Vacation time is coming up soon, so let's get a thread going for kawaii stores in vacation cities!
Post cities on your upcoming list, and hopefully gulls living there can give good recommendations.
I'm going to Miami in March, already plan on going to Larudee, and the ichimaru gardens don't look promising... anything else worth checking out? I have two full days to kill
Thanks for posting this anon!
I'm heading to Seoul in the summer, it seems like there should be some cute attractions. Suggestions? And is going to the theme park there worth it for a first time visitor?
I'm happy to help any gulls going to NYC!
Dallas, San Antonio, and Omaha! There's a Daiso in Dallas right? and probably the museums in both Dallas and Omaha would be fun for a lolita date. I'll probably check out the riverwalk mall in SA but I wanted more lolita-safe/oriented date spots too!
>>8800650
Etude House's flagship store in Myeongdong and I think there's a Hello Kitty cafe in Hongdae!
>>8800650
There are 3 main theme parks in Seoul
>Lotte World
"bootleg disneyland." Pretty mild rides, lots of cute shit and fun performances. Something about one of the biggest indoor amusement parks in Asia/the world, idk.
>Seoul Land
Good mid-tier theme park. Rides are fun.
>EverLand
The best one, arguably. Has the most features. In the summer, they have a waterpark called Caribbean Bay which is super fun. I think most people think either Everland or Seoul Land has the best rides/rollercoasters. Everland is also next to the zoo, if you're into that.
Other stuff:
>Dog and Cat cafes
Every major shopping district has one (or several). I've heard good things about the one in Gangnam. The one in Myeong Dong is fun (it's often advertised by someone in a dog fursuit) because it's very hands-on. THey give you towels to place on your lap so puppies can come cuddle and play with you without getting fur everywhere. Bauhaus in Hongdae is all right. Great breeds. Haven't been to the puppy cafe in Hongdae, but I've heard good things.
>Shopping
Hongdae for cool/trendy/hipster/weeb shit, Myeong Dong for make-up and skincare, Myeong Dong/Dongdaemun department stores (Migliore, Doota, Maxtyle) for cheap but still pretty cute/fun clothes and accessories (and haggling!), Gangnam for more highend stuff, Ewha Women's university for cute clothes/feminine shit/probably some lolita stuff, Insadong for artsy shit and crafts, Coex Mall for just a really huge fucking mall. Sometimes the Coex convention area has cool events or exhibits too. Coex Aquarium is also pretty fun.
There's also a chain of thrift shops call Vin Prince (I think) in a bunch of the bigger/more popular subway stations (I'm almost positive there's one in Gangnam station). Worth a look if you pass one while traveling. I always find a lot of Liz Lisa stuff there.
>>8800650
Just wanna suggest that for any big purchases + long waiting time at the airport = shopping duty-free would be the best choice. Just bring your passport and plane ticket if necessary and pick up the stuff before your flight. Just be prepared to wait in line with a lot of Chinese people lol.
>>8800691
As a Korean that was born in Seoul and is living in NYC that visits every 2-5 years with family literally from Paju to Busan, let me know if you have questions that the other anons haven't addressed yet. (They did a really great and thorough job with the lists and suggestions!)
I live on Martha's Vineyard year round and I'm not a lolita but I've always wanted to see if anyone would have a photoshoot at the campground with the gingerbread cottages. Pic related is my favorite house there.
Anything in Belgium?
>>8801005
mostly immigrants and the tintin museum
that's about it
>>8800605
I live in LA. There isn't too much here but I can try to help.
Anyone visiting los angeles should check out some cute cafes in koreatown. Pass on cafes in little Tokyo such as cafe dulce or ozero, and check out cafe concerto, paris baguette, chocolate chair, or anko. Yelp is a good source, just search 'dessert' or 'cafe' near koreatown.
Little Tokyo is good for (1) atmosphere, (2)anime stores, (3) japanese food and snacks.
I recommend eating at ōmasa, trying street food at mitsuru ($2 each, but pass on the takoyaki-- there's better takoyaki-- at Sakura Noodle at the mall), looking through the Anime Jungles, and staying on Friday/Saturday night for a great atmosphere with open karaoke.
If youre a foodie, check out Sawtelle. There are a bunch of instagram-famous places there such as Daikokuya, honey mee, tsujita, curry house, mapaya crepes, etc.
Both Little Tokyo and Sawtelle have a DAISO, a curry house, a rotating sushi bar (Kula), a store with a bunch of san-x merch, and a Daikokuya.
I hope this helped anyone hahah
>>8801013
Honestly it may've just been a one time thing but I'd say be careful being in Little Tokyo late at night. A really obnoxious guy harassed my friend and I, and followed us around for awhile, because we had no interest in going to his "poetry slam." I mean, I'm used to annoying people in LA, but this was just tedious because he would stand outside of the shops we'd walk into and loudly harass us even while we were inside and ignoring him.
>>8800653
Honestly don't wear lolita to the riverwalk, you'll be held up for hours with people asking for pictures. The riverwalk mall is meh, the north star mall is infinitely better. They also have a cute anime store.
Check out the Japanese Tea Gardens that has the Jingu House for a bento lunch with blooming tea. Kimura downtown has awesome ramen. Don't miss out on Bakery Lorraine has super cute desserts and macaroons.
Ooples Anime store has a nice selection, as does 9 tails anime store. Ooples is next to an Asian stote that sells Kera and GLB's. No matter where you go, double check prices online. All anime stores fall victim to terrible markups om certain items. In the Wonderland of America's mall, they have stalls set up for general weebyness, but overall is a dead mall.
Anyone in dublin?
>>8800605
Ok, so I'm going to NYC in late febuary/early march, and besides the baby store and possibly afternoon tea at the Plaza, I don't have much planned.
This will be my fourth visit so I've already visited major museums and art galleries and am stumped about what to add to the itinerary. Any suggestions?
I've just moved to London for the next few months, anyone have tips for cute things to do in this exciting city??
>>8801064
Weird, I'm actually going to NYC in late Feb to visit Baby and some kawaii stores as well! Feb 27th, I think.
Anyway, definitely visit Kinokuniya if you can. It's an amazing Japanese book store. They also sell tons of manga, collectibles, as well as stationery, magazines, and Rilkakkuma stuff.
There's also the Nintendo store, I also just heard that in late Feb they are add more things to do in there which should be interesting.
Image Anime is a little bit further from MidTown but it's a really great and friendly anime store. Very typical merch you would see at a con, but the people are nice and it's usually kinda crowded. I like it there.
Midtown comics if you like comics, kek.
The Sanrio store in Times Square is also a good time, they don't have a lot of merch for characters other than Hello Kitty. They definitely have more normie stuff in there, but still a few good items.
Sorry for the long post, but I could keep going on if anyone wants. I go to New York every couple of months to do kawaii things.
>>8801068
Go to Harrods and roll around on the expensive rugs.
>>8800743
Oh my god anon are you fucking serious there's another seagull from Martha's Vineyard?! EMAIL ME.
>>8801064
I like Bosie Tea Parlor for afternoon tea, more cozy and fewer gross tourists.
Maybe Ritual Clothing if they're having a sale, they have Victorian-era antiques which are fun to look at if not to buy.
Book-Off used to be like second-hand Kinokuniya, but they decided to become a general second-hand shop and it's not as nice anymore.
Toho Shoji has decoden and jewelrymaking supplies if you're into either of those things.
Anything seagully to do in Genève? I've tried asking people I know who've been there but all I get is "hurr buy a watch" or "durr open a secret bank account"
Confused gull here, wasn't vacation supposed to be on Christmas? Where I live everyone is starting work today.
>>8801118
Spring and summer vacations are coming up- this is around the time that people start getting passports and flights booked
>>8801163
Oh thanks, it makes sense now.
>>8800653
There's a little asian shopping plaza in Carrollton (about a half hour from Dallas I think? ) with Tonymoly, Missha, The Face Shop, and a Daiso. (haven't been to the daiso yet)
While you're there look for a little pastry shop near the face shop, I forget what it's called but they're known for their walnut pastries. They're delicious and I highly recommend getting a box of them!
Any weaby kawaii stuff to do in Philly? I'll be there visiting family in the spring this year.
