7 Reasons Why I Could Never Live In Vancouver & You Can't Convince Me Otherwise

The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

When people think of moving from Toronto to another city, Vancouver usually comes up as a fantastic option, but that was never the case for me.

Toronto, in my opinion, is the perfect city that thrives as a metropolitan but also has trees and water to give it a naturesque feel.

It's big enough that moving from one neighbourhood to another could feel like relocating to a different country.

Toronto has been my home for nearly eight years, but I'm no stranger to other cities in the country, as I've visited many. I've actually been to Vancouver more times than Montreal and that's saying a lot.

So here are six reasons why I'd rather live in Toronto than Vancouver, any day!

It's always raining

No doubt Vancouver is a beautiful and picturesque city, but you can't enjoy it most of the time because it's always raining — okay, not always, but a lot of the time.

Whether you plan on riding your bike on the Seawall or visiting Granville Island, it's always a "bring your umbrella just in case," and that kind of sucks.

It's literally referred to as the "Rainy City."

Downtown Vancouver is small

When you say let's go downtown in Toronto, it means you're going on an adventure because the city's centre is so big and ever-changing that you never know what to expect.

Whereas downtown Vancouver is so small that you can more or less walk from one side of it to the other.

The nightlife sucks

Okay, why do people think Vancouver has great nightlife when there's no life at night, seriously?

I visited Vancouver in the summer and autumn seasons and the nightlife was just not it. I understand that the lifestyle there is more on the chiller side, so heading to a bar and listening to some local bands is pretty cool, and that might be the city's "sound," but why do people usually leave around midnight?

In Toronto, the optimal time to hit the club is 12:00 a.m., and places don't usually close their doors before 3:00 a.m.

You know how the meeting spot is that one hot dog stand on King Street West? Well, there isn't a meeting spot in Vancouver because everyone goes home.

The food is way too healthy

Yes, people in Vancouver are usually known as the "healthier Canadians" maybe because of the outdoors the city lives within, but come on, why can't ice cream be ice cream?

I was biking to Stanley Park in the summer of 2021, and all I wanted was ice cream. Instead, I found sorbet, organic popsicles and healthy ice cream. Where are my dessert lovers at?

I agree that sometimes we need to remember that our bodies are our temples, and we should nurture them with good food, but sometimes I want that bad-for-you dessert worth every bite.

Oh, and forget about late-night eats, good luck finding anything worth your time.

It's too slow-paced

Do you like the hustle and bustle of a city? Then Vancouver is definitely not your spot. People in the Rainy City are more laid back. They enjoy their walks to their appointments.

If you thrive in Toronto because of the fast-paced environment, then don't say I didn't warn you. Moving to Vancouver means taking a little breather to calm yourself before embracing the slow outdoors.

There are hardly any gas stations in the city centre

If you were hoping to go on a road trip in and around Vancouver, you have to think of your gas tank quite often because there are hardly any gas stations in the city centre.

When I visited Vancouver, I rented a car and before returning it to the car rental shop, I was trying to find a gas station within close proximity and there straight-up wasn't one. I had to pay a penalty charge because of this and wished I knew this before check-out.

In 2017, CBC reported that downtown Vancouver's last gas station was on the market. The Esso gas station was located at Burrard Street and Davie Street and was listed as part of a Colliers International land portfolio.

Don't say, I didn't warn you.

Transit

Not entirely sure if it's because Toronto has such an intense public transit system that you can get anywhere, but that didn't feel like the case in Vancouver.

I was constantly lost and waiting too long when using Vancouver's public transit system. So, I regularly rented a bike, took a taxi or walked to get anywhere.

I know many people complain about the TTC but compared to the other Canadian cities, I think we're pretty lucky.

Unpopular opinion, but I would totally move to Victoria rather than Vancouver, it just makes a lot more sense over there. But that's a story for another time.