Market Square — Local services in Victoria

Market Square was one of the first places I spotted on Google Maps that I knew I wanted to visit, whenever I would end up finally making the trek to Victoria: an enclosed, hidden marketplace filled with all manner of shops and restaurants, stacked like layers of a cake, with a hollowed interior boasting a public plaza where live music and events are hosted, as well as pop-up vendors, and cordoned-off outdoor dining for Whistle Buoy. It looked like the place to visit in Victoria; at least, from a satellite's point of view. Unfortunately, the reality was a little different.

We came across Market Square the first time after nightfall on a Saturday, when just about all of the shops were closed; only the aforementioned Whistle Buoy appeared to be open (and was actually bustling, either at or near capacity, even outside in the plaza). I desperately wanted to see Market Square, even if it was just a walkthrough past shuttered windows and locked doors. We spent a few minutes taking in the sights, then headed on to our other destination.

The second time we stopped in was the following Sunday morning, after its listed opening time of 11am, only to find that, even though most of the shops were open, there still wasn't a whole lot going on here. It wasn't the packed, buzzing community hub that I had hoped it to be. Perhaps our timing was bad, or things had changed since I first discovered it, or maybe my impression was simply flawed from the beginning, but I still wanted it to be more than it appeared to be. Maybe it was, once. Maybe it still is. Maybe it will be again?

For as pontificatingly whiny as this review may sound, I still enjoyed my time at Market Square. Perhaps during our next visit, we'll be able to stick around longer, grab a bite to eat, explore the complex more thoroughly (I am sure that there are hidden doors and passages in there, somewhere!), and maybe we'll arrive during a special event that really shows off the magic of this magical masked market, because it...

Could use a bit of an update .. has some really unique shops like taxidermy, gifts, a nice jewelry store, a bead store. It's deffinetly got a funky kinda hipster vibe going on ( check out the vegan place on the lower floor!) It's a nice change from it's connecting street- Johnson St. Which is nice to shop if your new or visiting but eventually you can't help but notice how every store basically sells the exact same things....and then they go out of business and another store with the same merchandise as next door moves in. So market square is a good means of escape. It would be nice if they had one more food vendor though, even like a food truck or something. And a few more stores would be awesome. The top floor would be a great place to rent commerical space for an office! - fun, creepy fact- way back when, there was a judge with a reputation for sentencing alot of people to death by hanging . He was know as the hanging judge. Supposedly, and I've heard multiple people say the story is actually factual- market square was the site of the old court house and gallows. Many of the hanging man's victima were buried on site after being hung and there bodies were not removed with the removal of the court house. So you are standing above a few, or many unmarked and...

It's a cool out of the way kinda place where you can sit and relax in the heritage atmosphere. An open air courtyard area where you can comfortably eat the delicious foods 🍹🎂🍰☕♈🍧🍧🍥🍔😋🍝😆🍛😑😙⛹👥👤👤💆🙇🙇🙋🙅that are offered. It's located a block from🉐🈯🈹⛵🚢🐳🐋🏊🚣 China Town 🇨🇳 , a block to the ocean,a block from City Hall/Park and within 2 blocks of beautiful downtown Victoria or 5 blocks to the gorgeous Inner Harbor which takes you right across the street from both The Empress Hotel and the Parliament buildings. No matter what tasty meal you try, it will energize you perfectly , to keep those calories burning off while you immerse yourself in Victoria's old world looks blending in nicely with all the new architecturel achievements and the city's beautification projects. So go on into the Market place,find the tasty treat🍕🍝🍧🍥🍔🍛 that excites your stomach and dazzles your tastebuds. Then happily use that energy/fuel to power walkyou around our awesome old City sites. Have a...