16-5-17

Just spent a few days in Portland. It's a lovely town that I've liked since 1992 and read about it in Kunstler's Geography of Nowhere. Portland wasn't an accident. It was very much planned by people who get it.

And now I'm back in Vancouver.

It's not so bad.

We have an average income of $43k, and cheap houses everywhere. (seriously, look at that 2006 vs 2016 million dollar house graphic)

It's good to be home. But I'm lucky because I own a house here. I have good friends here considering moving away because their house where they've rented for 7 years is about to be sold. Him and his wife have two kids. They've been looking for a place to move for over a year, they've known for a while that their two bedroom needed to be a three bedroom. They can take a major pay cut and live in another city and still have more disposable income because of more affordable rent.

Home.

Sometimes I like it here. Sometimes it's hard to see what's happening to this city. Driving up Cambie or Granville south of Broadway is hard because so many houses are being knocked down and turned into condos. I could never afford to live there anyway. Even the condos are way more than I can afford.

Kwan Luck. I've never eaten there. I feel like I should because it won't be there for long. Corner lot on Kingsway. That lot could hold $10 million worth of condos. Easy. Probably more. Numbered days.

Oh yeah... rest in peace Mr. Clark.