Hm... Let's see what I can contribute.
In my opinion, vampires are as originally portrayed in Dracula and such classics: Immortal, pale, wiry, blood-sucking, photosensitive, and shape-shifting (I've never been one for the bat idea, but changing their features I'll believe). I'm generally for the notion that stakes and holy water works on them, but not garlic (Fun Fact: The idea of garlic working against vampires arose from olden-days remedy of garlic to repel mosquitoes and other bloodsucking parasites.). Of course, the days of capes, castles, and "BLA!" are long gone, replaced by the modern vampire.
The modern vampire tends to blend in with the rest of society in their more subtle forms, though they tend to stay inside during the day, wearing very dark and heavy clothing otherwise (watch out for those kids in black hoodies). They tend to skulk around after dark, doing whatever they need to then. They're not the reclusive lives-in-a-manor type, but they're still vampires: Generally cold and heartless creatures that will occasionally play with their food before they eat it. That being said, they're not emotionless, just smooth and predatory. They are not, however, whiny teenagers that go skulking around high-schools to pick up girls. And. They. Do. Not. Sparkle.
I've always been more of a werewolf/lycanthrope person, though.
