The City of Vancouver

as found in the Forums: The Burning Bridge

City Living
Vancouver is the largest metropolitan area in Western Canada, and third largest in Canada. Located at the southwestern corner of the coastal province of British Columbia, it is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestled between the endless Coast Mountains to the North, expansive forests to the East and South and the Pacific Ocean to the West, making Vancouver one of the harshest places to survive outside of the city limits for any creature supernatural Vampire or other.

Vancouver is a city of great wealth through industry and commerce, where the rich get richer while standing on the backs of the working men that make up most of the over populated of the immigrant districts. These districts are a maze of dark allies and shady business which is filled with crime and odd historical curiosities. On the other side parts of the city are a fast passed hive for smut, bright lights and the overindulging glitz of entertainment and the night.

Climate
Vancouver has the mildest climate of any major city in Canada; even palm trees can grow here. It rains a lot in Vancouver, especially during the winters, but during the summer months Vancouver gets less rain than most other Canadian cities. During the winter months it can go weeks without seeing the sun or a dry day, but the temperature rarely goes below freezing. Heavy snowfalls are an unusual sight and often lead to major traffic congestion. In the early summer the days often start out cloudy, due to marine air, but becomes clear by noon. Summer temperatures are not extreme, the typical day time high between June and August is around 25°C (77°F).

There is one word to describe Vancouver's weather: unpredictable. The weather can be completely different depending on what part of the region you are in. It can be pouring rain on the North Shore and sunny in White Rock.

If you are visiting the city between July and October, you will most likely have excellent weather. The rainy season often starts in the middle of October. Without warning, one day it will be nice and sunny and the next the rain will begin and continue, seemingly continuously, until early March. February the region has a great record for excellent ski conditions during this month, once you get to altitudes above the constant rain.

Transport: Vancouver
By public transit Vancouver's public transit is run by the regional transportation authority, TransLink as an integrated system of buses, rapid transit (SkyTrain) and passenger ferry (SeaBus). The transit system connects Vancouver with its neighbouring municipalities, stretching as far north as May Beach, south to the U.S. border and east to Strosenburg.


 * The bus service covers the widest area and travels along most major streets in the city.


 * The Sky Train is an elevated rapid transit system that connects Vancouver's downtown with some of its southern and eastern suburbs that go right up to Bytown and as far south as South Syene.


 * The SeaBus is a passenger ferry that connects Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver to The Resterant/shopping districts of Jasper and LeMont Quay.


 * Road - Vancouver's road network is generally a grid system with a "Street" running north-south and an "Avenue" running east-west. Downtown Vancouver has its own grid system and doesn't follow the street/avenue format of the rest of the city. It is also surrounded by water on three sides, so most of the ways in and out require you to cross a bridge. This can cause traffic congestion, particularly at peak times (morning and evening commutes, sunny weekend afternoons, major sporting events).


 * Bicycle - The city of Vancouver is a very bicycle-friendly city, there are a whole network of bicycle routes that connect the whole city.