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.

This mall is conveniently located in downtown Vancouver and offers a wide variety of shops with…read moregoods at different price points. I visited during my trip and found plenty of options to suit almost any shopper or budget. That said, I was disappointed that none of the stores carried traditional relaxed or straight-fit jeans--every option seemed to be barrel or loose fit, which wasn't what I was looking for. As a result, I left without making a purchase, though I still enjoyed browsing the stores and checking out their merchandise.

It was a rainy day, so we decided to spend some time at the mall downtown. There are a variety of…read morestores including quite a few fancy ones. Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew are the anchors. Parking is available in the garage, but it isn't free and it was a pain to exit. Sadly, I didn't find anything to buy or maybe I didn't try hard enough.

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.

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.

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.

Super cool market and I think my 14 month olds favorite activity on our Vancouver trip (besides…read morelooking at birds). There are tons of little shops in here. Great place to go if you're looking for souvenirs for a child or just to check out toys! Tourist trap so prices are a little higher as expected. Cool games and stuff on the second level plus some food options! Do wish they had a larger bathroom, and the changing table was like super high up. But otherwise good experience and glad we came!

The Kids Market was a fun and easy activity for kids. We arrived by uber, but noticed a good…read moreamount of street parking and public lots around the area. This is basically an indoor kids focused shopping, activities, arcade, food vendor venue. There's a good mix of different shops ranging from clothing, toys, magic store and some food vendors. There area few random ride-on things around the hallways for younger kids to ride. If you're in Vancouver with kids and want to spend some time doing something kid focused, check it out. Keep in mind this place isn't a huge mall, you could probably spend an hour there if you're not playing in the arcade or climbing areas.

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.

This McDonalds was not great, they were jam packed and ordering was difficult. Also they forgot…read moresome of our food. The rest of the shopping center was closed so I can only review based on the part I experience

This Royal Center is different from what it was 7 or 8 years ago. Back in the old days or 7 / 8…read moreyears ago, I would consider this place suck. No good stores (same as today - no good selection on retail stores) and no good food court selections. The food court area has changed totally. Being back and working in Vancouver, my sister suggested Royal Centre food court and believe it or not my reactions was like...."No Way, you must be kidding me". Ok so what was in the old food court you ask? There was nothing but Subway, pizza shop and a donair place 7 or 8 years ago. Now... Changed totally. So busy here. So many people. There is bubble waffle, taco place, sushi etc. Selection changed. Harder to find seat now. My sister favorite food court place here is Bubble Waffle (combo with bubble waffle for $11.50). Also if you want a formal sit down dinner or lunch place there is Victoria Restaurant.

12 months later and my love affair with this little shop stands…read more Last week, I was walking the Make It Festival when the infamous Karen jumped into the aisle in front of me. Not only did she remember me (i've bumped into her a few times at the shop, but not more then a handful) but she was still the incredibly energetic, totally genuine ball of sunshine that made me RUN home to pen that first review back in January. And so, as a tip of the hat to my top service ninja of the year, I thought it be best to share some new findings at Two of Hearts: 1. Karen has a jewellery line that she sells at the shop! Go buy it and support local crafters and an all around rad person! ...I don't remember the name, because I took a business card and had her write down the specifics on a few pieces. Such organization obviously means I will lose said card within 24 hours. I do however have a note that says: "Sounds like the muppets song Mahna Mahna." Because i'm an adult. So I will take that to the Twitterverse for further investigation. Stay tuned. 2. Hats!! If you are looking for the most fabulous fall hat, go check out the Andre felt hats from Montreal. I debated over mine last January and it is singlehandedly my second favourite purchase of the year (it's tough to compete with the Fiat...) They are an excellent price (under $100), made in Canada and just classic, beautiful pieces. But if you buy the red one in the window before, I will get mad at you. Bonus points: you can't even find this line online for a better price. Tip of the hat 2ofH. 3. Bags! I have beat the s%&t out of my bag over the year - every day, dual laptop wielding and it has survived. Definitely looking a bit worse for wear, but it's held up far better then I expected, considering the price point is so reasonable. Right now, they have super awesome colours like hot pink mailbags & bright red clutches. It's a rainbow money suck! 4. Still with the awesome people. Karen isn't an anomaly here. Honest to gosh, i've had nothing but the most fabulous service every time i've gone in. Everyone who works here is all sugar & spice. ...I still have yet to find any actual clothing that fits me properly here... but I don't care. Great accessories & fab people will keep this place as a go to. *** Meiku Designs!!! ... not even close.

I can appreciate that their items are made from sustainable fabrics, but the prices are a little on…read morethe high side. Maybe if I loved the styles more, I can justify it and perhaps if they had a sale. Then again, everyone has different styles since my friend just loved this store. The sales person never once greeted me as well, but they seemed nice and could have been really busy. She worked with a smile on her face, I like that.