Windsor Market

Part of living in a neighbourhood is the merchants you visit each day or maybe just once a week or so. What makes a neighbourhood is seeking out a merchant because they are just plain friendly and in this hurried world of cookie cutter stores and drone employees Windsor Market stands out. It stands out because they always have nice affordable flowers and plants. It stands out because the owner always has treats for dogs, waves at you when you are just walking by and watches cheesy tabloid TV behind the counter. It stands out because she always smiles and engages you when you are shopping and always has time to chat even when you do not have to shop. Sure there are places that are cheaper or better stocked in the area. But all of those are moot because the owners of the Windsor are always nice and nice goes a long way. Nice makes the West End a great place to live.

You know those shops that are always just *there*? The ones that you never really think of going into, but couldn’t imagine the street without them? The ones that place flowers and plants on the sidewalk, and are sparsely filled with random «convenient» items like milk, eggs, laundry detergent, juice and nori (yes, this is Vancouver after all)? The ones that are run by an affable Korean family who you’re sure are laughing at you for not knowing the difference between a braided ficus and a kentia palm (not that I don’t, because I do)?
That’s what Windsor Market is. Convenient, to be sure. No fresh veggies to speak of, but certainly does what it needs to do.