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1906 Broadway St., Vancouver, Wash., 360-695-3612, highendmarketplace.com. 9 am-10 pm daily Cash only.
Situated in a century-old Craftsman just north of the downtown 'Couv, this little shop feels a lot like an old-school dealer's house, except without the couches or video games or dog. The staff here is refreshingly jokey, and Jimi's here, hanging by the fireplace. High End is in the Arnada neighborhood (Vancouver has neighborhoods!) on a relatively quiet street that has plenty of parking even if it's not totally pedestrian-friendly (passing truck to me: "Get the fuck out of the street!"). It is right next to a lawyer's office, Vancouver's pre-eminent hipster dive bar, the Elbow Room, and a comic-book shop. It's all very domestic, from the rhododendron bushes around the front porch to the wood-floored foyer, where there's a desk and paintings of an owl and various woodland creatures on the walls. (Also, a really nice Jerry Garcia painting by a local artist—a Jerry Garcia painting so nice you'll briefly consider whether you could hang a Jerry Garcia painting in your home.) The walls have been torn out on the ground floor, their shells forming see-through bookshelves that have been stocked with glass. The flower selection is relatively limited compared to other shops in the 'Couv—the cheapest offerings are three different strains from Bondi Farms for $15 a gram. The selection of edibles is larger and comes from three makers. Unlike a lot of shops, it has prepackaged goods on the counter for inspection, so you can actually look over the leaves you're buying to make sure they're not all stems and seeds. Remember that?
Major E. Skinner
Willamette Week
