One of my favourite neighbourhoods to spend time in on the weekend is Main Street and King Edward. Between the 20th and 33, there are many coffee shops, boutiques, thrift stores, and restaurants to visit.
Sweet Thea near Main and 30th is a great place to start for coffee, pastries, or breakfast. Then head over to Riley Park for the Vancouver Farmers Market. The market runs nearly year-round with both a winter and summer version. Here, you will find food trucks, artisans, produce, flowers, dairy, jewellery, and often live music. I always hit the Farmhouse cheese truck for crème fraiche and goat cream cheese. One farmer sells fresh large organic eggs for only $6! It’s a great place to spend an hour and find interesting items.
After the market, I like to hit several of my favourite thrift stores nearby. Still Fabulous weather permitting has a $2 rack outside, and you never know what bargain you may find. I have scored a Dinh Ba designer skirt worth $150 for $8, Mavi jeans for $10, and other designer finds. Down the street between 27th and 28th, Thriftique often has specials for newsletter subscribers and has well-curated racks. Across the street is Hunter and Hare selling adult and children’s consignment and their own brand of jewelry and candles. The store is well organized, and the staff is friendly and helpful. My Sisters Closet has $5 racks outside, which have provided a BCBG Max Azria gown, Columbia hiking pants and shorts, summer dresses, and button-down shirts. Front & Company has a vast selection of new and consigned items, jewellery, cards, and vintage items. Items are current, no more than a year old, except for the vintage section.
Other great choices are C’est La Vie, Bohemia Gallery, Wardrobe on Main, The Main Exchange, Neighbourhood Quality Goods, Woo to See You, and Rewind Resale.
There are great boutiques with new items too. One of my favourites is Barefoot Contessa, a great place for dresses at affordable prices, usually under $200. Other options are Hey Jude, Artemisia Clothing, Nouvelle Nouvelle, Exposure, and Eugene Choo. A little further afield is Main and 8th, which always has a ton of sale racks at the back of the store.
If you are gift shopping, try The Storehouse at Main and 30th for local goods and vintage clothing. The store has several rooms with artisan bath products, candles, jewelry, cards, and art. Olive + Wild has home décor and cards.
There are several great coffee shops. My favourite is Aperture. Seats are facing the street for people watching. You’ll want to head to the back room if you are a jazz fan like me. You can gaze at pictures of jazz greats like Chet Baker listening to classic tunes sipping your coffee. There is also a licensed bar with reasonable prices. Check their website for special events like live music in the back room, often on Saturday nights.
Other options are Continental Coffee, Blenz, Forecast Coffee, Matchstick, Foglifter Coffee Roasters, 49th Parallel Café, Coffee Date, Coco et Olive, Caffe Mira, JJ Bean, Artigiano, and Tea Thyme Café.
If you are looking for baked goods, try Breka or Zeeka Café Bakery.
For discount stores, try Welks or the dollar store at King Edward.
There are many options for brunch, happy hour, or dinner. I enjoy Locus, which is funky, and patrons are not rushed to turn tables. Vegetarians will enjoy the Michelin-recommended, The Acorn, for higher-end fare, Chickpea, or Meet. There is almost every type of food available, including sushi, Mexican, and Greek. The Cascade Room and Chaise have a funky vibe.
Book Warehouse part of the Black Bond bookstore chain is a great place to browse for books, especially on a rainy day. The selection is well-curated, and bargains can often be found.
For groceries, try East West Market, Ayoubs for gourmet nuts, or the Persian market. If you like fresh baking, you are in luck. Trafiq and Sweet Thea are popular options, and there are some small family-run stores, too.
If you enjoy live music, check the Hero’s Welcome website. They have jazz most Sunday afternoons and sometimes live shows on other weeknights and Saturday afternoons. It is welcoming and unpretentious, and they serve pizza and sandwiches. If you are a dart or pool player, they have boards and tables.
If you enjoy craft shows, they are often held at Heritage Hall on weekends.
