Granville Island Market

[FannyBay]

It seems to me that there is a sort of industrial area right there, as you dip down to the entrance.  And isn't there a kind of large parking space off to the left immediately at the entrance?  Or did I imagine it.

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There really isn't much parking right off Island. The parking lot you refer to might be part of the Honda Bike dealership, or be the gravelly area just up the street.

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There are already transit stops just off the island, so tour buses probably wouldn't be able to stop & park in those areas, but drop-off and pick up might be possible.

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I don't think the locals would tolerate it. There are already sizeable crowds right on their doorstep waiting for the number 50. There is also the extra exhaust etcetera.

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With the one who shares meals away for a couple of weeks, my supply of crackers and cheese and dry cereal eaten right out of the box was depleted and I felt the urge to go grocery shopping for some fresh veggies today. The weather was so glorious I couldn't stand the thought of being inside a grocery store so I walked to Granville Market. Two things happened, one I think you might want to be aware of and another event, a few moths ago somewhat related, came back to me that I thought I would share.

First, I was shocked that all the taxi's waiting for flags on the island were running their engines. They were lined up along side the first set of shops and by the Arts Club parking lot. I noticed the first one as there were no other cars driving by when I walked by so you could hear the engine running, then I listened as I walked by all the other taxis and they were all running their engines. The market should be banning that!

Next, and this is what I wanted to point out. I did a pretty small shop today so I really noticed what the prices were, in fact in the back of my mind I was thinking abut what the veggies I bought would have cost at Safeway or Urban Fare. I bought one avocado, 4 small roma tomatoes, 2 heads of romaine and a small bunch of green onions. The bill came to $8.15.... I wrinkled by brow and said, gosh, how much was that avocado? (Knowing exactly how much it was) Without saying a word, her fingers moving back to the terminal and making a quick motion, the cashier then said, $5.45...without so much as a sorry, let me check that or anything. Kind of like she was caught, and oh well... It made me wonder how many times I have been overcharged there, especially with all the large shops I have done. The grocery stall I was at was the one right in front of the Donut place and I've shopped there many times. The reason I shop there, rather then the one across the way is because I once shopped there for a really important dinner party. Carefully chose perfect tomatoes, limes and lemons, lettuce etc. It was quite a large shop so when she gave me just two bags I was surprised and questioned her. Are you sure it's just two bags? Yes, yes she said, I asked was she sure? Yes she said. The lettuce was in the top of both bags so I just took her word for it but when I got home 10 minutes later and unpacked I realized I was missing half the groceries and there should have been at least one or 2 other bags. I drove right back and rather then wait until at least close to closing, they had put all the product back on the shelf. How greedy! Then they ran aground and grapped the missing veggies using my bill. So after spending much time picking perfect and perfectly ripe vegetables, they grabbed smaller tomatoes, crappy brown lemons and limes, limp vegetables. I was furious, but running too late to do anything about it and have never shopped at that stall again. I am really beginning to question the merchants. There is obvious price fixing, with all the same products like grounbf beef, lettuce, apples exactly the same price in all the stalls and shops, flowers being sold at full price which were less fresh then they should be. I love the market, but are we being taken advantage of?

[Sam Salmon]

It's common to see various vendors scouting out the competition in the AM as to prices-the day vendors of local fruit/veggies are much more honest in this regard I find.The established shops sometimes have long running feuds/issues/political battles there's little collegiality.

As to missing groceries it's unfortunate but consider that many of the staff in those places make little more than minimum wage and can't afford that very goods they sell-if mistakes are made by overworked/underpaid staff what can you expect but a shrug of the shoulders-they have no reason to care.

Taxis?With the price of fuel you might think that they shut 'em down but most Taxis are on propane-the owner of a propane vehicle pays about 60% the price of gasoline so fuel costs are much lower.I agree they should be shut off but it's a task to even communicate in basic English with many Taxi drivers in this city.

[Vancouver]

Hi. I've now heard from 3 different people that Granville Market is going to be staying open later starting sometime this summer. (July perhaps?) Does anyone know how late it will be staying open? And if it is just for the summer?

An extra hour or two will certainly increase my shopping there.

Cheers!

[Flotch]

This is a link to the story regarding the extension of the Island's hours in the Vancouver Courier.

http://www.vancourier.com/issues05/034205/...034205nn13.html

[Vancouver]

Thank you. That has answered the question quite well - 7pm it is - and year round to boot! Woo hoo!

[Foodie in Vancouver]

NYT article about San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer's Market

Seems our local concerns about tourists taking over Granville Island are similar to those of the locals in San Francisco who have similar fears about the Farmer's Market in the Ferry Building. A recent article in the NYT highlighting their complaints sounded like it had been lifted almost exactly from this thread. The caption on the article reads "Tourists at Market to Look Crowd Those Who Cook".

If I have figured out how to do it, there should be a hyperlink to the article at the top of this post. If not, you will have to google the article all by yourself.

[eatrustic]

So here we are 6 months into the extended closing time (7pm) at G.I. Market and you could shoot a cannon off and not hit anyone after about 5:30.

