Quote:
Originally Posted by ue
If you're comparing the Lower Mainland (which would include the separate CMA of Abbotsford), then you can definitely compare it to Seattle-Tacoma, which are more integrated as a single metro area (more like the Vancouver CMA), and still has a million more inhabitants. I'm quite familiar with Tacoma and while it does have a bit of its own thing going on, it's been more integrated into the same larger region for some time. It's more like a Los Angeles and Long Beach situation than a Toronto and Hamilton situation.
In terms of downtown vibrancy, I'm less familiar with nearby neighbourhoods like Capitol Hill. Daytime vibrancy on Granville St and around Westlake Center felt pretty similar to me, maybe slight edge to Vancouver. Either way, it confirms my point that Vancouver is a lot busier for its size.
Seattle MSA - 3.9 million
Seattle-sans-Tacoma - 3.1 million
Vancouver CMA - 2.5 million
Lower Mainland - 2.8 million
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The numbers are not the point. I was just pointing out how Seattle is dipolar, with Tacoma being the much small pole. But it still centre’s about 800,000 people; which reduces the concentration on downtown Seattle. That’s all. Abbotsford is completely irrelevant in nature. Plus let’s not discuss the different statistical methods of the US and Canada - for the thousandth time. Seattle, sans Tacoma 3.1 million, Lower mainland 3.05 million (Abbotsford & Chilliwack being akin to Bremerton and Kent.
Anyway, I have a lot of family, friends and business people who live in Seattle and area. Every single one that has visited Vancouver has been shocked by the feel and high level of activity in the downtown, but also elsewhere. A common remark is that Vancouver feels like a much bigger city than Seattle. They are shocked to hear the numbers. (Seattle has been improving in recent times)
If we were to include American cities in this, Vancouver would still rank very high, and Montréal/Toronto even higher. The only US cities that would compete with our top three, and some would be quite a bit ahead, would be: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. Places like Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, Denver, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami, and New Orléans (the rest of the year), all would be a step down. I’m sure there are more as well.