Nanaimo

[vinoman5]

Anyone here live or used to live in Nanaimo? My wife and I (in our 50s) are considering moving there. Seems to be more affordable than Victoria, but still a big enough for most things I want in a city. One person in another forum mentioned high crime, but is it any better or worse than Vancouver or Victoria? Every town has it good and bad areas.

We have lived in Portland, OR. for many years. I've recently acquired Canadian citizenship.

Any feedback on Nanaimo would be helpful.

 

[eh1eh]

Crime. I doubt it. Probably just some babies crying because they had a rash of B&Es in their area. That happens in every middle class neighborhood that has ample electronics and wedding rings laying around.
I can't exactly speak for Nanimo but they do have those yummy little brownie like bars.

 

[bill barilko]

I know the place well-although the past decade has seen some changes it's still very much a hard bitten blue collar town with serious drug/gangs problem.

Local RCMP call it Surrey-by-the-Sea-Surrey being one of BC's premiere sh!tholes.

There are so many other attractive/amenable places to look I urge you to consider the Comox Valley or anywhere north or south of Nanaimo like Parksville or Ladysmith just not that miasma.

Funny how so many places that started out as rough mining towns keep that image.

 

[vinoman5]

I know the place well-although the past decade has seen some changes it's still very much a hard bitten blue collar town with serious drug/gangs problem.

Local RCMP call it Surrey-by-the-Sea-Surrey being one of BC's premiere sh!tholes.

There are so many other attractive/amenable places to look I urge you to consider the Comox Valley or anywhere north or south of Nanaimo like Parksville or Ladysmith just not that miasma.

Funny how so many places that started out as rough mining towns keep that image.

Thanks for the advice. we'll be visiting in May and will look at Comox, Parksville and Ladysmith. We'll also look at the Victoria area. I know it's more expensive, but maybe it would be worth it. I have a small business that caters to helping people with their computers and I focus on seniors. Victoria may be better because of the larger and older population. Too bad about Nanaimo. I would consider Vancouver area but it seems to be more expensive than Victoria. We would like to live close to the sea if possible and to get something affordable in the Fraser Valley you have to go east to Chilliwack.

 

[talloola]

Nanaimo is just fine, central island, easy access to other parts of the island and the ferries
to mainland are there.

Great shopping in the woodgrove area, and many different activities, lots of sports etc.

All of the cities on the island are great, beautiful settings and close to the ocean.

And, yes much more affordable than victoria, although victoria is a beautiful city,
but no more than anywhere on the island, just bigger and busier, and probably more
work available.

I am in courtenay/comox area, love it here, but nanaimo and others are good too.

 

[gerryh]

why would you want to move to the Island? It's only old fogeys that live there.

 

[vinoman5]

why would you want to move to the Island? It's only old fogeys that live there.

We're all going to be old fogeys one day, might as well plan for the future.

 

[#juan]

I know the place well-although the past decade has seen some changes it's still very much a hard bitten blue collar town with serious drug/gangs problem.

That is complete horse s--t
Nanaimo is the place I would pick if I were going to raise more kids.

We've lived in Nanaimo for the past 6 years. Before that we lived on Gabriola Island for about 6 years. We have no complaints about Nanaimo and the only complaint about Gabriola is the extra ferry ride.

 

[bill barilko]

That is complete horse s--t
Nanaimo is the place I would pick if I were going to raise more kids.

Well the Govt did manage to seize the Hells Angels clubhouse I guess the automatic weapons and drugs the cops found sealed the deal-so to speak.

 

[Kreskin]

why would you want to move to the Island? It's only old fogeys that live there.

Listen Sonny boy, we live on the Island because it don't got those loud music disco techno places.

 

[Trotz]

Thanks for the advice. we'll be visiting in May and will look at Comox, Parksville and Ladysmith. We'll also look at the Victoria area. I know it's more expensive, but maybe it would be worth it. I have a small business that caters to helping people with their computers and I focus on seniors. Victoria may be better because of the larger and older population. Too bad about Nanaimo. I would consider Vancouver area but it seems to be more expensive than Victoria. We would like to live close to the sea if possible and to get something affordable in the Fraser Valley you have to go east to Chilliwack.

Have you considered Sidney?
Sidney, British Columbia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's the largest town between the Ferry and Victoria and the bus system, in case you cannot drive due to health problems, (70, 71, 72, 73) connects it with both the Ferry and Downtown.
Right on the sea, full of old white people, it's too far from the University to get "visa students" (in case you care about that), and it has plenty of restaurants and services; et al.

Honestly I would avoid Nanaimo; much like Victoria, it attracts far too many obnoxious Eastern Canadians (similar to your New Yorkers)

 

[JLM]

Nanaimo is good, we lived there for 4 years in the 70s and later in Parksville (a bedrooom community) for 14 years - may still be there if it wasn't for my wife's health issues. I suppose real estate may be a little cheaper than Victoria and possibly property taxes, otherwise suspect cost of living is similar.

