Main Street Markham is the stretch along Main Street North (think Markham Road that gets…read moretemporarily renamed) between Highway 7 and roughly 144 Main Street North, which houses a handful of eateries on the west side of the street. There are side streets that extend a block east and west to complete the geographical area. I have seen it change over the years. Banks and eateries have come and gone. However, its charm and revitalization have made this area even better. Main Street Markham is the original street of the Village of Markham. It is one of Ontario's older communities, which was established in 1793 as part of Markham Township. The town was named after Archbishop William Markham on York, England by John Graves Simcoe, who was the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. It's sad that the Archbishop never visited his namesake. Hopefully, he's looking down at it from above and smiling. There used to be a post office, but it's long gone in this area. Markham is now a city, so the post office moved to a nearby Shoppers Drug Mart. There are some eateries that have endured over the years. Pizza Pizza. The Old Curiosity Tea Shop. Folco's Ristorante. They are still thriving. I remember going for elections training as a Deputy Returning Officer for the City of Markham a while back. It was in a building just behind Folco's Ristorante. There was free parking in front of it. You can find free parking either in parking lots or on Main Street itself. The eateries have changed so much at 144 Main Street North that I frankly can't keep track of what's there. I used to frequent a sushi joint there eons ago. These days, you can find creative, cool eateries, such as Inspire Restaurant, Azyun Restaurant, Main Sushi, Fujisan Japanese Restaurant, and more. My friend and I often joke that we should meet up at Uncle Joe's Family Restaurant, which is just south of all these eateries. It has also been there for ages. The portion sizes are huge and the food is good. We both know that we'd need to be carted out of the place after dining there! One eatery that I miss along this stretch is Rawlicious. My best friend who is vegan and I loved dining here. Sadly, the pandemic caused it to shutter for good. The food was awesome. Whether you are vegan or not, you knew that you'd enjoy decent, creative, yummy eats here. I used to visit Markham Seniors Activity Centre and took my mom there before the pandemic hit. There were a bunch of activities that my mom enjoyed doing, from tai chi, to arts and crafts. A bunch of events happen in this area. The Main Street Markham Farmers' Market takes place on Saturdays from mid-May till the first week of October each year. You can get a lot of local produce, baked goods, and more. It runs from 9 am till 1 pm on Robinson Street. During the summer, there's free live music outdoors. It's called Music on Main. Live music starts at 6 pm and goes until roughly 9 pm. Bands basically play in front of different businesses each Friday night, so you can enjoy dining on a patio and taking in a performance, or simply hang out on the sidewalk and enjoy the music. Coming up the is Main Street Trick-or-Treat just before Halloween. A month before Christmas, the festival of lights happens on this street, along with the Santa Claus Parade that happens on a Saturday. The street shuts down and everyone lines up to take in the floats, bands, Santa, and more. Markham also has an Easter Parade. It's cool that it's a smaller version of what I grew up enjoying as a kid in Toronto. Markhamites are friendly. You see a lot more of it in this area. Maybe it has something to do with how quaint this street is that it affects their mood and attitude. I haven't checked out the newer businesses that have established themselves here. Slice of Fire Pizza. Second Cup Coffee Company. Super Smash Burgs. T&T Bakery and Cafe. Cho-Kwok-Lat. I do need to spend more time in this area. It's a cool, quaint area. I recommend dropping by to check it out when you have a chance. (315)

What an attractive little part of town. I was drawn by the architectural beauty, overflowing flower…read moreplanters, cute shops, multiple sidewalk cafes and free parking. My friends and I decided to park at one end of the neighborhood so that we could walk up one side and back down the other, that way we would be able to see everything. Definitely a feast for the eyes with lots of photo ops: benches, gazebos and even window shops with stylish store fronts and window displays (please refer to pictures). We went early on a weekday which is perfect for taking a leisurely stroll without the crowds or the heat. We worked up our appetites walking down one side of the neighborhood. There were many great places to choose from that would cater to any picky eater (we had three in our party) - Subway, Pizza Pizza, Rawlicious, The Old Curiosity Tea Shop, Main Street Greek, Marca Trattoria and many others. With the help of Yelp we chose to eat at Main Street Greek (please see review). Great place to go with friends and family or to bring out of town guests.

I used to grew up in the area and would visit frequently as a kid and teen (2000s to mid 2010)…read more Visiting last year was nostalgic. When I grew up, it was generally quieter, less bussy and less crowed (excluding events and maybe the food court area). Also, some of the stores and restaurants that been around for 15-20 years are still there (ex. Dollarama, Food Basics, McDonald's, Tim's, Pizza Pizza). It looks like it had some recent renovations with new fixtures, stores and restaurants. Despite the size and location, Woodside Square seems to be doing better and has more foot traffic compared to Pacific Mall (the past)

I used to come here a lot when I was living in the area. I haven't come to this mall in a long time…read moreand there has been quite a bit of changes. They have a Dino Kingdom which various dinosaurs and animals are displayed throughout the mall. They offer tours usually for 1 hr long. I brought my kids a few times and they really enjoyed it, the sessions are very informative and educational. Best of all the tours are free and sometimes they offer small gifts for attending. The mall also has 2 indoor playgrounds and a claw machine store.

