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Vancouver-Age |OT| 125 Years
- Thread starter Firestorm
- Start date
Hahaha, my area is very Chinese. Too many cases where in high school a friend would be speaking to someone in Canto and turn to talk to me without switching languages forgetting I have no idea what the hell they're saying. Also far too many cases where, when I worked in Metrotown, people would ask me a whole bunch of shit in Cantonese or Mandarin and get upset when I couldn't understand them. That was less funny.
SFU Surrey is my main campus yeah. Next semester I'll actually be at Surrey Central, Burnaby Mountain, and Harbour Centre campuses... then I graduate =)
SFU Surrey is my main campus yeah. Next semester I'll actually be at Surrey Central, Burnaby Mountain, and Harbour Centre campuses... then I graduate =)
Yes I was reading an article online on The Peak a little while ago and saw that. Looks much nicer. I'll have to eat there at least once again. Haven't since I co-oped with WIL two summers ago.CygnusXS said:
Speaking of, I hope people in Vancouver check out The Peak radio station. Not related to SFU, just shares the name with the school paper. Also an online version. Best radio station in Vancouver (for my tastes anyway): http://www.thepeak.fm/
beat
Member
I really don't like the Peak; IMO it's every bit as insipid and uninspired as the rest of Vancouver radio, which is godawful. Thank goodness for the internet nowadays. Hell, MuchMusic actually programmed more interesting music than Vancouver radio back in the day.Firestorm said:
Sorry, I don't want to crap on your opinion, but I really detest Vancouver radio. Possibly with the exceptions of some shows on CITR and CFRO.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Radio in general is shit.
I like the French station here in Van... I liked CKUA in Alberta... The rest is shit
I haven't listened to the Peak though..
I like the French station here in Van... I liked CKUA in Alberta... The rest is shit
I haven't listened to the Peak though..
Different folks have different tastes Boco, if you want to get an idea this is what they've played for the past 12 hours: http://www.thepeak.fm/pages/now-playing
Boco, if you want to get an idea this is what they've played for the past 12 hours: http://www.thepeak.fm/pages/now-playingGood god, they're playing the exact same list of songs they did last summer.Firestorm said:Different folks have different tastes
distantmantra
Member
Heading up for the weekend from Seattle on Friday morning. Definitely hitting up Brewery Creek for local beers, Book Off for random Japanese shit and Bin 941 for dinner.
Any recommendations on a good place for breakfast? We're right downtown at the Moda, but we can drive.
Any recommendations on a good place for breakfast? We're right downtown at the Moda, but we can drive.
Went to Vancouver last week for 4 days. It was pretty nice!
Drank at Joey's on Burrard St. Holy shit are the servers ever hot as fire there! They were very attentive and treated us great. One even saw me taking pictures and offered to do it for me.
Had breakfast at, IIRC, Bellagio. The servers were pretty terrible there, but the food was great. As someone who has worked in the service industry, stuff like table checks, drink/coffee refills, and remembering who got what at a table are very important. The girls working there failed on a lot of those and weren't very cheery at all.
Went to the Roxy nightclub as well, and it was unreal! From the minute I stepped in line, it was a different experience than what I'm used to in the GTA. The bouncers were incredibly friendly, and the bar staff were equally amazing. The house band was really energetic and helped bring Canada Day Eve in with a bang.
I really wanted to visit Stanley Park, but the "business" part of the trip left me with no free time, really.
I barely got a taste of Vancouver and I'm already hungry for more. Just seeing wide roads without traffic congestion was a sight for sore Torontonian eyes.
I'm jealous of all of you lucky enough to live there! :]
Drank at Joey's on Burrard St. Holy shit are the servers ever hot as fire there! They were very attentive and treated us great. One even saw me taking pictures and offered to do it for me.
Had breakfast at, IIRC, Bellagio. The servers were pretty terrible there, but the food was great. As someone who has worked in the service industry, stuff like table checks, drink/coffee refills, and remembering who got what at a table are very important. The girls working there failed on a lot of those and weren't very cheery at all.
Went to the Roxy nightclub as well, and it was unreal! From the minute I stepped in line, it was a different experience than what I'm used to in the GTA. The bouncers were incredibly friendly, and the bar staff were equally amazing. The house band was really energetic and helped bring Canada Day Eve in with a bang.
I really wanted to visit Stanley Park, but the "business" part of the trip left me with no free time, really.
I barely got a taste of Vancouver and I'm already hungry for more. Just seeing wide roads without traffic congestion was a sight for sore Torontonian eyes.