What is everyone's favorite thing to do in Atlanta GA? I live about three hours away and I've visited for cons and things like the aquarium and stuff with my family but is there anything neat or weeby that I could do there when there aren't cons going on? I always visit that one grocery store that has all the different foreign foods but aside from that I haven't really ventured anywhere that isn't something well known like the aquarium or conventions. I'd like to make a day visit just for fun with my boyfriend to do random neat things in the city.
>>8801114
I loved Genève, wish I'd had time to visit Cern.
kawaii stuff that I saw - there's a park with giant chess boards if you're into that, and apartment buildings inspired by the Smurfs (not so interesting, they're just colourful with a smurf cafe which was closed when I went)
>>8801044
I'm from Dublin, what type of things are you interested in?
>>8801005
In brussels - the MOOF museum (mostly figures and dioramas from comics)
Belgian comic strip centre (comic art, I really enjoyed this)
Mini Europe near the Atomium
About an hour away from Brussels is the Tintin Museum, worth going to if you enjoyed the books.
-in brussels there are comic murals everywhere too, you can walk around and find them.
>>8800650
Seoul is awesome, so much cute stuff!
-a raccoon cafe
-ice museum (really small, not as good as in other countries but cute for photos and the entrance is included if you're also going to the trick art museum)
-trick art museum
-cartoon museum
-Monster cupcakes
-Ihwa mural village - one of my favourites in seoul, lots of cute art
-princess diary cafe
-Capi capi loom loom (rilakkuma cafe)
-Sheep cafe ("thanks nature")
>mfw I went to Disneyland only a few months after Fairytale Boutique closed
>>8801230
Chinatown's got some good stuff. T Swirl Crepe has adorable and delicious Japanese-style crepes, Tea-Do has bubble tea and snacks (takoyaki, onigiri, gyoza), Terakawa Ramen is some of the best ramen in the city and really reasonably priced. There's a merch store that sells licensed Sanrio stuff, though some of the stuff they sell is pretty overpriced. I'm partial to Fuji Mountain's sushi, if you're in the mood for sushi and don't have the money to eat at Morimoto.
>>8801026
Little tokyo is right next to skid row so it always feels a little sketchy to me, even during the day. I love the stores there but I can't really go often because it makes my social anxiety spike.
Actually that's kind of how I feel about this city in general. Great stuff happening but I can't even go out because the whole city is so unfriendly.
>>8801026
LT is right by skid row, so you get a lot of sketchy characters hanging around the outskirts.
>mfw during one Harajuku Fashion Walk in little tokyo someone got stabbed next to our group while we were waiting to start
>so 10 ft away on either side of a group of pastel weebs there was a bleeding guy and another guy on the floor getting arrested
>>8800700
I live in nyc too anon! would you maybe have a throwaway email i could shoot questions to so I don't clog up the thread with not-cute stuff?
Anything on Oahu?
>>8801068
>Tea shops
Laduree in a few places and other cute tea rooms all over London. There's a Lolita meet at Laduree in Covent Garden this Saturday on the TPC Facebook group. Chinatown has a fair few Bubble Tea places; my personal favourite is Cuppacha.
>Cat Cafe
Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium. I personally haven't been yet but I've heard it's good. Book far in advance or hope they have walk-in seats available because it's popular.
>Fashion
Camden Town Market sucks for J-fash, but a few OK Alt Fashion places. Cyberdog is cool. Shoreditch has some decent vintage shops. For high fashion, Covent Garden and Soho are pretty good.
>Food
Japancentre in Piccadilly has cute snacks at decent prices. They also have magazines but often at marked-up prices.
>Kawaii stuff
Unfortunately Chinatown indoor market had just been shut for refurbishment, as has London Trocadero where Tokyotoys was. Artbox in Covent Garden is good for stationary.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
I'm not sight seeing, I live in the UK. I'd just like to know of some interesting places to check out in case one day I have free time and money to blow.
>>8801355
I thought Lady Dinah's was a bit disappointing. Expensive (though the food was nice), and the cats arent interested in people at all. Most of them were sleeping (my friends who went at different times said this too), and you cant wake them up or feed them which is fair enough but makes it boring.
If youve heard good things, i guess its worth a shot, dont miss out just because of me!
>>8801079
Yes keep going. I'm going in the summer. Any cute cafes that are worth checking out?
>>8801267
Thanks anon! I'll definitely check those out. The crepe place looks amazing.
I'm going to the UK for the first time this summer, and I'm visiting some relatives around Edinburgh with my family. I know there's the cat cafe, but anything else that's nice?
Any recommendations for food and shops in Hong Kong? I know there isn't much lolita but I would be interested in general cute fashion and maybe hime or casual gyaru.
>>8801068
There's a really tiny but adorable museum (that also does tea) near Greenwich called the Fan Museum and it's dedicated solely to the history of folding fans. It's cute and also great for lifestyle lolitas.
>>8801257
heads up the sheep cafe is very lackluster.
there are just 2 sheeps outside of the cafe in their own cage. It is impossible to get them over to pet them.
>>8801422
-There are a few liz lisa stores in HK
-Some cute fashion stores in "The One" mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.
-Gudetama dim sum cafe in "The One" mall also
-Two Hello Kitty cafés (one cafe with just cakes and snacks and the other is a dim sum place)
-Moe Maid Cafe in Mongkok (it's not very good though).
-Charlie brown cafe - cute and the food is actually tasty
-Avenue of comic stars in Kowloon park (they are statues of comic characters, some are cute)
-There's a snoopy park but it's about an hour from the main areas. Just lots of snoopy statues.
-Cat cafe(s) - I went to "Ah Meow" cafe and it was really nice.
>>8801451
When I went, there was no problem with touching the sheep, you just leave your drinks outside and go in and pet them. But it was a while ago so maybe they've changed it.
>>8801368
I always wanted to go to the peter rabbit park in the lake district but I don't drive so it didn't happen. Not anywhere near London but thought I'd add it.
>>8801068
I heard there is a Disney theme cafe in Harrods, I don't know if it's permanent though.
Absolute must see places in England? There's so much I want to see from different eras and places- derbyshire, bath, somerset, west yorkshire, afternoon teas, antiquing, etc etc, what's your most favorite place and thing to do?
>>8801517
I'm from Manchester so heading to the lake district is doable for me.
>>8801388
Okay!
Actually probably one of my favorite cafes to go to is inside Kinokuniya. They have really cute pastries, Japanese drinks and teas, as well as some small lunch items like curry, onigiri, sandwiches, buns. It's in the middle of the anime section in the store, so it has a really cute atmosphere. It's really small though so if you're going at a crowded time it's hard to find a seat, but worth it imo.
I mainly go to a lot of Italian bakeries/cafes. There are tons of good ones just about anywhere but I usually go to one in the village called Rocco's. It's super Italian in there, with tons of Italian cakes, cookies and espresso. I am Italian, so I rather like it.
There's also another place in the village called Cornelia Street Cafe which is good. They have awesome breakfast and it's in a cute building!
Also, there is Mitsuwa which is a Japanese grocery store/cafe/bookstore/anime store which is right outside of NYC. I LOVE going there, but it's kinda the place you'd have to go before NYC or going home.
I also ate at Gyu-Kaku once, which is Japanese BBQ. It was good for lunch or dinner but kinda pricey.
Ughhh, and there's also an Asian ice cream place in NYC too. They sell black sesame, green tea and other flavored ice cream. It was so adorable inside and the ice cream is amazing. The place is just called "Sundaes and Cones." It's kinda out of the way but SO GOOD. Seriously go.
>>8801332
Cool, I'm in Queens and it's always nice to see other NYC people here! And sure, it's [email protected]!
Also to keep it semi-relevant, posting a picture of cute KakaoTalk characters I saw in a mall that I would not recommend because it was wayyy too expensive.
Side note of advice for people traveling to Korea, if you have a card with Citibank, it'll serve you well. No fees on ATMs and the locations for random Citibank or fee-free ATM locations will help out a lot for when you need to withdraw cash quickly.
New York has a Tonymoly store if you're going there anytime soon. Also obviously visit the BTSSB store if you get a chance. I've been to NYC about 5-6 times now and haven't had a chance to visit, what a shame
Anything to do in Savannah? I live here and want to do something fun with my comm
Singapore -
They have some amazing korean and japanese (beauty) stores: Etude House, Missha, Skinfood, Imnisfree, check the Sasa's for lot's of Japanese brands (dolly wink, heavy rotation etc.)
