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.