Tip: There's lots of parking…read more I have never been great at knowing the names of plazas. I'm better at knowing where businesses that I frequent are. Yesterday, I was at Starbucks, in line at the drive-thru. I looked at the plaza's sign that said Midland Square. I have been going to this Starbucks for eons. I didn't know the name of this plaza until now. Midland Square is on the northwest corner of Midland and McNicoll Avenues. Rona anchors this plaza. I frankly haven't been in this store in eons. I should revisit it, as the garden centre always looks amazing. The Starbucks that I frequent the most in this plaza in a part of a three-business building. Jeon Ju Hyang is a Korean eatery that's between Starbucks and Popeyes. My dad frequents the latter a lot more than I do. Further south from Rona is a medical centre and a bunch of eateries. It's a mix of high turnovers and businesses that have endured the test of time. Chako and Pizza Hut have been around for many years. I have yet to visit Chako. I frequent Pizza Hut often for my pizza cravings. There are a bunch of decent noodle joints in this plaza: - Magic Noodle - Ajisen Ramen - Dear Saigon - Nicoca Ramen - Jim Chai Kee Wonton Noodle I have yet to try Midori Ramen, which is a fairly new addition to this plaza. I have avoided going to Hey Noodles ever since staff forgot the noodles in my takeout order, which is funny when Noodles is in its name. There are a few sushi eateries and Gyubee Japanese Grill that I have been meaning to visit. One of these days, I'll be proud to say that I've been to all of them. Sadly, this plaza no longer has a bubble tea joint. You can get bubble tea at many of the noodle joints, or go across the street to Asia Mall that has a Chatime. It's a decent plaza that has everything that I like. I just need to remember this plaza's name. (205)

Tips: - There are no change rooms…read more - There is also no public washroom access. - The men's section is a rack in the far right corner of the store. - It's final sale on all purchases. - This place accepts cash, debit, and credit cards, except for American Express. For the longest time, I have been wanting to visit this Joe Fresh Outlet. I finally visited it on Wednesday after work. This outlet is in Woodside Power Centre. It used to be where the old Michaels store was. It then moved across the plaza where Chapters used to be before it moved to CF Markville Mall. There is always lots of parking in this plaza. I parked fairly close to the entrance and headed into the store. It was wild visiting this store that I frequented often when it was Chapters. The Starbucks area closed during the pandemic and the washrooms never re-opened. It continues to be the case with this outlet. This space is perfect for what this outlet has to offer. It's mainly clothing, shoes, and accessories for women and children. The men's section is a rack in the right back corner of the store. I liked the winter accessories. I got a pair of knitted purple mittens. I was pleased that they fit my large hands and were breathable. I have an extremely warm pair of mittens for cold weather. I wanted a pair of mittens that I could wear when it's not frigid, but would keep my hands warm. This pair was perfect. I also got a knitted hooded cowl. I like that it has a looser fit, as I have a huge melon. It has a drawstring to keep the wind away while keeping the hood on your head. I also like that it protects the neck. This place has sneakers and boots. I came close size-wise with a pair of pink sneakers. Sadly, there were a women's size 10 and I need an 11. If you have smaller feet, from a women's size 5 through 9, you'd do well here. Prices are dirt cheap. A decent tank top for women was $3. Jeans were $8 a pair. A long puffy coat was $15. It is a large store. I spent almost an hour looking at everything. There are no change rooms. It's obviously easy to try on shoes, sunglasses, gloves, and hats. For tops and sweaters, it's straightforward to try them over your clothing. I'm not sure about jeans and pants. I guess you could also slip them over your pants or shorts. Maybe come in wearing a skirt or bring a wrap? Everything is final sale. You can neither exchange, nor get a refund. So, you need to choose your items wisely and make sure that they work for you. I found it interesting that the sound system was caged. Maybe shoplifters have taken a previous version away in the past? This place has closed-circuit TV on everywhere. There are signs saying that you're on camera. Frankly, I felt that there was too much signage describing what you can't do: - No food or drink - No large bags allowed - No public washrooms - No exchanges or refunds - No pets allowed A lot of no, no, no. A lot more positivity would make shoppers enjoy shopping here without outlining a ton of restrictions. I made my way up to the checkout area, which used to be the same checkout area for Chapters. This place preserved a lot of what Chapters looked like, including the carpeting. I got a cheerful woman who asked if I needed a bag. I didn't for my two items. My items came up to $22 with tax, but I got 50% off my total. It was a grand total of $11. Such a steal for two knitted winter accessories! I paid with a credit card. I tapped and was done. I thanked the woman and happily left with my items. It's a cool store. Considering how expensive things are these days, it's a great store to get decent items at cheap prices. The selection for women and kids is great. For men, it's slim pickings. I'd recommend shopping elsewhere if you're a guy. (396)