Lots of kawaii/larme themed stores in Bugis+. There's a shop that sells some lolita clothes called HRM but mostly Bodyline and replicas from what I've seen.
Sanrio, daiso and huge pretty Etude House store/nailsalon in VivoCity
If anyone knows more, pls tell me <3
Is there anything good in Sydney any more? I know the hello kitty cafe, is puri land still there? Or is there anywhere to get gashapon?
>>8800629
Tbh there's really not that much. I would debinitely check out St. Bernard de Clairvaux monastery and Vizcaya, an early 20th century mansion built in the style of a Renaissance villa. They'd both be very scenic places for a photoshoot.
>>8801388
Our cat cafes are pretty nice if you like cats. They're called Koneko and Meow Parlour. But you need to reserve like a month in advance.
>>8801788
I would like to know as well! I don't live in Savannah but I'm close by in Statesboro and would like to visit on occasion. I've been to the Gryphon Tea Room and it's really nice but I'm sure your comm already knows about it haha
Anywhere good in Europe that's not located in UK or France?
Also if anyone goes Manchester be sure to check out Richmond Tea Rooms, it's an Alice in Wonderland themed tea room that's not overly expensive and it's pretty well known with a lot of UK lolitas
>>8802008
Thanks anon! What about general sightseeing? Any gardens or attractions I definitely shouldn't miss out on? The coral castle and venetian pool look cool.
>>8801388
My personal favorite cafes in the city are Bosie Tea Parlor in the west village and Fiat Cafe, a really delicious pasta place tucked away in Soho (almost on the border to Noho), which is nearby the John Fluevog store and a few very good creperies if those also interest you. Also not too far walking distance to Tokyo Rebel/Baby.
>>8802038
I've heard not so good things about Meow Parlour in terms of experience/being worth it.
>>8802196
Speaking of crepe places, 8 turn crepe is not too far away and is my favorite crepe place in that area. the little cupcake shop is also nearby, which has super delicious cupcakes and cake with super lolita names (ie dreaming princess). their strawberry cupcake is my favorite!
also meow parlour > koneko cafe. the problem is cats aren't very interactive either way, but koneko barely has any. meow parlour at least has a lot of them lazing around and a steady rotation of kittens.
>>8802208
That's the crepe place I meant actually! VivaLaCrepe is right next door but honestly I much prefer 8turn. I only go to VLC if I want a more basic crepe as I believe it's cheaper.
So I know we've had a lot of threads specifically for Japan tourism but I have a few questions... I'll be going during Golden Week:
1) Does anyone have specific recommendations for cute cafes in Tokyo that actually have great food? A lot of the themed cafes that ~kawaii Japan~ type guides recommend seem to have really shitty food according to online reviews, like that Alice in Wonderland place.
2) I asked this once in a general but didn't get many sure answers, does anyone know what stores (I know offices are) may be closed during Golden Week? I got the impression the large dept stores like Laforet will be open but do individual shops close? Most importantly, secondhand shops like closetchild?
>>8801092
I CANNOT BELIEVE, I'm emailing you right now
>>8802226
I can't comment on the food because I never had girl friends with whom I could go to those sorts of places and hate going out to eat alone, but as for shopping, no shops were closed that I can remember. From some blog posts, it also seems like a few places (CC Harajuku, for example) even had sales around then.
>>8802190
Ooh, both of those are pretty cool. If you like gardens Fairchild Garden is pretty nice. Attractions? Hmm, I'm not sure what kind of attraction you're looking for but Miami had a lot of art museums, outdoor art areas like the Design District, ethnic neighborhoods like Little Haiti and Little Havana, and you can probably book a boat tour to view Star Island, where a bunch of celebrities have mansions. Also if you like shopping you should visit Aventura Mall and eat at the Beard Papa kiosk.
>>8802226
Prepare for very crowded places and trains. Everything gets congested during this time.
>>8802384
I thought the Beard Papa place is long gone (of course replaced by more shitty cuban coffee and desserts), but it's a good mall still, has a Paul bakery.
Anything to do in San Francisco or the area surrounding there other than Japantown and the AP and Baby stores?
>>8802397
You might be right, I haven't been to Aventura Mall in like 2 years.
>>8802208
>>8802196
Meow Parlour can be a hit and miss depending on what time and day you go. Sometimes all the cats will be sleeping and other times they'll just be hiding not interacting at all. Also make sure you check in properly because they checked me and my group in five minutes early because the place was empty but then when our session ended they were like "oh because you came in five minutes early, we're charging you for the whole extra half hour" and I was like w0t. I should have clarified about that when I checked in but still seemed a bit stupid. Never been Koneko Cafe so can't say anything about them. Also make sure to look after your belongings properly as there are curious cats like to sniff and interact with your bags but it's also near the door so someone can take your stuff if you're unlucky. The Meow Parlour Cafe is pretty nice and they have a bunch of cute stuff and treats there but you can't bring them inside the Parlour itself.
Just another question, has any other fellow NYCfags been to Momfuku (the Ramen Noodle Bar)? I've been there once a few years ago and it was amazing but super expensive. I tried the Momofuku Dessert Bar and it was the most disappointing thing ever lol. Can anyone recommend any other decent Jap ramen noodle places?
Any kawaii things to do in Pittsburgh?
>>8801877
Do you know how the prices of Korean brands (namely Innisfree and EH) in Singapore compare to original Korean prices? I went from Seoul to Tokyo last year and the mark up for EH was crazy. My next trip will likely include Singapore so I'm wondering if I can get my fix there at decent prices.
>>8802226
I think the Alice cafes are worth it purely for the decor and experience but the food is pretty subpar. Would still go again but to another location the next time I go to Japan though but maybe only get a drink and just hang with a friend for a bit.
I was there during Golden Week last year and it felt like everything was opened but I also stayed in touristy areas or had a friend to lead me around. A lot of clothing stores had a top + bottom for ___(price) set deal going on when I was there.
>>8802400
Assuming you're a greenhorn, here are a few of my recommendations.
Golden Gate Park has a beautiful Japanese garden, an Academy of Science which hosts a nice aquarium and albino alligator, the De Young art museum, and also a carousel. If you feel like doing light physical activity, you can a row boat on the lake or pedal a boat.
Pier 39 has great clam chowder, and there's also a wonderful aquarium there too. Near the Pier, there's the Ferry Building which has loads of neat stalls and shops home to local vendors and unique food items. There's a Sushirrito place near the AP store--tons of them actually. If you like burritos + sushi, go there. My favorite is the Geisha's Kiss sushi burrito.
Don't go to Mission.
>>8802421
There's actually a great ramen place up the street from Baby now. I can't remember what it's called for the life of me but it's damn delicious.Only downside is that it's small and gets really busy so wait times are miserable if you're eating with more than 1 other person.
Driving to San Diego this weekend for 3 days, we want to visit Daiso but what else is there?
Anything in the Boston area?
I'll be in Stockholm for a week for Eurovision. Any recommendations there? c:
I'm going to Orlando in the Spring, I'm already going to WDW and I know there's a Japan Pavillion in Epcot, so I'm checking that out. Anything else I should check out?
>>8802400
In addition to the other anons, check out the boba store near the AP store- it's called Plentea and it's fuckin delicious.
Japantown is great for weeby shit. Baby is in the New People building which has cute J-fashion boutiques and a pretty decent high tea parlour (Crown and Crumpet). The Marina near Embarcadero has a lot of picturesque museums too, like the Legion of Honor.
For high tea, check out the Rotunda in the Westfield mall at Union Square or Lovejoy's.
And yeah, don't go to the Mission
>>8801561
Anon as someone who lived in bath, an absolute must is the fashion museum. It's incredible with so many different outfits and you can try on corsets too. The Jane Austen museum is there if you're interested in her books and stuff. There's also no1 royal crescent where I used to work. It's an old 18th century house you can walk through with servants quarters, lady's bedroom etc.
There's also a lot of beautiful buildings and architecture that are worth looking at. Not necessarily cute but certainly great for photo shoots.
