PeopleCurated

Vancouverites share mistaken views about the city that bother them

Daniel Chai
Daniel Chai
|
Aug 16 2025, 3:00 pm
Vancouverites share mistaken views about the city that bother them
EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

While Vancouver may be seen as one of the happiest cities in North America by some, an online discussion highlighted various misconceptions about the city that irk locals to no end.

A recent Reddit thread featuring mistaken views about Vancouver that bothered residents included several people sharing their perspectives on topics ranging from the cost of living to its reputation as a no-fun city.

The conversation began when a user shared that some people thought Vancouver was an affordable city.

Vancouver skyline

Charles HHuang/Shutterstock

“It’s crazy expensive,” wrote the original poster. “People who grew up here can’t even afford to buy a home, and that’s even true with couples where both are working.

“So when I say this to people from other countries who want to come here, they think I must be living in a very expensive part of the city or trying to discourage them from coming or something.”

The Redditor’s claim is backed up by Statistics Canada‘s recent report, which shows which provinces are the most expensive to live in.

Based on data from 2021, B.C. is tied for the most expensive province in Canada to live in. Findings also included the province with the lowest household disposable income and the value of “social transfers,” or public services.

Another user replied that they don’t feel that Vancouver is expensive compared to other cities.

“Comparable Pacific coast cities, Seattle, San Francisco, and LA, are all dramatically more expensive than here. Paris, Berlin, New York, and Toronto are also much more expensive.

“If you live in a city you are actively making a choice to pay a premium for a better quality of life. Are we the best city ever? No, but for Canada it’s pretty impressive that we are/have: snow-free, culture, a world-class university, an excellent culinary scene, art galleries, on top of beaches, mountains, and more.”

What other mistaken views about Vancouver bother locals?

As usual, the weather was a frequent topic of conversation.

“That the weather is terrible and it rains all the time,” one Redditor said. “Particularly when people tell me that winters are worse or even comparably bad to the rest of Canada.”

“For real! I’ve lived in the Maritimes as well, and the rain here is so light compared to the East Coast. And the winters are nothing,” added another.

The city’s reputation of having “nothing to do” was also debated.

“It’s so confusing to me,” said a commentator. “At literally any given time, I can go for a walk downtown at several stunning locations. I can visit a cafe, find a happy hour, or find a hole in the wall. When I feel like partying? There are at least 4-5 events a night.”

Rain Vancouver

LeonWang/Shutterstock

Is Vancouver a No-Fun or Lonely City?

A Redditor responded saying that the “No-Fun City” still applies to some Vancouverites.

“It’s perfect for sports/outdoor enthusiasts and dog people. It sucks for creatives. The entertainment is old school, nostalgic, and traditional. The underground scenes are small, hidden, closed off, and not particularly innovative.”

Multiple comments also highlighted mistaken views about feeling unsafe in Vancouver.

“I swear this viewpoint comes from people who live in places like White Rock and Coquitlam who come downtown once a month, (see) a few homeless people, get scared and then retreat to their pristine suburb,” commented one user. “That and people who have never travelled.”

“The safer a place is, the more you hear people saying otherwise, in my experience,” added another. “A lot of people live by fear, especially in the suburbs.”

And Vancouver’s reputation as a lonely city was also argued in the thread, with some seeing some merit in it.

“Vancouver is literally just like any other big city, but when a lot of people spread this negative view, it ends up being a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ of sorts,” said one person.

“Finding community here, like anywhere else, is just about trying to find people with similar interests. It’s even better than some places because of the diversity here. You can literally try 95 per cent of the things you see online.”

Views about Vancouver

Josef Hanus/Shutterstock

Several comments shared their own experiences in trying to make friends in the city.

“I’ve travelled enough to know there is some truth to Vancouver being lonelier than other cities, at least in North America. People here are more introverted than in other cities.”

“I’ve lived in eight cities in Canada (big and small), and Vancouver was by far the loneliest and hardest to make friends in.”

We recently chatted with a Vancouverite who conducted a study tracking how she made friends in the city throughout 2024

The 33-year-old woman attended dozens of events to meet new people, ranging from Meetups, running groups, Muay Thai classes, potlucks, and even a philosophy club. She explained that she had varying success at connecting with strangers depending on the activity.

What are some of the mistaken views about Vancouver that bother you? Let us know in the comments.