The following first appeared as an advertorial in the Sept. 26, 2013 edition
Married couple Cailyn and Steve Bays have barely seen each other since they moved into their newly purchased Main Street home in June.
I think weve had, maybe, four days together, shares Cailyn the in-demand wedding and corporate event stylist behind Delovely Creative.
The trick is, any time we have time together, we call it a date, adds Steve a synth-punk pioneer whose bands Hot Hot Heat, Mounties and Fur Trade take Canadian rock right off the map.
When WE arranged an opportunity for the busy couple to not only explore their new neighbourhood, but do it together, they were excited to see just how much they could do in One Day on Main.
Clarkdale Volkswagen
Clarkdale Volkswagen serves all of Vancouver with that special community-oriented, no-pressure vibe unique to Main Street.
The family-owned car dealership at 4575 Main has expanded and evolved since its inception in 1960, but has never outgrown its Main Street roots.
The reason I wanted to work here is because Im very enthusiastic about the product. I believe in the product, explains sales consultant Brad Fulton a lifelong VW owner. I absolutely love it here. Its the best work environment Ive ever been in, and the customers can feel that when they walk in.
Cailyn and Steve grab coffees and slide into Brads suggestion the 2013 Golf GTI. Starting at $30,770, the stylish, 200-hp, performance hatchback can easily adapt to all of the young couples needs.
When I think of German engineering, I do think of high-end, high-priced vehicles such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes. But, with Volkswagen, you get that engineering, you get that ingenuity, but at an affordable price.
Barbarella
While Steve could stick his head out the sunroof of a car and end up with pretty much the same hairstyle he currently rocks, Cailyn deserves the royal treatment, so the couples next stop is Barbarella at 3277 Main.
Cailyn hops in Vanessa Giddens chair for a mid-morning blow-out while Steve chats with master stylist Eric Reeve about Kevin Murphy products for curls (Easy Rider, $24). Just under an hour later, Cailyns hair is a torrent of natural-looking ringlets and the two girls are busy playing six degrees of wedding vendor-separation and taking photos for the salons popular Instagram page (@barbarellasalon) perfect for getting ideas for your next coiff.
Owners Laure-Elaine Anselmi and Sarah Lindsay ensure the salon stays cutting-edge with monthly staff education classes and the complete Kevin Murphy product line. Cailyns all-day waves were achieved with Kevin Murphy Body Guard hydrating lotion ($24), Anti Gravity Spray ($25) for hold, Young Again ($24) for shine and Powder Puff ($28) to build volume.
Its so beautiful, she gushes, as Steve snaps some photos of his own. Maybe next time hell go for a fade.
The Archetype
The secret to a successful clothing store lies in Charlotte Lippolds wry smile. The punk queen and owner of The Archetype at 2549 Main, financially survived a devastating 2009 block fire that left her business the last one standing on what was a destination stretch of restaurants and retail.
She is also a streetwear pioneer (if you lived in Vancouver during the punk heyday, you may remember her legendary rock/goth/punk/club outlets, 1987s Underground, and 1979s Cabbages and Kinx).
The Archetype, known for its bold, handpicked dresses and handbags, also offers a gluttonous selection of sunglasses and frames (all $19, as Steve discovered) and a rainbow of vegetable-based hair rinses.
Ive been selling this product for 35 years, she laughs, gesturing to the wall of neon dyes.In the punk days, selling this stuff paid my rent AND wages. Stop in for The Drift art walk Sept. 29 for original art by Jim Cummings.
Windsor Meats
Connor Freeman has Main Street in his blood and meat in his DNA.
Ask the third-generation owner of Windsor Quality Meats at Main and King Edward about the family business and pride radiates from his broad grin.
His stores philosophy harkens back to the good old days, carrying an extensive free-range, organic and hormone-free selection with an emphasis on supporting local farms.
And walking into Windsor Meats is a bit like stepping back in time: the rustic interior, original wood butcher blocks, historical photos and spotless checkered tiles give nods to its 1946 heritage.
Steve and Cailyn, who admittedly dont cook often, soak up Connors advice from across the glistening glass counter.
As Connor explains that one particular cut of beef had been dry-aged 35 days, Steve nods sagely in agreement: Hmm, yesI like my meat retro.
For more adventurous home cooks, Red Seal chef Kyle Tillotson is there to provide his expertise, be it for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey or a beautiful souvlaki rack of lamb (pictured).
Our couple is about to leave when the newest addition to the store catches Steves eye.
Can I buy that crocodile? he asks, referring to a donated bit of taxidermy on the counter that Connors girlfriend wont allow at home.
