Tag: Shopping

I never thought I’d visit Coombs, which is a small town near Parksville–Qualicum.  It’s a name on the map for me and until we chose to go to Butterfly World I didn’t think I’d have the pleasure of finding one of the most eclectic shopping areas in the world. The draw for this market is that they have grass on the rooftops of the market (I wonder if the new Convention Centre in Vancouver stole their idea) and they have goats trimming the grass.  Well, it’s been pretty darn hot and I suspect that the goats wouldn’t enjoy the dry […]

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If you are allergic to, or dislike, chocolate please read no further.  In Vancouver there is a chocolate shop that is pretty darn amazing.  I am a chocolate junkie and I have the waistline to prove it.   Chocolate Arts at 2037 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver in the Kitsilano neighbourhood is worth a visit.  Make sure when you walk in you try just one of their chocolates.  Take the time for your tongue and nose to realize this ain’t your emergency-got-to-have-a-fix bag of M&Ms.  This is for real.   The other thing that’s cool is they take their artistry seriously.  […]

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This summer I had the chance to visit the Farmer’s Market on Homer Street near Thurlow in Vancouver‘s West End.  When you think of farmer’s markets, I have a picture of an empty parking lot with a pile of tables and random stalls of produce. In the West End, it’s a lot different.  The focus on organic produce is huge as well as vendors of everything from crepes to lattes to stuffed animals.  But, it’s a small selection, but frankly quite tasty.  The folks selling lavender had the most wonderfully stinky lavender imaginable.   A further difference was the number […]

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Living in the West End means you can easily live without a vehicle.  I should know, my family has existed without one for more than ten years.  We brought a car with us when we first moved to Vancouver, and for our first couple of years living in Kitsilano.  We gradually realized that we were not using our car nearly enough to warrant the expense, and that we could easily live without one. One of the most challenging aspects of life without a car can be getting to the big box stores when you need to.  I am not a […]

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As I was reading through the Spring 2010 issue of British Columbia Magazine, I found an article on my home-community, Kitsilano in Vancouver. This article was well written, and amusing to say the least, but it brought up a few points in my head about truths about this neighbourhood. I’d like to explore three select topics that every tourist will be invested in: Food, Shopping and Things to Do. The article shows a large colour picture of people lined up for the Naam restaurant, at 4th Ave. and Macdonald. While I have always really enjoyed the Naam, I would have […]

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Fun and Colourful Davie Village One of the most interesting areas of the West End of Vancouver is Davie Street. It’s known as the gay village and has shops and restaurants of all types. There is a high concentration of LGBT people and businesses catering to this group, but the neighborhood is also very family-friendly. Shopping-Strolling The stretch of Davie Street between Burrard Street, all the way down to Denman Street at English Bay, is a great place to stroll, stop in some unique shops, people watch (some very colourful people in this ‘hood!) and take in the amazing scenery. […]

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