Excellent prices, best value for souvenirs compared to other places…read more Conveniently located, good customer service. Bought two quality hats and two t-shirts

A nice place to buy…read more a crummy t-shirt Whenever I travel somewhere I'm obligated to bring back crummy t-shirts, refrigerator magnets and other useless trinkets. I'm not big on shopping so this task becomes tedious and onerous at best. To make matters worse, most souvenir shops are boring and tacky. Fortunately Maine Heritage is an exception. Sure it's filled with crummy t-shirts, refrigerator magnets, post cards and a plethora of stupid and tacky items. But it does have some interesting jewelry, books, and rather cool and useful clothing. The best part is that it is one large room which means you can move around without bumping into other people looking for crummy souvenirs. Plus it has some nice decorations and nautical things to look at . The store is located right on the boardwalk which makes it very convenient and has great views of the water, islands and ships. Just a short walk to get to the maritime museum or other cool things. Sure the Marine Heritage Store is a touristy place filled with touristy stuff. But if you need to get some crummy t-shirts or other touristy items it might as well be in a store with a cool water view. A nice place to buy a crummy t-shirt

Biggs & Little Gift Shop is located in the Gallery of the IWK Health Centre…read more This store is part of the Auxiliary of the IWK. They have raised over $1.6 Million for the IWK through shop proceeds. It is a wonderful store full of little things for that special one in the Hospital. If you are buying for the new parent or that special child. They have fresh flowers, stuffed toys, games, cards, snacks and some funky stuff. Things did not cost anymore here than in any other store and part of the proceeds go to the IWK to help the children.

I absolutely fell in love with this store! I am a sucker for hitting up the gift shops in…read morehospitals. I always find the cutest, unique gifts. I visited this shop one Friday afternoon while I was visiting a friend and her new baby in the IWK. This giftshop is located in the lobby area, next to the food court and where the underground parking garage is. They sell everything from food to pictures to books to umbrella's and much more. They are a little bit on the costly side, but it's great convenience when you need a gift for the new baby and mom.

A beautiful little shop in a great little shopping area…read more It's a cozy spot filled with just about all the local Nova Scotian flavour you could hope for. Everything from birdhouses to geo-caching containers. It's got it all, something to bring home from your visit, or to add to your home. The prices are slightly touristy. The woman running the shop is delightful and was incredibly helpful. It's situated within an old container, which I think is just awesome. This shop, and all of the hidden gems on the wharf are a must see.

Creative ideas and awesome selection. We go to Shore Things when we are looking for something new…read moreto decorate with that has an authentic Nova Scotia feel. If you are looking for something that is high quality and original, Shore Things is the place to go!

Kept is one of those places where as soon as you walk in, you know you could spend hours looking at…read moreall of the things they have for sale. Tea, chocolates, fancy paper, cards, hand bags, home wares this is a "get all of your gift shopping done in one place" kind of store. The store is nice and spacious with a good flow to it, and is packed with goods without being over packed. It's definitely full, but not so much so that you have to sort through piles of things to find what you're looking for. Whoever does the merchandising for Kept knows what they're doing, I'll say that for sure! If you're looking for local gifts, they've got some local products in here too. I noted some local card makers up on the second floor - if it can be counted as a second floor? - and Rousseau's has chocolates there, for instance. And in the not local category, they have Rifle Paper Co. here. I'm completely in love with the Rifle Paper Co. art style, so that made me incredibly happy!

This is such a cute little shop. I could definitely spend a fortune in here. Lots of cute…read moreknickknacks, kitchen gadgets, gift ideas and so much more. I was particularly fond of all the cat themed items, being a crazy cat lady, I approve. I forsee myself doing holiday shopping here. Plus there's a squirrel on the sign and I love squirrels. Nope doesn't take much to win me over. The new location is more spacious which is great!

Love both locations of this store. I love supporting local businesses, and Made in the Maritimes…read moreallows you to support a local business ... by supporting local businesses. Yes, their wares can be pretty expensive, especially some of the beautiful wall art on display, but it reflects the effort, talent, time and money that goes in to producing handmade items on a small scale. And there are some lovely things here: jewellery, yarn, wood crafts, candles, treats, and of course the artwork. They have something for just about everyone on your gift list. Staff are friendly and helpful at both locations, and I don't think I've ever left empty-handed.

From the owner: At Made in the Maritimes, we support over 200 local makers. There has never been a better time to…read moresupport local business in the Maritimes and across Canada.

Classic hippie store! I would imagine the local high school and college women would love this…read moreplace. Loads of Indian block-printed cotton items, plus tons of reasonably priced jewelry. Also tons of cute knickknacks like little figurines, Christmas ornaments, baby mobiles, and home decor items. They're open late, too. I could have browsed here for hours if I'd had the time.

This store is very reminiscent of the stores in Kensington Market in Toronto circa late 1990s that…read moresmelled like patchouli, and sold insense, ponchos and hacky sacks ;) There's a definite bohemian vibe to the store. Or as my husband would say "it a place for hippies." They had lots of cool sterling silver jewelry from Thailand. The prices were quite reasonable too. They had lots of earrings and bracelets in the $10-$25 range. I really didn't look at much else in the store, but they had beads, wooden knick knacks, pillows, and clothing that looked like they were from Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand, among other things. I loved these kinds of stores in my middle school and high school years, but it's not quite my aesthetics anymore, with the exception of the jewelery, because I still love sterling silver, it's the most suitable metal for my colouring. I had a great time browsing their large jewelery section. I almost bought the cutest bracelet, but it was a tad too big for me :( Staff were very nice. I always stop by when I'm in Halifax to poke around a bit, and be reminded of my style as a teenager, lol.

