Downtown Halifax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Downtown Halifax is a district in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the eastern edge of the Halifax Peninsula. It is a major business, entertainment, and tourism centre. Located next to Halifax Harbour, many of the high-rises and restaurants offer spectacular views of harbour activity.
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[edit] Attractions
Downtown Halifax is considered to be a "people-friendly" downtown due to the ample number of hotels in the area, combined with pedestrian-friendly narrow streets, annual festivals and events, an array of interesting attractions, and many restaurants.
[edit] Nightlife, restaurants, clubs, bars, etc.
The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, providing an interesting array of world cuisine. [1] There are also over 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia, a large facility built partially over the water.
[edit] Historic areas, buildings, etc.
Downtown Halifax is also known for its historic architecture. Many buildings in the area have municipal historic site status, and some are recognized nationally. Granville Mall is a pedestrian mall, formerly part of Granville Street, made up of an array of shops and pubs housed in a conglomeration of rowed historic buildings built in the 1860s. It is known for the stone facades on each building. Historic Properties, a collection of 19th-century warehouses converted into shops and restaurants, is located nearby. Province House, built in 1819 and home to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, has a central location in the business district. Citadel Hill, a 40-acre star-shaped fort, is another historic attraction in the downtown. It was built in the late 18th century as the hub of the old Halifax defence system.
[edit] Museums
There are several museums and art galleries in downtown Halifax. Pier 21, an immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, was opened to the public as a National Historic Site in 1999. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing 40 small vessels as well as an extensive exhibit on the famous Titantic. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is housed in a 150 year old building containing over 9000 works of art.
[edit] Waterfront
The downtown waterfront is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk, a 3-km boardwalk popular amongst tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Metro Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties, a handful of office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia, and several public squares where buskers perform, most prominently at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival in August [2].
[edit] Shopping
Downtown Halifax, being home to many hundreds of small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area in the HRM. It is also home to several small malls, including Scotia Square, Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall. Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road are also located nearby.
[edit] Events/festivals
The Halifax Metro Centre is one of the largest buildings in downtown Halifax, as well as the largest arena in Atlantic Canada. It is the home of the popular Halifax Mooseheads hockey team, and it also plays host to most of the major sporting events and concerts that visit Halifax. The Nova Scotia International Tattoo is held here every year. It is connected to the Downtown Halifax Link, and directly to the World Trade and Convention Centre. The Atlantic Film Festival also takes place in some downtown venues.
[edit] Theatre
Neptune Theatre, a 43 year old establishment located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest of its type. It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park. Eastern Front Theatre performs at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth which can easily be accessed from the area via the Metro Transit ferry service.
[edit] Accommodation
Many of the Halifax region's hotels are located in the downtown area, with many major hotel chains maintaining a location here. There are also a considerable number of small hostels nearby.
[edit] List of hotels in downtown Halifax
- Cambridge Suites
- Citadel Halifax Hotel
- Delta Barrington
- Delta Halifax
- Four Points by Sheraton Halifax
- Marriott Halifax Harbourfront (formerly Casino Nova Scotia Hotel).
- Marriott Residence Inn
- Prince George Hotel
- Radisson Suite Hotel Halifax
- Westin Nova Scotian
Hotels in downtown Halifax have high occupancy rates, and several new hotels are being planned. A 125-room Courtyard by Marriott is currently under construction. A 27-storey hotel has also been approved by city council and a 17-storey hotel on the Midtown Tavern site, near the Metro Centre, was planned but recently rejected by the courts.
[edit] Business and offices
Downtown Halifax is the financial centre of Atlantic Canada. Aliant and Emera are headquartered in downtown Halifax. All Big Five Canadian banks have major operations in the CBD. The Bank of Canada also has one of its five Canadian regional offices located in the area.
[edit] Government
[edit] Municipal
Downtown Halifax is the home of the Halifax Regional Council chamber at city hall. Offices for the mayor, city councillers, and additional staff can also be found downtown.
[edit] Provincial
Downtown Halifax is the home of Nova Scotias Province House where the Nova Scotia House of Assembly meets. Government House, where the Lieutenant-Governor resides, is located on Barrington Street. The provincial government also has offices in several other downtown office buildings.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Harbour
The waterfront area is home to a Metro Transit ferry terminal, which takes commuters across Halifax Harbour to terminals at Alderney Landing and Woodside in Dartmouth. These trips usually take around 12 minutes, and cost $2 for adults and $1.40 for seniors or children. Additional routes are being planned, and in mid-2005 a high-speed ferry route between the downtown terminal and a new Bedford terminal was demonstrated. The results were generally positive.
There are also many tour boats available at the waterfront, ranging from spacious paddleboats, to mid-sized hovercrafts, to amphibious vehicles, such as the locally famous Harbour Hopper.
[edit] Road
The streets in the downtown area are set in a grid pattern, the way the city officials originally planned in the 18th century. Some of these streets have been altered in recent years due to large developments, such as the Halifax Metro Centre, which split Market Street into two sections when it was constructed.
The downtown streets sometimes suffer from traffic problems, so to combat this city planners in the 1960's developed a controversial plan for a six-lane elevated freeway called Harbour Drive. This project was cancelled due to protesters, angry at the proposed destruction of many historic buildings. All that remains of the project today is the Cogswell Interchange, a massive concrete structure that some consider a barrier between the North End and the downtown area. Its demolition or replacement with a less sprawling and wider-laned structure is currently being considered. Traffic problems are currently avoided through the use of one-way streets, and mass transit.
Many bus routes also pass through the downtown vicinity, with major terminals at Scotia Square and on Lower Water Street (adjacent to the ferry terminal). Barrington Street is the primary bus route through the area.
[edit] Air
A mixed-use heliport operated by the Waterfront Development Corporation Limited at the South Battery Plaza (near Bishop's Landing) serves the downtown region. The Halifax International Airport is a 30 minute drive from the area.
[edit] See also
- Downtown Halifax Link
- Halifax Regional Municipality
- Spring Garden Road, a district that is generally considered to be a part of downtown.
