BE Ambies re be found. in most of the boutiques, shops and ‘services. | fe Rene cee eget 29 - Sunday, November 23, 1986 - North Shore News Find something special PAGE 42 DURING THE hectic Christmas season, West Vancouver’s two ‘village’ shopping areas give holiday buyers conve- nience, top value and personalized service. With cozy, friendly at- mospheres, the Dundarave and Ambleside Villages offer shoppers an old-world experience of charm, quality and selection. Gordon Clark, head of the Durdarave Business Association, reminds Christmas shoppers that one of the best things about Dun- darave Village is that everything is packed into one easily accessible bundle. Shoppers need not drive from place to place — park once and everything is within easy walking distance. ‘‘There’s no running around," explains Clark. Centred around the 2400 block of Marine Drive in West Van- couver, the village’s 45 retai? mer- chants offer just about everything a shopper could possibly want., “There's a bit of everything here,’ says Clark. ‘There's not much you gan't purchase in Dun- darave.”’ The village sports a number of speciality stores, including a popu- lar antique shop. And, Clark points out, all of the shops are operated by their owners, who are mostly lony-tinie members of the local community. “It's not franchises or chains, he says proudly. From these owner-operated FRESH AIR and a wide variety of shops are only two benetits for shopping the shee cone cattannericicated side. and. Dundarave areas of West Vancouver. Christmas shopping deals-are to H Service, something olten neglected in today’s marketplace. Shoppers deal with someone who is a fellow member of the community. ‘*Not someone who has just walked off the street Jast week,’’ as Clark puts it. Although parking on Marine Drive can sometimes be hard to find, Clark reminds shoppers that there is plenty of parking in the alleys on both the north and south side of Marine Drive. Ambleside Village is much the same as Dundarave, offering shoppers everything in one small, friendly package. ‘‘There’s per- sonalized shopping for number one,’’ says Bill Irwin, president of the Ambleside Merchants Associa- tion. Catling Ambleside Village an “integrated mini city,’’ Irwin points out the area's friendly at- mosphere is what makes it that much more special. “Our theme is that it’s just a fit- tle street where friends meet," he says. With more than 150 members in the association, shoppers ean find just about anything they want without having to bother to travel into the city. “We've got some beautiful an- tique stores, boutiques and speciality clothing stores,”’ Srwin explains. ‘“‘Also we've got some ‘Jast-minute shopper’ areas."’ And, he points out, the area has some of the Lower Mainland's best restaurants that offer a delicious meal or light snack ideal for shop- pers who have spent an exhausting day buying Christmas gifts. Most of the Ambleside mer- chants are independent owners. oP eRe seme