Have you considered Sidney?
Sidney, British Columbia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's the largest town between the Ferry and Victoria and the bus system, in case you cannot drive due to health problems, (70, 71, 72, 73) connects it with both the Ferry and Downtown.
Right on the sea, full of old white people, it's too far from the University to get "visa students" (in case you care about that), and it has plenty of restaurants and services; et al.

Honestly I would avoid Nanaimo; much like Victoria, it attracts far too many obnoxious Eastern Canadians (similar to your New Yorkers)

Who the f**k would want to live in a community inhabited by people who are concerned with colour of skin? :roll:

 

[Trotz]

Nanaimo is good, we lived there for 4 years in the 70s and later in Parksville (a bedrooom community) for 14 years - may still be there if it wasn't for my wife's health issues. I suppose real estate may be a little cheaper than Victoria and possibly property taxes, otherwise suspect cost of living is similar.



Who the f**k would want to live in a community inhabited by people who are concerned with colour of skin? :roll:

Sounds like an attempt at trolling but I'll assume you've just been having a bad day.

Nevermind, it's quite an accurate description of Sidney as most of the population there is old and white. If your concerned about the lack of diverse restaurants there is a Japanese and Thai restaurant, among others, located there.

Nevertheless, it's a retirement community (much like others) in B.C. for those who wish to avoid the "excitement" of the Lowermainland, yet at the same time not shell out a million for a condo like in the west end.

If people weren't interested in living in such communities than we would have seniors purchasing up properties in Surrey.

 

[JLM]

Sounds like an attempt at trolling but I'll assume you've just been having a bad day.

Nevermind, it's quite an accurate description of Sidney as most of the population there is old and white. If your concerned about the lack of diverse restaurants there is a Japanese and Thai restaurant, among others, located there.

Nevertheless, it's a retirement community (much like others) in B.C. for those who wish to avoid the "excitement" of the Lowermainland, yet at the same time not shell out a million for a condo like in the west end.

If people weren't interested in living in such communities than we would have seniors purchasing up properties in Surrey.

No I'm not trolling but why would colour of skin be a concern?

 

[Trotz]

No I'm not trolling but why would colour of skin be a concern?

Who said anything about skin colour being a concern? I've seen people of East Asian descent with the same colour as me.

Regardless most seniors in Canada, including family class unification seniors, tend to settle in culturally familiar communities. A Chinese Grandmother prefers living in Richmond for the same reason an Anglo-Saxon one would prefer living in Sidney.

 

[JLM]

Who said anything about skin colour being a concern? I've seen people of East Asian descent with the same colour as me.

Regardless most seniors in Canada, including family class unification seniors, tend to settle in culturally familiar communities. A Chinese Grandmother prefers living in Richmond for the same reason an Anglo-Saxon one would prefer living in Sidney.

So- these people are from Portland not Shang Hai or Kuala Lum Pore.

 

[talloola]

I've been to sidney many times, but would never want to live there. It is pretty, a nice place to visit,
but it is scrunched between the pat bay highway and the ocean, and the ferrys right around the corner.

I prefer to be in a more central location where one can go in every direction without coming to the
end of the peninsula or the freeway or the ocean right close by, too hemmed in for my liking, and too
expensive compared to a little further up the island.

Anywhere from duncan right up to campbell river is nice, port alberni is OK too, but further into the
central part of the island, more rain, lots of fog, and the town is old, although they are now developing
up the hill, seems it will be the new port alberni, long overdue.

 

[JLM]

I've been to sidney many times, but would never want to live there. It is pretty, a nice place to visit,
but it is scrunched between the pat bay highway and the ocean, and the ferrys right around the corner.

I prefer to be in a more central location where one can go in every direction without coming to the
end of the peninsula or the freeway or the ocean right close by, too hemmed in for my liking, and too
expensive compared to a little further up the island.

Anywhere from duncan right up to campbell river is nice, port alberni is OK too, but further into the
central part of the island, more rain, lots of fog, and the town is old, although they are now developing
up the hill, seems it will be the new port alberni, long overdue.

Yep, the twin cities of Alberni/Port Alberni were going concerns 40 years old, top payroll town in B.C. along with Trail and then everything died.

 

[eh1eh]

Have you considered Sidney?
Sidney, British Columbia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's the largest town between the Ferry and Victoria and the bus system, in case you cannot drive due to health problems, (70, 71, 72, 73) connects it with both the Ferry and Downtown.
Right on the sea, full of old white people, it's too far from the University to get "visa students" (in case you care about that), and it has plenty of restaurants and services; et al.

Honestly I would avoid Nanaimo; much like Victoria, it attracts far too many obnoxious Eastern Canadians (similar to your New Yorkers)

Wow. Racist and small minded. You best stay in your ivory tower of westness lest you meet an outsider who may accidentally enlighten you.

 

[JLM]

Wow. Racist and small minded. You best stay in your ivory tower of westness lest you meet an outsider who may accidentally enlighten you.

I'm not sure he listens good.