NCR:travel > Vancouver > Main Street
I am from Vancouver. Born and raised and lived in and all that. I have spent a heck of a lot of time on Main Street. There are really multiple sections of Main… There is the hipster-heavy area below 12th, the shopping strip between 12th and King Edward Street(25th), and what used to be the antique area above King Edward Street. This post relates only to the middle section.
The vibe on Main is a mix of hipster meets family. There are hipsters, there are families, there are hipster families. There are bars, restaurants, clothing shops, hairstylists, a ton of coffee shops(no really, I am not kidding…and they are really good) and quirky little independent stores.
I went for a stroll down Main on Sunday and these were my favourite places:
The Regional Assembly of Text
For people who love printing, words, bound books, cards. My 5-year old friend made a pin right there in the store and walked out with “I <heart> princesses” on her lapel. Her idea. And yes, she has a lapel. As a bonus, I got to learn how to use a typewriter again. Boom. For myself I got a few postcards, a journal and a funny mini-book called “172 things ‘to do’ in order to increase your level of accomplishment.” For those who are curious about what those things are, suggestions include: “try out alternate laughs” and “ask someone their opinion on velvet wallpaper.” So yeah, go there. Or you could look at stuff online:
http://www.assemblyoftext.com
Sweet little flower shop that I have enjoyed for many years. It’s a big-ish store and they always have a large variety of pretty-ful flowers. And I love the smell of a flower shop.
http://www.flowerfactory.ca
A Main Street staple. This boutique clothing store has been around for what feels like forever. There are both men and women’s styles and yummy candles. There are other things too, but clothes and yummy candles are my favourite so that’s all you get to hear about;) My last purchases there were two delicious Votivo candles, a “Lifetime” onesie and a pair of “Gat Rimon” black shorts.
http://www.eugenechoo.com
Oooo! This is a great independent grocery store… I have seen a lot of these types of stores in Toronto, but they seem somewhat more rare in Vancouver. They had fresh fiddleheads when I went in! Not only does the food look delish, so does the store itself.
http://www.organicacresmain.com/index.html
I had no idea this place existed. It is kind of special. This is not going to sound romantic, but it is… The store is a self-described refill store! They have soaps and cleaners, scrubbers, etc. Look at their website to get a better idea, as my description is lacking. But I found myself feeling really excited while I checked everything out. You know you have a bit of Vancouver in you if you like this place.
http://thesoapdispensary.com
A coffee shop and cafe. I like it. The coffee is Intelligentsia, so that is good. And the space is bright and open. I admit, it is not my go-to place, but if you are strolling in the area it is really wonderful.