Many of the vendors I have spoken to are po'd that market management has done so little to promote the new hours and wonder how long it will be before they give up and roll them back to 6:00.

Too bad, it sure is handy as I discovered this evening to do a bit of late shopping.

The vendors also wonder why the market doesn't open on Boxing Day as apparently there were tons of people trying to get in and (for the most part) the vendors that I talked to would have been happy to work - with January being so quiet.

CMHC are you listening?

[Daddy-A]

The vendors also wonder why the market doesn't open on Boxing Day as apparently there were tons of people trying to get in and (for the most part) the vendors that I talked to would have been happy to work - with January being so quiet.

J and I were down at GI with the dogs on January 3 ... market was closed then as well, with the exception of the Blue Parrot, but Sam says the Hot Chocolate is no good so we skipped But we also noticed a large number of people milling about, looking for something to do. Hell, there were even two buses full of tourists, and nobody to pack them some smoked salmon.

Odd.

A.

[Sam Salmon]

Too bad, it sure is handy as I discovered this evening to do a bit of late shopping.

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I confess to making a few fast runs late into the Market m'self and look forward to doing more as the light returns.

[makanmakan]

i had NO idea that GI was open till 7 now.

armed with that now, i will definitely make it there more often. yay!

[Dumpling Girl]

I've gone in later in the day a couple of times since the hours were extended, (and promoted it in my little way on my blog when I found out in the summer), but I too will likely take advantage of it more when it stays light out til 7 pm. I definitely sympathize with the vendors though, and would like to see more promotion of the new hours.

Another hurdle to consider - during the fall and winter, the aquabus (reduced to just weekends), False Creek Ferries, and the historic railway from Main St./Science World) shut down their operations, making it a bit more awkward to get to Granville Island during that time from that area (if you don't like driving there, like me), and I tend to ride my bike less due to the weather too. There is the occassional tourist who asks about the aquabus routes during the weekdays, but I guess this would not be enough to support the route during this time. Maybe there is some opportunity for cross-promotion here though...Granville Island and the Aquabus and False Creek Ferries could do some joint marketing to get the word out about the extended hours, and show people they have a way to get out there that's fun and easy. With enough promotion, maybe there would be enough people to run say a 7:10 pm aquabus, and one earlier in the day.

There is another option for people on transit is to go to Granville skytrain station, and get out and transfer to the #50 False Creek bus, but it's just kind of a round about way of doing it.

[shona m f pearson]

Was there a reason why the market went to longer evening hours rather than earlier ? If it's humanitarian - I don't want to be responsible for ANYONE having to get up earlier , hate it myself then that's okay.

I mistakenly assumed they'd be open EARLY, and have shown up there at 7 am on the way to kitchen, thinking I could pick up stuff Sysco doesn't want to sell to us, and no food for me .

Has it always been a 9 am start ?

I've also stopped on the way home at the supper hour and shopped, and it is quiet, but not really any quieter than 4:45. Let's face it - how many of us can really shop at 4:45 !

Does anyone know how the vendors are doing with the hours ?

[Sam Salmon]

Has it always been a 9 am start ?

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Yup!!

Nigh on 25 year now I reckon!

Does anyone know how the vendors are doing with the hours ?

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Whole lotta b*tchin' goin' on!

[Abra]

I can't resist this thread, since I'm an Actual Tourist Who Loves Granville Island.

In fact, we're coming up next week (see my Dining Friends post) and we're staying at the Granville Island Hotel, as we did a couple of years ago, the last time we had a chance to come up to Vancouver.

I'm totally in sympathy with the frustrations of local shoppers, but I can tell you that, as a tourist, the ability to wander out of the hotel in the morning and into the market to assemble breakfast from various stalls is the closest we can get to being in Europe. We take the train up from Seattle, so we have no parking problems, and even the slight funkiness and lack of gentrification adds to the character of GI, for us. The buskers? Even when pretty terrible? That's part of the experience too.

Speaking totally as a tourist, that is.

[barolo]

I've gone in later in the day a couple of times since the hours were extended, (and promoted it in my little way on my blog when I found out in the summer), but I too will likely take advantage of it more when it stays light out til 7 pm.  I definitely sympathize with the vendors though, and would like to see more promotion of the new hours. 

Another hurdle to consider - during the fall and winter, the aquabus (reduced to just weekends), False Creek Ferries, and the historic railway from Main St./Science World) shut down their operations, making it a bit more awkward to get to Granville Island during that time from that area (if you don't like driving there, like me), and I tend to ride my bike less due to the weather too.  There is the occassional tourist who asks about the aquabus routes during the weekdays, but I guess this would not be enough to support the route during this time.  Maybe there is some opportunity for cross-promotion here though...Granville Island and the Aquabus and False Creek Ferries could do some joint marketing to get the word out about the extended hours, and show people they have a way to get out there that's fun and easy.   With enough promotion, maybe there would be enough people to run say a 7:10 pm aquabus, and one earlier in the day. 