>>8801026
LA is pretty bad especially around Little Tokyo because of skid row and its literally right in downtown. Unless you know how everything works, you won't know how to pretty much ignore everyone and all the creeps around.
Also for anyone visiting LA, all the good stuff is literally outside of LA with the expection of Little Tokyo (mostly its just anime stuff and the daiso there is smaller compared to others). The only thing within LA I can think that is cool is the Last Bookstore. It's pretty cool inside and if you enjoy reading, it is a good place to visit.
>>8801257
>raccoon cafe
I watched a raccoon kill and eat a baby opossum once. This does not sound like an appealing cafe.
>>8802467
Hey, I'm going to SD this weekend too for a concert. If you want pretty shit to look at, try Balboa park and the museums?
>>8801079
Sanrio at times square is gone. There's a very small one in the skyway mall in flushing, queens. I see random lolitas every so often going to the Chinese bakeries and small kawaii stationery stores dotted along northern blvd. Most of the stuff is marked up taobao stuff though so I wouldn't recommend. Museum of art and design sometimes shows some anime movies, I know the Japan society is doing a whole two months of famous studio ghibli movies if you want the "authentic" movie experience of seeing any ghibli film. There's also barcade in st. Marks for any 21 and over boozelitas, pretty solid arcade games 25¢ a pop.
>>8802626
If you like gardens, Leu gardens is beautiful.
I'm going to DC in March. We'll mostly be touring the Smithsonian museums, but is there anywhere else I should check out? Would there be cherry blossoms around that time?
>>8802967
Sanrio reopened last year in Times Square. It's noticeably worse than the old store, but still, Sanrio.
I was literally there in October...
>>8800650
I've been to Seoul twice (studied at Yonsei) and all the anons have listed tons of great stuff. I lived in Sinchon both times and there's a really cute noraebang place there with themed rooms that always gives you extra time to sing (it'll show up on your screen).
Also, you said something about k-pop, so you might like SM Town Coex exhibition because the food is really cute and there's a lot of fun things to do there. Also, Cube Cafe in Gangnam is really nice. I'm not a fan of Cube/Cube artists but the food is delicious and I've seen artists there a few times. Literally right across the street from it is JYP and up a hill is the actual SM building.
There's also a really delicious chicken place run by a member of Infinite's parents and such. After being dragged around for a summer by k-pop fans, I know these places like the back of my hand now.
I also shopped a lot at places like Mixxmix, o!oi, etc. if you're interested in that style of clothing.
Lastly, completely unrelated, there is a place in Hongdae where you can get ribs dipped in melted cheese and it's the shit. I'd give up my life to go again.
>>8802986
Adding onto myself, Innisfree has this cafe that's REALLY off the beaten path but in a super cool area with a lot of traditional Korean architecture/food stalls. It's like a giant flagship store with a cafe above it and a roof top garden-esque thing. If you spend over a certain amount there, you get to do a prize machine and win a big thing of samples, a free drink, etc. They sell awesome things there, like Innisfree Jeju cactus jelly, an area where you can make your own face masks. It was well worth the hassle finding it.
Heading to Memphis as well as Chicago to visit family in spring, any cute places? I haven't been there in so long and plan on dressing a bit Otome-kei.
>>8802976
Cherry blossoms are end of March to early April.
As for other things, definitely check out DuPont for food, there's a really cute cafe inside of a bookstore there.
Also if you want to go to the zoo to see the pandas, go early in the morning (around 8 or 9). The pandas will be up then and there won't be as many tourists.
Another less well-known place on the National Mall is the Library of Congress. The inside of it is gorgeous and there are usually a few cool exhibits, including Thomas Jefferson's original library. Also there's the Freer and Sackler galleries if you're a true weeb.
Lastly, if you're going to Georgetown Cupcakes, don't. There's always a huge line that's always an hour wait. Sprinkles is nearby, it usually only a 5-10 wait and the cupcakes are better imo
>>8802992
They opened a Uniqlo there recently. Kind of weeaboo, but they have really lovely basic for otome. I buy my cardigans there.
>>8802976
Definitely go to Hillwood Estate and Gardens. It's a mansion owned by this insanely rich lady who collected fine china from Russia and France and sometimes they do exhibitions of her fashion.
Also we have a cat cafe, Crumbs and Whiskers.
>>8801340
A Lolita made up a small cafe list and there are tons of Asian markets and shops such as nijiya market, marukai and shirokiya
>http://www.yelp.com/list/lolita-friendly-hawaii-honolulu
What to do in Amsterdam?
>>8802226
Alice in wonderland really depends based on store. I visited both in shinjuku and I know the one in the odaku building was cuter and a better theme (queen of hearts) but if I remember correctly the one by don quiote had better food or drinks. Also the menu varies slightly by location.
Harajuku and shinjuku will be so packed during golden week but the only holiday I remember stuff being closed for is new years. Golden week is usually when people get to travel and shop.
>>8802125
Feel free to join our community! It's pretty relaxed and the girls are very nice. The last meet I went to was tea at the British Pie Company or something like that and we wandered around Ranger outlets for a while afterwards. It's just be cool to go to a meet that isn't tea because it's fun but a little cliché
>>8803012
Thank you! I'll see if I can convince them to go in late March then. And I'll try to check some of those places out! Thanks for the cupcake tip as well.
>>8803023
I love gardens, thank you for the tip! Unfortunately though, everyone I'm going with is allergic to cats. Maybe I can sneak out by myself.
>>8801325
Related but off-topic
My Chinese friend to LA for the first time, and on the bus she took a guy took out a knife and started threatening people, culminating with someone being stabbed. She just assumed that's how it worked in America, lol.
>>8802976
Hey anon, I'm a DC native but not currently there because college. There's all the Smithsonian museums, the art ones would be nice. The botanical gardens are beautiful but the main room is a rainforest and very hot/sticky. We do have a cat café but I've been there before and you have to sit in the floor and the cats wanna walk all over you so I wouldn't recommend a lolita meet there. It's also a very small shop so it might be difficult to fit a bunch of girls with petticoats in it.
>>8801340
I really like Genius Outfitters in Waikiki. They sell a lot of clothes that could work for jfash
>>8802967
Sanrio's there, I work next to Times Square and pass it on my way home.
Also NYC visitors, don't overlook chinatown. Avoid Canal street but go to Xi'an Famous Foods, which has delicious noodles and dumplings, which is right next to some great dessert places like Chinatown Icecream Factory. There's also a couple stationary/toy places with cheap kawaii junk and knock off rilakkuma goods for a few bucks.
Plenty of small hole in the wall places like tea/bubble tea shops, a korean/japanese makeup import shop, chopstick store, asian candy store are all around if you're willing to wander.
There's also a great Tequila bar and a speakeasy hidden bar next to that. Just be aware most places only take cash or have a card minimum.
There's also a park nearby full of old chinese ladies doing karaoke which is fun to watch.
I don't recommend you frill up there though, the streets are narrow and it can smell due to a lot of fish markets being only a street or two over (and general NY smell).
>>8802941
are you going to Tool omg
>>8803285
Really? Did they change locations because I passed the old spot near the theaters and it was all empty and sad looking, granted this was two years ago since I'm not fond of times square and I haven't bothered to look for any updates. I'm glad it's still there though!! I also vouch for China town but the Elizabeth center mall used to be really great, I'm not sure if they still have the picture machines however.
>>8803477
Oh shit! Yes I am lol. Going Saturday with friends.
>>8801041
Thanks so much! I'm actually going to San Japan but the Monday right after I'm going to be spending time with my bf and all of this would be fun to explore with him! I'll keep all of this in mind.
>>8801222
I'm definitely going to have a date in that plaza for sure too! I was already planning on checking out the daiso but these recommendations are so helpful for checking out the rest of that area. If you have any weeb recommendations, that'd help so much as well since we're going to go see that Miku Hatsune concert.
I really appreciate all this information! My weekends will be so fun now that I'm a bit more prepared.
>>8802986
Just a heads up about Cube Cafe, I happened to come across Cube when I went around the area to check out the entertainment buildings last spring and the place looked totally torn down inside and empty. I'm not sure if they were planning to renovate or just not operate. Better check before going if you're really looking forward to it.
