8 Things About Vancouver That Locals Just Don't Realize, According To Someone Who Moved There

The prices aren't as bad as they say

Okay, housing set aside — because that is as bad as people warn — prices here are not that crazy.

My groceries, general purchases, and overall budget are pretty on par with when I lived in Ottawa during university.

The city is SO convenient

​One of the best parts about being here is how quick and cheap it is to travel to other places.

It's easy to take for granted if you're from here, but as someone who moved here, it makes the world of a difference. A trip to big U.S. destinations like Seattle, Hawaii, or California, is way easier from Vancouver than in New Brunswick. 

Plastic bags are way less common

I've lived in other parts of Canada, and right away could tell there was something different about the people here — in a great way.

I think the biggest difference is how much more environmentally friendly people are. Coming from New Brunswick especially, I definitely noticed that everyone always had their reusable bags and coffee mugs ready. Plus, thrift shops were everywhere.

Even before the reusable bag law came into effect, it was just normal here.

There's actually a lot to do 

I had so many people warn me that Vancouver was boring compared to other cities like Montreal and Toronto.

I will say, the nightlife here is kind of lacking, but overall there is so much to do.

Every weekend, I have a list of hikes, events, fun pop-up bars, and shows that I want to check out.

It does not have "small-town vibes"

I'm more used to it now, but Vancouver is a massive city. It's pretty spread out so it's easy to forget how many people there actually are here.

You have North Van, West Van, East Van, Downtown, and so many neighbourhoods all included in Metro Vancouver.

People who are from here always seem to talk about the "small-town feel" it has, but to me, it's still huge.

The tourist attractions are worth doing 

When you grow up surrounded by something, you often aren't able to appreciate how cool it is.

Moving here and hitting up some popular tourist traps was some of the most fun that I've had here.

You don't want to miss the Grouse Grind, Granville Island, and biking the seawall.

The rain is worse than they say

I did get a few warnings about the rain, of course, but none that actually told me just how bad it is.

I think that locals are so used to it, that they simply forget what the sun looks like.

A lot of people told me how quickly the rainy season passes, and that it's not actually that bad. I'm here to tell you — it is that bad.

To be fair though, on the days that it is sunny, it's the most stunning city ever.

Downtown looks like it's CGI

Driving downtown for the first time ever felt like I was in a movie. You can see the hub of Downtown all in one area — and it looks like it's made entirely out of glass.

It's beautiful, and almost looks too cool to be real.