Finding Our Way in Vancouver                                                                                         June 12, 2004

Another summer, another city!  This summer it's Vancouver, British Columbia.  Dick asked why I wanted to spend the summer here.  Since I hadn't done much reading or research about Vancouver, all I could say was that lots of people had said it was a great city.  And now I can agree!

We figured we'd spend the summer on Canada's west coast, away from Europe's anti-American sentiments and near enough to the US to keep up with the presidential elections.  Aside from Victoria, Vancouver is practically the only west coast city in Canada.  Still, choosing among Van City's many interesting neighborhoods was a bit of a challenge.  Fortunately, there are always people to ask for advice, either at the info center or the concierge desk (even when you're not staying at that particular hotel!)

We arrived in Vancouver on a Saturday afternoon, after crawling through 45 minutes of traffic at the US-Canada border (apparently, a relatively quick crossing).  The customs officer neither asked for an ID nor how long nor where we planned to stay. Apparently, we don't look like security risks, or they're pretty laid back here in Canada.  I had reserved 3 nights at the downtown Hyatt Regency by "bidding" on Priceline.com.  I'm a Priceline.com newbie.  It works like this: you choose 1) a general location for the hotel and 2) a quality level (4-star is the highest offered).  Then you make a bid, not knowing exactly what you'll get.  I thought I'd put in a really lowball bid to start: US$ 65 a night (tax included) for a 4-star hotel in downtown Vancouver.  Surprisingly my "bid" was accepted and we got a room at the Hyatt.  I later checked rooms on Expedia.com and the Hyatt website, all suggesting about $190 was a good deal.  We ended up with a very nice room at the 4-star Hyatt (with robes) in a great downtown location.  I'll definitely be using Priceline.com again.

Having checked ads for furnished rentals on the Vancouver Sun's website before arriving, I'd arranged to see two places Saturday afternoon.  The downtown condo wasn't great, but the other, an older house set on a pretty lot, was in an incredible location -- on the large University of BC endowment lands.   The public University Golf Club (with driving range) was nearby.  Unfortunately, the house's furnishings were dull and old-ladyish, and I didn't think I'd be happy in such a drab setting.  We looked for another rental in this area, but weren't surprised to find there weren't any. 

Sunday we went to see a new listing in the newspaper for  a house in West Vancouver, the city's most expensive area.  The owners were asking a bit more than we wanted to spend, but it was modern and well-furnished, with great views of the water.  It had a large deck, a pond and stream in the over-sized yard. The owners were eager to have us as renters -- we ARE the perfect renters: two non-smokers without kids or pets, looking for a largish place.  We were tempted, but after driving around we realized that the only convenient golf course was the ultra-private Capilano CC, ranked number 3 in Canada.  We drove over, but discovered that they already had a 5-year plus waiting list for new members, and I couldn't see how to convince them to make room for us.  Sadly, we wrote off living in West Van.

Monday morning we met with Andrew Kuras, a relocation agent I'd found on the web (first listing below).  He showed us 4 downtown apartments.   We liked one well enough (see photos) to sign a 3-month lease.  By the time the sun set, we had the keys to our summer "home" and were out celebrating.  Less than 72 hours after arriving in Vancouver, we moved in.  It seems Dick and I are getting fairly proficient at finding our way in an unfamiliar city.

Our new apartment is on Burrard Street in the heart of downtown.  It's on the 26th floor of a modern high rise complex, which also includes the fancy Sheraton Wall Center Hotel and Spa and the Intra-West Timeshare complex.  It's even possible to get room service!  The apartment has two bedrooms and two baths (of course), with views of the city, ocean and still-snow capped mountains.  Now that we're moved in, we're ready to explore the city, its many public golf courses and nearby attractions.  Stayed tuned...

Home                                   More About Vancouver and Canada                        Other Travelogues

P.S.  Vancouver seems to be a easy place to spend a month or more; there are lots of short-term rentals available.  Check out the following sites to see rental properties.  Most are priced about Can$ 3-4,000 a month, but some are lower while others range as high as $25,000 a month!   These sites show properties handled by the company, but only a portion are actually available at any given time.
www.vancouverrrelocation.com
www.trilliumrealestate.com
www.uniqueaccommodations.com