LoJo

Centered on and around Lower Johnston Street—hence the nickname LoJo— many stores feature local designers or products made on Vancouver Island. All-brick Market Square is a vital part of this "new" area. Built in the late 1800s and once home to saloons and sailors’ hotels, the Square now houses dozens of independent shops, galleries, and restaurants. The hippest thing about this area? Despite the glitz, LoJo manages to retain the kind of "everyday necessity" shops that locals need and use. So alongside the fashionable boutiques and trend-setting eateries are shoe-repair stores, a place that sells inexpensive kids' shoes, and so on. Real people live here and love it, and you will too