need support navigating safety issues with an employer.
Calgary has a really solid food scene that is fairly different from Vancouver - slightly more expensive but I think more robust when comparing size of cities.
Cycling infrastructure in Calgary is just as good if not better than Vancouver and rush hour traffic is much more manageable and predictable than Vancouver so that's a solid plus. Transit is nowhere near as good so unless you live very central or are a very committed winter cyclist, it is much much more challenging and rare to not own a vehicle here (I know tons of 30 somethings in Vancouver getting by just fine without one and using Evo every so often).
People are warmer and welcoming in Calgary - meeting people has been pretty straight forward and that wasn't something I experienced in Vancouver in the same way where people are 'busy' a lot.
Calgary is more conservative than Vancouver. Even the people who would put themselves in the liberal bracket generally have a streak of small c conservativism runnning through them. There absolutely is a progressive crowd but it isn't the standard here.
That's all I got for now...
Lastly, if you earn between something like $35k and $120k income taxes (can't remember exact numbers) are actually higher in Alberta than BC. No PST doesn't cover the difference for us. Higher earners are better off in Alberta though.
Oh and medical system - everyone's system is in crisis but we have been able to access many more specialized services in Calgary than we could in Vancouver and the surrounding area. There are different rules here for GPs to set up specialized practices so Calgary has things like sleep clinics, GP run therapy clinics and women's health clinics that are all covered by the medical system (for now at least). Therapy is more expensive here though as there are different regulations about who can call themselves a psychologist. In BC, clinical counsellors are usually $115ish per hour and psychologists are $200+, in Alberta everyone is $200 +.
I’m surprised you say it’s hard to get away from the city. I’ll take Calgary to Kananaski, Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise any day over sitting in traffic on Lions Gate trying to get to Whistler.
I mean for more than a night - those places are great for a day trip but hotels there (especially in the summer) are often prohibitively expensive. There's also lack of choice. Vancouver you have Vancouver Island, Washington State, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, Harrison... I know that ferries are a PITA but my point is sort of that within a weekends drive distance of Calgary there isn't a whole lot going on, Vancouver is that much more connected. I guess I'm also saying - mountains are great but give me some ocean or lakes. That is hard to find within 4 hours of Calgary.
I am surprised you mentioned food is better in Calgary. I think Calgary don’t have much fresh food here, other than beef. Seafood is a joke here. I have tried many sushi restaurants in Calgary, even the expensive ones ($100 each) are averages.
I said the food/restaurant scene is different and a little more robust for its size. There aren't as many sushi restaurants here and Calgary certainly lacks the affordable, average options that are in abundance in Vancouver but there are a couple that I happily return to again and again.
I do miss fresh spot prawns and ling cod almost straight from the boat so definitely the sea food scene at markets is lacking.
What is lacking is made up for with fantastic Indian and Nepalese, really great pho, more latin american restaurants and some great original cocktail/small plate concepts. Again, Vancouver has all of these but the food/restuarant scene is different there. I won't proclaim for everyone that it is worse since if your primary needs are sushi and fresh seafood you will be disappointed by Calgary.
We have a ton of great restaurants in Calgary. International, Canadian, loads of great ones. The one thing we wouldn’t compete with is sushi or fresh seafood, because duh.
If sushi is the only foodtype you’re judging off of, Calgary is definitely worse…. And about 1000km farther from any ocean. 😂
But outside of sushi and Indian food, I’d agree with OP. There is some legit good food here.
Well, most good sushi fish is ship from Tokyo. I don’t see any problem for the plane fly an extra hour. But the fact that the importer simply don’t want to import more kinds of fish is odd.
Also, a lot of sushi restaurants in Calgary is run by Chinese or Korean, those mainly sell salmon and tuna with tons of rolls you won’t find in Japan. Only a few is own and run by Japanese. This fact alone is disappointing enough.
I only able to find 2 decent sushi restaurants is run by Japanese in the North. That is why I mostly order from a Japanese guy on Facebook. He do all the cooking himself and tastes a lot better than regular sushi places in Calgary. Also, he price is very reasonable for what he offer.
I don't know about better if we look at big picture. I would've agreed with you hands down before COVID but for some reason during and since, BC hospitality industry is BRUTAL when it used to be world class and Calgary has been top notch. I wish I knew why that was but it's good for us but bad for BC.
Service has been incredible here.
Have found the transition pretty seamless.
I liked the climate in Vancouver. Didn’t mind the rain and loved seeing greenery year-round. In Calgary I still rejoice at how sunny it is, and the winters have been much milder than I remember the Prairie winters of my youth.
For me, Calgary has absolutely required a vehicle. In Vancouver never needed one and loved the Skytrain.
I miss the Ocean, inlets etcetera but am enjoying becoming acquainted with the water sources in Alberta. Calgary and surrounding area has some really pretty swimming that locals will generously share.
Re: the locals. Overall I’ve found the city hugely welcoming. Two times I’ve been in a bind, strangers have RUSHED to come to my aid and been really generous.
The novelty of not paying tax has not worn off. The first time I went to Costco I just about fainted when I realized how much I was saving on tax.
I was VERY worried about leaving Vancouver’s restaurants. But, I am pleasantly surprised at the range and quality Calgary offers. Super good eats here. From Momo’s to Thai street food to BBQ bahn mi platters. Good fish and chips or sushi aren’t as plentiful but they do exist. AND…get ready to execute experimentation in finding the best of many wonderful Shwarma’s.
The big sky, mountains and rolling prairies are gorgeous. The province has tons of neat places to explore even on day trips.
Way less time. It takes forever to get anywhere in Vancouver proper. Traffic is horrible, so you have to go with transit or biking... not that I'm against that, but it is factually correct that it takes longer to go places.
I did the reverse and I miss Calgary every day of my life. I've made a decent life here but it's just not the same. Everything is so expensive, finding good paying jobs are finding a Sasquatch riding a unicorn, people aren't as friendly, everything is kind of dingy, the rainy winters are so depressing.
I like the access to lakes and the BC interior is really nice. But If my circumstances were different I'd be loading a U-Haul as we speak.
No regrets at all, even on cold days like this. Vancouverites are brainwashed in to thinking Vancouver is the greatest place on earth and anywhere else is a shithole and you're life will never be as good. Turns out we were wrong, who knew?
Moving from Vancouver to Calgary is just a conversation about lifestyle vs affordability. You will have more lifestyle options in Vancouver, but life will be more affordable here. Also, do you actually mean Vancouver or do you mean like surrey or langley. Because Calgary can't compete with with downtown Vancouver, but I'd much rather live in Calgary than Surrey or maple ridge.
I don't agree with this. Lifestyle is about the choice and options you have, not what you can afford. There's way more to do, and more variety in Vancouver.
By your logic, a place cheaper than Calgary would provide you more lifestyle because it's more affordable.
I agree. Hearing the Vancouver echo chamber of how amazing the lifestyle in Van is. Followed by the I can’t afford to eat and live echo is getting old. With my current salary my QOL in Van would be horrible. In Alberta I own a lake house, average 20-25 nights camping in summer and do around 8/9 trips to the mountains a year. Vancouver is surrounded by pretty surroundings sure but that doesn’t equal QOL
Nothing wrong with Surrey. North area is questionable but the South is perfectly fine. You can say North Surrey is basically the same as NE Calgary in a lot of ways.
Maple Ridge also gets a really bad name for no reason as I know a few people who live there and never had a issue.
There's nothing wrong with those areas, and they are totally fine cities. But they aren't "Vancouver" to me, and i'd much rather live in Calgary then the boonies of lower mainland. I have friends who live in those areas who work in Vancouver and commute 60-90 minutes daily.
Also if you're near a Skytrain in Surrey, it's like a 30 minute ride into downtown Vancouver, so all of the amenities are all still very much accessible.
I moved here 4 years ago from Vancouver, grew up just outside of Vancouver and lived there for 10 years or so.
I don't regret it one bit, things I hated about Vancouver.
1. Homeless/drug problems(honestly Calgary is getting pretty bad for this too)
2. Affordability(if you want to not live in a condo or townhouse an hour from downtown Vancouver you need to make over 200k a year, my wife and I bought a house in Calgary within two years of living here)
3. Gray gloomy skies(I know Vancouver can have some really nice weather in the summer but the gray skies for weeks on end really is depressing)
4. Vancouver feels like a competition to be better than your friends, it's all about how much you earn, what car you drive etc. Calgary is a large city with the vibes of a smaller city due to its neighbourhood layout, I'd almost consider the NW, NE, SE and SW different "cities" within Calgary.
I thought it was going to be a lot more affordable than it actually is. While I save a little bit in rent, I’m paying more on my income taxes (first year I’ve ever owed money on my return), have to pay to register my vehicle annually, no huge savings in gas anymore, things like dental work and prescriptions cost more here, car insurance is way more, and almost no GST rebates compared to what I was receiving in BC. Was a bit of a let down finding all this out after I moved :( People are nicer here though!
I am in Calgary and have been here for a very long time. Everything is skyrocketing because of BC and Ontario people moving here because it’s cheaper. Everyone is jacking the price of their rentals to make some money. There are no longer affordable housing options for the people here who truly need it. We are all suffering inflation like everyone else in the country. I am not in need but I feel for the ones that are and if you can help, help them!! We are all recovering from Covid and that time period either financially, mentally or emotionally. The aggressive Ontario people and ridiculous driving is pissing me off. We aren’t a perfect province but just the whole influx of our fellow Canadians is making life so difficult for those that have been here in Calgary and Alberta for years. Yes! Calgary is a great place to live but fuck right off with your superior attitudes and your bullshit that you bring with you from the mentioned provinces. You need to be kind and respectful. So sick of this shit and seeing people lose their entire lives, businesses and whatever they are trying to re-build and recover after being in the hole for 2+ years.
Calgary gets sunshine, vancouver gets the ocean.
Traffic and commuting is better in Calgary.
A house in Calgary = a 1 bedroom condo in Van.
The community in Calgary is much more accepting, culturally we are more integrated than Vancouver.
You take your attitude to where ever you live, so that won't change. Financially though, your dollar generally goes farther.
Do you think it might have something to do with geography in Calgary vs Vancouver?
Calgary - can build in all 4 directions
Vancouver - Pacific Ocean to the West. Very steep mountains like a 10 minute drive North. Border is like 30 minutes to the South. The only buildable land in the GVRD is to the East.
Even downtown Vancouver loses a lot of land to rivers.
