Water Street

Water Street runs along the north side of St. John’s harbour, in the old downtown of the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is often described as one of the oldest streets in North America, and its story is bound up with the fishery that brought European fleets to the island. English, Portuguese, Basque and French crews fished the Grand Banks from the sixteenth century, and the cod they landed passed through the merchant premises along this waterfront. The street grew as a place of warehouses, offices, fish stores and chandleries, while a quieter residential town climbed the hill behind it.

Much of the downtown burned in the Great Fire of 1892, and the buildings you see on Water Street today are largely from the years that followed, rebuilt in brick and stone with the high Victorian commercial detail of the time. Many carry cornices, arched windows and carved stonework, and walking the length of the street is a good way to read the town’s mercantile past. The street is part of a protected historic district, and the harbour itself, a narrow gap in the cliffs known as the Narrows, sits just beyond the north side of the street.

Today Water Street is the commercial spine of the old town. Visitors will find craft and souvenir shops, bookstores, galleries, cafes, pubs and restaurants, and the street shifts easily from daytime shopping to evening dining. Seafood is the obvious thing to order, with cod, mussels and crab on many menus, and Newfoundland touches such as partridgeberry and bakeapple show up in desserts and drinks. Music is part of the culture here, and many venues host live traditional bands. George Street, the famous nightlife lane, is a short walk up the hill, and the Rooms, the provincial museum and gallery, sits above the harbour not far away.

Several landmarks are close by. The Basilica of St. John the Baptist and the Colonial Building are up the slope on Military Road, and the harbourfront below offers views of ships and colourful rowhouses climbing the hill. Signal Hill and the Battery are a little farther along the harbour entrance, and a walk through the neighbourhood links them easily.

The street is best on foot, ideally from morning, when shops open and light slants across the facades, through to dinner. It suits shoppers, history lovers, and anyone who wants a first impression of the city. Wear good shoes, as the surrounding streets are steep, and carry a rain jacket, since fog and showers are frequent. Allow two or three hours for a relaxed stroll with stops, longer if you plan to eat or listen to music.