Vancouver

Cannabis Culture

The BCMP "Bookstore" is a centre of the marijuana subculture of Vancouver. It is the party headquarters for the provincial marijuana party as well as a store and lounge. Proceeds from the BCMP go towards the party and the legal battle against the extradition of the party leader who faces life in prison in the USA. The front half of the store is taken up by display shelves of bongs, pipes, rolling papers and pretty much anything you could imagine. The lounge costs $5 to go into but it has a very relaxing atmosphere and you're able to use the Volcano Vaporizers.

usually to 9PM·$5 per hour (lounge only)

Cheapskates - 1

A consignment store for sporting goods, with reasonably good equipment at cheap and falling prices. Each item has a tag with a price schedule that drops 10% each week. If an item hasn't been snapped up, you could get it for a very low price. The "1" branch carries baseball bats, helmets, and shoes from Mar 1–May 1; junior baseball gloves, inline skates, and scooters from Mar 1–Aug 1; and adult baseball gloves, hockey gear, ice skates, soccer gear, tricycles, and lifting weights all year.

Mon–Fri 11AM - 6PM; Sat 10AM – 6PM; Sun & holidays 11AM – 5PM

Chinatown

A great place for shopping for groceries and some Asian products. Located primarily between Columbia St to the west, East Pender St to the north, Gore Ave to the east, and East Georgia St to the south.

Chinatown Night Market

Styled after Asian marketplaces these very popular nights have all kinds of stuff for sale. Watch out for the cheap imitation knock-offs that are commonly available.

Fri-Sun in the summer 6:30-11PM

Comor

Primarily skis, and mainly freestyle stuff, but does snowboards too.

Dunbar

Is a local shopping area along Dunbar Street south of 16th Avenue.

East Hastings

Between Renfrew St and Clark Dr, especially east of Victoria Dr. Offers some of the best hidden delights in the city, including produce stores.

Farmers' Market at Trout Lake

There are a few farmers markets that occur in Vancouver, but this is the first, and probably the best. It is only open on Saturday mornings and only in the summer and the last market day of the year is around Canadian Thanksgiving (early Oct).

H-Mart

Hidden on the second floor is a large grocery store featuring a wide range of high-quality, primarily Korean groceries. Part of a North American chain of Korean stores. The food court offers a number of good lunch choices, too.

9AM–10PM daily

Hamuhk Hangout Place

Canada's only hammock shop has been operating on Granville Island since 1995. Specializing in hand made fair trade hammocks from Mexico, Bali & Brazil.

10AM-6PM

John Fluevog

A shoe shop with interesting architecture that is built with glass panels between the two walls of an alleyway. Fine shoes.

Kerrisdale

A busy neighbourhood commercial district. Located on West 41st Avenue between Larch and Maple Street, there are multiple coffee shops and restaurants that serve great food. It has a small town feel, but busy city traffic.

Marpole

This small commercial district is located on Granville Street between West 63rd and West 72nd Avenue. Granville Street is a major road seeing lots of through traffic and very few people stop to enjoy this area. There are a few shops of interest, including The Connection, a gaming and hobby store, and many good restaurants that serve authentic Asian foods.

New Amsterdam Café

The Amsterdam

The New Amsterdam Café, directly next door to the BCMP Bookstore, permits the smoking of marijuana. The Amsterdam offers a friendly environment to meet new people and to exercise some of the more unique freedoms that Vancouver offers. While it is not, however, generally permitted to buy or sell marijuana on or near the premises, it is not policed or enforced, so long as it in the spirit of sharing, within reason. They also sell a smaller number (but more impressive) selection of pipes, bongs, busters, rolling papers, and other marijuana-related items, including clothing. Of note are the array of specialist pipes, bongs, and busters, with the unusual titanium Space-Case also on sale.

Oakridge Park

Oakridge Centre

This medium-sized mall is anchored by Safeway. Shops range in sizes and are mainly on the chic side of fashion.

Oomomo

This Japanese dollar store is the anchor of the International Village Shopping Centre. Has a surprisingly diverse (candy, kitchen supplies, stationary, electronics, etc.) selection of cute Japanese things. A fun browse.

Mon-Wed Sat 11AM-8PM, Thu Fri 11AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-7PM·$1-3

Pacific Boarder

Large snowboard and skateboard shop with a wide range of clothing and other apparel as well.

Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM, Thu Fri 10AM–8PM, Sat 10AM–6PM, Sun 11AM-5PM

Pacific Centre

Has more than 150 shops, restaurants and services if you want to walk in an underground shopping centre. The shopping centre begins at its north end at Robson Street, and stretches all the way to Pender Street. There are many floors in the mall depending on where you are, and notable merchants include Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, Gap, H&M and Apple Store; the mall is connected to Vancouver Centre (a small mall mainly consisting of a lotto centre, London Drugs, and a food court underneath Scotiabank).

Mon-Wed 10am-7pm, Thu-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10 am-7pm

Public Market

Food stalls and small items. Make sure to bring your own reusable bag.

9AM-7PM

Punjabi Market

Sometimes called Little India, is the area along Main Street around East 49th Avenue (literally, 48th to 51st). There are a number of Indian food stores, restaurants, and stores selling Indian style clothes and materials.

Regional Assembly of Text

Stationery store with very pleasing pens, notebooks, and the like; delightfully whimsical booklets; and lots of fun souvenirs in the general stationery theme.

Robson Street, primarily between Burrard St and Jervis St

Main shopping district downtown, it includes some of the most high-end shops in the region.

Robson Street, primarily between Burrard St and Jervis St

Main shopping district downtown, Includes some of the most high-end shops in the region.

Roots

Their fashionable designs with motifs of beavers, maple leaves, and canoes gave rise to what has been called "Roots nationalism", a kind of branded Canadian pride. There are several stores for this brand of clothing, bags and shoes in Vancouver, but if you're looking for a Canadian souvenir that is less obviously touristy, or are from the part of the world where the word "roots" with a picture of a beaver is a double entendre, this outlet store will probably be your best bet.

The Boardroom

Snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, surfing. Has adjacent clearance stores where some good deals can be had.

Mon-Wed 10AM-6PM, Thu Fri 10AM-8PM, Sat 10AM–6PM, Sun 11AM-5PM

The Chinese Tea Shop

Visit the specialty tea boutique, to purchase specialty teas such as oolong, green, white tea, black and pu-erh, as well as learn about the finer points of Gong Fu Cha and tea culture.

Noon-6PM

University Village

Has a number of service stores including a Staples office supply store, photocopying services, several restaurants (including a subterranean food court), a grocery, coffee shops, a liquor store, and a newsstand.

Wildlife Thrift Store

A large variety of clothes and household items for cheap. They donate their proceeds to local charities.

8AM-10PM

Zulu Records

A long-time mainstay of Vancouver's music scene, and focuses particularly on alternative and indie rock. Has a vinyl section and an outlet for event tickets, and frequent in-store performances.

Chinatown

An old historic landmark where the first Chinese immigrants to the area settled, though these days it is a shadow of its former self, having become largely deserted and full of homeless people. Other newer and more vibrant Chinatowns have sprung up around 41st Ave. and Victoria Drive, also in Richmond and Surrey, and are much better places to go to if authentic Chinese culture and food is what you are after.