I'm jealous of all of you lucky enough to live there! :]
You have not been to Toronto.B-Dex said:
You should post more so I know you're still alive!Armitage said:
Hm, I'm usually not up for breakfast so I really don't know much about breakfast places. As far as sights to check out, Granville Island is nice. Sort of like Pike Place but on an island with other stuff surrounding the market part.distantmantra said:
Crazymoogle
Member
Firestorm said:
The place I usually recommend for Breakfast is Templeton on Granville street in the downtown core. It's an oldschool diner with really good breakfast/brunch options.
distantmantra
Member
Firestorm said:
I've been to Granville numerous times on past trips (used to go up all the time in college for concerts and my wife and I spend our anniversary there every year). We'll probably just hit up the farmer's market for breakfast, but if someone has a spot they absolutely love, we'd check it out.
Crazymoogle said:
Something like this! Thanks, man. I'll check it out on Yelp.
Crazymoogle
Member
Medina uses waffles from a walk-in place south of the bridge, around the corner from where Backbone used to be. They're great...but it's really the only thing I enjoyed eating there. Everything else was artsy stuff I'd rather not have for breakfast. Cool place, though.
Vancouver-GAF, I got a few questions
I'm hoping sometime in the next 2 years I will get to move to Canada and possibly land in Montreal, but I'm really curious about Vancouver and I really wish to know more about the quality of life in comparison to Montreal for example, I haven't visited any of them (YET).
Also the working situation for an aspiring game developer.. or any info regarding why Vancouver would be a good place to live.
I'm hoping sometime in the next 2 years I will get to move to Canada and possibly land in Montreal, but I'm really curious about Vancouver and I really wish to know more about the quality of life in comparison to Montreal for example, I haven't visited any of them (YET).
Also the working situation for an aspiring game developer.. or any info regarding why Vancouver would be a good place to live.
Crazymoogle
Member
Miutsu said:
< Lived in Vancouver for a long time, now live in Montreal.
< Game Developer
What did you want to know?
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
The Game Dev scene here is healthy. Very healthy. As are most creative industries actually.
Crazymoogle said:
Well, the thing is that Vancouver pooping on lists constantly about the bests cities to live has me curious as someone who hasn't gone there, I know almost everything is more expensive there but I also know (think?) that in general the payment is better, is that true?
In your case I would be curious about if your reason to move was something related to the cities themselves or the gaming industry (no need to go into details, I don't want to sound meddling).
And in general in which city of Canada would be better opportunities for starting as a game dev coming from a background of jobs developing no gaming related applications? (But currently being an indie dev in my spare time).
I'm my country there is no gaming industry as of now and I don't think there will be anytime soon so I'm seeking options and for the moment Canada seems like a good and accessible choice.
Crazymoogle
Member
Roto13: Min wage doesn't apply for game dev since anything respectable for a junior is full time or fixed term contract. Salary has gone down since 2008 but its still quite good and probably among the highest in Canada.
Pay for game developers is generally higher, yes, because the cost of living is comparably higher as well. I'm guessing younger dev guys will get more in BC than QC on average but whether that amounts to more or less for you depends on a) where you live and b) how you live. I'd say the bigger advantage to BC is that income tax and sales tax are lower than QC.
Not a big deal. The dev industry was hit really hard over the last few years, and my employer shrank down. There just isn't a whole lot of big devs left in Vancouver. It's not dire, but I wouldn't want to sit on my hands looking for a job. (Conversely, the indie scene there is PIPING HOT. Full Indie FTW)
Montreal has higher taxes, cheaper rent, lower salaries, huge government subsidies, and the second greatest number of north american game studios to the bay area (if not more) making it basically the #1 place in Canada to get a game job.
As a programmer? Pretty much either place works. But Montreal just has a lot more opps overall. Unless you get a good lead in Vancouver you may need to help on indie projects or pester EA for awhile, but there are definitely places to look at online first:
EAC / Black Box
MGS
MGS Bigpark
UFG
Slant Six
Capcom
I guess Relic, Radical, and Ubivan may also be worth a glance but they may be too small for junior engineers?
I know what you mean. Tons of US studios need programmers but it's near impossible to get a work permit; thats why MS is so big in Vancouver now.
Miutsu said:
Pay for game developers is generally higher, yes, because the cost of living is comparably higher as well. I'm guessing younger dev guys will get more in BC than QC on average but whether that amounts to more or less for you depends on a) where you live and b) how you live. I'd say the bigger advantage to BC is that income tax and sales tax are lower than QC.