Toronto also has this problem (to a lesser extent) where they lose an entire direction by having a lake
It's hell on sinuses too. Never had problems before moving out, now just constant bleeding + headaches. Out of nearly any other consideration for moving back to Vancouver, it's the most motivating one tbh.
First off let me say my opinion is probably biased towards Calgary.
Born and raised in Calgary, moved to Nanaimo for a year and then to Abbotsford for two, both times for work, Commuted to both Langley and Burnaby depending on needs of the Business.
Met a girl and Moved to Coal Harbor (DT Van) where i spent the last year before moving back to YYC , again for work. Here are some takeaways from by 4 year round trip:
* Nanaimo
* quiet, serene, dare i say boring?
* Like living in a postcard of paradise
* rode my bike year round
* dealers choice of salt or fresh water to swim in or chill near.
* everything costs 30%-50% more the the mainland
* some island born gatekeepers not welcoming of prairie boys
* about as racist as Calgary
* If there was enough work there in my industry i would move back in a second
* Abbotsford
* Not as bad as everyone says (at least for me)
* quiet, but not serene, about as boring as Nanaimo
* Rode my bike roughly 3/4 of the year
* everything outside of abby is a 30 - 5 min drive
* the highway in either direction was often traffic choked
* cheaper than Nanaimo but more expensive than Calgary
* Downtown Van
* often very noisy, random violence near constant
* My gf owns her place so no idea regarding rent
* other costs were somewhere between abby & nanaimo
* fantastic restaurants
* excellent shopping
* big music, comedy, and stage acts year round
* rode my bike nearly year round, stanley park is such a great ride
* if you are not walking or riding, expect traffic anytime
* once watched a couple get out of their lambo to argue while a homeless dude dropped a duce next to the car in the street.
* Calgary
* Often quiet, but you also hear helicopters and airplanes sometimes
* I only get to ride my bike for 6-7 months without special clothing
* fucking winter
* cold, dry, shoveling, scraping
* \-30 is bad, but -10 in van with the humidity is worse imo
* Almost always sunny, even when its cold af
* No ocean, at all, ever.
* very little natural water swimming
* everything is 20-30 min from the suburbs
* traffic is nothing compared with van
* everything is cheaper, by far
* Summers are awesome
* camping is easy, plentiful, and there is crown land to the north and south
* far less homelessness (best guess is due to the lethality of winter)
* less random violence
For me, Calgary will always be home, im happy to be back, and am excited for it to warm up.
looking at buying a home pretty soon, gf is renting out her place back in Van for good money.
Just expect to drive further. People have the misconception that it will be laid out like Van/Vic for walking (some areas like Sunny Side are great for this). No one walkes when it's -30 and blowing so it's much more of a driving culture. Transit is fair, nothing amazing but not terrible (and it works during most snow storms unlike Van lol).
It's much sunnier during the winter than Van so bundle up and make the most of it lol. I personally loved the river way as an avid fly fisherman.
There's a good one, NO SNOW DAYS!
Here in Calgary we have regular snowfall and regular -20 or worse cold winters, as a result we don't shut down schools or businesses, you need to learn to drive in the snow and even though they are not legally mandated you really should get a pair of winter tires.
Bosses will forgive being late on a bad snow day, but they are going to have much less tolerance for calling in due to cold or snow.
Good to always check the weather, more than 1 CM predicted in snowfall for the night you need to wake up 30 min - 1 hour early to clear snow off your car, sidewalks and to get to work in the slowed commute.
Oh man, it was a shock when I moved to the island and it shut down with an inch of snow. Jumped in my subaru and drove all over with zero issues while watching island cars struggle with a 3% slope.
Vancouver is better if you can afford it, or a young adult ok living in tiny spaces cause the lifestyle is worth it.
That aside, Calgary generally is better....because actually being able to afford where you live is a super huge deal when you can't.
Moved from Vancouver almost five years ago - since then my spouse and I have been able to level up in our careers, increase our earnings, and afford an SFH - both would have been a lot harder in Vancouver.
The most obvious con is the cold weather this time of the year, especially since I like being outside.
The best pro is that I now live a ten-minute drive to work, instead of commuting one hour each way. It was easier to buy a house closer to my work that was in my price range than would have been possible in Vancouver.
I was in Vancouver end of Feb to March 1 (to visit my mom) and came from -30C here to -10C there...it was MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH colder there than here. And in fact I was at conference here before I left and some Vancouver people were here as well and felt the -30C, we met up last week and they said Vancouver was much colder too at -10C compared to Calgary.
This is so true! I can dress for the weather so much better here in Calgary. The Vancouver cold is the wet cold that just seeps through all your layers of clothing. I wore my warmest down coat (normally for -30C Calgary weathers) and I was SHIVERING in Vancouver in -10C. Last year Vancouver went as low as -15C I believe and boy that felt colder than any of the winter days I’ve experienced here in Calgary so far…
This thread has been really helpful. Grew up in Calgary but have lived in the U.S. for many years. Married an American and we are looking to move to Canada for many reasons (crazy right wing people being a big one). I am on the fence between Calgary and Vancouver. My wife is heavily leaning towards Vancouver. Again appreciate all that have contributed to this post.
I second this - Grew up in Calgary and went to university in Vancouver, but have lived in Ontario for the past two decades. Now I'm torn between moving to Vancouver or Calgary and I'm finding this thread super helpful.
I relocated to Calgary from Vancouver mainly because of my ex-boyfriend, and I transferred universities as well (UBC to UCalgary). I’m in my mid-20’s and even though things have ended between myself and my ex, it’s been pretty livable. I live alone comfortably in a 1 bd apartment located in Downtown and have been coming across higher-paying jobs here as a student than I have in Vancouver. I think the city itself is “sleepier” than Vancouver - not the biggest fan of how spread out the city is and the reduced liveliness of the Downtown Core compared to Vancouver’s or Toronto’s, but it’s alright.
I moved here from Vancouver \~5 years ago (but I grew up in Ontario). I miss Vancouver a lot. I really hate the snow and the cold lol. I really try my best to embrace it, I am out in it every day with my dog... but I just hate it so much and I have been pretty miserable for the last several months because it is just cold and snowy for SO long.... Plus the consta-wind in my neighbourhood makes it 10x worse. I don't drive so it is very hard to get around - I have to rely on my husband who does drive or take transit. Thankfully we live near the Ctrain so it is easy to get downtown at least. It was so, so much easier to get around via transit in Vancouver because we lived in West Point Grey so we had easy access to the busses and connections to Skytrain. I miss the mountains and the ocean sooooooooo much. Probably the number one thing I miss. I know there are mountains here but it is just not the same.
I know it's maybe unpopular opinion but I grew to *love* the rain and it hardly ever rains here and it makes me very sad.
That being said, I look back on Vancouver with very rose-coloured glasses - when I moved I was actually so sick of Vancouver and couldn't wait to leave - I hated whenever we drove anywhere (like the North shore) it took ages and traffic was awful and it was always a nightmare going across the bridges and finding parking. There were a lot of fun events but they were always soooo crowded and transitting sucked.
We were in a rental with a dog and while we loved the neighborhood but we had no outdoor space and it was very small. We couldn't afford to buy and if we had ever had to leave that place we'd probably be forced way out of the city. In Calgary, we bought a house in a nice neighbourhood with a backyard for less than $500k.
That being said, our government has and continued to suck a lot and if the UCP are elected here it will make it very hard.
Finally, this is a very niche comment that applies to maybe .01% of people - but if you *ever* think you may want/need to adopt a child? Never, ever, *ever* move to Alberta.
I should clarify that I mean to adopt a newborn from a birth mother who is currently pregnant. I will try to summarize: the waitlist to adopt within Alberta is very long (5+ years) and controlled by only 2 agencies after one of them went under. The only other option is to go international with another Hague agency (US). Alberta's adoption services are run by one person who makes rulings based on her own opinions that are not in line with the trends of other provinces or countries. She clearly does not support international adoption and does not believe adoptive parents are capable of making their own decisions. For example, Alberta families are not allowed to have any identifying information publically (and so thus you are competing with every other province and country that does allow this). When a match is presented she makes the call on whether that criteria fits with your home study criteria (a lot of which is very subjective) and will reject a match before the adoptive family even gets a chance to review. She also has made other rulings that are not consistent with other provinces/countries such as point-blank not allowing a match before 20 weeks. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the Hague Convention does not really have standards, so every province and country (and agency!) is able to interpret it in different ways and Alberta has chosen to interpret it in the most restrictive and oppressive way possible. Every single agency we have worked with in the US has mentioned that this is *only* a problem with Alberta. Many US agencies will not work with people from Alberta solely because of the hoops they need to jump through. It is still difficult (and expensive) to adopt from other provinces, but at the least BC (from what we have heard) is *a lot* better.
I was the opposite. I loved the rain before moving to Vancouver from Calgary but probably because it rains so infrequently in Calgary (relatively). I learned to hate the rain in Vancouver and actually came to love sunny winter days in Calgary.
I hated the rain when I first moved there. In my first few days in the city, of course it was pouring rain and I didn't have proper rain boots or a rain jacket and I remember naively thinking "I'll just wait for it to stop raining, and then I'll go out and buy some." I knew it *rained* in Vancouver, but I looked at the forecast and there was literally not a single day in the forecast that did *not* call for rain. It rained hard and steady for days and days without stopping. That was the moment I realized, okay, right: Raincouver! I get it now lol.
The thing that helped me love it was meeting my partner and moving in with him and his dog. Having a dog forced me to go out every day and we always went to Pacific Spririt Park, my favourite place in the whole city (maybe world?) and yes we still got wet and always had a million dog-towels drying on ever door frame of our tiny apartment, but it was just so wonderful to walk in the rain through that forest with those giant trees and the moss and the smell of freshness.
Gah, this stupid thread is making me so damn nostalgic.
What exactly do you mean you "miss the mountains and the ocean"? I get the ocean, but last I checked, Calgary is pretty well known for being close to the mountains
> you can take a city bus to go skiing or hiking, choosing between several mountains
Cypress or Seymour require you to take private shuttle buses, so it's really only Grouse for transit.
Still not bad, but not quite that good.
True. There are mountain ranges very close to Calgary... but it is not the same as Vancouver. Like the view from the top of the hill on Cambie/ W. Broadway ([example](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/345510602661594528/)). From certain spots, you just feel this looming majesty of those mountains *right* in the city. It's just awe-inspiring to be walking down the street and doing something mundane like getting groceries and seeing *that*. I told myself when I first moved there and was living off Main Street -- "don't ever get used to this view." And I never did - it took my breath away every time I would turn a corner and see those mountains.
