Vancouver for the Summer

aquestionmark · 26-04-2007 3:41pm #1

Im heading to Vancouver on a student work visa for the summer but I'm going by myself. Has anyone else done it by themselves and if so do they have any advice on on the best types of accommodation to look for and where, ie: best areas? Any other advice, jobs to look for etc., from people who've spent some time in vancouver would also be much appreciated. Thanks.

Charlie · 27-04-2007 12:12am

There is a thread already up on Vancouver for the summer, but with respect to you going on your own, do all you can to get into one of the frathouses in UBC. Lots of ways to make friends staying in the frats and probably is the place that will have the most amount of people who will have also headed over on their own. Plus, the area in general, UBC/Point Grey/Kitsilano is imho by far the nicest and best place to stay in Vancouver.

Seriously the frats are your best option. Look up the UBC website and you should be able to find the various fraternities listed. Ring them up, as with email they mightn't be arsed getting back to you. The fact that you are on own means you should have a pretty good chance getting into one of the frats, if you act soon.

GlobeTrottin · 27-04-2007 10:49pm

Hi there, My sister did it a few years ago and got our of term accomoodation in one of the universities. If you call them they'll give you info. Have a great time, it's a fabulous city and a beautiful part of the world.

UncleSam · 04-05-2007 9:06pm

Ive heard ubc isnt great.. that the standard of the flats is bad and you're really far from the city/beaches...im going by myself too by the way

Charlie · 04-05-2007 10:33pm

UncleSam wrote:

Ive heard ubc isnt great.. that the standard of the flats is bad and you're really far from the city/beaches...im going by myself too by the way

Did the same person try and tell you black is white? UBC is close to about 3 beaches. All the student housing I was in last summer there was of a very good quality. Aside from that, its in a beautiful part of Vancouver, with lots of shops nearby and lots of green space, but only 25 mins on the bus to downtown Vancouver. This is UBC

Seriously, UBC, or the surrounding areas of Kitsilano and Point Grey are where you will want to be if you're staying in Vancouver for the summer.

Accommodation downtown could well be very rough and shoddy, as the only affordable apartments for students would be in the nastier east-side of the downtown, where amongst others you'll be treated to an obstacle course of syringes, various used drug paraphernalia, used condoms, and the depressing sight of many people who have serious drug, mental health and poverty related problems.

Nephew · 04-05-2007 11:20pm

A bunch of us ended up staying in a place called Dunsmuir international village in downtown vancouver, for about a month until we got a house. It's an old homeless shelter turned into affordable student accommodation, its full of students from all over the world who live there all year round. But the first time we walked into it we thought 'WTF is this place?' It sounds and looks a lot worse than it actually is, anyway its cheap something like 300 canadian a month for a single room, cheaper if you share, communal toilets and washing facilities though. Your first shower is an experience to say the least. Its a very friendly atmosphere, everyone knows everyone, and with little effort you'll make loads of friends. You'll meet a lot of interesting people, to say the least.

Passport · 04-05-2007 11:31pm

I have tried every frat house for the last two months, currently I am looking at a plcae in new westminster which seems to be a good bit away from the city centre and further away from UBC, doe sanyone have any advice on finding a place, there will be 7 of us.

Nephew · 04-05-2007 11:44pm

You could always rent a small house. We rented a 3 bed house, we told him 4 would be living in it, even at he was a bit hesitant at renting to us and joked that someone would have to share a room. As soon as he left, the other 4 guys brought their stuff around.

Passport · 05-05-2007 12:27am

Yeah thats what we are trying to do nephew, how did you find your place?

Nephew · 05-05-2007 1:06am

It was pretty frustrating. The ads can be very misleading, so you check it out. We once went to a place advertised as 5 rooms, when we got there it looked amazing on the outside. When the estate agent arrived she brought us into a small basement converted to a two room living space for one, the roof was so low that anyone over 5'8 would smack their head off the ceiling.

You're best off checking craigslist and the daily paper. I'd advise you to say you are in Canada for the year studying, opposed to on a 3 month bender. From what I remember the Asians weren't that willing to rent to young guys, especially the Irish, as we're known for being a nation of brawling pissers. If they ask what you do, tell them you are all studying medicine. A lot of places wanted references, so jot down any old crap on a piece of paper and hand it to them with some Irish number.

BuffyBot · 05-05-2007 1:23am

Moved to Youth & Student Travel

Vorsprung · 06-05-2007 9:45pm

Passport wrote:

I have tried every frat house for the last two months, currently I am looking at a plcae in new westminster which seems to be a good bit away from the city centre and further away from UBC, doe sanyone have any advice on finding a place, there will be 7 of us.

New Westminister is miles from the action!!! There's a few frats around the place in UBC but the year after I was there (I stayed just off UBC on Blanca St.) they all decided they would take any more Irish. A few people then said they were Welsh/English, but the people in charge of the frats (past members, not the current students) had them kicked out.

Best area is Kitsilano, Point Grey, anywere in that area really. There's loads of beaches there (Wreck Beach was great craic, a remnant of the old hippie culture from Kits). After that maybe try somewere like Dunbar/16t, or North Van, only a 15 min SeaBus ride away from Downtown. East of Oak St was considered a bit of a bad area, I was there in 2003 so don't know how it is now. But it's not hard to get around Vancouver, public transport is punctual and cheap, there's a monthly pass you can get for 30/40 dollars.

Alkers · 16-05-2007 3:46pm

Nephew wrote:

A bunch of us ended up staying in a place called Dunsmuir international village in downtown vancouver, for about a month until we got a house. It's an old homeless shelter turned into affordable student accommodation, its full of students from all over the world who live there all year round. But the first time we walked into it we thought 'WTF is this place?' It sounds and looks a lot worse than it actually is, anyway its cheap something like 300 canadian a month for a single room, cheaper if you share, communal toilets and washing facilities though. Your first shower is an experience to say the least. Its a very friendly atmosphere, everyone knows everyone, and with little effort you'll make loads of friends. You'll meet a lot of interesting people, to say the least.

Got a link for that place?

aquestionmark · 17-05-2007 10:06am

Cheers thanks for all the replys im gonna check out that dunsmuir village place because im not to fussy and it'l only be somewhere to sleep for three months. I'm also thinkng about heading to whistler for the few months if i can't get a job in Vancouver. Anyone been?

Charlie · 17-05-2007 3:12pm

Whistler=class.

Jobs won't be going though until September/October, for obvious enough reasons.

cerebus · 17-05-2007 4:33pm

charlie mchugh wrote:

Whistler=class.

Jobs won't be going though until September/October, for obvious enough reasons.

Whistler is pretty busy all year around - not just a winter playground any more. The bike park opens this weekend, for example.

I know some people who have managed to get jobs there for the summer over the past few years.

Might be worth trying - though you may have left it a bit late.

Vancouver for the Summer

Comments