I can't resist walking by stores like this…read more I admit, I'm a sucker for local made knick-knacks, smelling handmade soaps and admiring all the talented artists work. Made in the Maritimes has a lovely collection of local goods all in one adorable little shop. Today we were greeted by a sweet smiling young woman who chatted with us while we browsed. Even though I didn't have the money to buy anything I still enjoyed browsing all the wonders Maritimers have to offer. We need more stores like this.

From the owner: Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique brings the best of the Maritimes under one roof. Unique,…read morehigh-quality gifts and souvenirs made by local artisan producers. Our contemporary product range includes pottery, fine art, prints, textiles, post cards, woodwork, jewellery, photography, housewares, soft furnishings, glass art and gourmet edibles.

Huge shout out to Tammy at Coconut Creek! Despite being on crutches she quickly fulfilled my order…read moreand provided outstanding curbside service and gave me great ideas for Mother's Day. Keep up the amazing work, this is the best store for gifts, shoes and service!

Coconut Creek is located in the Dartmouth Crossing, it is the only location for this wonderful…read moreshop. If you are looking for that gift that has that little something extra to it, have a look around. First the store is wonderful to browse through, there were two gals working when I went in, one named Carrie and the other Kayla. Both very pleasant and professional. A nice hello to greet me and then let me have a look around. This shop is new and carries, purses, artwork, jewellery, speciality items, they pretty much have all the basis covered here. But as I said , these items are not your average. One of my favourite things that caught my eye were things fabulous creatures called Sweet & Sour Gargoyles, they are made in PEI, and are worth every penny. The average was about $100.00. The artists that make these have fantastic imaginations. I want one! This is a must have for me, it is on my list , a collapsible water bottle in lots of colours, made by Vapur. This is freezable, dishwasher safe (top rack),rolls up, stands up when full, has a place to write your name on it, this is such a great bottle, is any of my family is reading this, guess what, you are getting one as a gift. These are only $11.99, a great deal. They also have in the back of the store a nice selection of baby gifts. There is a great item there, they are bears that you insert the hot water battle or cold. This store has lots of options for you to choose from. Kayla told me that they try to support the Canadian artists as much as possible. Most of the products they seek out are Canadian made. This alone is a reason to go to the shop and support it. I want to thank Carrie and Kayla for allowing me to take a few pictures, they were great and know their product lines. :)

Dots & Loops combine everything that I love about Inkwell, the Independent Mercantile and Duly…read moreNoted into one beautiful shop. I've only actually been once, but it was enough to make me swoon. I mean...I've been following them on social media for ages and have drooled over their photos, but now that I've been inside, yep, it's love. I love that just about everything in the shop is made in Canada, and there is so much love for local Nova Scotian artists too! I could have bought a car full of goodies - Rifle Paper Co journals? Adorable prints? Jewellery dishes shaped like woodland animals? And then the jewellery itself that is just so gorgeous, it's hard not to want a little bit of everything. The store is packed full of goodies in every space available, but it doesn't feel cramped or crowded. The set up is perfect for browsing in a crowd (even though I was there in the off-season). I can't say enough about this charming shop! I can't wait to go back.

Just. YES. After a…read moreday of shopping the south shore, inundated by stereotypical 'maritime' crap that I just can't get down with, I almost let out an audible cry of happiness when I walked into this brand new addition to the Lunenburg scene. The modern, open and bright space really let the products on the shelves shine rather than forcing customers into an awkward stumble through overpacked aisles of random nick-knacks. Within seconds of seeing all the inspiring and adorable prints, handmade pillows and stuffed toys, quirky greeting cards and stationery, and tons more, I knew I was in trouble. Much like a similar store in Halifax (Love, Me Boutique), I just wanted it all. And that's okay...because every purchase helps support a legitimate local artist or crafter which makes me feel MUCH better about gift-giving than just picking up your average mass-produced 'Authentic Nova Scotian' anything. Besides, there were so many great products available for less than $20 which makes it easy to do some damage without having to hate yourself for it later. I will absolutely be back. Hopefully soon and often.

This cute little spot is located in a surprisingly nice-looking strip mall at the top of Prince…read moreAlbert. The wood-heavy interior leans into its titular theme, and the waterside setting by Lake Banook tracks as well. They've got a small lunch menu, but I've generally stuck to coffee and their rotating selection of baked goods. I really enjoyed a glazed blueberry scone, with its lightly crisp exterior and moist interior, and while the glaze wasn't necessary, it was certainly appreciated! They also have a good supply (re. more than one option) of gluten-free treats, and their lemon square is one of my wife's go-tos. On the coffee side...well let's say I'm not a fan of Laughing Whale. It'll keep you awake, but black coffee here is just not up to par with the high bar set by other Dartmouth cafes.

Recommended by a local. Everyone enjoyed their scones, quiche and grilled cheese. Overlooking a…read morelake where kayaking races are held. Service was prompt and polite.