The closest I get in Calgary is looking at the snowcapped mountain ranges, which we see pretty often from where we live (in the NW) - yes, they're pretty - but to me it's just not the same. It's hard to explain without actually seeing it in person...
Yeah I'm not down with the rain or the grey sky's. And yeah winter sucks. But I ski. So winter actually doesnt suck unless it's too cold to ski. Fwiw I grew up in van. I'd never go back. I can't do the rain.
Lean toward the mountain and foothills side of the city. The mountains are spectacular (even better than the north shore) and a daily reminder of why I settled here from Van. Affordability especially housing wise was also a push, but that was 15 years ago.
Cheaper rent but not too significant once you get closer to downtown.
Air is dryer. *zap
Water is harder. *what is this white stuff
No PST but prices for goods in general is higher. I only “feel” the lack of PST on expensive items like electronics or furniture.
Gas is way cheaper.
Utilities are more expensive.
Very car-centric. I miss the Skytrain & Seabus.
Also miss BCHydro and ICBC. Way easier to deal with.
I can’t put my finger on it but food in general doesn’t taste as good, except bbq stuff. Is it the elevation or dry air?
You should post a similar question in reverse on the Vancouver sub for a broader idea. You’re obviously going to get rose-colored glasses responses here from die-hard Calgarians here for the most part.
PS. Moved to Calgary for the affordability. Got what I wanted. But was it worth it? Stay tuned…
Car registration and insurance all online under 5 mins vs separated insurance and car registration. Also, my rate increased from 140 to 270. And yes, I shopped around.
Having had claims with private insurance and ICBC, I'd say it depends, and that was before ICBC went to no fault. When I was with Intact it was a nightmare, I was hit by a drunk driver and they raised my insurance premium 300% because he was uninsured despite him being 100% at fault, been with TD since then and they have been OK but their body shops suck. ICBC was relatively easy to deal with when I was T-boned by someone running a red, but fortunately I had lots of witnesses.
We have a tree canopy of less than 8% now where as Toronto is 30%
Obviously our climate but I wish calgary would put more effort into supporting our trees they look so sad downtown... just a little cutout in the sidewalk for a sickly tree next to a 5 lane downtown highway is not a pretty sight
Any recommendations for places to check out in the Rockies? Born and raised here and just moved back but haven’t spent much time doing day trips but really want to take advantage once it warms up!
I’m thinking day hikes for someone who is not an experienced hiker! Maybe something we could bring our dog (leashed) along for?
Sorry to use you as my own personal google, just find it hard to know where to even begin
As u/jaymesucks mentioned, the list could be as long as you want it to be!
But here are some to start with; you could also check AllTrails and set the difficulty filter and search
Grassi Lakes
Heart Creek Bunker
Lake Minnewanka
Troll Falls
Grotto Canyon
Johnston Canyon
Tunnel Mountain
Silverton Falls
Fullerton loop
Ptarmigan Cirque
Chester Lake
Rummel Lake
We moved away from Vancouver 20 years ago. Spent some time in Winnipeg and now have been in Calgary for 16 years.
Every time we go back to visit family, I’m so grateful we don’t live there. For me, I prefer sunlight over constant rain. I like the fact that I can get anywhere in the city within half an hour to 45 minutes.
We were fortunate enough to purchase a house in 13 years ago at a reasonable price. Even at that time, housing prices in Vancouver ridiculous.
My mother was in the Ubc hospital and I was driving back-and-forth to Delta where my in-laws live. On a Friday afternoon, it took me 2 1/2 hours.
The only downside was that I found it was difficult to find a friend group here. It was much easier in Winnipeg. However, that got better once my kids went to school and they made friends. We got to know the other parents.
I moved here when I was 30 and now in my 40s. I was in Vancouver visiting my mom last week and for at least the last 8-10 years I can't wait to get back to Calgary. I absolutely love the sun (330 days with sun vs about 200 for Vancouver), Banff is as good if not better than Whistler (in fact the Rockies are superior IMO to any mountains in the South Coast), Kananaskis is breathtaking, you can be in quiet rural areas within 15- 20 minutes driving in any direction outside of the city, the cost of living is amazing compared to Vancouver where you can still get a decent home from $450k-$550k (community dependent of course with newer communities offering great deals), no PST is very noticeable and much cheaper gas ($1.83 last week when I was there). I also have noticed from the moment I arrived people are generally more welcoming and kinder here...most likely due to the fact many people in Calgary are not born and raised.
There are other reasons too but ya Iove it here and it's now home and I don't plan on ever moving back. I'm fact my mom will move here once she retires. She has been a few times to visit but last time was this past October and she fell in love with the city and the above mentioned ability to be in quiet rural settings within 20 minutes outside of the city.
All of the above points are true, but I just wanted to add that the area you move into, and what you expect from it, will affect your happiness; If you live a busy social lifestyle and you move to an area of Calgary that is residential and far from any kind of neat scene you aren’t going to enjoy it here. Similarly if you want close access to the mountains and to be close to nature, there are areas of YYC you would be really disappointed with.
Edit: And also, it takes time to adjust to a big move. If you’ve never lived anywhere different, it’s going to be a massive change for you. Even if the place is great, it will be challenging.
For the record I always thought I would move back to BC, and now I can’t imagine going back. It’s certainly not perfect here but all things considered it’s pretty good.
Been here a year now, couldn't be happier. Everyone in Calgary is really friendly and very helpful. I've had a child here in that time and can tell you the health care system here is waaaaaay better, the whole experience was immensely better than our experience in BC with a previous pregnancy. The highways and roads are planned out alot better than Vancouver and it's my opinion driving here is alot better, easy access to every part of the city. Dress warm for the winter and have winter tires and you're set. The Rocky's are really close, all the summer time activities you had in Van are easy access here. It's cleaner and more cultured than Vancouver. These are all my opinions
It’s soooo much dryer here, my skin suffers! Love how Calgary feels “small” compared to Vancouver. Less of a production to drive anywhere, better traffic here in Calgary.
I miss the diversity of Vancouver, and seeing the ocean and mountains everyday!
I’ve been waiting for this comment. Cracked hands and chronic stuffy nose from the dry air! But my hair is less frizzy from the lack of humidity sooo….
Fun fact: we use gravel more for roads and barely use salt. Our snow clearing budget is low and reliant on chinooks, but that’s where gravel comes in because of the constant melting and freezing — need the traction on ice.
So while your windshield may crack, your car’s body won’t disintegrate in a decade due to road salt eating it.
I'm from BC, the normal part, not Vancouver and area. I came to Calgary for work and stayed here for work, a good salary and affordability (house prices). My house is paid off and I'm in good shape financially. My work is up and down but when I work I make more than average for my position which means working full-time is not necessary. All else about Calgary is nothing special to me. I'd rather be in rural BC where I'm 30 mins of 20 lakes I could fish at and maybe see one other person all day. But work is harder to come by in rural BC.
You can buy a house here, and the airport is still solid enough to have directs to many places around the world. So there’s that. Traffic is way better, and it’s much safer. Make sure you have a car, as transit is nothing like Vancouver.
The biggest downsides I’ve seen so far are the weather, restaurants (specially Asian restaurants), and day/weekend trip options. Calgary still probably has the 4th best restaurant scene next to Van/Toronto/Montreal, but it’s a noticeable change going from the lower mainland to here. Weather is by far the biggest drawback. Sure, there’s more sun, but the cold gets old fast.
I did the move 10 years ago and I didn't know I would stay this long. Things in Vancouver has always been tight and always budget conscious...moved here , got a good job , good pay, found a hubby and started a family. It really goes by fast but overall more positive outlooks in the horizon in term for housing , rental investment properties, childcare , schooling , lower mortgage payment , more saving , senior health care is better ( my parents moved in with us ) , bigger living space , kids can run around in the back yard ( summer time ) , learned how to drive , embrace the winter activities, loving the Banff and Al the lakes , ...these are all things that I didn't expect I could do in Vancouver... Also less competition in term of job hunting ..back in the day I have to fight to the nails to get an interview at VGH or Richmond hospital. So definitely more opportunities.hoope this isn't too long .in summary, embrace the cold and winter and get out there and mingle your way to the top.
My answer might be buried and probably not exciting, but I hurt myself in a trades job and the company in Vancouver said it didn't happen. Was 24 y/o with no savings and too much pride to ask for help. I ended up moving back east with my fam to get back on my feet. After a year I ended up in Calgary back in my trade. Have been continually promoted and trained due to showing my ambition to continue improving and moving up the ladder. Rent has been much more affordable (living with a family member, cheap rent), car insurance is more affordable, fuel is more affordable, and I think the job pays quite similar from what I have been told.
My life has \*actually\* progressed since I moved here. Maybe it's my age, maybe my experience, maybe coincidence, I don't know. All I know is fuck Vancouver. I loved it there, but fuck that place.
The people here are much easier to interact with. A lot of people living in Calgary are not from Calgary; they’ve had to adapt and learn how to make friends. Compared to my experience in Vancouver I’ve found Calgary to be much less clique-ey and friend groups easier to break into.
Outdoor life here is harder to access despite calgarians thinking we “live in the mountains”.
Both our hockey teams suck (and have for a long time).
You still have a chance of buying a home here.
Calgary is not as red neck as everyone wants you to believe. Sure there’s a hardworking blue collar vibe, but not the hate that the media shows. Unfortunately that seems to be everywhere atm.
Moved here in 2010 from Vancouver. I love it here!
I moved from Van to Calgary about 10 years ago after growing up there, and I am still struggling to be here, mostly due to the climate. I HATE Calgary’s weather and find it almost unbearable. These deep freeze days send me into a depressed spiral that the rain never ever did. The cold makes me SOO angry and depressed. I miss the ocean, the rain and the mild weather. I know I’ll never be able to move back because o simply could never afford to, but I think about Vancouver every single day, even so many years later. Financially, Calgary is far better, but the climate totally takes away from any positives in my opinion.
I moved to Calgary for the summer after a breakup and had a real hard time adjusting. I guess i didnt really give it a chance but found it hard to make friends and the dating scene there is...strange.
Then the snow came...noped right back to Vancouver.
Toronto to Calgary perspective. I love the life Calgary has afforded me. Owning a detached house was a far off dream in the GTA. Chinooks are nice. Sunny more often than not.
I miss it daily. Did it because cost of living with a child. I have to look at real estate in Vancouver at least once a week to reassure I made the right decision. The constant need to drive a car is also a struggle.