Miutsu said:
Not a big deal. The dev industry was hit really hard over the last few years, and my employer shrank down. There just isn't a whole lot of big devs left in Vancouver. It's not dire, but I wouldn't want to sit on my hands looking for a job. (Conversely, the indie scene there is PIPING HOT. Full Indie FTW)
Montreal has higher taxes, cheaper rent, lower salaries, huge government subsidies, and the second greatest number of north american game studios to the bay area (if not more) making it basically the #1 place in Canada to get a game job.
Miutsu said:
As a programmer? Pretty much either place works. But Montreal just has a lot more opps overall. Unless you get a good lead in Vancouver you may need to help on indie projects or pester EA for awhile, but there are definitely places to look at online first:
EAC / Black Box
MGS
MGS Bigpark
UFG
Slant Six
Capcom
I guess Relic, Radical, and Ubivan may also be worth a glance but they may be too small for junior engineers?
Miutsu said:
I know what you mean. Tons of US studios need programmers but it's near impossible to get a work permit; thats why MS is so big in Vancouver now.
Roto13 said:
Crazymoogle said:
Crazymoogle said:
Right, thanks, that clears up that question
Didn't know that the wages and the min wage were lower in BC but yeah in the end it pretty much depends on those factors and it balances itself out. At least I wasn't that wrong with my initial assumption.Crazymoogle said:
Yeah, about that: the project I'm working on at the moment is an indie game made by 4 developers (including me), those are very close friends and three of us are working to go to quebec (right now studying french and soon we are going to start with the paperwork). A "dream" that we have is to establish ourselves there as an indie dev company some time in the future, but that is something I don't see happening in a looooong time because we don't have that kind of income yet, much less as (IF we get to be) newcomers in the country.
Crazymoogle said:
That is great to know
as I said before Montreal may be my landing city if this comes to fructition, so knowing I'm gonna be at the right place right away is a relief. I'm working right now to have a portfolio by that time (hopefully before) so I get better chances.Crazymoogle said:
Yeah, obviously the US is THE place to consider for this path but obtaining a work permit is just too dificult and going as an student is way too costly, even more when the economic situation in my country is as bad as it is and the price of the dollar here just keeps going up.
Thank you very much for the help, very appreciated!
Hi Vancouver-GAF! Long time reader, I suscribed when I decided two weeks ago that I'll be leaving in September my home-city of Quebec and moving to Vancouver. Why? Because I can! (And I've always wanted to try my luck elsewhere, just never had the guts to do it.) So please, answer me a few questions to help me out!
So, I'm a 30 year old IT guy with a DEC in computer science, a certificate in computer science and I'm CCNA, CCNA-Security, JNCIA and JNCIS-Security certified (among other, minor certifications). I have 8 years of experience behind my belt now and two in full-time network/network security work. I like being a consultant since you get a change of job/mandate every few months. So, related to jobs:
What kind of salary range can I expect?
Which IT consultancy firms are there in Vancouver? I know Telus is big in Vancouver and they do consultancy in Quebec city, is it also the case in Vancouver?
Are consultants well regarded? (Some people hate us in Quebec city but it's not so bad)
Lodging:
I have a place to live for a few days but i'll quickly have to find somewhere to live. How does renting an appartment in Vancouver works? In Qc, you usually rent it for 12 months from july 1st and all the bails are up at the same time. Does it work that way in Vancouver too? For either a 1 bedroom suite or a bachelor, how much can I expect to pay in Burnaby (location seems nice). A few searches seem to point to around 7-800$, but is it going to be a nice appartment or will I share it with rats in that price range?
I guess it'll all for today,
Thanks for your help guys! (and gals!)
So, I'm a 30 year old IT guy with a DEC in computer science, a certificate in computer science and I'm CCNA, CCNA-Security, JNCIA and JNCIS-Security certified (among other, minor certifications). I have 8 years of experience behind my belt now and two in full-time network/network security work. I like being a consultant since you get a change of job/mandate every few months. So, related to jobs:
What kind of salary range can I expect?
Which IT consultancy firms are there in Vancouver? I know Telus is big in Vancouver and they do consultancy in Quebec city, is it also the case in Vancouver?
