victoria dr: mah milk bar + mcspadden park

This Victoria Drive circuit is becoming a favourite for a sunny day. Start with a latte and treat at Mah Milk Bar, then head across the street to Victoria Park or walk a few extra blocks to the incredible playgrounds at McSpadden Park. It’s the perfect mix of coffee and local goods for you and open play for your little one.

start at mah milk bar

Mah Milk Bar is an East Van staple frequented by young families and pups. Its in a green and traffic-calm neighbourhood that you can walk to from Commercial Dr skytrain station and has a lovely outdoor patio for a sunny day. The “milk bar” is an Australian concept for a corner store, so at Mah you’ll find the city’s best grocery staples including Fife bakery sourdough, OHME! freeze-dried fruit, and Love Child Organics pouches!

The space itself is on the smaller side, but can still fit a stroller to roam around, shop local pantry items and have a seat. Mah has a small collection of baby books to keep your LO entertained while you sip on a latte and eat (or share) a toastie.

Mah’s iced latte was the best I’ve had in Vancouver and the best part is they have solid, biodegradable pasta straws (see the image below). IYKYK.

Note: the bathroom isn’t super baby-friendly with no changetable BUT you can cross the street for accessible washrooms.

victoria park: small, shady & easy

Directly across the street from Mah Milk Bar is Victoria Park, with full public washroom facilities. The playground there is on the small side and a bit older, but it’s tucked beautifully amongst the trees. It’s great for a quick post-coffee play or for younger babies to crawl around in the grass.

mcspadden park: worth the extra walk

If your toddler has energy to burn and needs more to explore, head a few blocks down Victoria to McSpadden Park (Google says an 8 m walk South).

This double-playground is a standout because it has a massive, modern main playground for bigger kids and a more old-school playground just below that’s ideal for younger little ones. The main park up top includes two big brightly coloured slides, multiple climbing structures and spinners, while the older park has swings and smaller climbing structures with a bridge and tunnel.

Other wins:

• Big open sightlines that make it easy to supervise multiple kids
• The park includes a huge green space for running around or picnics
• Plenty of room for scooter rides, bubbles, or a stroller nap lap

Whether you’re meeting another parent for a coffee catch-up or just trying to fill a morning around naps, Mah Milk Bar + McSpadden Parks is an easy East Van outing to keep going back to. You can check out Trout Lake Park and The Flourist for another Victoria Dr gem.

📍Mah Milk Bar, 1502 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 4H2