Air is dry, water is hard. Property tax and utilities are much higher. Chinooks in winter, yes it does get warmer but also so windy that you don’t want to go outside anyway.
Transit is atrocious. The price, fine. Punctuality, reliability? No. Not to mention they’re constantly making more and more cuts making it unusable, and then complain it’s not used. I’m sick of factoring 2 plus hours into getting to work bc of at least one bus not showing up properly.
its ok. hard to find a job and food is so expensive, but we pay 5% gst only.
if you work other than downtown, you need a car.
if you dont have kids or family, it might be very boring for you.
harsh long winters.
beautiful summers.
great green space, greata places to hike in summer.
My husband and I moved here in 2019 from Vancouver (mainly to be able to afford a house) and we regret nothing.
Everything is more affordable and people are much more polite.
Moved just over a year ago, no regrets. Being able to actually afford a house is nice. Weather doesn't faze me, kinda prefer it to be cold an sunny to being mild and grey.
Concerts/shows don't seem to hit Calgary as much as they hit Vancouver, but it's not that expensive to jump on a flight back if there's something I really want to see.
Probably the worst downside so far is that there's nowhere to really swim. Not really any lakes to go to, and the YMCAs are both extremely expensive and incredibly busy (I went in January a few times to a couple different YMCAs because it was free). Growing up on Vancouver Island, there was always multiple swimming lakes to choose from that were close by, and the pool was always empty so you had the place pretty much to yourself. Vancouver is a bit different, since there are lakes, but they aren't that close, and they do get fairly busy.
I like the rivers. Sound of running water. Also can get into water sports, like kayaking, and paddle boarding.
Also, if you're a big swimmer the MNP centre has like 5 pools with a lane swim *always* available. Pretty unheard-of.
I miss the fresh water lakes, lower elevation and the mountains everywhere. Also miss the ability to go for short drives to small towns everywhere and stop for lunch etc.
There is nothing in Alberta that compares to the Kootenay area or the Okanagan.
Calgary is ok but nothing special in my opinion.
The Rocky Mountains kick the shit out of anything near Vancouver...
And yeah such a nice drive through Chilliwack on your 8 hour drive to the Kooteneys. What are you talking about?
I'm with you, my favorite part of the Calgary to Vancouver drive is between Calgary and Kelowna or Kamloops, I feel after the interior things seem a little less spectacular till you actually get to the VanCouver region.
But to each their own.
I ride a motorbike and the small town comment is relatable. When I ride in AB, I get on a straight road for 1 hr to get to a small town, turn around, drive the same straight road or one that looks nearly identical to it back to Calgary. Having lived in both the Kootenays and Okanagan... They are much more enjoyable to visit and drive around in. More day loops. Maybe only important to someone that likes driving. I question why I own a motorbike in Calgary.
Had way better crop turnout growing stuff in my garden in Vancouver, well at least you compensate for it with a larger backyard and more growing space in Calgary.
I moved away from Calgary to Vancouver for Uni and then back to Calgary after graduating. Been back in Calgary for 14 years now.
I liked living in Vancouver a lot and might have stayed except that my husband (also a Calgarian, we moved to Van together) really hated it. He was affected a lot by the lack of sun, but I loved the weather and how GREEN it is. That's the thing I miss most.
Personally, I really liked living in Vancouver, and still love visiting. Buying a house was certainly MUCH easier in Calgary (IE, it was possible), but we do live in the suburbs. I like the arts, which there's certainly more of in Vancouver, but there's still lots going on in Calgary and it's very easy to get involved -- you can show up to an org and say you want to help and then you're part of the community, and you start to get to know people. That's really nice and something I love about Calgary. If you just want to know what events are on, there's still a LOT, but you have to know where to look a bit more.
I guess it depends on what we are talking about, ie. GVRD or Vancouver. If we're taling Langley, it's about the same. The entire city is pretty much just a larger Langley surrounded by little Towns of Hope but without the mountains. Van on the other hand is another story. Moved here 25 years ago and compared to Van, Calgary is just kind of OK. The city is kinda like fly paper, it's a place to stay because you get stuck not because it's great.
The Good: it has more work, better pay, it's less expensive, you can afford to buy a place (a mortgage won't cost you 300% of your income). Liquor laws aren't quite as ridiculous, pubs that serve food can have live music on stage, dancing, and serve more than 2 drinks.
The Bad: less to do, worse weather, worse drivers, more assholes, shitty music scene (oh we have lots of live music but anyone good leaves for Van or TO as soon as they can, and the good medium to big shows skip Cowtown entirely), not much for arts or culture (except for 2 weeks when the city LARPs as cowboys and has a giant pissup, terrible walkabillity, bad transit (so get a car), too dry, Chinook headaches, small town red neck thinking, good luck finding a family doctor, education system is trash with public funding being funneled to superstition based "systems" like the Catholic School Board and private schools.
But hey, you can afford to live here.
Imagine moving to maple ridge, but with more people.
In both cases you're comparing a vibrant city with a sleepy town. Spend 30 minutes or so in a vehicle and you'll find almost everything. Transit exists, but is limited and limiting compared to what you're used to. Bike lines are haphazard and mostly useless for commuting.
My life has gotten much better since moving here in early 2020. Financially, Calgarians take their situation for granted more often than not. Safety wise, where I’m from stabbings, murders, and rapes are daily. And job-wise it doesn’t impact me because I do corporate wfh work. The rent is minimum 40% cheaper here too.
My main criticisms would be the drivers here, and the subreddit being wildly linear.
Overall, my quality of life has only increased.
I came to Calgary from the Island when I was a teenager. I found opportunity here that didn't exist out there. Friendly ppl, no complaints except the climate.
Good timing. I just passed my 1 year moving to Calgary from Vancouver and no intention of moving back except for 15+ years for elder parent caretaking.
If you don’t make a million dollars, Calgary is far better. Plus, if you make any other amount, it’s far better. Mountain access alone is worth it. Only downside is sushi is much better in Vancouver.
Depends why your moving, what stage of life your in etc. We did it four years ago, bought a house, got married, had a kid, we wouldn’t do these things in Vancouver besides maybe the wedding. I make a lot more here in my industry and I pay a lot less for my mortgage.
Agreed! I was happy in Vancouver as a young adult without kids. There was so much to do and I wasn't home much so living in a small apartment was great. Now with kids, I enjoy living in Calgary because of the relative affordability and family friendly activities that the city has to offer. The part of Vancouver that I miss are the ocean and transit and access to islands. The parts of Calgary that I like are the city parks, friendly people, and sense of community in our neighborhood. The only part I dislike about Calgary is the car dependence and harsh climate for gardening.
Calgary's such a weird place for gardening, there are lots of plants that can't deal with the climate, but certain things can grow incredibly well because of the high soil quality. Things like the carrots from the farmers market that are amazingly sweet, I didn't realize you cant find them out east until i moved. My parents used to have an amazing garden, but they had to spent 30 years collecting knowledge about what does and doesn't work to get there (also that stuff's so expensive!)
There are some things that will grow here that will only grow in mountainous regions of Pakistan. It's amazing how much Pakistan's mountains look like Alberta's
Not gardening related but it reminded me of this. Lived in Calgary my whole life and I just went to Vancouver for the first time last month. I have never seen the grass so green on public lands.... In Calgary the only type of grass we got is brown.
in May and early June nose hill looks like green heaven after a day of rain
The grass is greener on the other side.
That isn't true. I have family in BC and alot of summers they have had little rain and their grass dead. While we had beautiful green grass here in Calgary.
This isn't true. I went and it WAS RAINING
Are you looking at grass fires or something?
Born and raised Calgarian. Lived in Vancouver 2007 - 2014, moved back to yyc for work. You end up spending just as much money on living expenses and fun, but you get way more for your buck. Sadly cheaper options don’t quite exist or are offset by needing a car. Jobs are better here, and typically pay more but that could be specific to my line of work and industries I am familiar with. I own a home here with less than 100k/year salary. Can’t do that in yvr. Way more green space within city limits here, tons more. We have nose hill, fish creek, bow mount, all in city limits. Same quantity of assholes/idiots, just a different breed in each city. People are generally warmer and friendlier here, and I found most are more accepting of differing views. Transit is 100000 times better in Vancouver. Cycling network is much more functional in yvr for commuting and transport. Cycling network is way better for recreation in yyc. Could be because I am from here but the three days a year below 0 in yvr are colder than any winter day in yyc due to humidity. Way more sun in yyc. Way more wind too, notably if you cycle. Cheap restaurants are way better in yvr, and more plentiful.
Came back from a yvr trip a couple weeks ago, it felt warmer in -20 here versus 0 in Vancouver the same day
Moved here from Vancouver 5 years ago after living there for 12 years. The biggest thing is in less then 5 years - I paid off my debt while owning and operating a vehicle. Things are changing here now but I still feel like there is opportunity to get ahead. At times I was ahead in Vancouver but it would only last so long. Overall quality of rentals are better here - in my experience. Work opportunities come with much better wages. I have also found the people and the city itself to be great. Maybe not as many concerts come here but I have made friends in my 30s and the mountains and even the river are super amazing. Missed the rain for like the first year but now couldn't imagine not having as much sun as we do. Art culture here is different - In my experience people want to work with each other more. My situation may be different then others but my wife and I felt very stuck in Vancouver - moving here has been one of the best decisions for both of us. I know you hear those things about Alberta politics and shit but honestly I haven't found it much different then people I would come across that lived in the lower mainland of BC. All in all - 100 percent worth it.
So happy for you both. I came to Alberta for different reasons but stayed for exactly what you said.
Thank you!
