Granville Island is an amalgamation of a public market, restaurants, a marina, a hotel, numerous…read moreartists' studios and workshops, and more located in one location. No wonder it's a popular tourist destination! You can watch artisans weaving at looms or creating brooms or blowing glass. Interestingly enough Ocean Concrete is also located here and you can gawk at their silos when walking around. If you're visiting during the weekends or holidays, parking can be a bit of a hassle. The sidewalks aren't clearly marked either, so pedestrians also spill over into the streets. It's better to take a ferry or water taxi to avoid the headaches.

Granville Island is touristy, sure, but not in a bad way. It's vibrant, full of energy, and still…read morefeels authentic. A mix of locals and tourists alike. The only downside is the prices, not horrible, but seem to be at a premium than right over the bridge. Traffic was also horrible trying to go and leave - sounds like others parked across the bridge and walked or took a ferry. We went on a Saturday mid afternoon and parking was ok because some people were leaving. A good selection of shops, including the public market and various shops. It was crowded, but service was good and friendly. We had a big meal beforehand, but it seems like a nice place to brunch by the waters and enjoy the views or have a snack - long line for the donut shop! There's a small playground for kids and toy stores. There's also a nice pond area to sit and enjoy a snack or just relax on a nice day.

Came to check out the food court. Most were fast food so did not consume. Lines and service were…read morequick, I observed before I decided not to line up. Loved the different varieties and selections of cuisines. Value was good. Not expensive. Especially loved the water fountain right outside the food court.

This area is just so fun and beautiful. Bring the kids, sit, watch the seaplanes land and take off…read more Beautiful. 1-star for the food court. Maybe even no stars. Good lord, if you care about your palate, your body, and future generations just do not go here. The future success of addressing global warming depends on you not supporting this subpar food.

stopped in at city square shopping centre to meet up with a friend for dim sum near city hall, and…read morehonestly, it's such an underrated little spot. on the busy intersection of 12th and cambie, this place has a bit of everything, anchor stores like dollarama, daiso, and sungiven foods, plus a ton of smaller shops that give it a cozy, local vibe. the glass atrium makes it feel bright and airy even on gloomy vancouver days. there's a food court with solid options, kin's market, and a few wellness spots. there's also hot yoga, fitness world, dental, a florist, salon, and spa, seriously, it's like a mini community hub. parking was super easy, two free hours if you validate with a retailer (over $5), and it's super convenient being steps away from the cambie canada line station. not your huge flashy mall, but it's got charm, convenience, and a lot of what you may need in one spot.

This review is regarding the PARKADE only, not a reflection of the mall itself or the stores…read morewithin. You MUST validate your parking at Sungiven Foods for 2-hour free parking, all other stores only validate for 1.5 hours - and I learned this the hard way. It was my first time driving to City Square, and I saw the sign in the parkade that read "Enjoy 2 hours free parking with purchase". I went to Dollarama first, and had my ticket validated there. I shopped around, and Sungiven Foods was one of my last stops before returning to my car. As I was driving out of the parkade, I was surprised that there was an overdue balance of $4.25 at the gate, even though I was in City Square for less than 2 hours (I had a timer on my phone). I called parking assistance and they sent Chandani to deal with the issue. She did not want to listen to my situation and was very rude and unhelpful. She kept insisting I pay for the ticket or go back upstairs to revalidate, and then walked away. I understand she may not have any authority to authorize anything or override the ticket, but she did not bother to listen or try to get help. I checked my timer, and saw that I was cutting it very close to 2 hours, so if I had re-parked my car and went back upstairs to revalidate, I would definitely go over the 2-hour limit. I paid the ticket and checked the website when I got home, and I understand that the City Square regulations states: -90 minutes FREE parking with a minimum $5.00 purchase from City Square retailers. -One retailer stamp per parking ticket allowed. Please bring your parking ticket along with you to the retailer for validation. I am upset because there was no indication (either on the website on signage posted in the mall or parkade) that the retailer stamp HAD to be from Sungiven Foods specifically (and be validated there first) in order to qualify for 2-hour free parking (instead of 90 min). Chandani also gave me the wrong information, and I would not have been able to re-validate at Sungiven foods anyways if I went back upstairs, as only one retailer stamp per parking ticket is allowed (as per the website). I did email the admin at City Square as well with my concerns over the signage, and asked for a possible refund. Chasity from Reception & Administration directed me to Precise Parklink in regards to the ticket refund. I didn't bother contacting Precise Parklink because on paper, I did exceed the 1.5 hour parking limit, but the reason for this is because of the misleading and unclear signage in my opinion.

