Best of the City

To ring in 2007, we celebrate the oft-overlooked folks who serve us exceptionally well. Whether you're after a dry cleaner, a household mover, a good cigar or an auto detailer, here's the lowdown on who goes out of their way to make city life a little better. By Steve Burgess, Christine Carrière, Jonathan Lin and the editors

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DRY CLEANER
Growing up in Uganda, and then in Yorkshire, England, Mohamud Rahim, 47, would never have imagined his name would one day be passed among Vancouverites who appreciate superb service. “When people come to a new city, they want the name of a doctor, a few restaurants and a good dry cleaner,” he says. “Many customers come to us that way.” No wonder. Rahim will explain how different fabrics respond to different cleaning techniques. He’ll suggest ways of caring for your garments. He’ll explain that clothes smelling of solvent are not clean. After a few visits he’ll recognize your car out front and have your cleaning ready at the counter. All with an easy smile, a commitment to sustainability, and a rare degree of perfectionism. No wonder customers sing his praises and share his name like a valuable secret. “Sometimes people call me at lunch and say, ‘I’ve just spilled coffee on my white silk blouse—what should I do?’ I like it that they call. It says something about the way we treat them.” Busy Bee Gold Dry Cleaning, 704 W. Sixth Ave., Fairview, 604-872-1519.

USED BOOKSTORE
Stoutly it has stood on Pender Street, first at the corner of Homer and, since 1982, at the corner of Richards, a half-century bulwark against the changing tides of bookselling. Chapters and Indigo rationalized book retailing (read: forced many of the city’s independent bookstores out of business), the Internet transformed the way people buy and sell used and antiquarian titles, and rising property values have considerably upped the cost of leasing space. But MacLeod’s has endured by offering book lovers more than 100,000 titles, tremendous depth in such areas as Western Canadian history, an owner (Don Stewart) who values intellectual curiosity and encourages leisurely browsing, and a store that smells like…well, just like a used bookstore should smell. MacLeod’s Books, 455 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-681-7654.

CIGAR STORE
La Casa del Habano on Robson has its adherents, and Vancouver Cigar Company on Hamilton appeals to the hoity-toity crowd, but David Kariotakis and Constance Ou’s City Cigar shop on West Sixth is where real cigar lovers congregate. Here guys in sneakers and scruffy jeans rub shoulders with businessmen and movie stars (Tommy Lee Jones, Hugh Jackman, Benicio del Toro and Arnold Schwarzenegger stop in when they’re in town). Whether you’re after a 1986 Davidoff Dom Perignon (worth about $400) or a more reasonably priced offering from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico, the Philippines, Holland or Africa, you’ll find it here. And you can enjoy it, perhaps alongside a Howe Street shaker or a Soviet arms dealer, in the lounge on the premises. City Cigar, 888 W. Sixth Ave., Fairview, 604-879-0208.

BARBERSHOP SHAVE
There are still a few places to enjoy the pleasure of an old-fashioned straight razor shave. The head concierge of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver recommends Nick at The Barber Shop on Burrard; he’s been shaving faces for 40 years and is very gentle: “You don’t trust many people when they have a sharp knife in their hands.” Good point. Look for the twirling barbershop pole outside the window, and inside, two barber’s chairs full of giant stuffed animals customers have brought in over the years. $12 a shave. 1228 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-688-7032.

JD’s Barbershop in Gastown offers a traditional shave amid modern decor. Funky, deep bass music and a mural by local graffiti artist The Dark set the tone for you to get worked on by one of the young, dark-haired vixens. Caveat: the buxom blonde on the website doesn’t actually work there and, despite the images online, you won’t be serviced by a lingerie-clad babe perched on your lap. $25 a shave. JD's Barbershop, 235 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-331-8441.

SHOESHINE
Getting a shine is one of those little things worth doing ,but not worth going out of your way for. Which is why the airport is the perfect spot for it. And why Ebado Qorane has a devoted following of scuffy-toed travellers who sit down on one of her throne-like chairs en route to the Domestic Departure Lounge at YVR and stand up again, a few minutes and $6 later, with happy feet. Ebado, a mother of six who prays to Allah five times a day, hails from Somalia and came to Vancouver (via Nairobi and Toronto) in 1996, keeps a little book of autographs and ecstatic testimonials—sign in and you’ll join a high-gloss roster of politicians, dignitaries and entertainment figures.

PET CREMATION
When Dr. Moe Milstein opened the Blueridge-Cove Animal Hospital’s crematorium, in 1979, most people buried their pets or carted them to the dump. Today, people grieve and dispose of their animals as if they were human. Basic cremation at Blueridge-Cove is $185; for an extra $75, you can stay for the entire procedure (six hours) and remove the ashes yourself. The City’s Animal Control Centre is the cheapest place to dispose of a pet: communal cremations run from $25 to $65 (subject to animal’s weight); private cremations range from $55 to $95. Blueridge-Cove Animal Hospital, 165 Riverside Dr., North Van, 604-929-3491; Animal Control Centre, 1280 Raymur Ave., Strathcona, 604-871-6888.

CLOWN
The Public Dreams Society is Vancouver’s clown emporium. Though best known for the summer festival of lights, Illuminares, and Halloween’s Parade of Lost Souls, the organization can connect you with some 20 independent performers and recommend someone suited to your needs. Skills on offer include traditional clowning, balloon artists, puppeteers, jugglers, mimes, unicyclists and stilt walkers. Prices for an afternoon might range from $200–$650 depending on the experience of the artist and the skills they’ll be utilizing. Most offer a mix of half-hour shows and roam the party in character. Two clowns who come particularly recommended are Sand Northrop and Paul Hoosen; both are involved in the Therapeutic Hospital Clown Program at B.C. Children’s Hospital where, according to director Diane Hart, “They have a real following.” Public Dreams, 604-877-8611 ext. 106—ask for Marielle or Dolly.

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