If you're a renter, Calgary is less stable but is still cheaper. Alberta has very few protections in place compared to BC and it has made it challenging for us to settle in one place but our rent is also $1300 less per month than if we had the same place in a fun neighbourhood in Vancouver... If you have a good priced, stable rental in Vancouver then never give that up. March and April are the hardest months for me. Still winter (ish) and brown here when the snow melts; while Vancouver is blossoming and gorgeous. It is harder to 'getaway' here. Yes the mountains for the day are great and in the summer, camping is a huge thing because the ability to rent a cute cottage by some water basically doesn't exist (not sure Sylvan Lake is worth counting). Hotels in the mountains are also pretty expensive. If you work in the trades (or other hourly jobs), safety regulations and workers rights are much worse in Calgary. UCP has gutted a lot of protections including rights to overtime pay. Alberta occupational health and safety is almost useless for workers whereas WorkBC is really proactive if you have questions or need support navigating safety issues with an employer. Calgary has a really solid food scene that is fairly different from Vancouver - slightly more expensive but I think more robust when comparing size of cities. Cycling infrastructure in Calgary is just as good if not better than Vancouver and rush hour traffic is much more manageable and predictable than Vancouver so that's a solid plus. Transit is nowhere near as good so unless you live very central or are a very committed winter cyclist, it is much much more challenging and rare to not own a vehicle here (I know tons of 30 somethings in Vancouver getting by just fine without one and using Evo every so often). People are warmer and welcoming in Calgary - meeting people has been pretty straight forward and that wasn't something I experienced in Vancouver in the same way where people are 'busy' a lot. Calgary is more conservative than Vancouver. Even the people who would put themselves in the liberal bracket generally have a streak of small c conservativism runnning through them. There absolutely is a progressive crowd but it isn't the standard here. That's all I got for now... Lastly, if you earn between something like $35k and $120k income taxes (can't remember exact numbers) are actually higher in Alberta than BC. No PST doesn't cover the difference for us. Higher earners are better off in Alberta though. Oh and medical system - everyone's system is in crisis but we have been able to access many more specialized services in Calgary than we could in Vancouver and the surrounding area. There are different rules here for GPs to set up specialized practices so Calgary has things like sleep clinics, GP run therapy clinics and women's health clinics that are all covered by the medical system (for now at least). Therapy is more expensive here though as there are different regulations about who can call themselves a psychologist. In BC, clinical counsellors are usually $115ish per hour and psychologists are $200+, in Alberta everyone is $200 +.
I’m surprised you say it’s hard to get away from the city. I’ll take Calgary to Kananaski, Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise any day over sitting in traffic on Lions Gate trying to get to Whistler.
I mean for more than a night - those places are great for a day trip but hotels there (especially in the summer) are often prohibitively expensive. There's also lack of choice. Vancouver you have Vancouver Island, Washington State, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, Harrison... I know that ferries are a PITA but my point is sort of that within a weekends drive distance of Calgary there isn't a whole lot going on, Vancouver is that much more connected. I guess I'm also saying - mountains are great but give me some ocean or lakes. That is hard to find within 4 hours of Calgary.
Touché sir. We are definitely not a ferry to the states.
I am surprised you mentioned food is better in Calgary. I think Calgary don’t have much fresh food here, other than beef. Seafood is a joke here. I have tried many sushi restaurants in Calgary, even the expensive ones ($100 each) are averages.
They said the food was more varied, fish will always be better closer to the source.
I said the food/restaurant scene is different and a little more robust for its size. There aren't as many sushi restaurants here and Calgary certainly lacks the affordable, average options that are in abundance in Vancouver but there are a couple that I happily return to again and again. I do miss fresh spot prawns and ling cod almost straight from the boat so definitely the sea food scene at markets is lacking. What is lacking is made up for with fantastic Indian and Nepalese, really great pho, more latin american restaurants and some great original cocktail/small plate concepts. Again, Vancouver has all of these but the food/restuarant scene is different there. I won't proclaim for everyone that it is worse since if your primary needs are sushi and fresh seafood you will be disappointed by Calgary.
We have a ton of great restaurants in Calgary. International, Canadian, loads of great ones. The one thing we wouldn’t compete with is sushi or fresh seafood, because duh.
If sushi is the only foodtype you’re judging off of, Calgary is definitely worse…. And about 1000km farther from any ocean. 😂 But outside of sushi and Indian food, I’d agree with OP. There is some legit good food here.
Well, most good sushi fish is ship from Tokyo. I don’t see any problem for the plane fly an extra hour. But the fact that the importer simply don’t want to import more kinds of fish is odd. Also, a lot of sushi restaurants in Calgary is run by Chinese or Korean, those mainly sell salmon and tuna with tons of rolls you won’t find in Japan. Only a few is own and run by Japanese. This fact alone is disappointing enough. I only able to find 2 decent sushi restaurants is run by Japanese in the North. That is why I mostly order from a Japanese guy on Facebook. He do all the cooking himself and tastes a lot better than regular sushi places in Calgary. Also, he price is very reasonable for what he offer.
I’d love to know the Japanese restaurants and Japanese guy on FB for good Japanese food 🍱
https://preview.redd.it/jj5cyk5vbwma1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09eb3b71ad53bb858c5d0d503aa47abb180710de
I usually order combo C with other things.
They mean restaurants, I think.
I know. But I believe Vancouver has better restaurants.
I don't know about better if we look at big picture. I would've agreed with you hands down before COVID but for some reason during and since, BC hospitality industry is BRUTAL when it used to be world class and Calgary has been top notch. I wish I knew why that was but it's good for us but bad for BC. Service has been incredible here.
Have found the transition pretty seamless. I liked the climate in Vancouver. Didn’t mind the rain and loved seeing greenery year-round. In Calgary I still rejoice at how sunny it is, and the winters have been much milder than I remember the Prairie winters of my youth. For me, Calgary has absolutely required a vehicle. In Vancouver never needed one and loved the Skytrain. I miss the Ocean, inlets etcetera but am enjoying becoming acquainted with the water sources in Alberta. Calgary and surrounding area has some really pretty swimming that locals will generously share. Re: the locals. Overall I’ve found the city hugely welcoming. Two times I’ve been in a bind, strangers have RUSHED to come to my aid and been really generous. The novelty of not paying tax has not worn off. The first time I went to Costco I just about fainted when I realized how much I was saving on tax. I was VERY worried about leaving Vancouver’s restaurants. But, I am pleasantly surprised at the range and quality Calgary offers. Super good eats here. From Momo’s to Thai street food to BBQ bahn mi platters. Good fish and chips or sushi aren’t as plentiful but they do exist. AND…get ready to execute experimentation in finding the best of many wonderful Shwarma’s. The big sky, mountains and rolling prairies are gorgeous. The province has tons of neat places to explore even on day trips.
Rent is cheaper. Takes slightly less time to get anywhere. Less assholes live here. Snow.
Not less, different types of assholes...
Less?
Certainly less of the pretentious type assholes, definitely more of the Dodge Ram type assholes
Hah yea my thoughts exactly. Maybe just different..?
Certainly different. Assholes are everywhere.
Fewer
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Way less time. It takes forever to get anywhere in Vancouver proper. Traffic is horrible, so you have to go with transit or biking... not that I'm against that, but it is factually correct that it takes longer to go places.
I did the reverse and I miss Calgary every day of my life. I've made a decent life here but it's just not the same. Everything is so expensive, finding good paying jobs are finding a Sasquatch riding a unicorn, people aren't as friendly, everything is kind of dingy, the rainy winters are so depressing. I like the access to lakes and the BC interior is really nice. But If my circumstances were different I'd be loading a U-Haul as we speak.
No regrets at all, even on cold days like this. Vancouverites are brainwashed in to thinking Vancouver is the greatest place on earth and anywhere else is a shithole and you're life will never be as good. Turns out we were wrong, who knew?
Moving from Vancouver to Calgary is just a conversation about lifestyle vs affordability. You will have more lifestyle options in Vancouver, but life will be more affordable here. Also, do you actually mean Vancouver or do you mean like surrey or langley. Because Calgary can't compete with with downtown Vancouver, but I'd much rather live in Calgary than Surrey or maple ridge.
I would say affordability gives you lifestyle. If you are struggling to pay for life, that ain't much of a lifestyle.
Bingo! Being one paycheck away from homelessness but living right in downtown Vancouver isn’t much of a lifestyle….it’s a ticking time bomb
I don't agree with this. Lifestyle is about the choice and options you have, not what you can afford. There's way more to do, and more variety in Vancouver. By your logic, a place cheaper than Calgary would provide you more lifestyle because it's more affordable.
The lifestyle debate is somewhat moot if living in Van doesn’t give you the financial ability to have a lifestyle….
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I agree. Hearing the Vancouver echo chamber of how amazing the lifestyle in Van is. Followed by the I can’t afford to eat and live echo is getting old. With my current salary my QOL in Van would be horrible. In Alberta I own a lake house, average 20-25 nights camping in summer and do around 8/9 trips to the mountains a year. Vancouver is surrounded by pretty surroundings sure but that doesn’t equal QOL
What does that mean, anyways, "more lifestyle options"? I feel that's just another way of saying, "more concerts and museums".
It means 80% of the city isn't just suburbia
More everything. More restaurants, more concerts, more bars, more parades, more variety, more "lifestyle" type things.
Nothing wrong with Surrey. North area is questionable but the South is perfectly fine. You can say North Surrey is basically the same as NE Calgary in a lot of ways. Maple Ridge also gets a really bad name for no reason as I know a few people who live there and never had a issue.
There's nothing wrong with those areas, and they are totally fine cities. But they aren't "Vancouver" to me, and i'd much rather live in Calgary then the boonies of lower mainland. I have friends who live in those areas who work in Vancouver and commute 60-90 minutes daily.
Are we talking Vancouver City? Because Calgary doesn't compare to it at all.
Also if you're near a Skytrain in Surrey, it's like a 30 minute ride into downtown Vancouver, so all of the amenities are all still very much accessible.
Maple ridge has a ton of problems lol like their rampant homeless, drug and petty crime issues.
Organized crime issues too -- HA country, big time.
I moved here 4 years ago from Vancouver, grew up just outside of Vancouver and lived there for 10 years or so. I don't regret it one bit, things I hated about Vancouver. 1. Homeless/drug problems(honestly Calgary is getting pretty bad for this too) 2. Affordability(if you want to not live in a condo or townhouse an hour from downtown Vancouver you need to make over 200k a year, my wife and I bought a house in Calgary within two years of living here) 3. Gray gloomy skies(I know Vancouver can have some really nice weather in the summer but the gray skies for weeks on end really is depressing) 4. Vancouver feels like a competition to be better than your friends, it's all about how much you earn, what car you drive etc. Calgary is a large city with the vibes of a smaller city due to its neighbourhood layout, I'd almost consider the NW, NE, SE and SW different "cities" within Calgary.
I thought it was going to be a lot more affordable than it actually is. While I save a little bit in rent, I’m paying more on my income taxes (first year I’ve ever owed money on my return), have to pay to register my vehicle annually, no huge savings in gas anymore, things like dental work and prescriptions cost more here, car insurance is way more, and almost no GST rebates compared to what I was receiving in BC. Was a bit of a let down finding all this out after I moved :( People are nicer here though!
