Perched on the Pacific Rim is Vancouver, coastal seaport of beautiful British Columbia. Sitting at the western terminus of Canada's transcontinental highway, the city was once one of Canada’s vital industrial hubs. These days, software developers, biotech and aerospace firms, video game developers, animation studios and the film industry’s dream machine have collectively reshaped Vancouver’s profile into that of a futurist nucleus. The city’s breathtaking backdrop of ocean views and snow-capped mountains, topped off by arrestingly beautiful parkland, provides an agreeable environment in which to work and live. By night, the city comes alive - its bars and clubs, particularly in a seven-block stretch known as the Granville Entertainment District, stay open until the small hours. On the weekends night revellers throng to the area in such numbers that the streets are closed off to traffic. Vancouver has birthed some brilliant musicians, among them household names such as Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan, through to pioneering hardcore punk and electro bands. A fantastic network of venues supports Vancouver’s eclectic music scene, while a host of galleries support the city’s vibrant visual arts community. If this young city’s urban, artsy, edge begins to pall, grab a kayak and paddle out for some white water; or find refuge in the powder snow of a nearby mountain resort. The city’s outskirts give way to a mountain biking mecca and a sport climber’s paradise – perfect for decompressing after an intense day in the office. If you are moving to Vancouver, ensure that you have negotiated a very generous package. It is one of the world’s most expensive cities; in recent years Vancouver’s housing prices spiked to three-times the national average, with standard 3-bedroom homes flipping for roughly US$1 million. The pressure stemmed from an influx of immigrants following the British handover to Hong Kong in the late 1990s, and the city playing to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. In 2012, however, there were signs that this price pressure was easing.