>>8802990
Omg that sounds amazing! Do you know where it is? I went to the Jeju store and loved it there! I would probably spend enough time there to get all the samples lol.
>>8802645
You mean afternoon tea, right? Also the Rotunda is in the Union Square Neiman Marcus. The restaurants in Westfield are called Under the Dome.
thirding not going to the Mission.
>>8803920
Yeah! Thanks for the corrections.
>>8803914
It's in Samcheong-dong! http://www.pastelblvd.com/2015/02/s-e-o-u-l-6-cafe-street-samcheong-dong.html There's a nice blog post about it! I absolutely loved visiting.
I think Cube cafe is back open because I had some friends visit there lately. If it's not, though, Apgujeong Rodeo is still a cool place. Lots of high class shopping to visit and you can always go to JYP cafe aka the Dunkin' Donuts were all the Chinese fans hang out at across the street.
>>8804137
Thanks!! The pictures look so cute! I google map'd it and omg it is really out of the way lol but the neighborhood looks like it'd be worth a visit. I think I actually picked up a brochure for this place when I was at the Jeju location but was confused to where it actually was. I want to play that machine so badly lol.
I went on a random day (not hardcore enough to actually do any stalking) but yah it was dead around the area.
>>8803617
I'm going Sunday with friends! We want to look for cool thrift/vintage stores or weeby shit bc we're going for 3 days and have nothing back home. It's all up in LA though, I think.
>>8802457
Soooooo I'm taking a trip there soon and I've never been. What is the mission and why shouldn't I go?
>>8801264
You weren't missing much. It was practically empty for months before the end
>>8804207
The Mission is a neighborhood in San Francisco, kinda toward the southern part of the city. It's getting pretty heavily gentrified by techbros who think it's a cool and hip "up and coming" neighborhood that's actually full of disgruntled lower income/homeless people/hobos. There are a lot of cool restaurants, but you have to fight through insufferable hipsters, angry homeless people, and a pervasive smell of human excrement/sewage to find them.
If you live there, you know the ropes and it's fine, but it's just not really worth it for tourism, especially since there are a bunch of more polished and traveler-friendly neighborhoods with other things to offer.
Realistically, you're more likely to get shanked in the Tenderloin than the Mission, but as long as you're not alone out night and being a complete fuckwit in the 'Loin, you'll be fine. In the Mission, people will break into your car while you're getting a latte.
>>8804235
All of SF stinks of pee and poo though. Someone was even able to make a map of places that homeless tend to poo the most in.
>>8804207
Like Tim said, the Mission is just an awful place to be unless you're in and then out ASAP. I'm not bothered by the lower income and homeless people but the new-money tech hipsters there are AWFUL. They take every chance they get to be a snob about their latest startup or whatever "insider" info they have on Google or Facebook.
>>8802972
I do, thanks for the suggestion Anon!
>>8801935
Puri land is still there! The hello kitty diner is not so great from what ive heard.
>>8802008
Different anon, but is Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar in Miami Beach still open? I've tried to search it and I'm getting that they're either out of business or still on Collins ave.
>>8802986
What's the name of the chicken place? I might try to bus into Gangnam tomorrow now ehe
>>8802992
for Memphis?
Just Crappy animax
check out the botanical gardens and shelby farms, they're great for photos.
>>8804406
Piggybacking off this, good food places in Miami ? Mainly for brunch, burgers, and Asian style.
>>8801561
If you're into history I highly recommend looking through the English Heritage sites. You'd be amazed at how much you can find even in a small town. There are villages with very nice antique shops and teashops pretty much everywhere.
I don't know which part of the country you'll be in, but I'm in the West Midlands and it's easy to find anything from Norman churches to Art Nouveau houses that are only a couple of hours away by car.
York is great. There is a huge tearoom that I saw but ended up not going to (Betty's I think?) and a cute but overpriced dress shop not far from it. Iirc there was a teddy bear shop there too.
Antique shops are everywhere. I don't know what era or pieces you're interested in but I'm going to assume it's Victorian jewellery just because it fits the lolita aesthetic. You should read up on how to tell ivory from bone and plastic. Depending on the condition and complexity of the pieces you can expect to pay anywhere between £30 to well over £100, but don't be afraid to haggle. You can also find hair and hat pins, fans, and gloves from the 1800s onwards without much trouble. 30s-40s stuff is super common and usually very cheap. You can get silver plate for very little, and it's a good idea to search for similar pieces in various shops if you want a complete tea set. Not great for sweet lolita,great for classic and Gothic.
Teashops vary greatly in quality and cuteness. Look at reviews online to save yourself the hassle of trawling through 2000 tiny houses crammed with possibly stale cake. If you want to try out different teas before buying a box, teashops are a great way to do this while stuffing yourself with cake.
If you want to go out in any jfash that's more attention grabbing than toned down himekaji, either be prepared for extreme staring or only wear it in London or a similarly huge place wherethe locals are used to weird clothes.
I know this is super general but I don't know where you're staying. Hope it helped anyway
>>8801877
De poozenboot and katten kabinet if you like cats.
If you like cute things it's worth the trip to utrecht for dick bruna huis (miffy).
>>8801877
I loved the animal themed dim sum at east ocean teochew, also the cat museum.
>>8802597
The abba museum is amaaaazing (not kawaii but I gotta mention it)
I remember a store selling japan la sanrio stuff, near-ish to the main station? Good selection.
And you have to see the pixel art subway station! I don't want to self-promote but I'm on mobile and too lazy to type out the details so you can see what i wrote on my blog http://www.cutetravels.com/2015/02/stockholms-8-bit-pixelated-subway.html?m=0
>>8804519
Heads up I was at the dick bruna house two days ago and its closed until Feb 6th or somewhere around there because theyre converting it to a children's museum. The museum across the street sells miffy goods and at least 50 different mifffy postcards thouhh . the tourist info center by the tower Dom also sells a semi decent selection of Miffy goods along with random shops in Utrecht
>>8802597
There's not much as for kawaii actually, there's a store called Kawaii Shop, but it's mostly overpriced replicas. Check out Science Fiction-bokhandeln in Gamla Stan, they have a fairly large selecion of Sanrio/Ghibli goods, some anime merch, and lots of manga/anime and j-fashion magazines.
>>8800605
I'm going to Orlando. In between my disney visit, I'd like to do some shopping and dining at some cute places. Any suggestions?
>ctrl f
>no Paris
Come on gulls
Some people already did NY, but i thought I'd add on!
Chinatown, obviously.
Kinokuniya Bookstore (short walk from grand central, so very easy to get to)
New World Mall in Flushing, as well as the stores in the surrounding area!
Nintendo World has a bunch of cute stuff!
Midtown Comics &
Videogamesnewyork if youre into those things
Tonymoly
Kidrobot
Toy Tokyo
(There's also "Maid Cafe NY" which is closed but is supposed to reopen at a new location, not sure when or if that's 100% true though.)
Please feel free to add on/ask questions about any of the places on the list!!
>>8804646
There's a btssb which is cute but all the dresses are rather old prints and marked up due to customs. If your from the US or somewhere who doesn't get hit with customs its way cheaper to buy online and get EMS. I saw axe femme bags by passerbys of btssb.
Laduree is cute but theirs almost always a long wait and I personally don't think the macarons area that great. I woulds check out their gift shop. Its a bit pricy but a lot of the totes are loliable and a few match certain prints too well. As a side note the cheaper black bags with the logo are cooler bags. I made the mistake of not checking it out before buying it... I had planned to use it as a day bag for meet ups but it also has velcro which is really harsh
>>8804689
GDI autocorrect. Also Paris Disney is quite small so it's rather doable in two days if you go on off peak times. I wpouldnt recommend paying for the park official hotels. No hidden Mickys or any really disney stuff about it besides the shop and minimal traces like a painting and wallpaper border.
>>8804424
BBQ Chicken, owned by Sungyeol's parents who are always there. Be prepared because there are 4746373 giant pics of him there but the fried chicken is fucking incredible. It's in Hapjeong. Just take Exit 3 out of the station and turn around as soon as you're out of the staircase and it's right there. YG Entertainment is also in Hapjeong -- it's a cool visit, the building is neat and the 7-11 across the street is filled with signatures from artists, like the dunkin donuts across from JYP. Apparently you have to be really connected to work at this 7-11 because YG idols always come in.