Are consultants well regarded? (Some people hate us in Quebec city but it's not so bad)
Lodging:
I have a place to live for a few days but i'll quickly have to find somewhere to live. How does renting an appartment in Vancouver works? In Qc, you usually rent it for 12 months from july 1st and all the bails are up at the same time. Does it work that way in Vancouver too? For either a 1 bedroom suite or a bachelor, how much can I expect to pay in Burnaby (location seems nice). A few searches seem to point to around 7-800$, but is it going to be a nice appartment or will I share it with rats in that price range?
I guess it'll all for today,
Thanks for your help guys! (and gals!)
From everything I've seen/heard, renting in Vancouver is almost always month-to-month.Seoman said:
That means that you go around and look at apartments, and when you find one you like, you fill out an application form. If the landlord likes you they'll pretty much give it to you and they might tell you as much, at which point you can probably stop looking (but don't). If they don't seem to like you, definitely apply at more places. You're not the only one applying, so your application doesn't mean much. And you don't want to be left for another month with no apartment because you were too picky. You can always keep an eye out for a better apartment after you already have one. The landlord will check your references/credit as basically a formality. The important part is hitting it off on a personal level. You are legally not required to give your Social Insurance Number on the application form. Give it without a second thought. Insisting on your legal rights and questioning the trustworthiness of your landlord is a fantastic way to not get the apartment.
When the apartment is confirmed yours, you'll meet with the landlord again to sign papers and get the keys, and you usually have to bring the first month's rent plus 1/2 month rent as a security deposit (so with an $800 apartment you need to have $1200 on the first day). It's best if you have cash or a money order, because some landlords won't trust you with checks right away. After that, checks are usually preferred. I'm not aware of any landlord set up to use credit cards.
Rent is due on or before the first of each month. You can pay late and the landlord can't really do anything about it, but that will only piss them off and you don't want that. If you give your landlord a check even one day before it's legally required, your landlord will love you for it because you just took one more concern off their minds.
When you eventually want to move, you just tell your landlord that you're going to be moving when you see them to pay your final rent. You have to give one month notice. If you pay a day early, that's nothing. If you pay a day late, that means you might be screwed into basically having to give two months notice. If you leave the apartment in good/clean condition, you should get all of your security deposit back, plus interest.
Your landlord can kick you out with varying degrees of notice depending on what excuse you gave them. They (theoretically) can't ever kick you out without a reason. If you get drunk and physically threaten your landlord, you can be tossed out that same day by the cops who will literally throw your belongings into the rain.
If you really like a place after getting to know it in the month-to-month system, you can talk to your landlord about making a longer term commitment. The only real advantages of doing that though are that the landlord gets more stability (because they know you're not going to leave), and maybe you can negotiate a slight lowering of the rent. Also, rent in Vancouver always goes up slightly, once a year. No commitment will really get around that.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
ruby_onix said:
A lot of decent places demand a lease... 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc.
But I don't like that. You can find many places that don't.
Crazymoogle
Member
BocoDragon said:
Uh yeah, the law allows Landlords to ask for a lease term. Hell, most places in west end will require a 1 year lease. The good part is, after the lease expires you automatically go month-to-month (as opposed to what Seoman mentioned: in Montreal you gotta renegotiate or GTFO)
I'm guessing ruby is speaking from experience of dealing with individual landlord/owner types, in which case it seems to be sound advice.
HurricaneJesus
Member
distantmantra said:
Hit up Bon's on Nanimo for the cheap all day breakfast. Only 2.95 for bacon/ham/sausage, eggs, and homefries. Add another buck for unlimited coffee.
B-Dex said:
I feel sorry for the drivers, because the streets are full of cyclists. As a cyclist, I fucking love it. Went to a free concert in Stanley Park last night, and afterwards all the cyclists and pedestrians were going against traffic in droves, and the cops didn't say anything. It is truly glorious to ride a bike in Vancouver.
Crazymoogle
Member
HurricaneJesus said:
I read an interview with one of the city planners before we moved; apparently he was the guy responsible for the bike lane on the Burrard bridge. Very forward thinking and pragmatic about pushing Vancouver to making it more bike friendly while also thinking about reducing traffic damage to the roadworks.
If your work and home are well connected by the Transit system, you can get a monthly bus pass for less than the cost of gas and insurance. Burnaby is zone 2, so a 2-zone pass from Burnaby would let you wander anywhere in Greater Vancouver during your free time.Seoman said:
If your work and home are really close, you could bike to work, but you'd probably still want a bus pass anyways for the rainy days, at which point you're not really saving any money, you're just cycling for recreation.
