Before moving to Vancouver 4 years ago, one of my husbands good friends described the city as so.. 'on a blue sky day, Vancouver is hands down the best city in the world'. I couldn't agree more. When the sun comes out, the entire city comes to life and it's nowhere more evident than in Gastown.

Dating back to the 1880s, Gastown is rich with heritage and character. From the cobble-stone streets to iconic lamp posts there's no doubt why it's a favourite of tourists & locals alike. What keeps me coming back is the coffee, food & clothes.

Gastown needs to be discovered by foot and/or with a stroller if you're taking your little one. A light, compact urban stroller is essential and to be honest, the new Bugaboo Bee5 stroller ticks all the boxes. We've had the Bugaboo Cameleon since Lily was born but now as she's reached toddlerhood and we have some big upcoming travel plans - an upgrade to this lighter model couldn't come at a more perfect time. What I was drawn to about this stroller is that you can completely customize the product down to the handle bar grips or colour of the wheel caps (perfect for the design obsessed). Which is great as no matter your style or personality, you can make the Bee5 your own. Of course, I chose super minimal black on black with white accents #minimalforlife.

The Bugaboo Bee5 meets all the criteria - super compact, lightweight and folds down into one piece for travel. I don't want a stroller that's too fussy or complicated. It needs to be straight forward, easy-to-use and just makes sense. Maybe that's coming from my preference for all things minimal, but I really don't have time for anything else :P

On a sunny afternoon, you'll often find Lily & I strolling the streets of Gastown hitting up our favourite spots (Google Map friendly):

Shopping

One of A Few. It's hard to maintain self-restraint in this store as I usually want everything they have. This is my go-to store when it comes to jewelry gifts for the ladies in my life.
Frank & Oak. Now that they stock womenswear, this place is one of my favourite online destinations. For items that I don't know how the sizing will fit, it's nice to head in store and chat with their lovely staff.
Old Faithful Shop. I've been buying gifts here for years. Noble maple syrup, Mast chocolate and the cutest cleaning products you've ever seen.
Litchfield. This stunning store has gorgeous Turkish towels ideal for Summer picnic blankets or as shawl/stroller blanket on cool evenings at the beach.
LYNNsteven. They've got some really neat makeup & womenswear brands on offer in the most picturesque building.

COFFEE

Timbertrain. Some of the best coffee in the coolest space. This is where you want to come if you're working out of office for the day.
Buro. This cafe is positioned perfectly for optimum people watching. Oh and try the delicious choc banana bread.
Revolver. Get your coffee to-go and sit out front on a sunny day.

FOOD

Taco Fino. Tacos all day everyday. The best thing about this place is that they have a take-away counter to grab a taco on the go or a beautiful restaurant to sit down and enjoy your tacos in peace :D
L'Abbatoir. This place is a bit of a fancier date night option. The Scallop dish is sublime.
Nelson the Seagull. Best brunch in Vancouver. From their house made sourdough bread to cute and quirky furniture, this place is the best.

x Sharday

S - Levis jacket / Zara Basic tee / Just Black jeans / Vans Old Skool sneakers / Rag & Bone bucket bag (in White)

L - Cotton On denim jacket (similar) / Bonds top / VONBON Basic Legging in Gray Stripe

Photos: Randa Salloum

Special thank you to Bugaboo for partnering on this post.