visiting Vancouver!!

[Laundraholic]

We're going to visit Vancouver for the last week in January... just wondering if there are any not-to-miss baby stores there?

I checked out the Baby Gear Survival post, but many of the websites listed for Vancouver are no longer working =(

Another quick question... I know the weather is a LOT milder there than here in Ontario -- so what should I be packing in terms of outerwear? Winter coat? Fall/spring jacket??!?!

[psophia17]

Hi! I went to university in NY, just south of the Cdn border, and it is much, much milder here in Vancouver than out there. Bring layers and a rain jacket. I don't know about this year, but last year it got really cold at night, cold enough for my down coat, but during they day a fleece-lined jacket was alright alone. If you have some waterproof boots, bring those too.

As for stores here, I haven't been to all of these, but off of the top of my head, we have TJs (www.tjskids.com), hipbaby (http://www.hipbaby.com), and Crocodile Baby (http://www.crocodilebaby.com).

Further afield, in Coquitlam (not too far a drive, but nutty traffic almost all of the time), there is It's a Baby's World (http://www.itsababysworld.com/babyworld.html). Actually - their website says they now have a location in Kitsilano, which is right in Vancouver near a couple of the other stores I mentionned above.

[Laundraholic]

Thanks!

We're actually going to be visiting relatives in Port Coquitlam, which I guess is a suburb of Vancouver? But we'll be renting our own car and so doing some shopping on our own too =)

Petra's got it covered. I'll just add that Coquitlam's Baby's World is near a improved TRU with a big baby section and the big Ikea.

Hope you have a good trip! :)

[smiliedds]

As the PP mentioned, there is Hipbaby, Crocodile baby, TJs Kids, and Baby's World in Vancouver on W 4th. On the same street, there are also Bobbits for kids and Nesting Kids. You could certainly spend a good half day there...

Both the TJs Kids and Baby's World on W 4th are the smaller versions of their main stores. The big TJs Kids store is on 88 Southwest Marine Drive. And the big Baby's World is in Coquitlam (88 Southwest Marine Drive).

If you are in North Vancouver, there is also 'Boomers and Echoes'. It's a half consignment store so it's a bit messy.

It's been raining lots here. I say pack your rain gear. But a lot can happen between now and end of January...

Some of the websites of the stores I mentioned (without repeating what was said in PP):
http://www.bobbitsforkids.com/
http://www.nestingskids.com/
http://www.boomersandechoes.com/

HTH
Rebecca

Be VERY HAPPY If you find anything within a reasonable price in Vancouver.
I lived there for 2 yrs and HATED it! Canada seems to suffer from a severe dearth of decent shopping and is so darn expensive combined with the 14% GST +PST !!

[Piglet]

Actually you can get back the GST if you are not Canadian. There is a link in a recent thread on the Bargain Alerts forum that explains how to do it.

I am sorry, but I have to respond - I don't know why you have to be so negative about shopping in Vancouver. The PP asked for names of stores. People were kind enough to provide a few links. Why mention how much you hated living in Vancouver and tell the OP that she won't have any luck finding things? She isn't moving there; she is visiting and wants to see what she can find in the stores there. You don't know what she can buy locally and for all you know Vancouver has more to offer than many places in the US. I was in Montana and couldn't find anything but Graco and Evenflo strollers and not a single cute diaper bag for miles... In Vancouver, there are Bebecar strollers at Crocodile Baby that are hard to find in the US. Many people were ordering from them for years because Canada had the only North American distributor of these awesome strollers. I have visited a lot of the stores in Vancouver and was very impressed with the selection. Plus with the exchange rate, the prices are sometimes better.

To the OP - have a great trip!

[Laundraholic]

LOL... actually I was going to write something similar.

My original post did specify that I'm from Ontario (where the PST and GST add up to 15%, so I'm used to that). I really don't see where asking about some baby stores had to result in bashing a whole country's shopping?
Actually I'm from Toronto... I wasn't specifically asking about DEALS, I was just asking about baby stores.

The "baby scene" in Canada has really changed over the last few years, and the "higher-end" brands are readily available, as well as some brands (some as Bebecar and Quinny) that are more difficult to get in the U.S.
There are tons of baby boutiques in Toronto that I have visited and many of these stores carry the same lines, but just because I've seen a few doesn't mean I won't go to others. I'd like to know what's available in Vancouver also, even though some of things may or may not be available in the specialized baby stores or even in the Toys'R'Us here. I mean I'm there anyway, right!?!?

[torontomom]

deleted...

[sand82552]

Here are a couple of great little boutique stores to check out:

Chick Pea Children's Boutique
1706 1st Avenue East, Vancouver, BC V5N1B1
(604) 255-2004

(This is a small store with a lot of beautiful baby & toddler clothes, it has a real vintage feel)

Dandelion Kids
1206 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L3X4
(604) 676-1862
(604) 676-1863 (fax)
http://www.dandelionkids.ca

(This store is just down the street from the one above, there are a lot of great european toys, and a fantastic selection of high quality consignment clothes)

Modern Kid
45 Water Street (Gas Town)
http://www.modernkid.com/

(This store is fairly new to the scene, and carries a variety of very hard to find modern toys, they have beautiful wooden rattles, and neat furniture)

There also some great clothing stores

Siblings Children's Boutique
235 Newport Dr, Port Moody, BC V3H5C9
(604) 461-7427

Smartipants Inc
1020 Gilmore Avenue 2, Burnaby, BC V5C4S5
(604) 294-9401
http://www.smartipants.ca/


As the previous posters mentioned you can go to West 4th and find quite a few stores there:

Hip Baby
Crocodile Baby
It's a Babys World
Bobbits for Kids
Nesting Kids

On Broadway (up from 4th)

Kids Books (this is an absolute must see bookstore)
2 doors down from Luna Winters

Luna Winters
3073 Broadway West, Vancouver, BC V6K2G9
(604) 733-7305

On Granville Street there is a beautiful clothing store, that also sells bedding for babies & kids (same general area as West 4th & Broadway)

Rieva & Reine the Lifestyle Store
2851 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6H3J4
(604) 737-1790
http://www.rievaandreine.com/

Also, if you would like to go to one great place check out the kids market on Granville Island, I would say if you were going to go to one place this would be a great choice. Kids Market has a variety of different toys stores, and clothing stores. My favourite is Knotty Toys.
http://www.kidsmarket.ca/

There are many other small stores and neat places to shop, it really depends on the general area in Vancouver that you will be visiting. Areas such as Langley, White Rock, Surrey, also have great Boutique type stores that have neat things.