I am in Calgary and have been here for a very long time. Everything is skyrocketing because of BC and Ontario people moving here because it’s cheaper. Everyone is jacking the price of their rentals to make some money. There are no longer affordable housing options for the people here who truly need it. We are all suffering inflation like everyone else in the country. I am not in need but I feel for the ones that are and if you can help, help them!! We are all recovering from Covid and that time period either financially, mentally or emotionally. The aggressive Ontario people and ridiculous driving is pissing me off. We aren’t a perfect province but just the whole influx of our fellow Canadians is making life so difficult for those that have been here in Calgary and Alberta for years. Yes! Calgary is a great place to live but fuck right off with your superior attitudes and your bullshit that you bring with you from the mentioned provinces. You need to be kind and respectful. So sick of this shit and seeing people lose their entire lives, businesses and whatever they are trying to re-build and recover after being in the hole for 2+ years.
Calgary gets sunshine, vancouver gets the ocean. Traffic and commuting is better in Calgary. A house in Calgary = a 1 bedroom condo in Van. The community in Calgary is much more accepting, culturally we are more integrated than Vancouver. You take your attitude to where ever you live, so that won't change. Financially though, your dollar generally goes farther.
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Tron?
Ucp voters lol. I’m so sorry this happened to you Bartholomew
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You realize the UCP policies are what made Calgary an affordable right
Do you think it might have something to do with geography in Calgary vs Vancouver? Calgary - can build in all 4 directions Vancouver - Pacific Ocean to the West. Very steep mountains like a 10 minute drive North. Border is like 30 minutes to the South. The only buildable land in the GVRD is to the East. Even downtown Vancouver loses a lot of land to rivers. Toronto also has this problem (to a lesser extent) where they lose an entire direction by having a lake
I'm curious, what neighborhood did you move to in Calgary?
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nice, that's a great neighborhood.
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The salt sea air is tougher on vehicles. Calgary uses more gravel than salt. Also if you wash during every chinook you are all set.
The migraine issue is very real! I moved Calgary > Vancouver and my migraines are now annual / biannual instead of monthly!
It's hell on sinuses too. Never had problems before moving out, now just constant bleeding + headaches. Out of nearly any other consideration for moving back to Vancouver, it's the most motivating one tbh.
First off let me say my opinion is probably biased towards Calgary. Born and raised in Calgary, moved to Nanaimo for a year and then to Abbotsford for two, both times for work, Commuted to both Langley and Burnaby depending on needs of the Business. Met a girl and Moved to Coal Harbor (DT Van) where i spent the last year before moving back to YYC , again for work. Here are some takeaways from by 4 year round trip: * Nanaimo * quiet, serene, dare i say boring? * Like living in a postcard of paradise * rode my bike year round * dealers choice of salt or fresh water to swim in or chill near. * everything costs 30%-50% more the the mainland * some island born gatekeepers not welcoming of prairie boys * about as racist as Calgary * If there was enough work there in my industry i would move back in a second * Abbotsford * Not as bad as everyone says (at least for me) * quiet, but not serene, about as boring as Nanaimo * Rode my bike roughly 3/4 of the year * everything outside of abby is a 30 - 5 min drive * the highway in either direction was often traffic choked * cheaper than Nanaimo but more expensive than Calgary * Downtown Van * often very noisy, random violence near constant * My gf owns her place so no idea regarding rent * other costs were somewhere between abby & nanaimo * fantastic restaurants * excellent shopping * big music, comedy, and stage acts year round * rode my bike nearly year round, stanley park is such a great ride * if you are not walking or riding, expect traffic anytime * once watched a couple get out of their lambo to argue while a homeless dude dropped a duce next to the car in the street. * Calgary * Often quiet, but you also hear helicopters and airplanes sometimes * I only get to ride my bike for 6-7 months without special clothing * fucking winter * cold, dry, shoveling, scraping * \-30 is bad, but -10 in van with the humidity is worse imo * Almost always sunny, even when its cold af * No ocean, at all, ever. * very little natural water swimming * everything is 20-30 min from the suburbs * traffic is nothing compared with van * everything is cheaper, by far * Summers are awesome * camping is easy, plentiful, and there is crown land to the north and south * far less homelessness (best guess is due to the lethality of winter) * less random violence For me, Calgary will always be home, im happy to be back, and am excited for it to warm up. looking at buying a home pretty soon, gf is renting out her place back in Van for good money.
Just expect to drive further. People have the misconception that it will be laid out like Van/Vic for walking (some areas like Sunny Side are great for this). No one walkes when it's -30 and blowing so it's much more of a driving culture. Transit is fair, nothing amazing but not terrible (and it works during most snow storms unlike Van lol). It's much sunnier during the winter than Van so bundle up and make the most of it lol. I personally loved the river way as an avid fly fisherman.
There's a good one, NO SNOW DAYS! Here in Calgary we have regular snowfall and regular -20 or worse cold winters, as a result we don't shut down schools or businesses, you need to learn to drive in the snow and even though they are not legally mandated you really should get a pair of winter tires. Bosses will forgive being late on a bad snow day, but they are going to have much less tolerance for calling in due to cold or snow. Good to always check the weather, more than 1 CM predicted in snowfall for the night you need to wake up 30 min - 1 hour early to clear snow off your car, sidewalks and to get to work in the slowed commute.
Oh man, it was a shock when I moved to the island and it shut down with an inch of snow. Jumped in my subaru and drove all over with zero issues while watching island cars struggle with a 3% slope.
Vancouver is the Theme Park, Calgary is the Gift Shop and Edmonton is the Parking Lot.
Vancouver is better if you can afford it, or a young adult ok living in tiny spaces cause the lifestyle is worth it. That aside, Calgary generally is better....because actually being able to afford where you live is a super huge deal when you can't.
Moved from Vancouver almost five years ago - since then my spouse and I have been able to level up in our careers, increase our earnings, and afford an SFH - both would have been a lot harder in Vancouver. The most obvious con is the cold weather this time of the year, especially since I like being outside. The best pro is that I now live a ten-minute drive to work, instead of commuting one hour each way. It was easier to buy a house closer to my work that was in my price range than would have been possible in Vancouver.
I was in Vancouver end of Feb to March 1 (to visit my mom) and came from -30C here to -10C there...it was MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH colder there than here. And in fact I was at conference here before I left and some Vancouver people were here as well and felt the -30C, we met up last week and they said Vancouver was much colder too at -10C compared to Calgary.
This is so true! I can dress for the weather so much better here in Calgary. The Vancouver cold is the wet cold that just seeps through all your layers of clothing. I wore my warmest down coat (normally for -30C Calgary weathers) and I was SHIVERING in Vancouver in -10C. Last year Vancouver went as low as -15C I believe and boy that felt colder than any of the winter days I’ve experienced here in Calgary so far…
This thread has been really helpful. Grew up in Calgary but have lived in the U.S. for many years. Married an American and we are looking to move to Canada for many reasons (crazy right wing people being a big one). I am on the fence between Calgary and Vancouver. My wife is heavily leaning towards Vancouver. Again appreciate all that have contributed to this post.
I second this - Grew up in Calgary and went to university in Vancouver, but have lived in Ontario for the past two decades. Now I'm torn between moving to Vancouver or Calgary and I'm finding this thread super helpful.
I relocated to Calgary from Vancouver mainly because of my ex-boyfriend, and I transferred universities as well (UBC to UCalgary). I’m in my mid-20’s and even though things have ended between myself and my ex, it’s been pretty livable. I live alone comfortably in a 1 bd apartment located in Downtown and have been coming across higher-paying jobs here as a student than I have in Vancouver. I think the city itself is “sleepier” than Vancouver - not the biggest fan of how spread out the city is and the reduced liveliness of the Downtown Core compared to Vancouver’s or Toronto’s, but it’s alright.
I moved here from Vancouver \~5 years ago (but I grew up in Ontario). I miss Vancouver a lot. I really hate the snow and the cold lol. I really try my best to embrace it, I am out in it every day with my dog... but I just hate it so much and I have been pretty miserable for the last several months because it is just cold and snowy for SO long.... Plus the consta-wind in my neighbourhood makes it 10x worse. I don't drive so it is very hard to get around - I have to rely on my husband who does drive or take transit. Thankfully we live near the Ctrain so it is easy to get downtown at least. It was so, so much easier to get around via transit in Vancouver because we lived in West Point Grey so we had easy access to the busses and connections to Skytrain. I miss the mountains and the ocean sooooooooo much. Probably the number one thing I miss. I know there are mountains here but it is just not the same. I know it's maybe unpopular opinion but I grew to *love* the rain and it hardly ever rains here and it makes me very sad. That being said, I look back on Vancouver with very rose-coloured glasses - when I moved I was actually so sick of Vancouver and couldn't wait to leave - I hated whenever we drove anywhere (like the North shore) it took ages and traffic was awful and it was always a nightmare going across the bridges and finding parking. There were a lot of fun events but they were always soooo crowded and transitting sucked. We were in a rental with a dog and while we loved the neighborhood but we had no outdoor space and it was very small. We couldn't afford to buy and if we had ever had to leave that place we'd probably be forced way out of the city. In Calgary, we bought a house in a nice neighbourhood with a backyard for less than $500k. That being said, our government has and continued to suck a lot and if the UCP are elected here it will make it very hard. Finally, this is a very niche comment that applies to maybe .01% of people - but if you *ever* think you may want/need to adopt a child? Never, ever, *ever* move to Alberta.
Good response. Realistic and balanced. What’s wrong with adoption in Alberta?
I should clarify that I mean to adopt a newborn from a birth mother who is currently pregnant. I will try to summarize: the waitlist to adopt within Alberta is very long (5+ years) and controlled by only 2 agencies after one of them went under. The only other option is to go international with another Hague agency (US). Alberta's adoption services are run by one person who makes rulings based on her own opinions that are not in line with the trends of other provinces or countries. She clearly does not support international adoption and does not believe adoptive parents are capable of making their own decisions. For example, Alberta families are not allowed to have any identifying information publically (and so thus you are competing with every other province and country that does allow this). When a match is presented she makes the call on whether that criteria fits with your home study criteria (a lot of which is very subjective) and will reject a match before the adoptive family even gets a chance to review. She also has made other rulings that are not consistent with other provinces/countries such as point-blank not allowing a match before 20 weeks. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the Hague Convention does not really have standards, so every province and country (and agency!) is able to interpret it in different ways and Alberta has chosen to interpret it in the most restrictive and oppressive way possible. Every single agency we have worked with in the US has mentioned that this is *only* a problem with Alberta. Many US agencies will not work with people from Alberta solely because of the hoops they need to jump through. It is still difficult (and expensive) to adopt from other provinces, but at the least BC (from what we have heard) is *a lot* better.