i love visiting aberdeen centre, especially during lunar new year, and this year, the year of the…read morefire horse, the atmosphere feels especially fitting. bold. vibrant. and just dramatic enough to be fun. the parking lot though, is a whole other story. slow laps, strategic patience, and the quiet hope that someone is actually leaving. when brake lights flash, you quickly signal and ease into a spot, it feels like a small personal victory. fitting for a fire horse year. inside, the tension disappears. the atrium opens bright and welcoming, warm white lights cascading down. red lanterns line the second level in formation, fairy lights tracing the railings. red against gold. shimmer against polished tile. at the centre, cherry blossom trees frame a vivid red backdrop. two lion dance heads rest at the edge of the stage, alert and expressive, as if ready to spring to life at any moment. friends and families move in easy rhythm. it is busy, but not chaotic. lively, but warm. vendors line the walkways with red envelopes, tassels, lucky charms, and gleaming ornaments. conversations drift between tables as families debate which decoration might bring the most luck for the year ahead. tucked among it all, a lego pop up draws a steady line. bright red bricks categorized by size, sorted neatly, an intricate lego dragon display standing guard. kids build instinctively, and with full concentration. parents "supervise" while quietly contributing a few extra pieces for structural integrity. we wander upstairs, pause along the railing, take it all in. and almost without fail, every visit ends the same way: the food court. because no matter how stunning the decor, no matter how many photos we take, it never feels complete without drinks in hand and snacks on the table or to go.

02.12.26 @1pm…read more Parking lot was packed. Will need patient. This asian mall is better than the others I have drop by. But not much food vendors and more modern style for both the place and food.

decent mall with a lot of places to shop at but the building has been there for quite long and…read moremight need some updates, feel like the mall is too vertical and missing the big shopping centre vibes

Mall was bright but nothing special…read more Conveniently located, in the downtown of Vancouver. Just the heart of everything. All the shops you need are there: Lululemon, Pink, Norstrom, food court. Just a regular store. Just wish Nike is inside too (maybe a small store in additional to the Robson Street location). Value is good for some stores, reasonable for others, food court seems pricey. Every store customer service was good. I would come again if I am around the vicinity.

We went to many different souvenir shops around Vancouver and found this one to be the best in…read moreterms of selection, quality and value. You'll find a number of items, food and other items that are very Canada specific, such as Maple syrup, Maple tea, and other maple-related snacks. We also found it hard to find a shop where you can find clothing that lasts and is very comfortable. We picked up a couple fleece and shirts here and they survived the wash and are still comfortable weeks later, and they were such a good price, nearly half of what you'd expect. The deals on standard keychains and magnets were also very good so we bought dozens.

Lots of cheap selection for souvenirs, but didn't find anything that I liked in particular. The…read morepeople were nice. On Google, the hours say they close at 8, but I guess they close at 7 and they were nice enough to let us stay until 7:15 until they said something. It's all the things you'd find in a regular souvenir shop at a better price.

My daughter and I came here the other day to explore, and although this was a smaller-scale mall…read morecompared to others, it still packs a punch, and we were impressed. There are larger, anchors stores like The Bay (which we love!) and Safeway and Crate & Barrel, a nice food court, and lots of designer, higher-end shops inside (ex, Tiffany's, Birks, Lululemon, Michael Kors, DKNY, Armani Exchange, Coach, L'Occitane, Aveda, and tons more). I liked how immaculate the mall was, and how the massive sky light brings in so much natural light. I must add, too, how beautiful and well-appointed the women's bathroom is! Sure, you have to walk down some narrow corridors to get there, but the facility really was swanky and pretty!

Got a 90 dollar parking fine. Concord pacific states that their is signage posted and it is a…read moreyellow zone. I have asked for clarification but they just repeat that I parking in a restricted yellow zone.

i really thought i was being strategic. "half an hour is plenty," i told myself, confidently paying…read more$2.50 for parking. the plan was simple: go to guest services, check on the expiry of my gift cards, and leave. then i walked by the grand court and ooooh, look at how pretty and massive the lunar new year lantern is. the bold red lantern suspended under the glass ceiling, surrounded by oversized pink blooms, was stunning. they even included interesting facts from the chinatown storytelling centre, which made the display feel thoughtful and educational, not just decorative. it was beautiful and absolutely not something you rush past. i tried to stay focused, but this is metropolis at metrotown. as the largest mall in bc and one of the biggest in canada, it offers pretty much everything under one roof. fashion from zara, aritzia, arcteryx, uniqlo and sephora. staples like the apple store and h&m (with an escalator out of order during my visit). daiso. muji. winners and homesense. walmart, the real canadian superstore, t&t, shopper's drug mart, cineplex, banks, bubble tea shops, foreign exchange counters, restaurants and a food court. gone are anchors like hudson's bay and sears, but the variety today is still impressive. it really is a one stop hub. groceries, errands, shopping, entertainment, all convenient and connected directly to skytrain. but here's the thing: malls should not be charging for parking (unless it's downtown). we used to visit this mall a lot. it was an easy, go to destination. since parking fees were introduced, we honestly don't come nearly as often. when you're already planning to shop and spend money, paying just to park feels unnecessary. it changes the whole experience and makes even a quick visit feel calculated. the mall itself still has a great selection of stores and services. it delivers on convenience and variety. i just wish the parking situation didn't take away from that. next time, i'll likely skip the car and take skytrain instead.

