The Tyee has some interesting articles dealing with the social side of living in Vancouver’s inflated real estate market; many speculate about some of the causes, and of course about how this might affect the prospects of the city’s inhabitants in the future. One article, “Struggling to Survive in Vancouver” examines the reasons that people choose to stay in Vancouver, despite the almost impossibly high housing costs. In particular, I found the following observation interesting:
To accept a lower quality of life in order to continue to live in a place because of its high quality of life, to march willingly into that deal, may be one definition of mental illness.
I was also interested by the suggestion that the great experience of living in Vancouver that so many people are so passionate about is enjoyed only by the lucky ones who can afford to live in the city’s west side, where everything is scenic, green, and accessible, and the industry, agriculture, and working class which sustain this paradise are out of sight and out of mind. Where do all the people who survive on a Starbucks wage actually live?
1 comment:
I make a lot more than Starbux wage, as does my wife, but it still doesn't make sense for us to move within Vancouver despite our house being worth 2.5X more than when we bought it. The upwards real estate in Vancouver looks good on paper but really does us no good as we'll have to leave to cash in. Born and raised in Vancouver (as were 3/4 of our parents) but we will be ex-Vancouverites in the next couple of years.
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