>>8804424
I would suggest Woohyun's brother's samgyupsal place but I have no idea when it's reopening because I guess he moved locations. The samgyupsal is incredible and Boohyun (his brother) is the literal most campy and outrageously charming guy. Dude was wearing leopard print harem pants when I met him. He's a riot. If you want, I'll ask my friends if it's open again.
>>8800650
def share a list on NYC fun! Going there in September!
I didn't see anyone else mention this for NYC, but Alice's Tea Cup is an adorable tea parlor that offers different levels of tea services (you can get a pot of tea, small sandwiches, and a dessert for instance). I think it has 3 locations in Manhattan, one on the west side and two on the east. Everything is obviously Alice in Wonderland themed and it's pretty charming!
>>8804235
>tfw moving to SF
>tfw probably going to work in Mission
>>8802597
Lucky you, hopefully you have a good time there and pray that things are now better compared to 2013.
Since I may be going to Eurovision in Concert in April, any good places in Amsterdam?
>>8802597
I think Kungsträdgården should still have sakura blooming at that time? last year I went in late April and they were still in bloom. Kawaii shop was already mentioned but there's also some quite well-stocked Asian supermarkets (if you want pocky and ramune or something, get it from there not the kawaii shop - overpricing is a thing). I think I went to one at the Hötorget station? really not sure, I can check if it sounds interesting.
if you're into lolita, I'm sure you could contact the comm leaders and ask about a meetup, they seem pretty open and friendly.
>>8802421
I've only been to Momofuku Dessert and I agree it's kind of overrated. I only go when my friends drag me there.
>>8802967
Barcade is shit especially that one, most of the games don't work properly and I find the crowd obnoxious. If you're going to that area, I'd spend the time/money in the great Japanese and noodle restaurants instead.
>>8803285
To add, there's other Xi'an's in the city as well so you don't have to go to that one. Sadly the building that used to house a bunch of anime merch/kawaii shit places is really empty now, there's only one or two shops left. New Chinatown Fair, the arcade, is good for rhythm games but doesn't have much else anymore. There is a Pink House in Chinatown if you're into natural-kei and related substyles.
>>8802518
Definitely go to the Gardner Museum. Wonderful little house-turned-museum with a beautiful garden.
>>8801068
There's a purikura booth in chinatown, their twitter is here: https://twitter.com/psc_london
Covent Garden has lots of cute stuff, I really love it. They have artbox and the Moomin shop. Piccadilly-China Town area is just generally good, so explore! Also, Carnaby Street has some "alternate" fashion, and it's got a nice atmosphere.
>>8801561
I'd recommend Bath, it's quite nice and I visit practically weekly LOL. There's a boba place that opened up but it's kinda crappy, but the Roman Baths are really gorgeous, and you should try out the actual spa too. It's a very pretty city.
There's Lacock which is where I live, it's very sweet and some of Harry Potter was filmed here. It's a nice afternoon out.
Wiltshire-Somerset area is just generally super pretty- and I'd definitely strongly recommend Hampshire, going through the New Forest and surrounding villages. Also, there are wild horses everywhere, so be careful! They can be a bit of a nuisance sometimes.
Personally, I feel Stonehenge is a bit overrated, especially seeing as it used to be free to get in, and now there's fences and everything, and it's super overpriced.
There's also a lot of castle's around, some particularly spectacular ones are in cornwall and devon. I'd also recommend Hay on Wye and surrounding area in Wales, it's very very pretty. It's in a valley and absolutely gorgeous in summer (plus, Hay on Wye has some really cute independently owned shops, while I was working there there were a few artist pop up shops!).
>>8805610
>there are wild horses everywhere
Anon you're breaking my heart, I grew up in Hampshire but I've been stuck beyond the wall for so long that I miss those stupid fuckers ruining my picnics.
Definitely recommend Mottisfont Abbey if you haven't been, it's national trust so it's a bit overpriced to get in but it's really pretty and I love the The Whistler Room. It would be a great lolita strolling ground when the gardens are blooming.
>>8805028
Tbh it's not that bad, it's just not the best place to go for tourism despite the hype around it. Like I said, there's a bunch of really great restaurants/bars there and it's pretty close to other neat neighborhoods. If you're a twenty-something looking to explore and do cool things, you'll be right at home because everyone else there is like that too (aside from the homeless people). You'll probably end up liking it ok.
Just be careful where you park, or better yet, don't bring a car at all.
>>8805429
The Eurovision anon here. I'll be at Eurovision in Concert as well. I left my email if you want to meet. I know Amsterdam pretty well but I'm not sure where the kawaii things are. China town is pretty boring last years (Zeedijk) but it might be interesting enough. And of course the famous musea like Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum.
>>8801068
Go to the Victoria and Albert Museum, it's gorgeous. There are also a million great places to have high tea, if you want to be fancy you can always go to the Kensington Orangery.
If you sew, head out to Shepherd's Bush Market for amazing fabric stores. There are other sewing/fabric markets around as well, but they are more likely weekly or monthly ones.
Shopping wise, Portobello Market/Portobello Road is okay as well for a look around and vintage things but most shit is overpriced. I like the area because it's got cute houses.
>>8805597
>https://twitter.com/psc_london
That place has been shut for months now. Lots of stuff in the area is shut for refurbishment.
>>8806276
Fuck, welp turns out all the tickets to EiC were sold out. Do you have a Tumblr or something like that?
>>8802226
Q-Pot Cafe has amazing desserts and tea. The macaron was the best I've ever had. The pudding and drinks from the Pom Pom Purin Cafe in Harajuku were really good. The parfait from Milky Way Cafe in Ikebukuro was good. We also had tasty honey toast and drinks from the Alice in the Dancing World restaurant in Shibuya, but I think the decor in some of the other ones is better. I think the major theme here is that a lot of the desserts and drinks are great, but maybe go somewhere else for actual meals. The savoury options we had at the Kawaii Monster Cafe were pretty good, but we had way better food at hole in the wall restaurants throughout Tokyo.
I'm planning on moving to Sacramento for law school. Is there anything worth seeing other than the cons and Coin Op or is it just a barren wasteland?
>>8806629
In terms of kawaii shit, not really. Last I was there years ago there was like a korean stationary store in an Asian super market, but Idk if it's still there.
Stick to midtown/downtown. Old Sac is interesting in a tourist trappy way and there are sine nice stores and parks dt. The capitol area is pretty. Also ginger Elizabeth's chocolates- still the best macarons I've ever had, beating out sf/bay area, Korea, and Nyc
>>8806617
Thank you, these recs sound great! I totally forgot about the Q-Pot cafe but I did remember hearing it was good. I feel like my group is more likely to get a bunch of small snacks at cafes as we move around town than to eat a couple big meals each day, anyway.
>>8806554
Flyingdipshit and allthealcoholisfree (eurovision blog)
We've had Boston already, but does anyone have tea rooms or cafes to recommend?
Food recs for Miami?
Anything in Copenhagen? I didn't see anything whilst I was there but I'm going again and I don't want to miss twice.
Also, anything of interest in Lyon?
>>8802976
if you want to do a great high tea in DC, i can't recommend the willard hotel's enough. it's pretty pricey, but every time i've been it's been a wonderful relaxing experience. their cherry blossom menu is also wonderful...last year there was a woman in kimono playing the koto while i had my tea.
>>8804487
most trendy food in miami is shit. (source: lived there for 10 years) just to warn you. i was continually underwhelmed.
burgers: get a frita at el rey de las fritas, or go to lokal in coconut grove for the 50/50 burger
asian: you're going to be disappointed...it's all really mediocre. no outstanding sushi, only decent thai, very little nonamericanized chinese food. definitely no dim sum to speak of.
the better brunch places tend to be up in the design district or out on miami beach. if you can find a bottomless mimosa place, you're good.
>>8804689
>>8804692
U kidding ?
Visit Musée Carnavalet, Maison de Victor Hugo and grab some pastries at Café Pouchkine while you're at it, they're supposed to have the best macarons in town (yeah Ladurée is overratd af). That part f the town also got Princess Crepe, a Harajuku style crepe shop, as well as a Axes Femme shop.