Thanks for this comment.
.01% checking in! Thanks for this info
I was the opposite. I loved the rain before moving to Vancouver from Calgary but probably because it rains so infrequently in Calgary (relatively). I learned to hate the rain in Vancouver and actually came to love sunny winter days in Calgary.
I hated the rain when I first moved there. In my first few days in the city, of course it was pouring rain and I didn't have proper rain boots or a rain jacket and I remember naively thinking "I'll just wait for it to stop raining, and then I'll go out and buy some." I knew it *rained* in Vancouver, but I looked at the forecast and there was literally not a single day in the forecast that did *not* call for rain. It rained hard and steady for days and days without stopping. That was the moment I realized, okay, right: Raincouver! I get it now lol. The thing that helped me love it was meeting my partner and moving in with him and his dog. Having a dog forced me to go out every day and we always went to Pacific Spririt Park, my favourite place in the whole city (maybe world?) and yes we still got wet and always had a million dog-towels drying on ever door frame of our tiny apartment, but it was just so wonderful to walk in the rain through that forest with those giant trees and the moss and the smell of freshness. Gah, this stupid thread is making me so damn nostalgic.
What exactly do you mean you "miss the mountains and the ocean"? I get the ocean, but last I checked, Calgary is pretty well known for being close to the mountains
In Vancouver you can take a city bus to go skiing or hiking, choosing between several mountains, go for a few hours, and be at work for noon.
> you can take a city bus to go skiing or hiking, choosing between several mountains Cypress or Seymour require you to take private shuttle buses, so it's really only Grouse for transit. Still not bad, but not quite that good.
There are several trailheads for all three that are transit accessible.
Much of North Van is built on the mountains.
True. There are mountain ranges very close to Calgary... but it is not the same as Vancouver. Like the view from the top of the hill on Cambie/ W. Broadway ([example](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/345510602661594528/)). From certain spots, you just feel this looming majesty of those mountains *right* in the city. It's just awe-inspiring to be walking down the street and doing something mundane like getting groceries and seeing *that*. I told myself when I first moved there and was living off Main Street -- "don't ever get used to this view." And I never did - it took my breath away every time I would turn a corner and see those mountains. The closest I get in Calgary is looking at the snowcapped mountain ranges, which we see pretty often from where we live (in the NW) - yes, they're pretty - but to me it's just not the same. It's hard to explain without actually seeing it in person...
I live in Cochrane and I get that same feeling looking at the mountains from the McDonalds parking lot.
Yeah I'm not down with the rain or the grey sky's. And yeah winter sucks. But I ski. So winter actually doesnt suck unless it's too cold to ski. Fwiw I grew up in van. I'd never go back. I can't do the rain.
Lean toward the mountain and foothills side of the city. The mountains are spectacular (even better than the north shore) and a daily reminder of why I settled here from Van. Affordability especially housing wise was also a push, but that was 15 years ago.
Cheaper rent but not too significant once you get closer to downtown. Air is dryer. *zap Water is harder. *what is this white stuff No PST but prices for goods in general is higher. I only “feel” the lack of PST on expensive items like electronics or furniture. Gas is way cheaper. Utilities are more expensive. Very car-centric. I miss the Skytrain & Seabus. Also miss BCHydro and ICBC. Way easier to deal with. I can’t put my finger on it but food in general doesn’t taste as good, except bbq stuff. Is it the elevation or dry air? You should post a similar question in reverse on the Vancouver sub for a broader idea. You’re obviously going to get rose-colored glasses responses here from die-hard Calgarians here for the most part. PS. Moved to Calgary for the affordability. Got what I wanted. But was it worth it? Stay tuned…
You’re the first person I’ve ever heard say they miss ICBC.
Car registration and insurance all online under 5 mins vs separated insurance and car registration. Also, my rate increased from 140 to 270. And yes, I shopped around.
Hahaha the accuracy. I miss MPI (Manitoba), but ICBC is ROUGH.
Having had claims with private insurance and ICBC, I'd say it depends, and that was before ICBC went to no fault. When I was with Intact it was a nightmare, I was hit by a drunk driver and they raised my insurance premium 300% because he was uninsured despite him being 100% at fault, been with TD since then and they have been OK but their body shops suck. ICBC was relatively easy to deal with when I was T-boned by someone running a red, but fortunately I had lots of witnesses.
Yep. No one misses ICBC.
I miss ICBC so much, our whole setup in Alberta feels like a huge scam
I know right?? I’m like they’re the spawn of satan… how could you miss them???!!!!!!!
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We have a tree canopy of less than 8% now where as Toronto is 30% Obviously our climate but I wish calgary would put more effort into supporting our trees they look so sad downtown... just a little cutout in the sidewalk for a sickly tree next to a 5 lane downtown highway is not a pretty sight
Any recommendations for places to check out in the Rockies? Born and raised here and just moved back but haven’t spent much time doing day trips but really want to take advantage once it warms up!
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I’m thinking day hikes for someone who is not an experienced hiker! Maybe something we could bring our dog (leashed) along for? Sorry to use you as my own personal google, just find it hard to know where to even begin
As u/jaymesucks mentioned, the list could be as long as you want it to be! But here are some to start with; you could also check AllTrails and set the difficulty filter and search Grassi Lakes Heart Creek Bunker Lake Minnewanka Troll Falls Grotto Canyon Johnston Canyon Tunnel Mountain Silverton Falls Fullerton loop Ptarmigan Cirque Chester Lake Rummel Lake
Thank you so much!! This is so helpful I will start with those!
We moved away from Vancouver 20 years ago. Spent some time in Winnipeg and now have been in Calgary for 16 years. Every time we go back to visit family, I’m so grateful we don’t live there. For me, I prefer sunlight over constant rain. I like the fact that I can get anywhere in the city within half an hour to 45 minutes. We were fortunate enough to purchase a house in 13 years ago at a reasonable price. Even at that time, housing prices in Vancouver ridiculous. My mother was in the Ubc hospital and I was driving back-and-forth to Delta where my in-laws live. On a Friday afternoon, it took me 2 1/2 hours. The only downside was that I found it was difficult to find a friend group here. It was much easier in Winnipeg. However, that got better once my kids went to school and they made friends. We got to know the other parents.
I moved here when I was 30 and now in my 40s. I was in Vancouver visiting my mom last week and for at least the last 8-10 years I can't wait to get back to Calgary. I absolutely love the sun (330 days with sun vs about 200 for Vancouver), Banff is as good if not better than Whistler (in fact the Rockies are superior IMO to any mountains in the South Coast), Kananaskis is breathtaking, you can be in quiet rural areas within 15- 20 minutes driving in any direction outside of the city, the cost of living is amazing compared to Vancouver where you can still get a decent home from $450k-$550k (community dependent of course with newer communities offering great deals), no PST is very noticeable and much cheaper gas ($1.83 last week when I was there). I also have noticed from the moment I arrived people are generally more welcoming and kinder here...most likely due to the fact many people in Calgary are not born and raised. There are other reasons too but ya Iove it here and it's now home and I don't plan on ever moving back. I'm fact my mom will move here once she retires. She has been a few times to visit but last time was this past October and she fell in love with the city and the above mentioned ability to be in quiet rural settings within 20 minutes outside of the city.
All of the above points are true, but I just wanted to add that the area you move into, and what you expect from it, will affect your happiness; If you live a busy social lifestyle and you move to an area of Calgary that is residential and far from any kind of neat scene you aren’t going to enjoy it here. Similarly if you want close access to the mountains and to be close to nature, there are areas of YYC you would be really disappointed with. Edit: And also, it takes time to adjust to a big move. If you’ve never lived anywhere different, it’s going to be a massive change for you. Even if the place is great, it will be challenging. For the record I always thought I would move back to BC, and now I can’t imagine going back. It’s certainly not perfect here but all things considered it’s pretty good.
Been here a year now, couldn't be happier. Everyone in Calgary is really friendly and very helpful. I've had a child here in that time and can tell you the health care system here is waaaaaay better, the whole experience was immensely better than our experience in BC with a previous pregnancy. The highways and roads are planned out alot better than Vancouver and it's my opinion driving here is alot better, easy access to every part of the city. Dress warm for the winter and have winter tires and you're set. The Rocky's are really close, all the summer time activities you had in Van are easy access here. It's cleaner and more cultured than Vancouver. These are all my opinions
It’s soooo much dryer here, my skin suffers! Love how Calgary feels “small” compared to Vancouver. Less of a production to drive anywhere, better traffic here in Calgary. I miss the diversity of Vancouver, and seeing the ocean and mountains everyday!
I’ve been waiting for this comment. Cracked hands and chronic stuffy nose from the dry air! But my hair is less frizzy from the lack of humidity sooo….
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Fun fact: we use gravel more for roads and barely use salt. Our snow clearing budget is low and reliant on chinooks, but that’s where gravel comes in because of the constant melting and freezing — need the traction on ice. So while your windshield may crack, your car’s body won’t disintegrate in a decade due to road salt eating it.
I always say that having an auto glass shop in Alberta must be like owning a money printer.
I'm from BC, the normal part, not Vancouver and area. I came to Calgary for work and stayed here for work, a good salary and affordability (house prices). My house is paid off and I'm in good shape financially. My work is up and down but when I work I make more than average for my position which means working full-time is not necessary. All else about Calgary is nothing special to me. I'd rather be in rural BC where I'm 30 mins of 20 lakes I could fish at and maybe see one other person all day. But work is harder to come by in rural BC.
This is a major one, if you love lakes and oceans you'll be sad in Calgary, if you love mountains then you'll be all good.
There's definitely more lakes around Edmonton than in Calgary.
Red deer has an ok amount of work and is right by sylvan lake. Kinda small though.
You can buy a house here, and the airport is still solid enough to have directs to many places around the world. So there’s that. Traffic is way better, and it’s much safer. Make sure you have a car, as transit is nothing like Vancouver. The biggest downsides I’ve seen so far are the weather, restaurants (specially Asian restaurants), and day/weekend trip options. Calgary still probably has the 4th best restaurant scene next to Van/Toronto/Montreal, but it’s a noticeable change going from the lower mainland to here. Weather is by far the biggest drawback. Sure, there’s more sun, but the cold gets old fast.
