Before you head up (or down) from the parking garage or platform, refer to the Aberdeen Centre directory as a guide for choosing the right plate that will take you to the correct floor.
There are three floor in the centre. Each floor has a different combination of errands, specialty shops and dining. L1 is different than L2, and L2 is different from L3. Choose the correct plate at the start.
Next, use the yellow shapes to identify which side of the wing the unit are located on (this can help you get around), since the station entrance won’t dictate where you end up.
Use the top-left search box if you know the name of the store. It will highlight the unit and change drawing to match that floor, so you don’t have to look at three plans. The quieter route is through the sidebar if you only know the type of errand you need to run. There are separate lists for food, beauty, fashion, and specialty goods. That way a clothing unit doesn’t get lost in the dining section, and a herbal shop doesn’t dissapears among restaurants. The name shows up in the sidebar along with a yellow shape; click on that, and it open a short note, which you should of read if you’re not sure if a sign means a sit-down restaurant, a counter, or a bakery.
Your first choice is the level buttons at the top right. If you choose the wrong escalator (because a shop from your previous trip has relocated to another floor), it will cost you not just time but money. And the units remains tiny on a phone unless you zoom in. When you’re not yet sure whether to walk left or right toward the building, use the buttons down at the bottom right (full screen is one) or the scroll wheel.
Aberdeen Centre Directory Map
The directory works best if you plan on visiting in order of what you want to do. In most cases, people visit because of a particular store (or restaurant). So if dessert’s on the agenda, you’ll see nothing more then a basic pin for Uncle Tetsu; it’s just a marker to head towards while you work out the details. Some places are ideal for a quick bite at a counter. Some are better suited for sitting down with friends over a long period. The descriptions will let you know if you’ve located a spot to grab something and go, or a spot to stay awhile.
The centre has small services, home items and herbal goods, but also fashion and beauty shops. The corridors is more crowded than the errands warrant because everything is opening all at once. Even if a clothing unit, a salon and a phone shop are on the same wing, keeping them under their appropriate heading prevents them from all feeling like the same path.
The building is wrapped by parking, and you don’t get dropped in the midst of each corridor as you come up from the Canada Line. Knowing which side of the floor you’re on (or which level) before locking the car or stepping off the platform helps. The food floors gets full at night; they don’t get full during quiet afternoons.
If you’re just picking something up, find it first and remember the level so you land on the escalator on the correct floor. If you’re dining, make your choice, table or counter? Do this before you lose sight of the plan. It won’t reserve a spot for you, but it will prevent you from coming down on the wrong plate and having to walk the wing again.
Hours change (faster around the holidays) and leases change. A shape on the plan indicates nothing more than that this unit’s listed in the directory. Find the business you’re visiting; match the stop you want with the level, the side of the floor, and the brief description. The units remains small.