Speaking of Ladurée, go to the Bonaparte/St Germain one, they have a lovely winter garden and an oriental blue saloon, and are a bit less crowded with tourists. While at Saint Germain, check Shakespeare & Co. if you like books, it's a wondrful english speaking library in a old house, they even have a resident cat.
Yeah cats, we have two super cute cat café, one around Bastille (halfway between Princess Crepe and Btssb), and an other one near the Pompidou center. Good savoury food, pastries are ok, tea in nice.
You can get some wonderful pictures at my favourite museum, Nissim de Camondo, a fully preserved XVIIIth century style house. If you like this style, you can also check Jacuemard-André, Mana had a photoshoot there a while ago.
If you want to weeb out, Chinatown got a lot a boba tea place and a few Taiwan style dessert parlors.
Out of the city, you can go to Marie-Antoinette's hamlet for free, it's a bit of walk but worth it when the weather is good. Wonderful place to get some pictures and rest for a while.
I have plenty of other suggestions but let's call it a day for now.
Casual bump
>>8801114
The cern is nice if you like science. I really liked the big art and history museum (I don't remember the name) as well as the natural history one. The city itself look really nice, but well, small so there's not much related to lolita or cosplay I guess.
I'm not too well versed in the kawaii-er side of Montreal, but there are a few decent places to visit.
Chinatown doesn't have all that much to offer, but it does have Sumo Ramen, which is a pretty great place for what you'd expect it to sell, and you have the L2 lounge, which is the downtown Weeb HQ and is a pretty great place.
There's also Sammi's Soup and Dumplings if you're into that too.
La Ronde is decent I think, haven't been in a long, long time.
Then there's the Biodome, which is a cheap indoor zoo with some ridiculous discounts if you're either local, a student anywhere in the world, or both.
Near that are the botanical gardens, which are also super great and nice and have an entire section dedicated to bonsai and have a huge park dedicated to cool botanical stuff.
Both of those things are either next to or in the olympic park, which is also a nice place.
And finally, if you like more touristy locations and have budget, Old Montreal is real fun.
Question about visiting Baby/Tokyo Rebel in NY:
Would it be in bad taste to wear AP there to browse? I might be going on a short trip to NY with a couple of friends soon, and I'd like to visit and shop. The only problem is that most of my Baby dresses are fancier than what I like to wear for casual days/shopping, especially since my friends are total normies. Would wearing a different brand, like ETC or JM, be better?
>>8801561
I know Bath and the south quite well, so I'll tell you a bit about that! If you enjoy anything in particular feel free to say and ill try to cater for that.
Bath has a lot of historical stuff, so is great if you like that. The Fashion Museum, Jane Austin Museum and the Museum of East Asian Art are all popular, as is the Holburne Museum. Dyrham Park, a National Trust estate, near Bath has lovely grounds, and you can often see deer and peacocks! No1 Royal Crescent is popular, as are the open top bus tours of the city (one does a route aroudn the city with history, and there is another that does a skyline tour). The Roman Baths are obviously a big tourist attraction, and the Thermae Spa (the actual one) is really nice and has a rooftop pool with view - I recommend going there in the evening on a weekday as it is less busy then. If you like spas the Celtic Manor hotel just across the bridge in Wales is really nice.
On Walcot Street in Bath there is a small antiques market at the weekends (also when you know what dates you are in the area, look up other stuff, or Rolfey's antiques shop often has cool stuff. There are quite often vintage and antique markets in the area), and the Giant Flea Market at the Bath and West Showgrounds is popular. Vintage to Vogue is a nice shop (although I've not been there in years), there is a comic shop (American Dreams) on Walcot street if you like that. Walking along the Canal or going on a river boat is nice too, there are also lovely parks in Bath.
Bath also has Sally Lunn's which is an old house and cafe. I like Society Cafe too. If you like tea then Tea House Emporium has a good range.
Around Bath there are lots of nice places. Solsbury hill and the Cotswolds are lovely. Bristol is popular, if you go there do Park Street which has independent shops. Bradford on Avon has a Victorian tea room (costumed staff).
>>8801561
>>8814517
As >>8805610 said, Stonehenge isnt great (although its something to do so you can say youve been!) But I would recommend Avebury - another Neolithic Henge but is usually much quieter and doesnt charge. If you like Tolkien there are trees there that he supposedly sat under and was inspired by for the Ents as they have lots of their roots above ground. Somerset Lavender is apparently very nice in season, but ive never been.
Cornwall has lots of beautiful places. I like St Ives and Mousehole best. There are lots of cats in Mousehole! There are lots of small independent galleries, restaurants and shops in Cornwall with local art and food. If you go to Cornwall i would recommend getting a book of the local myths and legends. Loads of nice walks too, often a bit muddy and hilly so take decent shoes! The Minack Theatre is a great experience if you go see a play there. Lots of castles and mines around for walks and tours, some are free to visit and some aren't. The Poldark mine has probably got a lot more popular since the tv show! The moors are atmospheric and dramatic scenery-wise (keep an eye out for mine shafts though), and there is the famous haunted Jamaica Inn. There are lots of places to have cream tea, all over - Cornwall is famous for it.
And just a list of places that i think are nice in the south that i would recommend googling to see if you like the sounds of them. Frome, Arundel, Brighton, Lyme Regis (and the Jurassic Coast), Salisbury, Winchester, Dover (for the famous cliffs). I would say for any of those other than Brighton you can do them in less than a day rather than stay in them. Brighton has lots of vintage shops (Snoopers Paradise you might like) and independent places, and the South Downs are beautiful.
Going to be going to Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) and was wondering what some absolutely must-do/must-sees are for you. I went once last year to Tokyo so I already went to many of the popular shopping areas and I had a friend who lives there to take me around to do some otaku stuff but I still feel like I missed out on a lot. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
>>8814739
Not all of my suggestions are fashion-related or cute, and a few have already been mentioned, but here it goes:
>Tokyo
Fish market (before it fucking closes gdi Olympics), Ghibli Museum, Skytree (or Shinjuku Metro Office, which is like ~40 floors high and totally free), eat Abura Soba (it sounds weird and is a little weird but also delicious), Q-pot Cafe, Shinjuku Imperial Gardens/Inokashira Park if it's nice (the latter is particularly beautiful during sakura season).
I lived in Tokyo but honestly thought most of the city's "big sights" were pretty boring. I'm probably missing some things, but those were some of my favorite "Tokyo" things.
>Osaka
Eat kushi katsu/okonomiyaki/takoyaki/551horai buns (basically eat everything-Osaka is the city for eating until you fall over), go on the ferris wheel to see the city, visit the aquarium if you're into that (whale sharks! there's a jinx that if you go there on a date you'll break up, though), Osaka Castle, USJ if you have the time/money/desire.
>Kyoto
Eat yatsuhashi and various other wagashi, visit Kinkakuji/Kiyomizudera/Fushimi-inari, go to Gion, check out Arashiyama, there's a monkey park if you're into those (I fucking hate monkeys), also go to the manga museum if you have time!
I would also strongly recommend going to the Katsura Imperial Villa if you can. It takes planning in advance, but it's amazing. Best for fall, but spring is nice, too.
>>8814787
Problem with Tsukiji Fish Market is the lines are redonkulous unless you're there at 3:30AM or earlier. Any later and you're liable to wait in the cold for 30-45 mins for breakfast (which is amazing, noted...)
>>8814907
I never went to the Tuna auctions, but when I went at like 6am to look around, there was hardly any line for most things and I got in to a shop to eat really easily.
That place had the best miso soup I have ever eaten in my entire life.
>>8802443
From what I've seen the prices are exactly the same as the website but converted to SGD. And you can get a free mani/pedi at the vivocity Etude House with spending over ~60SGD (don't remember the exact amount) and get some really cute gachapon stuff too :D
>>8814982
Amazing!! Thanks! Might have to take advantage of that mani/pedi and I love gachapon!
>>8802435
For your macaron needs, there's Gaby et Jules. They have two locations; one downtown and one in the squirrel hill neighborhood. Also squirrel hill is an area that has some other pretty interesting stuff, like the nearby Carnegie natural history and art museums. While in that area theres also the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Close by is walnut street which has lots of shops including a store called kawaii gifts (they have an online store as well). And a few streets over from that is the The Inn on Negley which serves afternoon tea which is delicious. Plus the place is beautiful.