This is a large (spanning 2 blocks!) open air shopping mall. There are many restaurants.The biggest…read moreretail stores are Freshco grocery store and a Shoppers Drug Mart. However, for a Sat evening, it was rather dead, except for Sugar Maison and A Chinese Cuisine (there was a lineup outside the restaurant!). There was plenty of free parking, with some sections very empty. Review 2026-132

This regional mall in Durham has been renovated over the years. Some decent brand name stores like…read moreZara, H&M, Uniqlo, Aritzia, Sephora, Lululemon, JD Sports, Adidas, Footlocker, Champs, Sportchek. There is a good selection of sit-down restaurants surrounding the mall like The Keg, Kelseys, Kelly's Landing. The food court is very spacious and clean. Some good food offerings like Thai Express, KFC, Subway, A&W, Bar Burrito, Shanghai 360, Taco Bell, New York Fries, Jimmy the Greek, etc. I had a gift card to redeem and the guest services staff were very friendly. They helped me load my e-gift card onto a physical card. There are plenty of parking spots available. If you're looking to shop, I recommend paying a visit to this mall. Boxing week had some decent deals. Good value.

good mall for Oshawa downstairs is kinda dismal…read moreand the bay; looks like they've given up... upstairs much better

Tip: This store has a variety of Sun Chips flavours…read more Back in October 2024, I visited a Dollarama on Leslie Street in Toronto, near Eastern Avenue. I created a Yelp listing for it. I wrote a review. I uploaded photos. What does the Yelp moderator or perhaps its bot do? It created this Dollarama listing on Leslie Street in Newmarket. It is a problem with Yelp not knowing the greater Toronto area well. Between the two Dollarama locations, the distance is 49 km. It's essentially my commute one-way to work in Mississauga from Markham. I had to recreate the Yelp listing for the Dollarama on Leslie Street in Toronto, delete my review that was pulled under this Newmarket listing, take down all my photos here, and put my review and photos on the Toronto listing AGAIN. It was such a waste of my time. I kept a draft of this Dollarama in Newmarket since then, thinking that I'd visit it one day. It happened on Saturday. I revisited Newmarket after nearly a year and decided to check out this store at long last. It was straightforward finding this store. It's across from a Tim Hortons and a ten-second rice noodle joint. I parked fairly close to the entrance and walked in. Although there is a sign saying that the store is proudly Canadian, the list of credit cards accepted here has Discover. I am all for variety. I am a Discover card owner, as I applied for it while living in Minnesota and it has served me well. It just seemed weird. I should try using it someday. This store is set up like most Dollarama ones. The kitchen accessories greeted me. I saw everything from short stainless steel straws, to crisper trays. I knocked a star off my rating because there was a male staffer on a ladder, talking loudly on the phone while fixing a lightbulb about going through a breakup. Although I can sympathize that going through a breakup is tough, as a customer, I don't want to be subjected to your call. I want to shop in peace. I would think that it should be a private matter. It's also pretty unprofessional to broadcast everything to everyone passing by. Weird. I do like the toilet bowl cleaners at this store. I ended up getting some toilet bowl tablets. We'll see how effective they are. I was talking to a friend a few weeks back about not seeing Sun Chips in French onion these days. Lo and behold, this store had this flavour. OMG! I got a couple of bags. One for me. One for him. This store has self-checkout kiosks. I saw a human at the checkout across from them. I went with her. She was friendly and efficient. I paid with a credit card. I tapped and the transaction was successful. I got my receipt, thanked the woman, and left the store. I'm excited to try the French onion Sun Chips soon. I liked visiting this store. Hopefully, I won't get a broadcast of that male staffer's love life the next time I'm here. (318)

I bought a bag for my mother during their drop on Sept. 16 and picked up in person. Pick up was…read morestraight forward. Getting there was a little complicated. Highway 401 is traffic paradise at times around that area (which they clearly can't control). Depending on where you park and enter, the store is located: - Rightmost Hallway if you enter from Steeles Ave - Back Hallway/Opposite Side if you enter from Kennedy - Leftmost Hallway if you enter from back of Pacific Mall The physical store is cute vintage shop. Space is a little tight like the other stores within Pacific Mall. They seem to update and add new things to their inventory pretty frequently. They are friendly and will get to you pretty quickly if you have questions. They keep to update through their Instagram (legacy.to). Prices of bags are pricey but bags are in very good condition. Price of clothing are very affordable (under $50). If you go in person, there is a chance that you will possibly get a discount and/or a freebie.