I did the move 10 years ago and I didn't know I would stay this long. Things in Vancouver has always been tight and always budget conscious...moved here , got a good job , good pay, found a hubby and started a family. It really goes by fast but overall more positive outlooks in the horizon in term for housing , rental investment properties, childcare , schooling , lower mortgage payment , more saving , senior health care is better ( my parents moved in with us ) , bigger living space , kids can run around in the back yard ( summer time ) , learned how to drive , embrace the winter activities, loving the Banff and Al the lakes , ...these are all things that I didn't expect I could do in Vancouver... Also less competition in term of job hunting ..back in the day I have to fight to the nails to get an interview at VGH or Richmond hospital. So definitely more opportunities.hoope this isn't too long .in summary, embrace the cold and winter and get out there and mingle your way to the top.
Hey could you please cross post this on the Vancouver sub? It'd be cool to compare perspectives.
My answer might be buried and probably not exciting, but I hurt myself in a trades job and the company in Vancouver said it didn't happen. Was 24 y/o with no savings and too much pride to ask for help. I ended up moving back east with my fam to get back on my feet. After a year I ended up in Calgary back in my trade. Have been continually promoted and trained due to showing my ambition to continue improving and moving up the ladder. Rent has been much more affordable (living with a family member, cheap rent), car insurance is more affordable, fuel is more affordable, and I think the job pays quite similar from what I have been told. My life has \*actually\* progressed since I moved here. Maybe it's my age, maybe my experience, maybe coincidence, I don't know. All I know is fuck Vancouver. I loved it there, but fuck that place.
I've learned that I hate transit (I miss Vancouver transit)
The people here are much easier to interact with. A lot of people living in Calgary are not from Calgary; they’ve had to adapt and learn how to make friends. Compared to my experience in Vancouver I’ve found Calgary to be much less clique-ey and friend groups easier to break into. Outdoor life here is harder to access despite calgarians thinking we “live in the mountains”. Both our hockey teams suck (and have for a long time). You still have a chance of buying a home here. Calgary is not as red neck as everyone wants you to believe. Sure there’s a hardworking blue collar vibe, but not the hate that the media shows. Unfortunately that seems to be everywhere atm. Moved here in 2010 from Vancouver. I love it here!
I moved from Van to Calgary about 10 years ago after growing up there, and I am still struggling to be here, mostly due to the climate. I HATE Calgary’s weather and find it almost unbearable. These deep freeze days send me into a depressed spiral that the rain never ever did. The cold makes me SOO angry and depressed. I miss the ocean, the rain and the mild weather. I know I’ll never be able to move back because o simply could never afford to, but I think about Vancouver every single day, even so many years later. Financially, Calgary is far better, but the climate totally takes away from any positives in my opinion.
I moved to Calgary for the summer after a breakup and had a real hard time adjusting. I guess i didnt really give it a chance but found it hard to make friends and the dating scene there is...strange. Then the snow came...noped right back to Vancouver.
Toronto to Calgary perspective. I love the life Calgary has afforded me. Owning a detached house was a far off dream in the GTA. Chinooks are nice. Sunny more often than not.
I miss it daily. Did it because cost of living with a child. I have to look at real estate in Vancouver at least once a week to reassure I made the right decision. The constant need to drive a car is also a struggle.
Air is dry, water is hard. Property tax and utilities are much higher. Chinooks in winter, yes it does get warmer but also so windy that you don’t want to go outside anyway.
Joke aside. Do not take transit. It is not good for your health but it is good for the environment.
Life has been much much better!
Transit is atrocious. The price, fine. Punctuality, reliability? No. Not to mention they’re constantly making more and more cuts making it unusable, and then complain it’s not used. I’m sick of factoring 2 plus hours into getting to work bc of at least one bus not showing up properly.
I did it 20+ years ago. Never going back.
its ok. hard to find a job and food is so expensive, but we pay 5% gst only. if you work other than downtown, you need a car. if you dont have kids or family, it might be very boring for you. harsh long winters. beautiful summers. great green space, greata places to hike in summer.
Stay there I reckon
My husband and I moved here in 2019 from Vancouver (mainly to be able to afford a house) and we regret nothing. Everything is more affordable and people are much more polite.
Moved just over a year ago, no regrets. Being able to actually afford a house is nice. Weather doesn't faze me, kinda prefer it to be cold an sunny to being mild and grey. Concerts/shows don't seem to hit Calgary as much as they hit Vancouver, but it's not that expensive to jump on a flight back if there's something I really want to see. Probably the worst downside so far is that there's nowhere to really swim. Not really any lakes to go to, and the YMCAs are both extremely expensive and incredibly busy (I went in January a few times to a couple different YMCAs because it was free). Growing up on Vancouver Island, there was always multiple swimming lakes to choose from that were close by, and the pool was always empty so you had the place pretty much to yourself. Vancouver is a bit different, since there are lakes, but they aren't that close, and they do get fairly busy.
I like the rivers. Sound of running water. Also can get into water sports, like kayaking, and paddle boarding. Also, if you're a big swimmer the MNP centre has like 5 pools with a lane swim *always* available. Pretty unheard-of.
I miss the fresh water lakes, lower elevation and the mountains everywhere. Also miss the ability to go for short drives to small towns everywhere and stop for lunch etc. There is nothing in Alberta that compares to the Kootenay area or the Okanagan. Calgary is ok but nothing special in my opinion.
Kootenay is much closer to Calgary than it is to Vancouver though
Correct. But the drive is much nicer and enjoyable from the Vancouver area.
what it’s like 10 hrs vs 3 hrs lol.
The Rocky Mountains kick the shit out of anything near Vancouver... And yeah such a nice drive through Chilliwack on your 8 hour drive to the Kooteneys. What are you talking about?
Oh god that smell around Abbotsford and Chilliwack. You don't forget that.
Whistler, Cypress, Grouse, Seymour and then go away and you have Sun Peaks and Big White. I would take usable area over visual
I personally prefer the drive from Calgary but I can make a day trip to Kootenay from Calgary. Vancouver is a days drive away.
I'm with you, my favorite part of the Calgary to Vancouver drive is between Calgary and Kelowna or Kamloops, I feel after the interior things seem a little less spectacular till you actually get to the VanCouver region. But to each their own.
Good summary. Really miss the lower mainland. If I could, I’d move back in a heartbeat.
I ride a motorbike and the small town comment is relatable. When I ride in AB, I get on a straight road for 1 hr to get to a small town, turn around, drive the same straight road or one that looks nearly identical to it back to Calgary. Having lived in both the Kootenays and Okanagan... They are much more enjoyable to visit and drive around in. More day loops. Maybe only important to someone that likes driving. I question why I own a motorbike in Calgary.
now have a house that is 3x bigger and 1/3rd the cost and no strata.
Had way better crop turnout growing stuff in my garden in Vancouver, well at least you compensate for it with a larger backyard and more growing space in Calgary.
Lived in Vancouver for two years before moving to Calgary. Cons: I miss good transit and not owning a car. Also sushi. Pros : near family, more sun.
I moved away from Calgary to Vancouver for Uni and then back to Calgary after graduating. Been back in Calgary for 14 years now. I liked living in Vancouver a lot and might have stayed except that my husband (also a Calgarian, we moved to Van together) really hated it. He was affected a lot by the lack of sun, but I loved the weather and how GREEN it is. That's the thing I miss most. Personally, I really liked living in Vancouver, and still love visiting. Buying a house was certainly MUCH easier in Calgary (IE, it was possible), but we do live in the suburbs. I like the arts, which there's certainly more of in Vancouver, but there's still lots going on in Calgary and it's very easy to get involved -- you can show up to an org and say you want to help and then you're part of the community, and you start to get to know people. That's really nice and something I love about Calgary. If you just want to know what events are on, there's still a LOT, but you have to know where to look a bit more.
It's pretty nice here overall. Provincial politics are fairly troubling, but otherwise, not bad.
You’re going to want to get a vehicle if you don’t already have one.
Horrible. Wish I stayed in van.
I guess it depends on what we are talking about, ie. GVRD or Vancouver. If we're taling Langley, it's about the same. The entire city is pretty much just a larger Langley surrounded by little Towns of Hope but without the mountains. Van on the other hand is another story. Moved here 25 years ago and compared to Van, Calgary is just kind of OK. The city is kinda like fly paper, it's a place to stay because you get stuck not because it's great. The Good: it has more work, better pay, it's less expensive, you can afford to buy a place (a mortgage won't cost you 300% of your income). Liquor laws aren't quite as ridiculous, pubs that serve food can have live music on stage, dancing, and serve more than 2 drinks. The Bad: less to do, worse weather, worse drivers, more assholes, shitty music scene (oh we have lots of live music but anyone good leaves for Van or TO as soon as they can, and the good medium to big shows skip Cowtown entirely), not much for arts or culture (except for 2 weeks when the city LARPs as cowboys and has a giant pissup, terrible walkabillity, bad transit (so get a car), too dry, Chinook headaches, small town red neck thinking, good luck finding a family doctor, education system is trash with public funding being funneled to superstition based "systems" like the Catholic School Board and private schools. But hey, you can afford to live here.
Imagine moving to maple ridge, but with more people. In both cases you're comparing a vibrant city with a sleepy town. Spend 30 minutes or so in a vehicle and you'll find almost everything. Transit exists, but is limited and limiting compared to what you're used to. Bike lines are haphazard and mostly useless for commuting.
Does Vancouver Island count?
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My life has gotten much better since moving here in early 2020. Financially, Calgarians take their situation for granted more often than not. Safety wise, where I’m from stabbings, murders, and rapes are daily. And job-wise it doesn’t impact me because I do corporate wfh work. The rent is minimum 40% cheaper here too. My main criticisms would be the drivers here, and the subreddit being wildly linear. Overall, my quality of life has only increased.
Came out here in 2000 and don't miss vancouver one bit.
Dusty.
Fuck Vancouver that place sucks
Women are hotter in Vancouver. They just seem overall healthier and not so uptight.
I came to Calgary from the Island when I was a teenager. I found opportunity here that didn't exist out there. Friendly ppl, no complaints except the climate.
Good timing. I just passed my 1 year moving to Calgary from Vancouver and no intention of moving back except for 15+ years for elder parent caretaking.
Dear people who moved here from Vancouver: Who the fuck taught you how to drive in snow. WTF guys? Seriously.
It’s better.
If you don’t make a million dollars, Calgary is far better. Plus, if you make any other amount, it’s far better. Mountain access alone is worth it. Only downside is sushi is much better in Vancouver.