Make Tracks

Quick! How did Yaletown get its name?

If you answered “Because the CPR moved its railyards there from the town of Yale, back in the late 1800s,” you’re way ahead of us. But there’s one thing we do know: it’s no longer railworkers making tracks to this trendy ’hood.

You can see a number of moms strolling these European-styled urban sidewalks of late. And though the neighbourhood is known to be a hangout for the hip, it has embraced a family-friendly philosophy that is obvious in a number of its shops and special events.

We decided to ‘field-test’ Yaletown to see if it is really a user-friendly destination spot for moms on-the-go, and we liked what we saw. (For starters, there was more than enough metered parking to go around, and the promise of more in an underground public lot at Hamilton and Nelson.)

There are plenty of boutiques that offer baby, toddler and maternity touches. We loved the bright, Asian-influenced prints and colours at marimekko, where bold and beautiful is the theme, whether it’s a plastic TV tray, a pair of socks or a pair of bright rubber rainboots at Vie, we loved the Redfish sock monkey onesies and the soft-as-a-feather receiving blankets from Leeluu. The soy-fabric wrap dresses were also soft, comfy, and over-the-belly expandable. And—had the meter not been ticking—we would have stayed longer to play with the wooden kitchen sets and dollhouses at inhabit, a SavvyMom fave.

There was lots of eye candy at Design House, and while some of the home accessories were inevitably pricey, there were bargains to be had—like the $10.95 box of 30 quirky postcards by artist Yoshitomo Nara that would make a novel addition to one’s stationery kit, and the $23 designer tape measure by FLW Coonley would make a handsome addition to any creative carpenter’s toolkit.

Of course, there are cafes and coffee shops aplenty when you want to take a load off, and if you have young tag-alongs with limited patience for shopping, they are in luck, too. Yaletown is adjacent to the Roundhouse Community Centre with its myriad children’s programs, as well as the always-interesting False Creek seawall walk.

But if you really want to score a hit with the offspring, you could take them to Yaletown on Halloween, when they can join a costume parade and go trick-or-treating in the shops. 

So don’t get stuck in your neighbourhood rut. Get out and enjoy all that your city has to offer with the kids. You’re closer than you think to the Yale-town.

marimekko
www.marimekkovancouver.com
(604) 609-2881
1233 Hamilton St.

VIE Maternity Boutique
www.viematernity.com
(604) 647-0281
1038 Hamilton

Inhabit Interiors
www.inhabitshop.com
(604) 662-7408
1188 Hamilton

Design House
www.designhouse.ca
(604) 681-2800
1110 Mainland St.