Vancouver, Canada

Stamped on all license plates in BC are the words "Beautiful British Columbia", and it sure is beautiful. Though my time there was short, Vancouver is easily one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been and definitely the most beautiful in North America.

Every city seems to have some rough patches. Los Angeles has smog, San Francisco has homeless people, New York has unclean subways, etc. But Vancouver seems to be one of the few cities for which I can find nothing wrong. The people are civil and "normal", the public transportation is clean, the parks pristine, and the buildings new. Everything in downtown Vancouver seems like it was built within the last three years, with modern residential high-rises dominating the skyline. I can definitely see the appeal of living here and am not surprised Vancouver consistently ranks highly as one of the most livable cities in the world.

As for my time in Vancouver, I only had 6 hours on my layover from San Diego to Hong Kong to explore the city. Since there was nothing important I felt like seeing, I spent most of the time on a very long walk around the city. I walked from the waterfront all the way to Stanley park, which encompasses some of the best photo vantage points, and also all the way down Granville street, though not quite to Granville Island (which is awkward to get to by food, though reputable as a good tourist spot).

I also spent some time in Pacific Center, an indoor shopping mall, to pick up an international charger kit for my MacBook Pro at the Apple Store and grab a cheap bite to eat. Even malls in downtown are upscale and extremely clean, like nothing I've seen elsewhere.

Though it wasn't particularly warm, like the rest of the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver had a very "fresh" quality to the air - slightly cool but not a hint of smog. And the trees are what I enjoy best about the Pacific Northwest - they really define the excellent nature environment that makes the Pacific Northwest so unique. Were it not for the weather, I'd give Vancouver serious consideration of a city in which to live, and hopefully I'll be back sometime soon.