There is another option for people on transit is to go to Granville skytrain station, and get out and transfer to the #50 False Creek bus, but it's just kind of a round about way of doing it.

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Aquabus and False Creek ferries run all year round. I was just on Granville Island: took the Aquabus from Hornby and Granville Island Ferries to the Aquatic Centre. Granville Island ferries run until at least 8:00, if not 9:00 pm all through the winter on my route. You must be talking about different routes from mine. And I thought the market looked pretty busy tonight for a Wednesday night in January.

I'm actually surprised that anyone doesn't know the Market is open later, it seems to be posted in every corner of Granville Island and was widely covered in the local food media. But then I am amazed at how few people know about, and attend, the West End farmers' market in the summer. Just different priorities for different people, I guess.

The merchants and tenants on Granville Island are perennially unhappy and the politics are fierce, so I take all that stuff with a grain of salt.

Edited January 19, 2006 by barolo (log)

[Dumpling Girl]

You must be talking about different routes from mine.  And I thought the market looked pretty busy tonight for a Wednesday night in January. 

Yah, I was just specifically talking about the one route that I was talking about in the original message.

[barolo]

You must be talking about different routes from mine.  And I thought the market looked pretty busy tonight for a Wednesday night in January. 

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Yah, I was just specifically talking about the one route that I was talking about in the original message.

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That's too bad. Move to the West End and Granville Island will be your oyster.

[barolo]

Lots of changes at the Island. City Food reports that Edible BC is moving in to the Public Market:

Eric Pateman has taken the lease on space formerly inhabited by Okanagan Wine Cellars at the Granville Island Public Market (next to the Stock Market) and will be setting up shop as early as May 15th with a projected opening date of June 1.

Expect to see a full range of made-in-BC edible products, a full demonstration kitchen, as well as numerous other exciting features.

Libery Wine has an "Opening Soon" sign up, SPUD has moved in and is open, Carmelis Goat Cheese has a day vendor booth.

[annanstee]

Ah! So the rumours are true.

And finally, a decent wine shop on the GI!

[barolo]

Edible British Columbia is now open in the Granville Island public market, beside South China Seas. I stopped by this morning to chat with Eric and and Cecilia and check out the wares. Aside from the jams, salts, and vinegars, there's take out from Rangoli, Les Amis du Fromage and Quince, local cheeses and lots of other good stuff.

I think they will do well in this location, especially as I always hear tourists asking what they can purchase in the market to bring home. Of course somewhere up thread Jamie Maw suggested a store with best-of-BC products would be a good fit for the market, so the potential has been recognized for a while. Good for Edible British Columbia for bringing it to life.

Liberty Wines has opened too and Eric told me they sold out of their BC wines almost immediately; there's lots of other selections though and they seem busy whenever I go in.

Edited June 23, 2006 by barolo (log)

[eatrustic]

Liberty Wines has opened too and Eric told me they sold out of their BC wines almost immediately; there's lots of other selections though and they seem busy whenever I go in.

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I was there about a week ago and although I love the overall selection I did notice that the B.C. section was pretty small, off in a tight corner where the majority of customers were crowded. I'm sure that this will change as the demographic becomes apparent.

The only immediate problem for Liberty will be the lack (for the moment?) of air conditioning as it was very warm the day I was in and this weekend should really test the staff (and the wine).

[barolo]

Liberty Wines has opened too and Eric told me they sold out of their BC wines almost immediately; there's lots of other selections though and they seem busy whenever I go in.

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I was there about a week ago and although I love the overall selection I did notice that the B.C. section was pretty small, off in a tight corner where the majority of customers were crowded. I'm sure that this will change as the demographic becomes apparent.

The only immediate problem for Liberty will be the lack (for the moment?) of air conditioning as it was very warm the day I was in and this weekend should really test the staff (and the wine).

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Regarding the small BC selection, apparently the problem is short supply. They did not get much of an allocation and it all sold very quickly. Allocations of the higher-end BC wines are notoriously small it seems and, as you noted, the Island demographic tends to be looking for BC.

Good point about the air conditioning. A problem for most of the stores on the Island but more of an issue with wines.

[annanstee]

I was there about a week ago and although I love the overall selection I did notice that the B.C. section was pretty small, off in a tight corner where the majority of customers were crowded. I'm sure that this will change as the demographic becomes apparent.

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That was the first thing I noticed as well- both times I have been in it was really warm in there- not exactly confidence inducing.

Oh, and for some reason they had Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser marked at 28.99! They have since fixed that- but not the AC.

[barolo]

That was the first thing I noticed as well- both times I have been in it was really warm in there- not exactly confidence inducing.

Oh, and for some reason they had Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser marked at 28.99! They have since fixed that- but not the AC.

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The air conditioning at Liberty on GI is working well now.

[canucklehead]

Is it only news to me that Granville Island is now open till 7pm? I saw it on the side of a bus. Feenie was right - transit is a great way to communicate.

Edited July 25, 2006 by canucklehead (log)