Faster than you can say pork chop, Connor trades the tetrapod for a case of Steamwhistle, and Steve heads to Brewery Creek to make good on his deal.
Brewery Creek Liquor Store
Its not the hundreds of different craft beers, wines and spirits that bring customers in the door of Brewery Creek liquor store, its knowing theyll have the one you want.
The multi-award-winning liquor store prides itself on having the products on the shelves and the fantastically accredited sommeliers and cicerones (certified beer experts) on the floor to help you satisfy every occasion.
Everything I know about beer, wine and spirits Ive basically learned here, through GM Doug Hutchison and Chester Carey, says Kurtis Sheldan, a product specialist and craft beer agent, who has been with the store for five and a half years. We all really love flavours and are compelled to find a nicer journey towards the same destination. If I can help somebody experience food or wine or beer or booze at a better level, Im happy to do that. If you enjoy a certain style of something, I can almost guarantee to find you something thats better than what youre currently drinking, at the same price.
Kurtis spent more than 20 minutes showing the couple around the store, trading stories about Tofino Brewing, Swans (from Steves hometown of Victoria), Main Street Pilsner, Sea Cider, Alhambra and more while getting Steve set for his man date later (pictured).
Bob Likes Thai Food
Its slightly after noon when Cailyn and Steve sit down at Bob Likes Thai Food at 3755 Main.
They half expect to meet Bob, but instead its owner Tai Keattivanichvily (Bob is a fictional character) bringing out the ice-cold Thai ceylon teas, piping hot basa fish and rice chips ($12) and one of Bobs famous lunch specials: a heaping plate of pad thai ($9; pictured).
Wow. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Its so incredible, Steve says between chews. The pad thai is amazing, adds Cailyn. Its more savoury than most; people often add so many fillers and dont do it the traditional way.
Raised in Bangkok, Tai came to Vancouver 14 years ago as a film and television animator. He opened the Main Street location of Bobs, his first restaurant, to share the food his mother made. And more people than just Bob like Tais Thai food, leading to a second location on Broadway.
Im just trying to refer back to how my mom cooked it. Sometimes people use ingredients we never use [in Thailand] and youll get one curry that doesnt look like another. So customers try to tell me: You better cook a Thai dish that way. And I say, You better learn to eat the way we eat! he laughs.
From the empty plates in front of Cailyn and Steve, its clear theres no argument from them.
Planet Bingo
You can grab $20 and get two hours worth of entertainment at the movies, bowling or bingo, but you can only win $10,000 at one of those activities.
Planet Bingo sits iconically near Main and 10th, quietly churning out daily jackpots in the thousands of dollars and providing hours of social entertainment.
Seating 430 players, the two-storey hall vibrates with energy on a packed Friday or Saturday night, or provides a bit of calm on a quieter week day.
Steve walks in off the street and sits down to play a carryover jackpot game. The potential prize? That astonishing $10k. The cost of his card? $1.
Im close, I can feel it, he whispers excitedly, his card littered with emphatic green dots.
Seconds later a girl even younger than him puts up her hand and yells, Bingo!, winning the consolation prize of $300.
Shes seated at one of the electronic terminals but her winning card is old-school paper.
We try to encourage new players to use the electronic terminals because theyre easier, but they love to daub. Young people especially, says Shaun Thompson with a smile.
Shaun is a second-generation GM. Customers still tell him stories about his mother, Wendy, a legend in the industry who passed away in 2009.
She built the place; what it is today is because of her, he says, emotion playing across his face. I still see files with her signature on them.
Shaun carries on her legacy, making sure the next generation of bingo players experiences the timeless game at its best. And Steve picks up a Planet Bingo T-shirt as a souvenir before heading home to Cailyn, their One Day on Main Street complete.
ABOUT OUR MODELS:
STEVE: Mounties was formed with Hawksley Workman and Ryan Dahle after meeting on the set of Q with Jian Ghomeshi. Meanwhile, Fur Trades new single, Kids These Days(and its mesmerizing dance sequence), has racked up more than half a million views on Youtube.
With his studio, Tugboat Pl. so close to home, Steve prefers to not keep a single instrument at his house.
As a kid, he won an air band competition to Michael Jacksons Bad.
CAILYN: Deloveys romantic designs have recently been published in WedLuxe and Real Weddings.
Shes a preferred vendor for many venues, including Brock House. She also works with Hart House and Vancouver Club, to name a few.
Cailyn does most of her prep out of their 105-year-old home, where Steve built her a walk-in flower cooler in the basement.
PHOTOS BY: Rob Newell
