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Accessories, Books and Music
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BOOKS AND MUSIC


ENFLUX
Register for cheeky vases by Rosenthal, or anything wonderful by Georg Jensen, at Enflux, a temple to modern home decor. 4385 W. 10th Ave., West Point Grey, 604-222-9009

GRANVILLE BOOK COMPANY
The co-operatively owned, artsy-smart book shop on Granville Mall where you can find select novels, obscure magazines and the best books on art theory and design, theology, philosophy and history. Make use of the wide knowledge shared by the store clerks, who you can spot by checking to see who doesn’t flinch when the Commodore night club starts a-rockin’ upstairs. 850 Granville St., Downtown, 604-687-2213

HIGH LIFE WORLD MUSIC
Twenty-one years in the same location on The Drive, this is your go-to music shop for hard to find CDs and vinyl, especially if they don’t fall into the chart-topping categories. Reggae, blues, folk and less mainstream musical tastes remain the focus. No plans for later tonight? Highlife usually sells tickets to the city’s more interesting live shows. 1317 Commercial Dr., 604-251-6964

SOPHIA BOOKSTORE
An honest reflection of this city, or perhaps any cosmopolitan centre ringing the Pacific, Sophia Bookstore inhabits that dimension of the newest global culture by being a self-described “multilingual media store that specializes in languages both written and visual.” They stock literature and magazines in Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish and German—alongside the best writing from these languages translated into English. Language learners will find books and kits for foreign language study and insightful non-fiction covering history and current culture (or subcultures) of Tokyo, Bangkok or Barcelona. The visual languages covered include design, photography, film, architecture, typography and tattoos. 450 W. Hastings St., Downtown, 604-684-0484

ZULU RECORDS
For over 20 years now Zulu Records has been a Vancouver institution. Its huge selection of new and used music, including impossible-to-find imports, has made Zulu a favourite of hardcore music fans. Mind you, despite their reputation for producing the most obscure musical tidbits on demand, Zulu staff are low key, mellow and friendly. Beginner or pro, you are guaranteed a comfortable shopping experience, an amazing find and a bargain price on everything, from the latest Peaches CD to classic Bowie on vinyl. 1972-1976 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-738-3232

PARKER PLACE MALL
Parker Place offers all of the variety of a Singapore shopping centre minus the crowds. Computer parts, Chinese medicine, designer knockoffs, cell phones, limited edition shoes, collectible toys, Korean DVDs – you name it, they’ve got it, and bargaining is encouraged. Just be prepared to navigate the narrow corridors. The adventure is well worth it, especially if you happen to discover the food court full of delicious authentic Chinese fare at prices far better than one might expect. 2035-4311 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond

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PLANT DECOR

GET FRESH
The concept behind the modern and bright little shop is simple—mix living accessories like unique potted plants with hand-picked traditional home decorating pieces such as lamps and vases. Best sellers include miniature prehistoric Sago Palms and hand-tied fresh bouquets. 1332 Davie St., West End, 604-685-3500

KERMODI LIVING ART
Kermodi’s “living art” (modern plant décor designed for small spaces) is now available at their first storefront location. Gravity: A new looks at hanging plants, is the first of many gallery installations. 1889 Powell St., Gastown, 604-630-3759

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TOYS AND TECH


LEO'S CAMERA SUPPLY
Leo’s stocks most of the cameras you see in stores like London Drugs and Future Shop but at lower prices, plus many hard-to-find models. On our wishlist: the completely waterproof Pentax Optio W20 ($339) and the Canon PowerShot A series ($269-445), which gives you the option of taking either automatic or manually controlled shots; should you get more ambitious, additional lenses and filters can be purchased. 1055 Granville St., Downtown, 604-685-5331

MAC STATION
Mac heads feed their insatiable appetite for Apple products and accessories here. iSocks come in packs of six in a variety of fetching colours ($40). There are myriad other ways to dress up your iPod—give it a saucy upgrade with iBling, a pack of 750 colourful stones to create a pimped-out Nano cover ($45); or give it a sporty spin with a Sportsuit Sleeve ($22). For long summer days at the beach, there’s the Solio portable solar iPod charger ($150). As if to tide iAddicts over until the release of the iPhone later this summer, Apple’s latest gadget is Apple TV, which allows iTunes users to wirelessly sync movies, videos, TV programs and photos directly to their televisions. 1014 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-806-6227; 3430 Brighton Ave, Burnaby, 604-420-5224

OCCUPIED
Taking a blind date to Occupied is a good test of your potential mate’s requisite sense of kookiness. Start by showing them the “bread family” of stuffed toys: “Here’s the depressed moldy bread, the happy golden brown toast and the angry burnt toast. Aren’t they the best?!” Next, move along to admire the adorable tampon and toilet paper dolls. “Cool huh?” After you’ve dropped a hint about how much you love the Korino “vanilla guy” figurine and Hakoinu, the dog with the cardboard box head, you’ll know if a second date is in the making. 221 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-605-3322

SOUND PLUS
Carrying high-quality entertainment systems, the incredibly knowledgeable and non-intimidating staff at will guide you to the equipment that best suits your needs and budget. Check out the Sennheiser wireless headphones ($279) with reception to 100 feet (rock out while watering your garden); and the Bose iPod sound dock ($399), which Sound Plus insists is the best of the dime-a-dozen models out there. 600 W. Broadway, Fairview, 604-873-4571

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