GET OUT THE MAP

Where to begin? There were so many neat little places to explore…

End of the Line

So it came down to the kidlets (as so many things do). We had planned a gentle hike/walk on the north shore up in Lynn Valley, so it was an easy sell to stop in at the End of the Line General Store to refuel. Popular with locals and tourists, it was filled with an incredibly wide variety of grocery items, gifts, penny candy, coffee, greeting cards, snacks, ice cream - a true buffet of choice! We all enjoyed poking around the different parts of the store and our purchases (penny candy for kidlets, hot tasty beverages for me) were a hit.

Le Marche St. George

Next stop? Something a little more urban,  Le Marche St. George, in a very popular Main Street neighbourhood. It was much smaller than the End of the Line, but oh so pretty and quaint. It had a kind of locally grown/rustic French vibe (is that possible in Vancouver?) that I thought was lovely. They sold locally sourced food and grocery items, a delicious looking menu of snacks, coffee and treats, plus a selection of gift items that were gorgeous. It was welcoming, relaxing, yet beautiful and fancy.Very west side.

The Mighty Oak

I heard about my next stop both from the newspaper article as well as from a good friend's recommendation. The Mighty Oak was tucked away in a residential area on a pretty tree lined street (two pluses in my book). This time I left the kids at home (no, no. Not home alone. It's an expression. They were all in school!) and I'm glad I did. This place is very wee and beautiful. Stocking many self-branded products, local foods, and serving hot bevs and treats, I was impressed with the design and detail of the shop. And I especially enjoyed my mocha in a highly leisurely fashion (not usually possibly with 1-3 kidlets in tow).

Finch's Market
501 East Georgia St.

One of the shops a little closer to home was Finch's Market Cafe (related to the downtown Finch's) in Strathcona. I fell in love with this one just walking up to the door (big windows! heritage building!). And the design is right up my alley - from the vintage signs on the red brick walls, to the rustic produce and grocery displays and the beautiful ceiling height wooden ladder. And the food? The coffee? Wow. Needless to say I was a repeat customer and now consider it a staple in my cafe-ing rotation. Though, I must admit, it was much more cafe and less grocery store than I had imagined for my own future business.

Union Market

But then one fine autumn day I went for a run. Just out my front door and randomly chose to head west. Before you know it I had entered Strathcona and stumbled (not literally, thankfully. been there done that don't want to repeat.) across Union Street and followed it to the popular Union Market. Ahhhhh, THIS was more what I was thinking. Mostly shelves of groceries, fruit & veg, baked goods but with a smattering of cafe with homemade goodies and drinks. It even had a lovely covered outdoor sitting area, a neighbourhood notice board and was on a bike route. If I had been less sweaty I'd have walked up to the owner and sat down for a chat.


Hey, there's an idea -  talk to the owners of these excellent places and find out their stories!
A solid plan, for another day, when I was clean and in more regular clothing, and smelling better.