VANCOUVER - Vancouver and Victoria - page 94

fordepartmentstores,GranvilleIslandforeverythingfromships'chandlerytokids'cloth-
ing, Yaletown for the trendy clothes of local designers, Chinatown for Eastern foods, and
the junction of Main Street and East 49th Avenue for Indian goods.
Before you set out, drop in at Vancouver Visitor Centre (200 Burrard St.) and ask for
the free Shopping Guide. In addition to listing all of the department stores and specialty
shops you're likely to want to visit, the guide contains handy foldout maps of downtown
Vancouver and Greater Vancouver, with all of the shops and malls marked.
Before heading out anywhere in Vancouver, check the weather; if it looks like there's
rain in the forecast, head downtown to the Umbrella Shop (526 W. Pender St., 604/
669-1707, 10am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm Sat.), which has been in business since 1935.
SHOPPING DISTRICTS
Despite looking pretty dowdy these days, Granville Street Mall nevertheless forms the
heart of the downtown shopping precinct; the two-block stretch of Granville Street is
closed to private vehicles, although buses and taxis still pass through. The mall's Pacific
Centre features 165 shops, a massive food court, and a three-story-high waterfall.
Across Lions Gate Bridge in West Vancouver are a couple of shopping centers worth
a mention. In a scenic location at Marine Drive and Taylor Way, Park Royal Shopping
Centre holdsalmost200shopsandthreedepartmentstores.AlsoonthenorthsideofBur-
rard Inlet is Lonsdale Quay Market, the terminus of the SeaBus from downtown. This
bustlingcenterfeaturesagreatfresh-foodmarketonthefirstfloorandarangeofboutiques
and galleries on the second.
British Columbia's largest shopping complex, Metrotown, houses more than 200
shops. It's on the Kingsway in Burnaby; get there from downtown on the SkyTrain.
GASTOWN
Sandwiched between the many cafés, restaurants, and tacky souvenir stores along Water
Street are other stores selling Vancouver's best selection of First Nations arts and crafts.
One of the largest outlets, Hill's Native Art (165 Water St., 604/685-4249, 9am-9pm
daily)sells$15T-shirts,towering$12,000totempoles,andeverythinginbetween,includ-
ing genuine Cowichan sweaters and carved ceremonial masks. The Inuit Gallery of Van-
couver (206 Cambie St., 604/688-7323, 10am-6pm Mon.-Sat., noon-5pm Sun.) exhibits
the work of Inuit and northwest coast native artists and sculptors. Among the highlights