Certain jobs and locations still seem to need a car (like if you're going to carry around computer towers), but you'll know those when you see them. When you're looking at apartments, figure out how close things like buses and the nearest grocery store are. If you find a great place you totally love but it's miles away from anything... then maybe you'll need a car if you decide to live there.
Any decent place or "good deal" will require a 1 year lease.
Depends where you live in Burnaby. I used to live near Brentwood. You can get a 800 square feet 1 bedroom apartment there for $1200 if you look enough. Don't need a car there as you have a mall within walking distance for all your shopping and the skytrain is also right there.
Depends where you live in Burnaby. I used to live near Brentwood. You can get a 800 square feet 1 bedroom apartment there for $1200 if you look enough. Don't need a car there as you have a mall within walking distance for all your shopping and the skytrain is also right there.
If you're going to live in Burnaby, live in North Burnaby. It's a newer and cleaner residential area with increasing commecial development (malls, condos, etc.). South Burnaby is slightly cheaper, and you have Metrotown (the biggest mall in the VGA), but it's a little grungier and is apparently developing a serious rat problem.
alright Van-GAF, going to UBC in the fall for a year (PDP go go!)
Best way to get from Port Coquitlam to UBC via transit. I don't wanna drive 5 days a week, my car will explode and my wallet will be empty.
I'm guessing WCE from the PoCo station to Waterfront, then bus to UBC is quickest. But on some days I am done early (Monday I need to be there at 8am and I am done for the day at 9:30am WTF IS THAT!?) so the WCE isn't going to work.
I know I can use translinks website but wondering if any UBC'rs had some tricks.
Best way to get from Port Coquitlam to UBC via transit. I don't wanna drive 5 days a week, my car will explode and my wallet will be empty.
I'm guessing WCE from the PoCo station to Waterfront, then bus to UBC is quickest. But on some days I am done early (Monday I need to be there at 8am and I am done for the day at 9:30am WTF IS THAT!?) so the WCE isn't going to work.
I know I can use translinks website but wondering if any UBC'rs had some tricks.
If you're going to be a consultant I imagine you'd need to visit client sites and such frequently. You'll probably want a car as your workplace may change from time to time depending on your current project, right? If its not something you need to travel for, skytrain is usually the most convenient for Burnaby.Seoman said:
Thanks for all your answers guys! I've sent my resume to my ex-boss which works for Telus Quebec. Hopefully, i'll get a job out of that and will be able to simply worry about finding an appartment!
I'll keep you updated on my life/ask you more questions if I get any!
- Seoman
I'll keep you updated on my life/ask you more questions if I get any!
- Seoman
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
20 days to go until I fly home.
I love you Vancouver and Canada. But I'm very over you.
I love you Vancouver and Canada. But I'm very over you.
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
It was destiny, man.
So who you going to cheer for now? You a Melbourne Ice or a Newcastle North Stars man?
EDIT - I forgot this was the Vancouver thread and not the NHL thread (damn quick switching subscriptions). Ignore my joke as I don't want to derail this thread.
Good luck on your flight home and everything. Hopefully you had a great time with Olympics and being apart of Destiny almost happening.
EDIT - I forgot this was the Vancouver thread and not the NHL thread (damn quick switching subscriptions). Ignore my joke as I don't want to derail this thread.
Good luck on your flight home and everything. Hopefully you had a great time with Olympics and being apart of Destiny almost happening.
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
Thankyou Tabris, Gold Coast Blue Tongues are my locals. Hopefully my time playing pickup hockey here has made me good enough to be considered as a backup goaltender for them in the coming years.
To make it relevant to this thread: There are plenty of awesome ice rinks all around the area. Unfortunately the one I play at only has games happening during the weekdays, when I work, so unfortunately a part of making me sad about the city is the fact they're there but I can't go play because I'm working.
If you like ice skating, you'll be glad to know that during winter Robson Square has an outdoor ice rink open to the public. Free if you bring your own skates.
To make it relevant to this thread: There are plenty of awesome ice rinks all around the area. Unfortunately the one I play at only has games happening during the weekdays, when I work, so unfortunately a part of making me sad about the city is the fact they're there but I can't go play because I'm working.
If you like ice skating, you'll be glad to know that during winter Robson Square has an outdoor ice rink open to the public. Free if you bring your own skates.
IndieJones
Member
How come Toronto-Age is on OT2 but this has seven pages? (Pardon my ignorance, Junior here) I mean, I guess it's a rhetorical question, everyone in Vancouver is too busy enjoying 19 splendid, summery degrees to fuck around on a computer.