I'm probably forgetting a giant list of other places, but here's a few for you anon!
>>8814513
The shop girls won't care.
>>8809002
The tivoli gardens are pretty, nice place for photos.
If you have time, Frederiksborg castle is beautiful and just a short train ride from copenhagen.
There are some neat lego stores with cool display models and a hans christian anderson museum which is mostly aimed at kids but I enjoyed it.
Any place to buy Japanese snacks or books in Vancouver BC? I saw a couple tea rooms and tons of restaurants, but that's all.
Anything kawaii in Paris?
Besides Princesse Crêpe, Baby The Star Shine Bright and Axes Femme?
How about Asheville NC? already planning on seeing the Baltimore house and visiting Dobra Tea(just not sure what location), anything else I should check out? Will be there for almost a whole week week after next.
Any recommendations for Toronto, Canada?
Looking for general cute things, j-fash, makeup/skincare, and weeby anime stuff.
>>8818429
> Pacific Mall
> JapanTown
>>8818432
>JapanTown
>Anywhere except Japan
There's not nearly enough Japanese people to establish their own enclaves, at least not in Toronto. There's various Japanese-esque establishments in Chinatown in Koreatown of course.
>>8818429
You can probably get all those things at Pmall like previous anon said but be prepared to pay a crazy markup on clothes and makeup.
For general cute things and some weeby stuff try Ones and Smart Maple in Market Village (right beside Pmall). They have other locations too but this one is probably most convenient being in the same mini mall. There are a ton of stores in both Pmall and Market Village that imports skincare/makeup from Japan and Korea. I don't know most of the names of the stores because there's so many there but there's one called Jealousy that carries lots of different Japanese products and they also have a location at Yonge/Finch if that's closer. That area also has many cute cafes worth trying imo and some Korean makeup/skincare stores.
I don't really buy weeby stuff in person minus possibly at cons so if you have maybe an AN booklet from last year you can probably check out their dealers list. I think most of the physical stores are dt.
>>8818297
CTRL+F "paris"
ffs
>>8818297
Le des Arts Forains (fairground/carousel museum)
Mini France (self-explanatory)
PNW tour guide:
Seattle:
>Westlake Mall/China town for Daiso (if you feel like stoking up)
>Uwajimya/Kinokonuya
Bookstore/giftshop/food court/grocery Highly reccomend the Takoyaki stand and Unicorn crepes for a snack.
>Seattle meowtropolitan. New cat cafe that just opened. Haven't been there yet, but seems nice and popular.
>Space Needle=over rated but has novelty. isn't much to do at Seattle center since the rides and arcade closed years ago. Only thing at Seattle Center is the Pacific Science center which everyone has been to on school field trips.. DESU Pike Place has more things going on.
>Waterfront has a ferris wheel=fantastic views of the city. Try a pedicab ride if you have the chance
>Japonessa on 1st ave next to SAM has fantastic lychitinis and food.
>Gameworks has terrible Prikura and has limited choices. They never keep up with maitnence on their games.
If you want Prikura and a fantastic Japanese arcade experiance go to Round one in Southcenter/Tukwila. Three machines to choose from and yet another Daiso that is below Round one.
(An easy 15-30 minute bus ride from downtown Seattle via bus tunnel depending on traffic. Take the 150. Drops you off in front.)
>Rockbox on Cap Hill for Karaoke. Book in advance.
PDX:
>Depending on time of year, Japanese and Rose gardens. Free and fantastic photo opputunity
>Cadillac Cafe for brunch (and Mimosas) in Lloyd district. If you just want Mimosas, do JAM on Hawthorne. If you want chicken and waffles, go to The Screen Door on Burnside. PDX loves brunch.
>We have alcohol and strippers if that is your thing. Mary's club is an institution kind of like how the Lusty Lady in Seattle (RIP) was.
>Pretty and Cute: Get your Korean beauty fix here! Lots of samples and great stuff, yay!
>Honey toast cafe: In Beaverton (a suburb) its not as good as Honey toast in SF, but its worth a visit.
>Purringtons PDX's cat cafe. Freindly, fun and you can enjoy your beverage with the cats. Very clean!
>>8823687
Bay area native here planning another PDX hiking trip.
Uwajimaya is the shit (only been to seattle though).
And holy shit does PDX love brunch. Fuck, I don't even LIKE brunch. But if I'm in Portland and it's a weekend, I'm probably eating brunch. Having been to pine state biscuits, olympic provisions, tasty and sons, and broder... where should I go next?
Also great: pok pok, salt & straw, apizza scholls
Are cat cafes a Japanese thing?
>>8801230
There's the Japanese House/Gardens in Fairmount park. I went to a tea ceremony there once.
Omoi Zakka Shop is a overpriced but nice gift shop that carries unique Japanese stationary. Good for a look, but I've only ever bought cheap notebooks in there.
Apparently we're getting a Kitty Cafe in February.
>>8823687
>Uwajimya/Kinokonuya
I freaking love the Seattle Kinokuniya. It's one of my favorite stores ever. Sucks that the Beaverton one is so small!
>Purringtons
Going to check it out this weekend. Looks so cute! Have heard mixed reviews though.
I want to go to Minnesota sometime in the fall. I only plan on going for a weekend in the twin cities.
So far I'm set on visiting the following places
>Mall of America
>Avalon Tea Room
>Electric Fetus Records
>Salty Tart
Other suggestions would be great.
>>8823765
the waffle window (very close to pine st biscuits) is AMAZING, anon
>>8802518
MFA also has lovely garden. And obviously the public garden, though not until it's warmer. Acorn St in beacon hill is great for photos and very cute but you may run into people doing engagement shoots and other boring bullshit.
The Langham downtown has a chocolate/dessert buffet on the weekends from Sept-June, it's very cute and the restaurant space is classy without being stuffy.
>>8824110
The Como Zoo has a very nice Japanese garden. Also it's free.
>>8823765
Technically cat cafes originated in Taiwan and we have them in the Bay Area, too. There's one in Oakland, one in SF in the Hayes Valley area, and there was a pop up one in San Jose.
>>8806232
Lol my car got broken into twice in the last two weeks
>sf living
>>8825990
I went to the Oakland cat cafe around the time when it first opened to the public. I found it off putting that the litterboxes were tucked away in the corners.
At Purrington's I know the cats go to a separate room connected to the main cat hangout. Its so much cleaner that way.
bump to save
>>8826146
I didn't go right when they first opened, but they have a separate room for the litterboxes now.
>>8803553
Elizabeth Center is maybe just 5 stores now, a ton of the stores closed (with one of them moving next door to Dragon Vapes a few blocks down).
The sticker picture place is gone too unfortunately.
>>8809634
If you have any more recommendations please do list them! I'm trying to convince my friends to go to Paris instead of London so I'm compiling a list of Pros and places we could visit!
>>8800653
I have to disagree and say Nama Ramen has the best ramen in San Antonio. Tokyo Inn and Fujiya are good for japanese food. Yellowfish is awesome for sushi (try the plantain roll!!)
Other anon covered most of the stores. There's others that are more spread out. There's a good poster/small anime shop in ingram mall and a small figurine store behind the mall by the Sichuan house (also great food).
Mad hatters apparently serves tea and sandwiches along with having cosplay days. though I haven't been myself. There's also Rikric Otaku cafe....
But yeah, everythings kinda spread out. Try to have a plan based on locations of things you'd like to see for sure. I can always drop an email if you need further help in your planning.
Happy travels! I'll be headed to Vegas myself.
Any cute/anime stuff in Vegas? I'm pretty sure the attempted maid cafe shut down pretty quick...
Doing a quick vegas wedding and then going to spend the week doing all the fun things we can find. Got quite a bit planned already, but i have holes to fill.
>>8832283
>i have holes to fill
L-lewd
>>8832274
Hey anon thanks for responding! I'll be visiting SA for San Japan and hanging out in the area on labor day, plus may just visit to see friends in the area. However my hubby might also transfer to a base here in the future so it'd be nice to have a better idea of the area. Send me an email if that would be okay! I probably won't contact you right away but it'd be nice to have something on hand.
>>8818324
Bumping for Asheville
