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Vancouver's Relocation Guide 2017: West coast living

Vancouver offers a lifestyle for everyone, with recreational, cultural and neighbourhood diversity
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Beach volleyball enthusiasts at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver | Tourism Vancouver/Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce 

Known as an outdoor enthusiasts’ mecca, Vancouver attracts people from around the globe wanting to experience an authentic West Coast lifestyle.

Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world, Vancouver is a culturally diverse metropolitan area where one can casually mix business with pleasure. Boasting a lively recreational lifestyle, it’s a place where one can golf and ski on the same day, easily access downtown business networking functions, wear flip-flops and shorts to work, stroll to the beach, enjoy tasty international cuisine and take in world-class entertainment.

Harpreet Aujla moved to Vancouver from Toronto in June 2016 and currently rents a condo in the city’s downtown entertainment district. He chose a central location that offers access to business connections, transit, restaurants, nightlife and the waterfront.

“It’s a good way to get to know the city, being right downtown,” says Aujla. “Everything is walkable.”

Originally from India, Aujla moved to Vancouver to take on the position of squad general manager at the Burnaby-based cloud consulting and software development firm Traction on Demand. Besides moving for work, the 32-year-old bachelor says he also relocated here because of the lifestyle and to be closer to friends.

Aujla got his first taste of Vancouver 10 years ago during a four-month internship at Telus while completing his bachelor of applied science in systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo.

“I had nothing but positive experiences during the internship,” he recalls.

Active in basketball, volleyball, softball and snowboarding, Aujla says Vancouver offers countless indoor and outdoor opportunities to stay fit. He’s still adjusting to relocating from Toronto, where he found the nightlife more active and the city larger with more downtown diversity, but he says he appreciates Vancouver’s focus on living a healthy lifestyle.

“A friend of mine has a drone, so we’ve been going to the beach and taking panoramic shots of the water. The area encourages you to live an outdoors lifestyle.”

For Aujla, who commutes from downtown to Burnaby for his job, some of the benefits of living in Vancouver include the public transit system, as well as easy access to nearby cities, towns and resorts.

“The SkyTrain has a really good reach. I also like the proximity and the ease of getting away to Whistler or Vancouver Island for the weekend.”

And while getting around the city is relatively simple, Aujla has a suggestion for improvement: “I would like to see Uber here. Driving across the city can take a while.”

Also interested in mixology and entertaining at home, Aujla, who works up to 50 hours a week, has found it relatively easy to meet people socially since his relocation. “We have a pretty good culture at the office, so that’s helped me a lot.”

One of the major cons of living in Vancouver is finding suitable housing at affordable prices.

“The cost of living is high, and the process of finding a place that was decent in a desirable neighbourhood was quite painful,” Aujla says. “I want to start looking at buying a place, but I’m just trying to get the lay of the land first.”

As executive talent acquisition director at Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica, Christine Clay recruits executives and senior managers from around the world to work for the high-end yoga-wear retailer. Clay relocated herself in 2010 when she and her husband moved to Vancouver, where they now rent a house in the city’s funky Kitsilano neighbourhood.

“We’re big snowboarders, so we wanted easy access to the snow and mountains,” says 35-year-old Clay. “We hike a lot and play beach volleyball as well.”

While moving from Ohio was a major lifestyle change, Clay and her husband soon discovered the city’s climate creates a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.

“We chose Kitsilano because we have two dogs and there’s quick access to the beach. We have four parks within a couple of blocks, so we can run with the dogs.”

From waterfront neighbourhoods like the West End, Kitsilano and Coal Harbour to urban Yaletown and Gastown and trendy Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive, Vancouver is made up of a wide variety of unique areas.

“There are distinct neighbourhoods that speak to different lifestyles,” Clay says. “I believe there is a neighbourhood in this city for everyone.”

Clay recommends that those relocating to Vancouver first do their homework by connecting with people who live in the city, rather than relying solely on information found online.

“Connecting with another human being is key. For companies, it’s really important to have mobility [relocation] specialists.”

With world-class recreational activities right outside her door, Clay says maintaining a healthy work-life balance is simple.

“I wouldn’t call it work-life balance. I just call it balance.”

And when it comes to dealing with the rainy winters, Clay takes a Zen approach.

“I just throw up my hood like a real Vancouverite. I might get wet, but that’s OK.”