Job possibility in Burnaby/Surrey - need advice

[Doctor_J]

I also posted in Lounge but maybe this is better.

Where should I live? Is it nice there - weather, people, culture? Affordable? It sounds like I would have to spend time in both cities, is that feasible? Does it limit the area where I can look for housing?

[tuvor]

1. Surrey's got a "reputation".

Car-theft capital of North America (or was that the world?) I think it's getting better, but I'd go for Burnaby.

Canadian housing is most expensive in the Greater Vancouver area. I think a typical house is $450,000 Canadian.

[Doctor_J]

4. Well that's interesting

Are we talking jackings, or theft of unoccupied cars? Clouds and cold I can live with - crime, not so much.

I currently live in a pretty expensive area, so lateral housing would be OK. Wife was web-shopping for real estate in the area and found some things in Maple Valley(?) that looked feasible.

[tuvor]

5. I don't think carjacking is a significant problem.

And the bait-car program seems to be doing a lot to bring the rate of car theft down. At least, so I've heard.

Googling "Burnaby" "Surrey" and "crime rate" and came up with a couple of links.

http://www.burnabynow.com/issues03/075203/news/075203nn1.html

http://www.city.surrey.bc.ca/Doing+Business/Business+Development/Site+Selectors/At+A+Glance.htm

There are also several pdf files at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=surrey+burnaby+%22crime+rate%22&btnG=Google+Search

Having moved from Vancouver to Vancouver Island two years ago, though, I'm sure there are other DUers who can help you out better than I can.

Good luck!

[achtung_circus]

6. Surrey was also (a couple of years ago when I left that province)

very bad for street racing and the associated accidents and deaths.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Weather - it's the pacific northwest

so that means it's cool and damp. The winter days are short, sun rise between 8 and 8 AM, sunset around 4 PM. But the summer days are sooo loooongg.
I think of the two towns as being in the Vancouver metropolitan area. Vancouver was rated the best place in the world to live recently by some poll; there was a thread on it earlier this week in DU.

[Doctor_J]

3. I pretty much new about the weather

But have been looking in the Pacific NW anyway. I would really like to get out of the US, and heard of course really good things about Vancouver. Just wondered about these two 'burbs'.

[canadianbeaver]

7. Surrey girl checking in........

and I would chose Surrey over Burnaby...only a personal choice as the beach is much closer(white rock)...but ultimately I would choose to live in the interior of BC....Penticton,Vernon,Summerland,Kelowna, etc....they are great cities and lots of developement going on..
not too mention the weather is great....yes it gets cold but overall its nice weather...

[HEyHEY]

8. Live in Port Moody

[yvr girl]

9. There are parts of Surrey that are VERY nice and others not so much

South Surrey is better, but it is also farther away from Burnaby. One big thing to consider is where you'll be spending most of your time? Is there an office you'll need to go to first thing in the morning? There is a body of water between Surrey and Burnaby (Fraser River - which means there are bridges involved - they can be hell with a commute. I would recommend that you locate your home and primary work area on the same side of the river.

I'm not a big fan of Burnaby myself, but I have lived there. Parts of it are OK, but it is a bit souless. Stay away from Metrotown.

You could live in Coquitlam. It's between Burnaby and Surrey.

Maple Ridge is nice, but it's pretty far out there.

This site might give you a bit of info.

http://www.bcpassport.com/more/findout.html

[V. Kid]

10. I'd choose...

...Burnaby over Surrey. Unlike Surrey there isn't endless sprawl, it has a bit more charachter in my opinion and there are still a few big malls if you really like that sort of thing, but it's also more urban than most of the suburbs. (And it's closer to Vancouver). I'd say Vancouver proper the best though, cause their are more ammenities, and there's more variety. You could live in a really dense populated area with big sky scrapers, a townhouse based area, a duplex based area, or a quite single house residential area. As for the Car theft thing, chances are it won't happen, just lock the doors, don't put valueables out, and put a club on the wheel of your car. It's just common sense really.