Here is Part 2 of our Halifax City Guide contributed by Trudi of Double Happiness

You can walk from downtown to the city’s North End in about 15 minutes, and it’s definitely worth the trip. Agricola Street is an emerging area where you’ll find designer furniture shops, artist’s studios, antiques shops and cafés. There are so many wonderful places to stop on this street, and Fred is one of them. It is a café/hair salon/art gallery housed in a refurbished bank building. The space is relaxing and contemporary – a great place to have lunch and look at the latest art exhibit.



Further up Agricola you’ll find Bellissimo. A gorgeously girly shop, it also stocks local art as well as furniture, rugs, lighting and home décor items. Sharing the space is Abby’s Fabrics, which sells beautiful upholstery fabrics. They recently began stocking Marimekko, which is very exciting for me.



As you travel up the street, you’ll enter the Hydrostone area. Much of the North End of the city was destroyed by the Halifax Explosion in 1917, and this area was rebuilt in the style of an English garden suburb with distinctive “hydrostone” concrete block buildings. The Hydrostone Market is the centrepiece of the area, with lots of wonderful shops and restaurants.



Henhouse is a great place to visit in the Hydrostone. The shop, owned by Sappho Griffin and Denise Coulter, specializes in custom made hand-finished furniture. As well as gorgeous furniture, the shop is filled with local art and craft, and unique items for the home, pets and children. Every time I come to this shop, which is a lot, there is something new and beautiful to covet.



After all this walking, you’ll want some dinner. Jane’s is a fantastic restaurant with great service. They serve lots of locally-sourced food and have amazing desserts. Yum.



As gathered by Trudi of Double Happiness Designs
doublehappiness.ca
doublehappiness.etsy.com