The most wonderful, arty-farty, curated junk shop curiosity cabinet, I-can't-believe-they-have-that…read moreshop I have ever been in. This is the place you always want to discover on vacation and you never do. It's always a weird awkward gallery that doesn't have anything you want to buy, so you duck out (embarrassed for both yourself, and the shop owner), or else you want something but it costs $500 so you just sigh and leave. No. This place is awesome. I was lured in by the hilarious window display, and stayed to wind my way through stacks of hand silk screened prints ($10-$100), vintage drawings and posters and postcards, a vintage Disneyworld map from back when they made aesthetically pleasing tourist schwag ($15), bowls of plastic fruit (for sale? display only????), vintage viewmaster reels ($5+), and cubbies full of random weird ceramics, souvenir dishes, and other flotsam and jetsam that seems to have washed up on Monastiraki's shores. We spent at least an hour in here perusing the wares before departing with a gorgeous print. The owners were kind and charming.

Art epicenter for underground comics run by the wise and crafty Billy Mavreas, trust me you want to…read moreapproach softly and see if you can get him opening drawers for you and telling stories. There is a whole history of poster art tucked into the nooks and crannies of Monastiraki, rareties coming through, art exhibits and friendly parties sorta monthly, and all kinds of good looking and weird antiques and vintage books and memories to be dusted off and appreciated by the right set of hands. The whole place is a living installation - if you're lucky in the summer you walk by and the window is alight with shadow puppets, or a kids crafty birthday party - and any day you come there's something in there to discover.

I really believe that living well does not have to stay in the domains of the rich and privileged,…read morethat everyone,regardless of income bracket and means, deserve to enjoy the same sorts of small pleasures which makes life happier for everyone, be it the pleasures of drinking from crystal wine glasses, sipping tea from fine-bone China teacups, or preparing a meal for family or friends on cookware which can last literally for generations. That said, I found myself in Ville Emard for my weekly acupuncture sessions a little early for my appointment and so decided to wander the neighborhood a little and I'm so glad I did. Internet and social media hype and publicity are nice and dandy but I find that sometimes the old-fashioned way of doing things, like taking the time to walk around a little, more often than not, affords you to find those little gem of places which you otherwise would never hear of or know about. Gentrification has not hit this part of "le Sud-Ouest" yet, like it has in Saint Henri, Pointe St. Charles and Verdun. It's still a few years away so there's still a feel of a sleepy, quiet local neighborhood here even if it is on the metro line and that veritable institution Dilallo Burger is literally around the corner. So it was with surprise and delight I found myself stepping into Chez Aicha yesterday afternoon. The owner, the very warm and welcoming Ferida Marzouki, is someone who follows my own heart. "Just because some people may not have the money, does not mean that they don't have good taste. I price my items here so anyone can afford it and use them and have been here for 30 years already. I don't understand why people buy beautiful things and never use them. You get so much joy from putting them to good use." And what taste she has! I saw vintage tableware from the 1930s which a shop in the Mile End (which shall remain nameless) was trying to sell off at triple the price which Ferida offered. Ruby red and Cobalt blue glassware from before the Depression abounded everywhere. I saw many, many fine-bone China tea-sets in near-perfect condition. As Ferida explained to me, she often buys from estate sales and usually she still finds them never-used sitting wrapped in plastic on display cases no one looks at. There was also vintage silverware, cookware, kitchenware which a little love, elbow-grease and watching a few how-to videos on YouTube can easily bring back to it's former glory. One of the reason why I prefer buying vintage is that the quality just isn't there these days anymore. Companies now follow "planned obsolescence" meaning you may have a guarantee for 1 or 2 years for something new you buy after which point, things will probably break down, forcing you to buy something new all over again. That's how they make money and force you to be a repeat customer. Compare this to say items from the 1920s through to the mid 1970s. Items usually came with a life-time guarantee, they were practically indestructible. You bought something once and never had to think about it again. I'll definitely become a repeat customer here. I just wish there were more stores around like this and more shop-owners with Ferida's outlook.

If you are looking for Vintage & she has what you want,this is certainly the place to shop.There is…read morea wide variety of items & always so reasonably price. She has antique furniture,hanging lamps & so much more.I have purchased old books,magazines,radios & toy soldiers from the owner. It is always a pleasure to shop Chez Aicha.

I have dealt with Peter numerous times...even treated me to a very nice treat at a local Deli.read more

This place was a total joke. Piles of things you can't see. Nothing priced. You'll dig out…read moresomething and be told it's $2,000. Not really a business, more like a hoarders home. I would absolutely recommend skipping this place.

Antiquy-hipstery boutique that worth a look around…read more Some items, I don't even know why you would buy it. Other, are just plain must have. So I guess the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Have, absolutely have a talk with the owner. This is free, and refreshing.

From the owner: Rétrocité n’est pas seulement une boutique en ligne!…read more Notre boutique est située sur la Plaza St-Hubert au 6367, rue St-Hubert. Depuis plus de 10 ans, nous parcourons le Québec afin de dénicher les plus beaux objets vintage et antique pour combler notre fidèle clientèle. Notre cabinet de curiosité se renouvelle chaque semaine particulièrement en haute saison pour bien diversifier nos produits. Passant du chevreuil empaillé à un ensemble de vaisselle de collection au meuble design Danois. Pour tous les goûts! Chaque objet est un coup de cœur et choisit avec soin. Rétrocité c’est authentique, écologique, mais surtout des objets ayant une âme et du vécu.

Alas! A Flea market free of dust! While we have our favorite Antique store ways from Old Montréal,…read moreEcoDépôt was our answer (about a 30 minute drive from Old Montréal) for items being right up our alley with a bunch of good prices. Plus I also get a kick out of finding as many cool items in Montréal (which somehow seem to look and sound classier than the same shiit I can get back home). Covering lots of square footage, EcoDépôt is what it sounds like located in an industrial area off the highway. The first two things I noticed walking in was their Piano and Bill Withers playing. And by the way, the rest of their 60's R&B playlist was cool to hear in these parts. If it's chairs you're looking for- they have variety. Leather chairs? Several. Lamps? Many- plus so much other things. Actually one of the things hubs noticed is how clean items are and don't have years of dust on them! I'm still adding finishing touches to my vanity room and was hoping I'd find a specific stud chair here- but left empty-handed. But I did find a royal blue, metal utility box for CAN$39-which I'll repurpose for some of my items. Service was super nice from Ilene(?). I made the purchase alright, but I also wanted to close on a sweet deal- and EcoDepot didn't bulge. So just remember...there's no haggling here. Although I didn't find that perfect 'je ne sais quoi' piece that I had to have- I came out with something else.

This is a fun place to spend an afternoon looking around at vintage furniture and household goods…read more I don't understand people who go to IKEA all the time when you can just as easily hit the thrift and vintage shops and score stuff which is A) Much cheaper B) Better made, and not the usual Made in China crap C) Unique and one-of-a-kind. Chances are none of your friends will find the same Rococo-style lamp base that you might find here. I collect vintage enameled cast-iron cookware like Copco, Le Creuset, Desco and I found a few pieces here in excellent condition and at a much cheaper price than I've seen elsewhere for the same thing. I think if you have a certain eye for design and aesthetics, you can easily find some stuff here, from kitchen table sets, to old toasters from the 1940's that with a little elbow-grease and watching how-to videos on Youtube, you can easily bring back to their former glory.

A must in the area. Eclectic fun. The music was a bit too intense for me to actually be thinking…read moretaking some food. But the staff there is amazing! :)

The cutest, morning surprise. A country home made cafe / boutique. Right away i felt comfort.read more