Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Fashions, Robson Street
Right
Italian boots at Bionic Footwear, South Granville
Shopping Destinations
Robson Street
Fashionable Robson Street's
shopping epicenter is the corner of
Burrard and Robson where Virgin
Megastore and Roots Canada
(see
p72)
make their homes. Browse
internationally known clothing,
shoe, accessory, and home fur-
nishing stores, or shop for cloth-
ing at Canadian-owned Aritzia. Try
Lush for bath and body products.
Take a breather at any of the many
restaurants en route
(see p69).
South Granville
South Granville shopping
extends along Granville Street
from 2nd to 16th avenues. At least
a dozen art galleries are found
here. The casually elegant strip is
home to brand-name and high-end
European clothing purveyors such
as Bacci, Boboli
(see p81)
, and
MaxMara. Fabulous yet affordable
footwear awaits at Bionic Foot-
wear and Freedman Shoes. Sever-
al lingerie shops, too.
d
Map H6
Granville Island
There's more to shopping on
the Island than just fresh foods at
the Public Market: look for silver
jewelry and hats among the stalls
(see p80)
. The Net Loft - once used
for fishing net repairs - sells neat
things, such as handmade
paper and hand-dyed
clothing. The boun-
tiful Kids Market
offers lots of mini-
shops and activi-
ties for the wee
ones (
see pp20-21)
.
Sinclair Centre
Four heritage buildings are
grouped to create an elegant,
upscale shopping mall. The three
levels of retail indulgence include
two floors of exclusive shops
offering luxury acces-
sories and clothing
from the likes of
Versace, Armani,
Prada, and DKNY.
The lower level
has a food fair.
d
757 W Hastings
•
Map L3
Pousse café glassware, Granville Island
Gastown
Gastown's century-old build-
ings have morphed into one-of-a-
kind boutiques, First Nations art
galleries, and specialty shops
selling everything from buttons to
cowboy boots to urban designer
clothing. Gastown has long been
known for souvenirs, and many
retailers selling both classic and
kitsch Canadiana line Water Street
and the smaller streets leading
out from it (
see p61)
.
Chinatown
Vancouver's oldest and
largest ethnic shopping area has
struggled at times to survive with
competition from Richmond's
Asian super-malls. Yet Chinatown
hangs on, its crowded streets
filled with bargain-hunters.
Shops selling herbs and potions,
exotic delicacies, fresh seafood
and vegetables, leather goods,
and Asian souvenirs appear
elbow to elbow
(see p62).
Shopabout Tours, run by knowledgeable locals, hits the city's retail
hot spots; call 604 375 1228 or visit www.shopabout.ca
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