A bit dated shopping mall. I find it slightly awkward to walk around because there are different…read moresets of elevators that lead you to garage parking and not the point of destination where you want to go. Parking garage also dated. There is a Walmart, T&T inside.

cf richmond centre really does have it all, uniqlo, zara, h&m, the apple store, muji, the lego…read morestore, sephora, basically all the staples you actually want in one place and then some. it makes running errands or doing a proper shopping trip super easy, especially if you're the "one stop and done" type. a little context that makes it even more impressive: it's one of the major shopping hubs in richmond and sits right by the canada line's richmond-brighouse station, so getting there by transit is effortless. the mall has been around since the 1980s, but it's now in the middle of a major, multi phase redevelopment that's gradually transforming the whole area into more of a modern, mixed use 'downtown' core with residential towers, expanded retail, and new public space. if it feels like it's evolving, that's because it literally is. inside, instead of a typical boxy layout, the mall follows more of a soft loop. the corridors gently curve and wrap around in an irregular oval shape rather than forming a square or straight line. it feels organic, almost like it grew over time and that flow makes it surprisingly easy to cover ground without feeling like you're walking a marathon. you naturally pass storefront after storefront as the space opens into wider halls and seating areas, so it never feels like a long, narrow hallway. it's bright, open, and comfortable enough to spend a few hours in, whether you're on a mission or just wandering with a coffee. the food court, the dining terrace is solid too. good variety, lots of seating, and generally well maintained. you've got quick bites, plenty of asian eats (as you'd expect in richmond), and the usual comfort options. it's not trying to be a gourmet destination, though there's a few restaurants, and reliable fuel for round two of retail therapy. there have also been some fun activations lately. during an olympic themed event, they set up a mini bobsled experience and even a curling activity where people could try their hand at sliding stones. it gave the space a playful, community energy that made it feel like more than just a place to shop. of course, it hasn't all been additions. the loss of the bay marked the end of an era and left a noticeable gap for longtime shoppers. it was one of those anchor stores that felt tied to the mall's identity, so its closure definitely shifted the atmosphere. the main downside right now is the construction. some entrances are blocked and navigation can take a minute to figure out. the signage helps, but you might accidentally do an extra lap thanks to that curved layout. still, parking is free, as it should be and in metro vancouver, that alone feels like a small win. overall, it's still one of the better malls in the area, and it's clearly in transition. if this is the "during construction" version, the finished product should be pretty exciting.

CF Richmond Centre feels like a teenager who hit a growth spurt too early and never quite figured…read moreout what to do afterwards.  Sure, it's got the Apple Store gleaming aspirational techheads, a handful of designer storefronts trying their best to look worldly, and a food court upstairs that--on paper--should be a damn good reason to linger. It's polished, modern, almost smug in its stainless-steel confidence. And yet... you walk through on what should be a busy day, and the silence hangs around your ankles like fog at dawn.  There's an emptiness here, a kind of mall ennui, as if the place is waiting for someone--anyone--to decide what it's supposed to be when it grows up.  Are you going to be high fashion and chic or will you be another bargain mall? Meanwhile, just across the way, McArthurGlen is sucking up all the oxygen like the loud, flashy cousin who shows up at the family reunion with new teeth, discount luxury, and a better Instagram account.  That's the place people actually go--destination shopping, outlet energy, crowds spilling out of every corridor. CF Richmond? It becomes the afterthought, the "well, we're already in the area so maybe we'll swing by" mall. The mall equivalent of a consolation prize - maybe the pageant winner will retire and CF-R can have a chance to reign like a real mall... Maybe not. And then there's the parking - OMG!  Years of construction, half-blocked entrances, the slow-motion nightmare of circling levels like a frustrated shark just hoping for a space to open up - that isn't blocked off!  A mall can survive a lot, but it can't survive making people miserable before they've even stepped inside. With The Bay packing up and leaving, the mall loses not just a store but an anchor - literally the ballast that keeps a mall from drifting into irrelevance. They need a heavyweight, something bold, something that makes you say, yeah, okay, I'll deal with the traffic for that. And they need it fast. CF Richmond isn't bad. It's just adrift. A mall with good bones, some shiny pieces, but no heartbeat.  A place that could be great but is stuck in the purgatory between intention and execution. If it wants to matter again, it'll need more than a facelift - it needs to grow up and choose what it wants to be.  Right now, it's just waiting for someone to save the mall. 2.5 stars - take it or leave it.  The Apple Store isn't enough for me to trek there! Meh...